Archie Manning Says Joe Buck and Troy Aikman Criticize Eli Manning Too Much

There comes a time when every parent has to learn to let go.  You can’t defend your baby forever.  You can hold your youngest child’s hand through the NFL draft and force a trade that results in him playing in the city you want him to play in, but that’s where it should stop.  Yet, Archie Manning still feels the need to stick up for Eli Manning when people are being meanies to his son.

On Monday, Archie told ESPN.com that he thinks the announcing tandem of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman can be too hard on Eli.

“I don’t always listen to Troy and Joe,” Archie said. “They’re kind of hard on Eli. Joe’s always been really tough on Eli, and it seems this year Troy is too. But that’s OK. Sometimes I just mute them.”

What a strange complaint.  First of all, when I think about Eli Manning the first thing that pops into my head is Joe Buck’s voice screaming, “What a throw by Eli MANNING!”  Maybe I’m imagining that, but regardless I don’t see them as being any harder on Eli than anyone else.  I know Tom Coughlin does his best to place Eli among the top quarterbacks in the game and Eli himself thinks he’s elite, but who cares what Buck and Aikman say?  It seems like everyone is doing their best to stroke Eli’s ego this year, and I’ve yet to figure out why.

H/T to NESN for passing along the story.