The...Decision? Don't Laugh It Off.

Jim Gray: Thank you very much. Everybody is on pins and needles across the country, particularly those teams who are in the running for Peyton Manning.

Are you ready to go Peyton? Where's the Zigtechs?


Peyton Manning: Left 'em at home.


JG: What's new? What's been going on with you this winter?


PM: Man, this whole free agent experience, lookin' forward to it.


JM: What have you thought about this process?


PM: This process has been everything I've thought and more. And that's what I did a few years ago; I put myself in a position to have this process where I can hear teams' pitches and figure out what was the best possible chance for me to ultimately win and to ultimately be happy.


JG: You weren't able to be recruited because you went straight to Tennessee from high school. Have you enjoyed this recruiting process now?


PM: I have enjoyed it. And I want to thank all six teams that I had an opportunity to sit down with and hear what they had to say. And my team, they heard what we had to say also.

It's been an unbelievable experience, a real humblin' experience to be even to be in this position.


JG: What did you expect? Because we've seen 30 foot billboards. We've seen teams clear out all kinds of cap space. We've seen cartoons made about you and for you in part of their pitch. President Obama, for crying out loud, seven times has commented that he'd like to see you go to the Bears. What did you expect from this process?


PM: Well, certain things like that is one thing you can't control. But I expected to be able to go through this process and be able to sit down with my team and sit across from other teams and hear how they feel with me being a part of their team, could help them win and could ultimately help others win.

And the process was everything I expected and more. And like I said before, I just thank all those teams that have come to Indianapolis and us to have those interviews and have that process. It was everything that I've ever expected and more.


JG: How many people know your decision right now?


PM: Not many. It's a very, very small number. And I probably could count them on my fingers.


JG: One hand or two hands?


PM: Let's say one.


JG: When did you decide?


PM: I think I decided this mornin'. I mean, I decided this mornin' I went day to day. I wake up one mornin', it's this team. I wake up another mornin', it's this team. And it's a process that I felt it was I may feel like this is the best opportunity for me or not the best opportunity for me.

But this mornin' I woke up, had a great conversation with my mom. Once I had that conversation with her, I think I was set.


JG: So the last time you changed your mind was yesterday?


PM: The last time I changed my mind was probably in my dreams. And when I woke up this mornin' I knew it was the right decision.


JG: So does the team that you're going to, that you'll announce in a few minutes, do they know your decision?


PM: They just found out.


JG: They just found out?


PM: Yeah.


JG: So the other five, on pins and needles, they don't know; they'll be listening to this?


PM: Right.


JG: Who in this process, Peyton, have you taken advice from and who has had the biggest influence?


PM: I've taken a lot of advice from my friends and family. My agent, Tom Condon, has been great. A lot of people that I look towards in a time of need or for advice, and ultimately they looked at me and said you ultimately have to live with your decision that you're going to make, and you have to do what's best for you, for your family and for you to ultimately be happy.


JG: What was the major factor, the major reason in your decision?


PM: I think the major factor and the major reason in my decision was the best opportunity for me to win and to win now and to win into the future also.

And winnin' is a huge thing for me. Jim, you know ever since I was a rookie or even in high school, we always talked, that was the number one thing for me: Help my teammates get better and just wantin' to win. And I've done some great things in my thirteen years, and I want to continue to do that.


JG: How deep of an evaluation do you have to do to go through that to figure out tomorrow, next year and beyond, that equation, that winning?


PM: One thing that you can't control is you never know. You never know. You want to put yourself in the position where you feel that it's the best opportunity. But sayin' I can win a championship next year or sayin' I can win it a year after, those are things that you don't know until you go out there and actually play the game.

But you have to put yourself in the right position to be able to compete and also accomplish the goals that you set out for.


JG: Do you have any doubts about your decision?


PM: No. I don't have any doubts at all.


JG: Would you like to sleep on it a little longer, or are you ready to make this decision?


PM: I've slept enough. Or the lack of sleep.


JG: Are you still a nail biter?


PM: I have a little bit. Not of late.


JG: You've had everybody else biting their nails. So I guess it's time for them to stop chewing. The answer to the question everybody wants to know: Peyton, what's your decision?


PM: In this fall, this is very tough, in this fall I'm goin' to take my talents to South Beach and join the Miami Dolphins.


JG: The Miami Dolphins? That was the conclusion you woke up with this morning?


PM: That was the conclusion I woke up with this morning.


JG: Why?


PM: Like I said before, I feel like it's goin' to give me the best opportunity to win and to win for multiple years, and not only just to win in the regular season or just to win five games in a row or three games in a row, I want to be able to win championships. And I feel like I can compete down there.


JG: Was it always in your plan to go and play with Tony Sparano and Davone Bess?


PM: I mean, I'm lookin' forward to it. To say it was always in my plans, I can't say it was always in my plans because I never thought it was possible.

