There has been plenty of news these past few weeks surrounding Peyton Manning and his status with the Denver Broncos. Journalists from every medium are clamoring to break something related to the future Hall of Fame quarterback. He’s definitely coming back, and when. He’s definitely not coming back, and why. They’re the stories every reporter wants. And some get quite upset when they feel like they don’t have a fair shake at breaking them.
Some have taken it on the chin, says Associated Press reporter Arnie Stapleton. National reporters like Mike Florio and Jason Cole, for example. Local guys aren’t immune, either. Manning and the Broncos “gave D-Mac [104.3 The Fan host Darren McKee] a wedgie,” says Gil Whiteley of Mile High Sports AM 1340.
But D-Mac’s painful encounter with the team wasn’t a result of perceived misinformation, as Florio’s and Cole’s were. No, he was upset because he wasn’t part of an invitation-only press conference Manning held on Wednesday, as Stapleton put it, to “let Peyton speak for himself.” Stapleton joined Whiteley on his radio show on Friday to discuss the situation.
Full disclosure, no one from Mile High Sports was invited to the conference with Manning. Nor were reporters from the Colorado Springs Gazette, Boulder Daily Camera, Fort Collins Coloradoan, KCNC TV, KMGH TV, KDVR TV or dozens of other credentialed entities, to our knowledge. Only five individuals took part in Peyton Manning’s first direct meeting with the press since Nov. 16, the day after he both passed Brett Favre for the NFL’s all-time passing mark and was sidelined with an injury after throwing four interceptions in 2.5 quarters against Kansas City.
Stapleton, along with Troy Renck of the Denver Post, Jeff Legwold of ESPN, Mike Klis of KUSA TV and Andrew Mason, who writes for the team website, got Manning on record Wednesday during a meeting in which the quarterback talked about his health status. Regarding a potential end to his career, Manning offered the now widely circulated quip:
“This is when ‘they’ and ‘sources’ seem to show their heads a little bit. And I’ve always wanted to meet ‘they’ and ‘sources’ because both seem to know a lot. But I haven’t thought much more than about trying to get healthy. That’s what I’m trying to do.”
That may be the only thing Manning is trying to do, but by meeting with what Stapleton called a “select group of news outlets,” what Manning really did was upset at least one member of the not-so-select media.
“Peyton wanted to get the story out there,” Stapleton told Whiteley. “The story’s out there. I understand there’s hurt feelings, but you know something, Peyton’s not going to care. I don’t know that the Broncos are going to care. That’s the way he wants to do it.”
Manning has the celebrity cachet, Stapleton says, to pick and choose who he trusts to report his story, and that there were no mischievous actions on the Broncos’ part to prevent other media from being present.
Stapleton includes himself in the group of “few and proud” journalists that are covering the team virtually around the clock, there on days like Thanksgiving and Christmas – the few that Manning said he’d talk to.
As for the how and where, Stapleton said there was “no throwing off the scent,” as has been suggested. Whiteley alluded to the fact that certain members of the media were directed to a press conference with safety and Walter Payton Man of the Year candidate David Bruton, rather than having access to Manning. According to Stapleton, it was not intended to be a meeting in a closed locker room, it just happened to be that because Manning needed to sit down.
Listen to the full discussion between Whiteley and Stapleton on the now infamous meeting with Manning in the podcast below…
Catch Gil Whiteley every weekday from 11a-1p on Mile High Sports AM 1340 or stream live any time for the best local coverage of what’s new and what’s next in Colorado sports.
