There was no forgiveness in the air at Madison Square Garden on Saturday. As predicted, the San Diego Chargers selected Eli Manning with the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL draft. Once on stage, not only did Chargers fans boo him, but the rest of the audience did as well.
In the week leading up to the draft, Manning, younger brother of Indianapolis quarterback Peyton Manning, made it publicly known that he did not wish to play in San Diego, but in New York instead. He even went as far as to say he would sit out a season if the Chargers drafted him.
His brief stint with the Chargers ended within the hour. With the fourth selection the New York Giants took quarterback Phillip Rivers, a player who at NC State slipped under the radar of scouts for most of the year. He became the trade bait for the Giants, who wanted Manning and knew that Coach Marty Schottenheimer of the Chargers liked what he saw in Rivers.
“As we spent time with him down at the Senior Bowl, it became very, very apparent to us that this is the kind of player that you want to lead your football team,” Schottenheimer said. “We were thrilled that we were able to bring Philip Rivers to San Diego and we’re excited about what lies ahead in our future with Philip Rivers.”
A lot was sacrificed by the Giants for a man who has never even taken an NFL snap. The Chargers received, in addition to Rivers, a third round selection for this year and a first round and fifth round pick in 2005.
