Eli Manning on Tom Brady: "I don't know if he likes me"

Eli Manning has been racking up a lot of quotes to go with his frequent flier miles since leading his New York Giants team over the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI on Sunday.

After post-game celebrations in Indianapolis, the Giants quarterback flew down to Disney World Monday morning and later up to the Ed Sullivan Theater in New York City where the Super Bowl MVP appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman.

The normally uncontroversial Manning was asked by the host about his relationship with his Patriots counterpart Tom Brady.

"I don't know if he likes me," Manning said with a smirk to the supportive audience..

Manning showed up about an hour late for the taping but it was excusable since it was only a few hours before that he was riding in a parade in the Orlando, Florida theme park.

Manning walked onto the theater's stage to a standing ovation while band leader Paul Shaffer and the CBS orchestra played "We Are The Champions."

The normally quiet and reserved quarterback joked about going right to bed after the game after Letterman opened the interview by asking if it was "lights out" after the victory.

"10:30, yeah, I had a big morning," he joked.  "I had to get ready for this, so I had to get my full sleep.  I've been preparing and practicing for this."

Letterman asked Manning if his receivers ever disobeyed any of the plays he calls in the huddle.

"No.  They're trained," he laughed.  "It's like a dog."

The relaxed and confident Manning touched on everything from how happy he was for his teammates that didn't already have a Super Bowl ring to head coach Tom Coughlin's philosophies.

"It was their first Super Bowl," he said. "When you have one you have to really do it for the other guys who never had that experience."

Letterman reminded Manning about Coughlin's "frozen face" in Green Bay four years ago and asked if he was a good motivator.

"He has settled down because he has confidence in his players," he replied.  "He's big on preparation and effort and studying.  Now he knows we'll be ready."

Manning quoted the softer side of the coach's pre-game speech: " The most important thing is love.  Love of teammates is the most important thing."

The host told his guest that Eli was his favorite Manning.

"I know.  I get a Christmas gift from you every year.  I got a jacket," joked the younger Manning.  "Peyton doesn't get a jacket."

Letterman asked Manning if he is going to tease his older brother by shoving the two rings on his fingers in Peyton's face.

"No," he plainly said.

The younger Manning said he expects Peyton to play again but had no idea where it would be.

 Eli even touched on the label of "elite" that he imposed on himself during the pre-season.

"I got set up a little bit," he claimed by answering the question "Do you think you are an elite quarterback?" on a radio show.

When Letterman commented that Manning looked a lot younger than four years ago— when the Giants last won the Super Bowl— the guest out-zinged the host.

"I started shaving this past year," he joked.

Shaving or not— Eli Manning is definitely all grown up.

Letterman To Minka Kelly: "I always wanted to date Derek Jeter"

Last night on "The Late Show," David Letterman expressed his own yearning-- and the desire of millions of New York women-- to have dinner and catch a flick with New York Yankees star Derek Jeter.

While interviewing Jeter's ex-girlfriend Minka Kelly, Letterman-- a die-hard Yankees fan-- gushed about the shortstop and said, "I've always wanted to date Derek Jeter."

To which Kelly laughed and said, "I know."

Letterman was only joking, but that segment of the interview seemed to make the actress a little uncomfortable.

Jeter, New York's favorite son, and Kelly broke up a few weeks after the Yankees' "Captain" got his milestone 3,000th hit.  It was later reported-- but not confirmed-- that she was involved with a co-star.

It was only a matter of time before Letterman veered from Kelly's real reason for appearing-- to promote her new TV show, "Charlie's Angels," and ask the sexy actress about her three-and-a-half year relationship with Jeter.

"I know you were in a romantic relationship with Derek Jeter," prodded the host.  "It must have been great fun."

"He's a tremendous guy," Kelly shyly replied.

That's when Letterman jokingly made the great reveal.

Kelly was a good sport for appearing in a city where Jeter can basically do no wrong then face one of the Yankees' biggest fans on TV.

The Yankees, meanwhile, had just won the AL East division title earlier in the night after sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays.

I'm sure Jeter was too busy celebrating to watch.

Hope Solo and Abby Wambach Do Stupid Soccer Tricks on Letterman Show

Hope Solo and Abby Wambach, two members of the silver medalist US Women's World Cup soccer team, appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman and took shots at four moving taxi cabs outside the Ed Sullivan Theatre in New York City yesterday.  Solo, a goaltender, finally put a ball right through the sliding door; while Wambach's kicks sailed wide or bounced off the taxis.

Maybe the US goalie should have taken one of the penalty kicks during the championship game loss to Japan on Sunday?

The losing American team is still getting a rousing welcome home after being upset by Japan.   They were greeted at the airport by fans when they arrived back in the United States and Letterman was one of the first stops for the two stars of the team.  You would have thought they won the whole enchilada.

Solo and Wambach, seated on a couch next to Letterman's desk, looked nervous and demure--a stark contrast to their individual on-field persona.

Letterman opened the interview with the obvious. "Tough loss," the gap-toothed host said.  Both players shook their heads before he lobbed this bon mot," It looked like you were all over those people, the Japanese."

Solo said she received a "good luck" email right before the game from a friend--and one of the opposing Japanese players-- and responded by emailing back; "Whatever happens, happens."  Letterman then joked, " You should have said 'Would it have killed you to lay down.'"

Letterman finally admitted," I know nothing about the game," but never asked the question everyone wanted to know: Do you think you choked?

Solo did answer that question in an interview on ESPN.  It sounded like an apologetic "No."  Then she added, "Only if you truly don't know the game."

While the US team licks their wounded egos, the same darlings of the media are still getting the star treatment for coming in second.

This week's cover of Sports Illustrated will feature a photo of Solo with the headline;  "HEART AND HEARTACHE- Japan Shocks the US..."

Shouldn't Japan's veteran leader, Homare Sawa, be gracing the SI cover for winning the World Cup?

Amazingly, the US women's team gets the winner's treatment.  I didn't see a photo of LeBron James on the cover of SI for being upset by the Dallas Mavericks or the brooding faces of the men's 2004 Olympic basketball team who came home with bronze.

The US appearance in the World Cup may have drawn more fans to the sport of women's soccer, but give the winner's their due.

Japan's upset could cost the most recognizable faces of the US team-- Solo and Wambach-- millions of dollars in endorsements said Bob Dorfman.

Dorfman, who rates endorsement potential of athletes as Creative Director of Baker Street Advertising in San Francisco, thinks the deals could dry up fast.

"I heard there were some marketers who were planning on using them-- but decided not to because of the loss," said Dorfman.  "Everyone likes a winner."

Rumors that GoDaddy.com had it's sights on goalie Solo joining Danica Patrick in their racy ads, but after the loss they backed off. 

GoDaddy.com spokesman Nick Fuller said," At this point in time, GoDaddy.com is not pursuing a sponsorship deal with Hope Solo."

Getting attention and attracting new fans to the sport are still viable assets for the two break-out female stars claims Dorfman.

They can still work in the "glamor" areas like Patrick and Maria Sharapova do, he said.

While it lasts, Solo and the rest of the team should enjoy all the adulation the USA can throw at them; for if they played for North Korea, chances are, they would probably be serving some sort of penance on a work farm.