Eli Manning has been here before, except that when he was making his first Super Bowl appearance the likes of Michael Strahan and Amani Toomer were the leaders in the New York Giants locker room trying to keep the team on an even keel. Four years later, Manning has assumed that same leadership role. On Tuesday, he addressed his teammates to let them know that they need to treat their upcoming game against the New England Patriots just like any other game, as difficult as that may be.
"If there are certain things you do during a normal week, once you're in Indianapolis - if you get a massage on certain days or if you get treatment or if you get an extra workout in - you want to try to continue to do those things," Manning said. "You want to try to stay in that same rhythm, have that same schedule. It is going to be thrown off. You will have to work around it somewhat, but you want to keep things as routine as possible."
Of course, trying to keep a normal routine just before the biggest game of one's life is easier said then done, especially when dealing with the extreme media circus. Manning is still facing questions about comments he made prior to the season where he put himself among the elite quarterbacks in the league alongside Tom Brady.
"I thought I gave an honest answer," Manning said. "I didn't regret it at the time or think anything of it at the time. Obviously it's been made into a big deal, but I can't always control that. I'm worried about getting ready to play this game and go out there and play my best football and get the team to play our best football."
Head over to Big Blue View for a full transcript of Manning's press conference on Tuesday.
For the latest news on the 2012 Super Bowl, check back to the SB Nation New York StoryStream. See Big Blue View for more discussion about the Giants, and Pats Pulpit for the New England side of the story.