For me, its because of the good dude Peyton was/is, the GREAT player he was and the great success he had at Tennessee....its unparalleled in our lifetimes. Theres not another VFL who had both the UT and NFL careers that Peyton had. One could argue that Reggie White did, but he didnt, not to the degree at either level that Peyton did.
I didnt name either of my kids Peyton, I dont believe he walks on water, I dont worship the guy. I dont own a Manning jersey, have no Manning paraphernalia, dont have his autograph. If anything, Im a bit perturbed with him given his involvement in the recent botched AD and head coaching hires. His reputation has taken a hit from my vantage point.
But the dude has been a incredibly great face of and ambassador for both the university and Vol football for the last quarter century while playing the most important, high profile position on the field. All those reasons, for me, are why he is the greatest VFL among many, many other great VFLs.
