An Ode to Eli Manning

The end of Eli is the end of my childhood.In the beginning of my sports fandom, I saw Reyes, Beltrán, Wright, and...Stephon MarburyAnd I saw Eli ManningThe story of Eli is one of brotherhoodNot of his affable but creepy and irritating older brother,But as the brother, or uncle, or cousin of every Giants fanBecause you were part of the family, EliFor 210 fall weekends, you were a beloved guest on my televisionWhen the Giants were in the Super Bowl, I refused to watch at a friend's house because this most important of contests had to be experienced at home, with my mother and father and siblingsAnd you won it both times.But now your watch has ended in favor of Geno Smithwhich I cannot fathomAnd now I am no longer a child, for all my sports heroes have been unceremoniously ejected from the team, suspended for domestic violence, played for the Yankees, or had spinal stenosisFor a while, when the Giants were floundering in 2015 and 2017, I wondered if you were the problem, but I would never dare give upon a family memberon the friendly uncle at the beachI couldn't give up on the guy who was the subject of so many angry/ecstatic phone calls to my friends and familyI couldn't give up on a team legend, and the last vestige of my childhood sports fandom, the purer, un-jaded form of support.But Ben McAdoo (who I commonly refer to as Bob, because he doesn't deserve his real name)he doesn't think like thatwho even is geno smithwhat even is a davis webbI am sorry, Eli. You deserved an ending worthy of what you accomplished.But perhaps, in a way, this is fitting. You were never larger-than-life. That made you great.Farewell, for now.