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Move over, Madden. Back off, Billy Goat. The NFL may have conjured one of the sports world's most nefarious curses.
The famous "ManningCast" is set to make its return tonight, as Eli and Peyton Manning will be on hand to provide ancillary commentary for the crucial NFL showdown between the Buffalo Bills and the New England Patriots (8:13 PM ET, ESPN2). As is tradition, several notable guests will join the brothers in their analysis, with the ledger confirmed by Peyton's Omaha Productions company:
What is the NFL's ManningCast curse?
Viewers have noted that no active NFL stars have joined the Mannings as they return from a one-week hiatus. The gist of the supposed sway is that guests on the program will often be befallen by some sort of negative NFL happening, usually in the form of a loss in their following game. Among those supposedly affected were Tom Brady, Travis Kelce and Monday's competitor Josh Allen. Others, like Rob Gronkowski and Russell Wilson, have sustained injuries since visiting the Mannings' domain.
The Mannings have been more than happy to break the fourth wall and talk about the curse, notably doing so when talking to champion golfer Phil Mickelson during the November 15 matchup between San Francisco and Seattle.
Who are the guests on the NFL's ManningCast tonight?
David Letterman
The Mannings' first guest of the night will be Letterman, the former host of The Late Show and current presenter of My Next Guest Needs No Introduction with David Letterman, a talk show that streams on Netflix.
Peyton indirectly helped Letterman, an Indianapolis native, get out of a jam during the Colts' appearance in Super Bowl XLI after the 2007 season. After ending his long-standing feud with fellow talk show host Oprah Winfrey, Letterman appeared in a Super Bowl commercial/Late Show promo depicting him watching the game with Winfrey clad in a Manning jersey. Winfrey, whose titular talk show was filmed in Chicago, repped the opposing Chicago Bears, wearing Brian Urlacher's No. 54.
Aqib Talib
As a shutdown cornerback who accomplished plenty during the 2010s, Talib began his career as one of Peyton and Eli's biggest game-day challenges. Notably, Talib scored one of his 10 career touchdowns via a Manning interception, giving the New England Patriots the lead for good during a November 2012 get-together. However, Talib and Manning later went on to flip the script, uniting for the Denver Broncos' runs to glory at the end of the decade, capped off by their shared Lombardi Trophy hoist at the end of Super Bowl 50. Like the Mannings, Talib has gone on to enter broadcasting, debuting with Fox Sports last season.
Joe Buck
Would it truly be a big NFL game without the voice of Joe Buck overseeing the proceedings? With Fox Sports leading NFL play-by-play, Buck has called many a famous Manning moment, notably serving in the booth during Eli and the New York Giants' shocking victory over the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLVII (as well as Peyton's cursed venture against Seattle six years later). He's slated to be the brothers' third and final guest during Monday's proceedings.
Also Read: Who is Eli Manning's Wife, Abby McGrew?
