Eli Manning has been through the drill before.
After his second Super Bowl victory, the quarterback is once again preparing for a new season as he normally would. However, he did admit there are two special days in the offseason that only a championship brings – the Super Bowl ring ceremony and visiting the President of the United States.
He already received his bling. Now it's time to return to the White House this Friday.
"It's bigger, it's bigger than I expected," Manning told *NBC Sports Talk *on Monday night from the American Museum of Natural History in Manhattan. "There are a lot of rooms, a lot of different rooms, a lot of staff. A lot goes on in there. So it's a fun day obviously with your teammates. You get a little tour of the whole House and everything that's going on. Everything that happens in the White House is pretty amazing."
Manning was in the city last night attending Samsung's Hope for Children Gala, which raised funds and awareness for improved education.
"It's a great event and I've been here a few years," Manning said from the museum. "Samsung does a great job with Hope for Children just raising awareness, raising funds in helping the education of children with their technology and different things they can give the schools to improve the education and also just the health of children. So Samsung does a great job attacking both those areas that are so important to our youth today. So I'm happy to be here and supporting such a great cause."
Manning, who has become a staple in the tri-state area, was also asked if he has any advice for the Jets' Tim Tebow as he enters the same market.
"I guess just do your job well," Manning said. "That's all you can do. We're here to play football. I'm trying to play for the Giants, he's got to play for the Jets. So I'm trying to do my job at the best level I can, and I know Tim's had success at every level that he's played and I'm sure he'll continue to have success here with the Jets."
**QUICK HITS
**>> NFL, locked-out referees spar after contract talks break down. [Steve Wyche, NFL.com]
Celebrities and teammates show Tuck love. [Ohm Youngmisuk, ESPNewYork.com]
Former New York Giants hero Mario Manningham re-lives The Catch. [Daniel Brown, San Jose Mercury News]
"As soon as the ball touches your hands, that's when your feet have to freeze," he said. "Your body has to be still and you have to have control of the ball."
For Giants' Tuck, a Push for Reading Starts at Home. [Sam Borden, The New York Times]
