The Peyton Manning Fallout: Three Unexpected Winners

Who knew one man changing his address could have such a big impact on the entire sport?

Taking over where Brett Favre left off, Peyton has become the most talked about player in the league, but unlike the five letter F word, Peyton's flawless reputation seems to leave fans much more intrigued than irritated. Upon announcing his decision to join the Denver Broncos for the upcoming NFL season, Peyton Manning may have simultaneously given one franchise a chance to win a championship, while sending many others into disarray.

So who is happy and who is not? While the long term impact of Manning's monumental move may not be know for some time, the immediate winners and losers are clear...

Winner #1 - The New Orleans Saints

When news of problems with the contract discussions for star quarterback Drew Brees began to circulate things seemed bleak for Saints fans, then all hell broke loose. In a whirlwind of bad news for the Saints, the team was forced to apply the franchise tag to an unhappy Brees around the same time the "Bounty Gate" scandal began to catch fire with the national media. The embarrassment and media scrutiny that followed made Saints nation hope upon hope that something else would happen to divert attention away from the wounded franchise.

Enter Peyton Manning.

The ex-Colt QB and New Orleans native came through big time for his home town by taking the spotlight off the Saints and placing it squarely on his broad shoulders. Though the Bounty Gate saga has yet to reach it's ultimate conclusion, Manning managed to divert the national attention and draw some of the heat off the Saints.

Winner #2 - The Houston Texans

For a few seasons now the Houston Texans have been regarded as a team on the brink. Unfortunately, playing in the same division as Manning's Colts has meant an excruciatingly difficult road to the playoffs. With Manning's absence for the 2011-2012 season the Texans were able to make a run into the second round of the playoffs before losing to the Baltimore Ravens.

With Manning now out of the picture in Indianapolis, the Texans suddenly appear to be in the drivers seat for their division. Their long time rivals now out of the way, the AFC South's new power house will hope to take advantage of the wounded Colts, and should be poised for another deep run in the playoffs.

Winner #3 - Frank Tripucka

In the 1960s Frank Tripucka became the first quarterback in the history of the Bronco's franchise. After serving many years as the Bronco's first QB, Tripucka retired and had his #18 jersey retired.

Fast forward half a century or so and the 84 year old Tripucka is suddenly back in the news. As Manning decided to make the Denver Broncos his next team, the use of Tripucka's retired #18 number came back up for discussion. After discussing it with Manning, Tripucka admitted that he would be honored if the future hall of famer wore his old number. Good move Frank. You can almost hear the NFL Films crew digging up old Frank Tripucka highlights right now to play every time the topic of Manning's #18 jersey is brought up.

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So what do you think about Manning's move? Are there any winners we left out? Let us know what you think in the comment section and be sure to click the "Like" button so that we can keep paying our internet bill.