Eli Manning lands himself in hot water for flipping the bird during MNF broadcast
Eli and Peyton Manning are part of Manningcast, ESPN's alternative broadcast which gives viewers access to the minds of two Super Bowl quarterback winners, who serve as the commentators of the game.
The best thing about Manningcast is how natural it feels to viewers. It's nothing new to have former players and coaches in the booth, but the Mannings are there unfiltered, and so are their guests. It's amazing to see former NFL quarterbacks talking about the different phases and nuances of the game.
Some people, however, may feel that the Mannings are getting a little too natural and disrespectful for their taste.
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Eli Manning’s double bird on ESPN2 ManningCast prompted a grand total of 3 FCC complaints on “despicable” gesture dlvr.it/SC873P https://t.co/oWJLff54XZ
Three viewers complain about Eli Manning's double bird on Manningcast
During Week 3 of the NFL season, Monday Night Football was played between the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles, two teams that play in the NFC East, the same division as the New York Giants, where Eli Manning spent his entire NFL career as a quarterback.
Eli was talking about how ruthless Eagles fans were, and what young fans did to him when he was playing in Philadelphia, giving visual signs of how it looked during the game. He later apologized for his actions, but the Federal Communications Commission received three complaints about Manning giving the double bird on national TV.
Two of the viewers are from the state of Pennsylvania. One from West Chester wrote in his complaint:
"On ESPN 'Monday Night Football' Eli Manning used profane gestures that were despicable and unacceptable and fines should be levied. Young Americans should never be exposed to something like that, it was disgusting."
Shout out to the person from West Chester, PA who called the FCC on Eli Manning to complain about him flipping the double bird during the game a couple of weeks ago.
Another, from Philadelphia, echoed these sentiments:
"Mr. Manning's actions are offensive to me as a viewer. It was also offensive as a Philadelphia native and sports fan. There was young children watching that broadcast last evening. The FCC should take all appropriate enforcement actions against Mr. Manning and/or ESPN for Mr. Manning's conduct to hold them accountable to send the message that that type of behavior (even if he was re-telling a story) is not acceptable, including all appropriate fines."
According to TMZ, the third viewer to lodge a complaint is from Tumwater, Washington.
Regardless, it is worth noting that Manningcast delivers because it appears natural and authentic. If ESPN does try to cap Peyton and Eli, the show might lose part of its fun.
Another interesting fact is that three complaints are still a small number compared to the 1,312 complaints received by the FCC after Jennifer Lopez and Shakira's Super Bowl LIV halftime show.
Also Read: What is Eli Manning’s Net Worth in 2021?