***2010 update: Peyton and his brother Eli met for the second time in the Manning Bowl as the New York Giants took on the Indianapolis Colts. In honor of Manning Bowl 2010, Stiletto Sports Designs created a whole new Manning Bowl 2010 Collection of fanwear! Whether you are Team Peyton, Team Eli or just Team Manning, there is something for everyone!

With the Indianapolis Colts taking center stage in Super Bowl XLIV, it seems only appropriate that Peyton Manning be selected as a SportsMan of Style. Don’t worry, Drew Brees will get his turn, as will Reggie Bush and the rest of the Saints, and the Colts too!

It pains me a little to do this piece since I am not the biggest Peyton Manning fan. I have no real reason why I dislike the guy, I just do. But I’m putting all feelings aside for this piece as he is one of the biggest stars of the game, and one of the most influential atheletes of all time.

Who is He?

Peyton is the quarterback and team leader for the Indianapolis Colts!

• Full Name: Peyton Williams Manning
• Height: 6-5
• Weight: 230
• Born: 3/24/1976 Age: 33 (he seems so much older since he is such a powerful leader!)
• Born & Raised in New Orleans , LA
• College: Tennessee
• NFL Experience: 12th season
• Brothers: Eli & Cooper
• Wife: Ashley

Did you catch the significant fact in those basics? Peyton was born and raised in New Orleans and is about to play his hometown team the New Orleans Saints in the Super Bowl. Oh, and his dad Archie Manning, actually played for the Saints for 10 years in his pro career! How is that for a fascinating fact?

Peyton comes from a whole family of footballers. Dad played for the Saints. Eli is the QB for the New York Giants. Cooper was a star wide receiver in college before he was diagnosed with spinal stenosus. Peyton is the middle son  and talk about middle child syndrome! He was determined to stand out and shine from the pack!

Why We (or at least, why everyone but me) Love Him:

Yes, Peyton looks amazing with his shirt off, in full NFL gear or all decked out in a custom fitted suit! But there is so much more to love about him than just his looks!

Peyton has become one of the most recognizable faces in sports. But beyond that, he is a Good Old Southern Family Boy. He is a leader on and off the field and determined to give back to the world. In 1999, Manning formed the PeyBack Foundation which helps disadvantaged and at risk youth learn leadership and growth opportunities. In the last 10 years, the PeyBack Foundation distributed more than $3 million through its programs and grants.

Where have I seen this guy before?

Um. Everywhere.

Peyton is in just about every commercial for every product on the market! Seriously, there aren’t many products left out there without Peyton’s endorsement! Gatorade, Wheaties, Sony, Mastercard, Sprint, ESPN, Xbox, NFLShop Don’t believe me? Here are some Peyton manning Commercials and  more Peyton Manning commercials and even more Peyton Manning Commericals!

My personal favorite is the “Anything You Can Do” for NFL kickoff weekend featuring both Eli and Peyton Manning. (and the new Peyton & Justin Timberlake commercial for Sony! Makes me laugh every time!)

Is He Really That Good?

Yes. He is. Peyton is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL. Sure people like to talk about Tom Brady, Tony Romo, Jay Cutler, and Aaron Rodgers being so awesome. But Peyton eats guys like those for breakfast on top of his Wheaties. If you aren’t willing to concede he is the best QB, then you have to concede he is the best leader in the NFL.

See, Peyton has total control on the field. All QBs have some control. They get out on the field, see what the defense is doing and then abruptly change the play by calling an “audible.”  But Peyton does it every single time. The Colts are known for their “hurry up offense” meaning, they rarely go into a huddle before the play begins to discuss their options. He knows all the options and he decides what he wants to do. And he shuts down the league’s best defenses, time after time after time. He  is rarely sacked, rarely intercepted and just freaking phenomenal.

Love him or hate him, there is no denying that Manning is an outstanding quarterback!

Peyton is a throwback in many ways, including the fact that he calls his own games. He receives a different offensive package every week. Every play has several options, both run and pass. When a call comes in from the sideline, Peyton decides on the final incarnation based on his personnel and the defensive alignment presented to him at the line of scrimmage. -JockBio.com

His accolades:

In 2009, he was listed by The Sporting News as the No. 1 player in the NFL today. Also in 2009, Fox Sports named him player of the decade. He has been the NFL’s MVP four times (the most ever by any player!) and been selected to the Pro Bowl (aka NFL’s all star game) 10 times —the only time he wasn’t was in 2001 and his rookie season.

He is the Colts All-Time Leader in: Career Wins, Passing Touchdowns , Pass Attempts, Pass Completions and Passing Yards. Now I don’t know what all that means, but I do know it’s pretty freaking impressive.

He also has more wins than any other quarterback in the past decade.

And he’s only 33!

So what do YOU think of Peyton Manning as a SportsMan of Style? Leave me a comment below or shoot me a tweet on Twitter @stilettosportsj

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