Daniel Boczarski/Getty Images for Churchill Downs
Peyton and Eli Manning have a pretty simple rule for guests on their ESPN “ManningCast” during Monday Night Football—actually be a fan of the sport.
“The criteria for being a guest is you gotta love football,” Peyton Manning told Bloomberg’s Lucas Shaw (h/t Jay Rigdon of Awful Announcing). “You can’t come on to promote your tequila.”
The “ManningCast” has successfully combined the unique insights and perspective of the two brothers and former NFL quarterbacks with their dry banter and excellent collection of guests to provide a fun alternative to ESPN’s main broadcast of the weekly game.
As Rigdon noted, guests don’t appear on the “ManningCast” to be the subject of an interview so much as they talk about the game with the Mannings and often discuss other topics around the world of football.
“We’ve stayed pretty true to what the original plan was,” Eli Manning said on the Pat McAfee Show in April. “We wanted to make it feel like what it’s like to sit on the couch with Peyton and I and watch a football game. That’s still the idea. We’re gonna talk some Xs and Os, we’re gonna make fun of each other, and every now and then, Pat McAfee pops in in the living room and we start talking with him or we’re talking with Snoop Dogg.”
Pat McAfee @PatMcAfeeShow
“I’ve really enjoyed doing the ManningCast and it’s kept me involved in football..
Peyton leaves me a 43 minute voice memo breaking down plays before every game” 😂@EliManning #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/LDnsRmag2A
It’s a formula that’s worked as the “ManningCast” heads into its third season.
Source : Bleacher Report