Giants' Eli Manning denies involvement in memorabilia scandal
One week after court documents surfaced alleging that he and a New York Giants equipment manager were part of a memorabilia scam, Eli Manning strongly denied his involvement.
Several media members on hand for Manning’s interview noted that he was angry and emphatic as he spoke, a rarity for a quarterback who is known for keeping his emotions in check publicly.
Reporter Patricia Traina of InsideFootball.com posted Manning’s quotes:
“I will say that I’ve never done what I’ve been accused of doing,” he said. “I have no reason nor have I ever had any reason to do something of that nature. I’ve done nothing wrong and I have nothing to hide. I know when this is all done, everyone will see that the same way.”
NJ.com has posted video of Manning, who talked during media access as part of the Giants’ offseason program, which began this week.
Manning did not offer further comment, but noted that while outsiders may criticize his football play, he will not stand by quietly when his character is being maligned.
“When you’re attacking my integrity, that definitely makes me irritable,” Manning said. “I think my track record, how I’ve handled myself since I’ve been here in New York, I’ve tried to do everything with class and be a stand-up citizen.”
The 36-year-old, who is beginning his 14th NFL season, is accused of sending an email to Giants equipment employee Joe Skiba to request two “helmets that can pass as game used.”
Manning was forced to turn over the email as part of a civil racketeering suit that accuses Manning and the Giants of working together to scam collectors into paying for memorabilia they believed to be authentic and used in NFL games.
