Polar Opposites

Brett DiStasio                                                                                                             December 10, 2017

Brady Vs. Manning

By: Gary Myers

Polar opposites

            Who knew that two men who came from totally different backgrounds and ways of life could end up being intertwined forever and build a relationship where they are best of friends and worst of enemies on the field. Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were polar opposites when they were growing up and in the NFL. Peyton had grownup as a former pro football player’s son and was in a family in which he and his two other brothers were expected to go pro. Every college in the country wanted him and, “Peyton had to set two hours aside after dinner to talk to all the colleges awaiting his decision”(47). Tom Brady was the exact opposite, he grew up in a blue-collar middle class family, and he didn't start playing football until his freshman year in high school. “Tom wouldn't of had the chance to see the field if it wasn't for the fact that schools quarterback quit because the team had not won a game the previous year.” (56) When Brady and Manning arrived in the NFL it was more of the same as Manning was the first overall pick and Tom Brady was taken as a compensatory selection 199th overall. Although Manning was considered much better than Brady, both quarterbacks led the best teams of the past decade and have been constantly compared and battled on the field in order to get their team to the Super Bowl.

Gary Myers provides a unique perspective on a rivalry that has been covered over and over through the years. He talks about the similarities and differences in Peyton and Tom’s life, providing previous unseen insight on conversations and moments shared between the two men behind closed doors. Unlike other books Myers often shifts the point of view chapter by chapter in order to go into exquisite detail. This allows him provide his own thoughts and ideas on the rivalry.

            My stance on the book has changed overtime as at first I thought it was just another account of the rivalry with the same information and perspective, but as the book progressed my view changed as Myers began to share exclusive interviews with the two athletes and provided more of his own position on the matter.

Myers also shows how he is a unique author as he uses transitions and change of perspective to move the novel along. Such as when Manning got drafted, he quickly shifts the next chapter to the same year when Brady was trying to play at the university of Michigan. When most authors are writing novels similar to this one, they usually focus on one side of the story, but Myers uses his first hand experience to separate himself from other writers. I would recommend this book to not only football fans, but also the common reader as Myers has a unique writing style and provides a fresh take on a worn out subject. Although I have not finished it, this is truly an interesting novel and a breath of fresh air when it comes to sports documentaries.