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Mannings, Leinart in spotlight
posted on 06.21.2007 by Mary Bluff View Circle in Harrison turned into Hollywood for a day featuring the First Family of football. Peyton, Eli, Archie and Olivia Manning, along with Matt Leinart, filmed a commercial for Direct TV’s NFL preview package from a home overlooking Lake Chickamauga on Wednesday. “When they first started this morning, they had stand-ins,” said Bluff View Circle resident Louise Woodruff. “The last couple of hours, it’s been them, shooting inside and out.” The commercial plays off Eli and Peyton’s success in the NFL, and Archie’s teaching ability in a family atmosphere. “Peyton and Eli come home and find Olivia cooking or making lemonade,” production assistant Leliah Ayub said. “They say, ‘Where’s Dad?’ She says, ‘He’s in the back yard.’ The two kids exit out the back door. “And there’s Archie giving quarterback lessons to Matt Leinart going, ‘I always wanted a lefty.’ ” A sheriff deputy closed the street and quizzed any person who attempted to get close to the set. Lights, reflectors and other video gear were scattered across the grassy and shaded backyard. Support and production staff scampered between trucks, vans and tents. Neighbors watched from the street sharing stories of what they saw on the closed set. “It was fun being down there with all the neighborhood,” Woodruff said. “They did several shots of Eli and Peyton coming out of the house with their gear. “They’d come out, go back in. Come out, and go back in.” Woodruff’s grandson, 11-year-old Blake Ragsdale, watched from the street and waited more than an hour to get autographs from any of the quarterbacks. Ragsdale received signatures from Eli and Peyton on a camouflage Bass Pro Shops hat with the inscription, “In memory of Chase,” on the side. The words honor Ragsdale’s late cousin, Chase Benton, who died in an auto accident in September 2005. “I’m going to wear it all the time,” Ragsdale said. “I’m never going to wash it because the ink might come out.” |














Posted on 06.25.2007
Mary, if I’m not mistaken, he’s on the cover of the ESPN mag or something like it. I saw it briefly the other day but I was in a hurry so I couldn’t stop –was LATE for work!
Posted on 06.28.2007
Thanks Nat, I’ll have to go hunt it down tomorrow morning on my way to work.