But the things that the Miami Dolphins franchise have done to be able to free up cap space and to be able to put themselves in a position this summer to have all three of us, it was hard to turn down. Those are two great players and coaches, two of the greatest players and coaches we have in this game today.

And, you know, you add me, we're going to be a really good team.


JG: The three of you will share now the spotlight and the limelight. And in many ways you're going to Tony Sparano's team. He's been in Miami. He's won an AFC East championship. How do you think you'll be able to fit in and possibly not be the headliner all the time?


PM: For me it's not about sharin'. You know, it's about everybody havin' their own spotlight and then just doin' what's best for the team.

You know, at this point Coach Sparano, he's the unselfish guy here. To be able to have Davone Bess and then Peyton Manning, to welcome us to his team, it's not about an individual here. Because if that was the case, Coach wouldn't have asked us to join him, or we wouldn't have asked him if it was okay to come down there. It's not about individuals. It's about a team, and that's what this game is about.


JG: How do you explain this to the people in Indianapolis?


PM: I mean, it's heartfelt for me. You know, it's hard to explain, but at the same time my heart, in the thirteen years I gave to that franchise, to that city, it was everything.

I mean, those 60,000 plus fans that came out every night we played, and they seen me grow from a 22 year old kid to a 35 year old man. And I never wanted to leave Indianapolis. And my heart will always be around that area. But I also felt like this is the greatest challenge for me is to move on.


JG: What was the major reason for leaving the Colts?


PM: I don't even see it it's not like leaving Indianapolis is the whole logistic of it; it's about joinin' forces with the other two guys that I feel like I respect their game the most. And I feel like we have a great chance of winnin' and winnin' for multiple years.

Oh, well that and the fact that these goddamn fools have tried their damned bests to tarnish my legacy. I mean, seriously guys? Give up the perfect season one year, then that stupid ass timeout the next? Really, Caldwell? For real? I could cut your fuckin' throat, partner. And it'd be nice to play for a team that can make one out of every, oh I don't know, nine tackles. Or a team that doesn't routinely give up big plays on special teams, especially at crucial times. Do you realize I've seen, like, four different guys return the opening kickoff for a touchdown in my career? The opening kickoff! And that's not even countin' the pathetic fuckin' preseason. This new coaching staff, they can all suck each others' dicks for all I care. Balls, too. Sinkin' ship, that one.

Like I said before, this is a very emotional time for me. I know it's emotional for the fans and also for the area. And if it was a perfect world, I would have loved to stay, because I've done so many great things for that team, they've done so many great things for me. But I feel like it's time to change.


JG: What do you think will be the fans' reaction back there, and will you still live in Geist?


PM: I'm not sure. You know, they can have mixed emotions, of course, but it's goin' to be a lot of emotions not understandin' why. And then you're goin' to have the real friends who love me for who I am. For me bein' from New Orleans, Louisiana, and lovin' New Orleans, Louisiana, it's always home for me. I'm still goin' to live there, always be home. And Indianapolis, Indiana is always home for me and that area.


JG: Tony Sporano is the coach. Davone Bess, Channing Crowder said he will be the coach. Have you been told he will be your coach, or has Bill Parcells, in your meetings, indicated he might come back to the bench?


PM: No. Tony Sporano will be the coach. And Bill said that. And Tony is a fat young coach. He has a great mentor in Bill.

If you need something to bounce off of, he has a great person to go through, because Bill has been through everything, been through the highest level to the lowest level. He knows everything about it. But I respect Tony and I respect the coachin' staff. I respect Coach Sporano and everything he's going to do to try to put us in the right position to win it all. You know, like not callin' stupid ass timeouts givin' the other team enough time to make a few plays and get in chip-shot field goal range. Nothin' like that or anything.


JG: Ever want to go through this again?


PM: This is tough. This is very tough, because you feel like you've let a lot of people down. You've raised a lot of people's expectations also. But it was a tough decision, because I know how loyal I am.

And one thing my mother told me when I was goin' through this process and what ultimately helped me make my decision is you have to do what's best for you and what's going to make you happy at the end of the day, because no one can live with the consequences or anything that comes with your decision besides you.

And once I heard that from my mother, the person that I always look to for guidance, it was easy.


JG: You told me she had a major influence when you called her this morning. You didn't believe the reaction she had would be the one that you got. Could you share with us what she said to you this morning?


PM: Absolutely. Like I said, when I called my mother I thought I would hear a different reaction. When she her reaction was it was a great move, because she felt it was goin' to ultimately make me happy. It wasn't about bein' in Miami. It wasn't about playin' alongside Ronnie, playin' alongside Davone, who she believes are two great football players, because she loves the game. But she felt it was goin' to make me happy.

When I heard that from my mother, it was like it was the relief that I was lookin' for throughout this whole process.

THE HIRED(?) PT. 1