I had the NFL Network’s Denver-San Diego postgame coverage on last night for background noise as I was putting the finishing touches on a homemade sausage, onion and red pepper pizza (because I’m a Renaissance man!).
Peyton Manning was at the podium answering questions, when the press corps suddenly erupted with laughter. I find Peyton charming – he was terrific on Saturday Night Live – so I put down my homemade, hand tossed dough (again, is there anything this kid CAN’T do?!) and hit the rewind button to see what was so funny.
Peyton was being asked about an examination on his surgically repaired neck that’s scheduled for this March. A bad exam might force him into retirement. Manning brushed it off, saying there were more important things to think about in the near future, like getting ready to face Tom Brady and the New England Patriots on Sunday.
When pressed about it, Peyton said, “What’s weighing on my mind is how soon I can get a Bud Light in my mouth after this win.” He paused for a moment, cracking a bit of a grin while riding out the laughter of the reporters. He then added, “That’s priority number one..that was an intense game.”
As a beer geek, many thoughts crowded my mind when I heard this statement, in the following order:
- That was a terrific, honest response. Many folks long for a beer after a particularly intense day at work, so why shouldn’t a million-dollar athlete with a laser, rocket arm? PEYTON EVERYMANning!
- I’m disappointed that Peyton doesn’t have better taste in beer. After all, he’s been in Denver for nearly two years – how can you live in the craft beer haven of Colorado and not be won over by the local brews? He should be longing for a Dale’s Pale Ale, not a Bud Light.
- I wonder if Peyton mentioned Bud Light because they’re an official NFL sponsor and even have a cruise ship booked in NYC for the Super Bowl – the “Bud Light Hotel.” It might seem calculated, but the seasoned pitchman certainly know his way around sponsorship deals. Maybe he secretly loves Great Divide Espresso Yeti, but is keeping it on the DL to appease his corporate overlords. The bass line for Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” was snaking through my head as I thought this.
- I really think too much about beer.
Taken at face value, it seems that Peyton needs a craft beer intervention. I know it’s smacks of beer snobbery, but the quarterback of the Denver Broncos can’t drink Bud Light. He simply can’t.
I’d be okay with Coors Banquet or even a (gulp) a Blue Moon – something local at least. But a Bud Light? C’mon man!
I guess there’s always the possibility that he drinks local when it comes to whiskey – maybe there’s a bottle of Stranahans in his liquor cabinet that he pulls out to nurse the bumps and bruises that come with a bad day at the office. But given his self-professed preference for Bud Light, it’s more likely a bottle of Jack.
Whatever goes best with Papa John pizza.
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Proud to be Peyton’s refreshment coordinator. #18WantsBudLight https://t.co/K714vWWX9w
— Bud Light (@budlight) January 13, 2014
Beer & Whiskey Brothers 
First you can never think too much about beer. Second and third, what was the dough and what is the recipe?
The dough is simple – a few cups of baker’s wheat, a touch of whole wheat for texture, yeast, warm water, etc. The recipe is in a book my wife gave me along with my new pizza stone, but I can’t remember the name. Anyway, it tastes great, it’s easy to work with and it freezes well. Plus it smells like beer when the yeast is doing it’s magic!
The real trick to home pizza making sanity is PARCHMENT PAPER. Write that down! It makes it easy to get the pizza off the peel (the pizza paddle thingy) and on to your stone and off the stone and back on to the peel. Some people use corn meal, but that adds a sweet and crunchy dust to the pie that reminds me of Dominos.
As (arguably) the face of the NFL, Peyton *might* be playing to the NFL’s official beer sponsor.
At least, I hope he is.
Then again, he is a Papa John’s fan – he owns dozens of franchises – so maybe his taste in food and drink just hinge toward corporate.
At least, I hope they don’t.
Good catch!
I think it actually might be. I pitched this story to a couple of outlets, and no one wanted to touch it because it smacked of product placement. That makes sense, because they’d have to pay me to drink Bud Light, too!
Couldn’t agree with your thoughts more. Interesting that he didn’t at least endorse Coors…
He’s the league darling for a reason – always mention the sponsor!
Since he’s the pitchman for arguably the worst pizza there is in Papa John’s, this doesn’t really surprise me.
But is Bud Light paying him?
Maybe.. 😉
I’ve offered to take him on a tour of Colorado’s numerous craft breweries. No response yet.
Did you tell him he’d be chauffeured in a Buick Verano, and that you’d stop for Papa Johns?
When the Bud Light tweet is included it sure as heck seems like a planned thing.
I dunno, it seemed so natural the way he rolled into it. But I guess that’s why he gets the big bucks.
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as a craft beer lover, i’m so disappointed that peyton plugged bud light. not just because of his taste in beer, but because of the sleight to all of the many great micro breweries in the state of colorado. i love you peyton, and i’ve forgiven all of your schilling over the years, but you just crossed the line!
Yeah, it seems a little tone deaf to embrace Bud Light when your team plays in a place where the craft beer business really matters to many of the locals (income, pride, geekdom).
It was funny. It was razzle dazzle misdirection to fake out everybody. And it mentioned a corporate sponsor. Scoooooooooore!
Agreed – much fleeter with his tongue than his feet!
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Peyton is really just a good old boy, although a very rich one. I wouldn’t be surprised if he actually drank that stuff. His real home is in Tennessee, and I can tell you light beer is a way of life around here. Not for me, mind you. I prefer beer that is made with barley, not with a load of rice, not to mention a few hops.
He. Can like what he likes, but it’s like being the QB of the Lions and talking up your Kia.
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Hopefully the next time he mentions a beer (like after we beat the Patriots!) he’ll mention something more palatable. The local news had responses from both Strange Brewing and Denver Beer Co asking why he’d pick such a poor excuse for beer. Hopefully Peyton will take advantage of what I’m sure are free offers for beer from them.
Do those offers come along with a $200 million endorsement deal with his employer? Because that might sway him. 😉
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I’m sure he’s just wrapped up in the pot scene out in Denver and hasn’t really tried any craft beers yet.