Roger Federer, Peyton Manning and Redemption

One of the cool aspects of tennis is the fact that there is always a top player who rules the sport for a period of time until another player comes along and takes that title away from him or her. This is how the sport plays out. You had Borg-McEnroe, Sampras-Agassi, Roddick-Federer, Federer-Nadal, and Nadal-Djokovic. Those are just a few of the famous examples that showcase the "Top Dog" trying to fend off the up and coming "Young Gun." When Roger Federer was number one in the world from 2004-2008, he was the most dominating force in tennis history. You can see that this guy was going to go down as one of the greatest athletes of our generation. Naturally, you could also see the rise of Rafael Nadal, and how Nadal was gaining ground on Federer, and you knew that at some point Nadal was going to overtake Roger for the number one spot. In 2008, it finally happened at their epic Wimbeldon final won by Rafa in five sets. Federer was able to gain back the number one spot and add some more Grand Slams to his resume in 2009 and in the beginning of 2010, but it lasted only briefly because Nadal came back from injuries to reclaim the top spot once again. After a few crushing defeats at the hands of Novak Djokovic, it looked like Fed was entrenched at the number three spot, and it looked like Roger was never going to win another major title, never get back to number one in the world, and he was heading for the downside of his career. All that changed last week at the 2012 Wimbledon Championships. Federer buried Djokovic in the semifinals, and blistered Andy Murray in the final to claim his seventh Wimbledon title, his 17th Grand Slam, and that elusive number one ranking in the world. Federer was back on top, and once again he displayed how great he is. Forget the sport, Roger Federer is one of the greatest athletes we have ever seen at any time.

What does this have to do with Peyton Manning? Like Federer, Manning is going to go down as one of the greatest athletes in our time. He is near the top of every major passing category, his won-loss record is remarkable, he is a four-time NFL MVP, and a Super Bowl on his resume. Both of them are artists of their sport. When you watch each man perform, you really get an appreciation for their greatness. Every time I watch a Federer match the announcers will marvel a shot that he pulls off. Every time I watch Peyton Manning play, the announcers will marvel about a throw or a play that he made. They truly are a pleasure to watch, and they make you want to stand up and start clapping in appreciation in your living room.

Quarterbacks can have the same type of "throne" mentality as the best tennis players have. Among the great ones in the game, each is defined by the championships that they have won. There is always the veterans who are iconic in their sport, but there are always a group of newer QBs coming up through the ranks trying to make their own legacy and take down the icons along the way. In this era of tennis you have Federer, Djokovic and Nadal. In the NFL, you have Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees. Like the "Big 3" in tennis, Manning, Brady, and Brees each have countless passing records, MVPs, and each have at least one Super Bowl. The "Big Three" also have competition from a new group of emerging stars like Aaron Rodgers, Eli Manning, Ben Roethlisberger and perhaps even Matthew Stafford and Cam Newton. In a few years, those names will top the list and the Manning-Brady-Brees trio will be history. Like Federer, Manning has become the doubted one of the NFL's list of legends. He sat out all of 2011 with a neck injury. He was let go by the Colts, and has to restart his career with the Broncos, but many people questioned if Manning will ever get back to his level pre-2011. Federer wasn't beset by an injury, but age was a factor in determining if he would ever get back to the level he enjoyed from 2004-2009. Fed answered all of those questions and slammed down his critics with his wonderful performance at Wimbledon. He put to rest all of the doubts about his career and his legacy, and he basically made the statement that he was still here, still great, and not going anywhere anytime soon. Manning has that same opportunity in 2012 with Denver. Federer was overshadowed by Nadal and Djokovic the past two years, and it seemed like he was the forgotten man. Manning has been overshadowed by Brady and Brees and in some ways by his own brother. People are kind of sleeping on Manning just like they did with Federer. I couldn't help but think about Manning as Fed was hoisting the Wimbledon trophy. Manning will love nothing more than to prove those critics wrong, and he has a chance at redemption this year just like Federer this past week. It will be interesting to see how Manning plays this year, and if Federer's performance is any indication, then Peyton will be able to show that if you are truly great, then those same abilities that made you legendary won't fade away so easily.