Eli Manning is no stranger to the boo birds.
The New York Giants quarterback has gone through his fair share of struggles while under center, and subsequently had a good number of unprintable insults hurled his way by the home fans. Despite all of the harassment Manning has endured, he’s never stooped responded, although he certainly empathizes with a fellow quarterback who did lash back.
On Sunday, New York Jets quarterback Geno Smith was caught on video yelling “F— you” to a fan following his team’s 24-17 loss to the Detroit Lions. The second-year quarterback immediately apologized for his actions, but Manning admitted on Monday that even though he’s never done the same, he’s certainly thought about it.
“I try not to,” Manning said when asked if he ever responded directly to fans, per the New York Daily News. “You can always think things. But for the most part, if they’re yelling at you, you probably deserve it.”
Manning brings up a good point. Smith has been underwhelming this season, leading the Jets to a 1-3 record while committing 10 turnovers in the first four games of the season. Two of those turnovers came against the Lions, as Smith completed just 17 of 33 passes for 209 yards, leading to plenty of boos to rain down as him, as well as chants for backup Michael Vick.
But Manning, who understands how brutal the criticism can get at times more so than most, offered some advice to Smith, telling him to just keep his head down and keep working hard.
“Hey, every quarterback goes through it,” Manning said. “You’re going to have some good games, you’re going to have some bad games. You’ll have tough stretches. Just get through it.”
Photo via Geoff Burke/USA TODAY Sports Images
