The Lead
Beloved former Bronco Peyton Manning has graduated from giving Brad Paisley singing tips in Nationwide commercials.
In Paisley's new music video for "No I in Beer" featuring dozens of fans and celebrities joining in via Zoom, Manning has a few brief vocal spots — including the line, "We were the team to beat." Very fitting.
He isn't the only sports star that makes an appearance, though; so do former Yankee Alex Rodriguez, Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw and former Colorado Avalanche center Matt Duchene.
Music fans and keen-eyed TV viewers can spot the likes of Tim McGraw and Darius Rucker, as well as actor Fred Armisen.
But c'mon, can Portlandia really compare to Peytonville?
Below the Fold
Speaking of Manning, "The Sheriff's" 2013 MVP season earned bronze in Gil Brandt’s ranking of the top 10 MVP seasons of the last decade, behind only No. 2 Lamar Jackson's breakout year and Adrian Peterson's 2,097-yard season in 2012. "At the age of 37, Manning set single-season records for passing yards and passing touchdowns that still stand today, while the Broncos ended up with more points (606), passing first downs (293) and players with 10-plus TDs (five) than any other team in NFL history," Brandt wrote.
As players continue to make their decisions as to whether they should opt out of playing the upcoming season due to COVID-19 concerns, Sports Illustrated’s Connor Orr reminds us of an important point: these important and personal decisions are not for onlookers to criticize. "[W]hen it comes to decisions like these made on a personal level, decisions that could affect the quality of someone's life both now and far in the future, there is no ground to stand on."
