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Peyton's day was purely a pleasure to watch

The broken record, the joy - Sunday had many moments to remember.

By Reggie Hayes of The News-Sentinel
 
It was sappy. It was gooey. It was one multi-millionaire slobbering over another.

 

And it was one of the best moments of Peyton Manning's record-setting day.

 

A raucous RCA Dome crowd continued to rock and roll in revelry minutes after Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to a 34-31 overtime comeback win over San Diego on Sunday. As photographers converged, CBS wired Manning for an interview with studio analyst Dan Marino. Marino congratulated Manning for breaking Marino's record of 48 touchdown passes in a season.

 

Manning blushed.

 

"You're my hero," Manning told Marino.

 

I swear, Manning turned into an 8-year-old boy right on the spot.

 

If you were a Colts fan watching at home, you know the feeling.

 

Just when it seems impossible to find any pure joy in pro sports, especially the monolithic NFL, along comes a day like Sunday and a game like Manning's. This record-breaking day, which we all saw approaching six weeks ago but never expected to finish like this, had everything you could want - a likable leading man, a dramatic come-from-behind win and the side story of an owner with a heart of gold to match his wallet.

 

No wonder it brought the kid out of Manning.

 

First, the facts:

 

Manning's record 49th touchdown pass, a 21-yarder to Brandon Stokley with 56 seconds left in regulation, helped send the game to overtime.

 

Edgerrin James' two-point conversion completed the job, the Colts won the coin flip and Manning calmly moved the Colts 61 yards to set up Mike Vanderjagt's game-winning field goal.

 

Now, the emotions:

 

"You couldn't have written the script better than it went out there," Stokley said.

 

This game was lost. It was 31-16 in the fourth quarter. The Colts' offense was absent, if not absent-minded. Yet Manning found a way to win. Won the game, set the record, gave new meaning to that phrase in his comical charge-card commercial: priceless.

 

The dome is in its golden years, with bigger, more expensive, more luxurious digs to be built before Manning's arm ages. Sunday, it still shook mightily. Signs were posted, anticipating Manning's record. "Wine Me, Dine Me, 49 Me," read one woman's placard. Then a game broke out, and if the place has ever been louder, I'm sure AC/DC was involved.

 

"This was awesome, man," said Colts running back Dominic Rhodes, who helped the cause with an 88-yard touchdown return to close the margin to 31-23. "This was one of the best games I've ever been a part of."

 

Manning's father, Archie, the former New Orleans Saints quarterback, nearly missed the whole thing. He and his wife, Olivia, were stuck in the Memphis airport, victims of poor weather. They had resigned themselves to watching the record-breaking day at a terminal bar. Colts owner Jim Irsay found out - oh, the wonders when modern technology and gossip converge - and dispatched his personal jet to pick up the Mannings.

 

They arrived in time to watch the last nine minutes of the game - which, I'd have to say, was about as good a time as any to tune into the action.

 

"It's a classic Mr. Irsay story," Peyton Manning said, "of how generous our owner is."

 

Archie Manning related one of the best chapters of the story. A family of Colts fans - sporting No.18 Manning and No.32 James jerseys - was stuck in the Memphis airport, too, en route from New Orleans. After Archie told Irsay of their interrupted trip, they were invited along for the private ride, too.

 

They watched Manning direct an 80-yard scoring drive that sent the game into overtime. They saw his record-breaking throw to Stokley. They may have even watched Stokley attempt to keep the ball in his possession. (He gave it to backup receiver Aaron Morehead for safe-keeping. Morehead had no clout to keep an NFL official from wrestling it away, presumably for the Hall of Fame.)

 

They also saw an eruption of emotions when Vanderjagt's 30-yard field goal sealed the win, sealed the No.3 seed in the playoffs and sent everyone home happy from the holidays.

 

"I was just happy we won," Peyton Manning said. "And, obviously, the way we won sure made it exciting."

 

Peyton Manning always says his father was his favorite player when he was a kid. After his dad retired, he gravitated toward Marino. They have since become friends. They share a bond as quarterbacks and, now, as NFL record holders.

 

CBS' decision to hook Manning up with Marino, via the television lines, was a little cheesy and self-promoting, but still one of the best completions of the day.

 

"Dan's been a great friend to Peyton," Archie Manning said, shortly after walking with his son back to the Colts' locker room. "I know it kind of made Peyton emotional. It kind of makes me emotional, too."

 

Turning emotional was the theme of the day.

 

Only a complete cynic - or a Chargers fan - could have considered watching this record-setting game as anything but pure pleasure.

 

This column is the commentary of the writer and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of The News-Sentinel. "Ask Reggie" can be found at www.news-sentinel.com. E-mail Reggie Hayes at rhayes@news-sentinel.com.

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