Stapleton: Shame on New York Giants for benching Eli Manning like this

EAST RUTHERFORD - The New York Giants owed Eli Manning a heck of a lot more respect than what they showed him Tuesday.

And for that, the entire organization should be ashamed.

For the first time after a run of 210 games, Manning will not be the starting quarterback for a franchise he led to two of the four Vince Lombardi trophies on display in the lobby of its training facility, winning the Super Bowl MVP award both times.

He was informed of the decision to go to Geno Smith in Sunday's game in Oakland against the Raiders by a head coach and then by a general manager who may no longer hold those titles at season's end.

Ben McAdoo and Jerry Reese are surely going to get much of the scorn from an angry fan base currently in disbelief, but the responsibility for this one goes much higher.

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For all intents and purposes, Giants co-owners John Mara and Steve Tisch just altered the legacy of one of the greatest and most respected players in their team history.

And not for evaluation of a young quarterback projected to one day replace Manning, say rookie Davis Webb, but for Smith, a former Jet whose contract here expires following the season with a résumé that up to now screams second-round bust.

The logic expressed by the Giants to make such a move is utterly mind-numbing, and reeks of not only desperation, but complete ignorance to what the benching of Manning in this manner at this point of a lost season going nowhere at 2-9.

Nothing against Smith, who has been a good teammate by most accounts since he crossed over from Gang Green to Big Blue eight months ago, but Manning deserved a heartfelt embrace when he was asked to give up the huddle he has commanded since Nov. 21, 2004.

What Manning got instead was a slap in the face.

"I'll back [Smith] up, I'll be a good teammate," an emotional Manning said while fighting back tears at his locker Tuesday. "You know, I don't like it, but it's part of football. You handle it. I'll do my job."

Of course Manning will, because that's what he has always done.

From a football perspective, when you analyze things between the lines, maybe it's not as drastic if the long game here is about the future. Manning has clearly lost some mileage on his fastball, and at age 36, his production and performance has dipped.

The breakup was never going to be easy.

When it comes to athletes of this ilk, in this day and age, it's almost impossible.

Backlash would be nowhere near what it is if the Giants made this move and handed over the reins to Webb. That would make sense.

Not for this, though, and not this way.

But what Mara and Tisch did here is something that goes against what each has always insisted is part of the fabric of the Giants: class, dignity, professionalism, respect.

That was Manning on what was obviously the toughest day he's ever had - "It's up there," he acknowledged - yet as for the Giants, they somehow managed to be the complete opposite.

Manning said he spoke to McAdoo and Reese separately about the decision.

Mara spent Tuesday at the owners' meetings in New York, and aside from perhaps a few text messages, the understanding is that he and Manning are not expected to meet face-to-face until Wednesday.

It's inconceivable a drastic change such as this one went down as it did.

Consider what Mara said about Manning when he presented the Ann and Wellington Mara Award back in May.

"Eli Manning epitomizes in so many ways what we all want our athletes to be like and what we especially want in a Giants' player," Mara said, later adding: "When you're fortunate enough to be in this business, you hope and pray that your players, particularly your stars, the guys that become the face of your franchise, are people that you're proud to have represent you. It doesn't always work out that way. I've been very fortunate, very blessed to have been around this team my entire life. I've been around a lot of great players, a lot of great people, and it's been a blessing for me. But I will tell you this: I have never been more proud of anyone who has worn a New York Giants uniform than I am of No. 10, Eli Manning."

Mara and the Giants had a funny way of showing it Tuesday.

Ownership let Manning struggle with his emotions while answering questions from reporters before sliding his backpack over his left shoulder to leave the locker room.

Leave it to Webb, a 22-year-old who has been here all of seven months, to describe the mood far more succinctly.

"If you had a Mount Rushmore of not only the New York Giants, but New York athletes, he'd be on it," Webb said, later adding: "Everybody feels it - the whole facility. It's sad. It's not easy, but again, he was very, very persistent to tell us that he was going to do whatever he can to help us prepare to play. If that's Geno, if I get an opportunity, then he was going to help me, and there's no doubt in my mind that he will because he's the best teammate I've ever had in my life."

And make no mistake: Manning was blindsided when he was informed by McAdoo of the plan to have him start Sunday to keep his streak alive, only to then play Smith in the second half.

Manning declined the opportunity, as he should.

"I just didn’t think that you start knowing that you’re going to come out of a game to keep a streak alive," Manning said. "That’s not what it’s about. It’s not a preseason game where you’re going to play the start to the half, what’s the next week? A quarter, a series, that’s not fair. That’s not fair to me, that’s not fair to Geno, that’s not how you play. You play to win. You’re named the starting quarterback, you think it’s your job to go win the football game. When you know you’re just going to play a little bit, I didn’t feel like that was the right way to play.

"Hey, I don’t have to make sense of it. This is what it is and like I said, you got to deal with it."

Now the Giants have to live with the consequences on the heels of their worst day in quite some time. They kicked the best quarterback to the curb after he spent 14 years doing everything he could to make them look good.

It's quite possible that, even though Manning's contract does not expire until after the 2019 season, he may have played his last game for Big Blue.

If this was a calculated plan to use McAdoo and Reese as the shield for the anticipated storm coming with Manning's departure, allowing a new regime to enter in 2018 without having to deal with something so weighty, Mara and Tisch miscalculated the fallout.

Win or lose, Manning was always the epitome of what has been the Giant way.

This goes well beyond football. It's about the way you treat players, and this player in particular. Eli Manning deserved better. He earned much better.

With how they treated him Tuesday, you have to wonder what that means anymore.