Oh brother: Why a Giants win would be GREAT for the Dolphins

BOSTON-- Over the last decade, the Manning brothers have dominated the sporting world.

The first seven years were dominated by Peyton, the coveted first overall pick out of the University of Tennessee.  Bursting onto the scene in 1998 with the Indianapolis Colts, Manning struggled out of the gate, going 3-13 in his first full NFL season.

That would be his first of only two losing seasons since then.

Manning quickly established himself as one of the premiere quarterbacks to ever play the game, winning his first of four MVP awards in 2003, just five years into the league. Three seasons' later Manning led the Indianapolis Colts to their first ever Super Bowl title, beating the Chicago Bears 29-17 while being named Super Bowl XLI MVP along the way.

But like I said, there are two Manning's to this story, and while Peyton was celebrating his first Super Bowl title, brother Eli was slowly making a name for himself as well.

Drafted two years prior in the 2004 NFL Draft by the San Diego Chargers, who then flip-flopped him for Giants draftee Phillip Rivers, Manning was thrown into the New York spotlight halfway through the year due in large part to his last name, not his first.  He went 1-6 in his first seven NFL starts, falling under immediate scrutiny from the New York media.

A year later, in his first full season, Eli bounced back, leading the Giants to the playoffs only to throw three interceptions in a loss against Carolina.

Again, Eli took the backseat to brother Peyton.

 It wasn't until January 2008, a full year removed from his brothers' Super Bowl run, that Eli Manning nudged Peyton out of the spotlight, and into the backseat where he'd sat for so long.  And maybe it wasn't even until he beat Brett Favre and Tom Brady in back to back games, on the road, that Eli Manning truly established himself in the NFL.

It took beating the undefeated New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII for Eli Manning to finally garner respect for his first name, not his last.

So here they sit today, both with rings on their fingers' and both with Super Bowl MVP trophies on their shelves.  The only difference is, Eli is preparing for a date with the Patriots;  Peyton is preparing for a date with owner Jim Irsay to discuss his future.

And this is GREAT for the Miami Dolphins.

Assuming Peyton Manning is released, and reports out there speculate he will be, then the only thing left for the Dolphins to root for will be a Giants victory.  Not because it would signal the decline of the Brady/Belichick era, which is also a reason to pull for New York, but because of what would follow.

 Eli would have finally overtaken Peyton!  To the media it would be a changing of the guard, the rise of one Manning and the falling of another.  But to older brother Peyton, it will be one thing and one thing only:  Motivation.

Motivation to come back from his third neck surgery.  Motivation to return to the NFL, a league that was once his and has since been taken away.  Motivation to return to the limelight where he once had a seat reserved for him, only to since have the reservation name changed from Peyton to Eli.

Because right now Eli Manning has taken the lead, and Peyton knows it.

He also knows that with a win he'll [Eli] start pulling away on the Manning family spectrum while he stands hopelessly by in a therapy room watching his once untouchable legacy be smeared by his younger brother.

Ever heard of the term "brotherly love?"  Well throw that out the window if Eli beats the Patriots in two weeks.

Because whether he admits it or not, Peyton Manning will.

And that's great news for the Miami Dolphins.