NFL Names & Faces: Manning To Replace Woods As Top Endorser?

Manning Could Be Top Sports Endorser With Second Super Bowl Win

ESPN.com's Johnette Howard wrote with a win in Sunday's Super Bowl XLIV, Colts QB Peyton Manning could replace Tiger Woods as "America's most admired athlete" if he "hasn't already." Manning in TV commercials is "silky smooth, hysterically funny," and he "comes off as a genuinely good guy, the sort of pal you'd love to share jokes and beers with on a Saturday night." Howard wrote the "amazing thing about Manning's pitchman shtick is that, with a couple of exceptions, I couldn't tell you exactly what Manning endorses to save my life." Howard: "Manning is so deft, the star of each spot isn't the product; it's him" (ESPN.com, 2/1). In N.Y., Andy Soltis notes 23% of respondents to a survey from CBS' "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair chose Manning when "asked who should assume Woods' position as the No. 1 sports icon." Yankees SS Derek Jeter earned 6% of the vote, followed by tennis players Venus Williams (5%) and Roger Federer (3%). But the biggest response was the 45% who said that "sports stars shouldn't be role models" (N.Y. POST, 2/2).

MORE THAN A QB: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Allen Barra writes Saints QB Drew Brees is "more than a football hero to Louisiana." Brees is the "unofficial leader of 'Who Dat Nation,' carrying the fleur-de-lis banner not just for the city but for millions of displaced natives now scattered all over the country who see the Saints as 'America's real team.'" Barra notes the Brees Dream Foundation has "raised nearly $2[M] for Katrina-related projects, most notably contributing to the restoration of the Lusher Charter School, which was turned into a shelter in the hurricane's aftermath." That school's scoreboard now reads "Brees Family Field" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 2/2).

THE PEOPLE'S CHOICE: SPORTINGNEWS.com's Chris Littmann reported "voting for who nabs the 'Madden NFL 11' cover" will begin Thursday. It is likely both Manning and Brees "would be candidates" for the cover, as would Titans RB Chris Johnson and Jets CB Darrelle Revis. Two "wildcards" are Cowboys QB Tony Romo and Texans WR Andre Johnson. Littmann wrote voting for the cover athlete is an "interesting turn from last season," where Steelers S Troy Polamalu and Cardinals WR Larry Fitzgerald were "selected specifically to fit the theme for the game" (SPORTINGNEWS.com, 2/1).

DEZ-ZY SPELL: Former Oklahoma State Univ. WR Dez Bryant, who is projected as a top-10 pick in April’s NFL Draft, has signed a multi-year deal to endorse Under Armour shoes and apparel. UA Dir of Professional Sports Marketing Ryan Kuehl said, “We plan on featuring him in a number of ways, including both online and digitally in a commercial ... you might soon see on the air. He is a guy we are, quite frankly, excited to have as a partner. Our brand has not had a guy with his athleticism at this age coming into the draft.” Kuehl declined to reveal the financial terms of the deal (Liz Mullen, SportsBusiness Journal).

AU NATURAL: Fox Sports' Troy Aikman appeared on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" Friday night for the "Ten@Ten" segment where NBC's Jay Leno asks his guest 10 questions. Leno asked if Aikman had “ever turned down a product endorsement" Aikman: "I've turned down a number of endorsements. Probably the most notable would have been a Viagra opportunity that I said no to for reasons, but I will tell you that one, because I don't have the problem. Another thing is the guy that represented Pfizer who made the offer, surprisingly enough his name was Woody” (“The Jay Leno Show,” NBC, 1/29).