Manning uses preseason for charity

INDIANAPOLIS -- Peyton Manning is all business when it comes to football.\nBut since it's still the preseason, forgive Manning if this week has been devoted more to his second vocation -- helping others.\nHe hosted a major fundraiser for his charity Monday night and fully understands if football seems more distraction than passion to the thousands of fans expected to watch him play New Orleans on Saturday night in Jackson, Miss.\n"It's good to go back there because it's got (Hurricane) Katrina ties to it," he said. "Anything we can do to help out is good."\nManning is trying to recast the perception that he's the football equivalent to a high school valedictorian -- all study, all the time.\nAfter Sunday's preseason game, he seemed more genuinely upset about the potential losses of his top backup, Jim Sorgi, and running back James Mungro than anything that happened on the field.\nBy Monday night, the two-time MVP was mingling at a local bowling alley with celebrities ranging from Cal Ripken Jr. and defending NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, to radio personalities Bob and Tom and actor James Denton of the TV series "Desperate Housewives."\nThe goal was to raise money for Manning's Peyback Foundation, which provides disadvantaged youth with opportunities like a Disney Cruise, a flag football game at the Colts complex and Christmas parties for hundreds of children in Indianapolis, New Orleans and Knoxville, Tenn.\nAnd when it has Manning's imprint, calling in a few favors is no problem.\n"We all know how great Peyton is," Ripken said. "He has such great credibility that I can say 'yes' blindly, knowing it's about the kids."\nIf that doesn't work, there's always intimidation.\n"Peyton is a lot bigger than me, and I didn't want to tell him no and then have him pick me up by the neck and drag me in here or something," Stewart joked.\nThe bowling tournament has gone from infancy to national status in just four years and has turned into a memorabilia dealer's virtual dreamplace.\nAmong the items auctioned off Monday night were autographed jerseys from Mario Lemieux, Pete Rose, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, LeBron James, Brett Favre and Dan Marino, a racing jacket signed by Jeff Gordon and autographed pin flags from Tiger Woods' 2002 U.S. Open victory and Phil Mickelson's 2006 Masters win.\nNonsports fans could bid on a package to meet country singer Kenny Chesney, a friend of Manning's, and a "Desperate Housewives" package signed by the actors and actresses.\nThe total take reached $350,000 and was caught on camera by a CBS sports crew.\nThe tournament has become more than another fundraiser to the Colts.\nManning's teammates have fun at the event, too. They jockey for position to lead one of 46 teams, and coach Tony Dungy credits the event with helping the Colts' camaraderie.\nJudging from the banter, winning this title might mean more than winning preseason games.\n"I'm a one-time Peyback Bowl champion, and I'm the only one with a trophy in my house," linebacker Cato June boasted Monday.\n"That's only because they didn't give out a trophy the year I won it," defensive end Dwight Freeney shot back.\nTeam president Bill Polian says Manning's maturity and generosity were evident even before he entered the league. Polian said it was one reason he took Manning instead of Ryan Leaf with the No. 1 pick in the 1998 draft.\n"You could tell he had a sense of responsibility and knew how lucky he was to have the gifts and upbringing that he did," Polian said. "He wants to help people in return."\nThe Colts' trip to Mississippi will take Manning back to the state where his father, Archie, and brother starred in college and back to another of his great interests: the ongoing recovery effort along the Gulf Coast.\nLast September, Manning and his brother, Eli, flew to their hometown of New Orleans and unloaded a plane full of relief supplies days after Hurricane Katrina hit.\nIn a few weeks, Manning will get back to the serious business of studying opponents in his home theater, adding notebooks to his voluminous file and winning games.\nBut for this week, at least, Manning had the chance to give something back.\n"When you have an opportunity to be a quarterback in the NFL, you can only do certain things for a while," he said. "When you get older, you don't have that same opportunity. So I try to take advantage of that window of opportunity now"