

Jason Smith NFL.com

Sex sells -- simply winning and living a quiet life off the field doesn't

What did Carrie Bradshaw teach us? Sex sells. (Though I always was, and still am, a Kristin Davis fan.) Eli Manning is so the opposite of what sells in sports: He simply wins, while making zero headlines off the field. How far can your discussion with friends go about Eli?

"Wow, Eli won his second Super Bowl. He's really good." [PAUSES TO EAT A CHEESE STICK AND LOOK AROUND THE BAR.] "Hey, did anyone see who got off the team bus first in Cortland?! Was it Sanchez?!"

Think about all the great players in sports -- the truly great ones -- who simply go about their business. We don't talk about any of them because it's boring. They're boring. Conversations about them come to a grinding halt. Here are all of Eli's big off-the-field headlines:

• In 2004, he forced a trade to New York.

• Before last season, he said he was a top-five quarterback.