When The Sopranos took Eli Manning out

Eli Manning is one of the most popular athletes for those who are fans of New York sports. The former New York Giants quarterback co-hosts the Manningcast Monday Night Football simulcast with his brother Peyton. However, the former Giants star previously had an experience unlike any other.

Manning hung out with two former cast members from the hit show The Sopranos for an Italian lunch back in October 2021.

Steve Schirripa and fellow The Sopranos co-star Michael Imperioli took the former NFL quarterback to a very special lunch in Little Italy. Both Schirripa and Imperioli joked with Manning about how they were taking him to the same place they took those who were killed off in the iconic New York mob series.

Manning said:

“Am I about to get whacked?”

Imperioli answered:

“Don’t sweat it. This is lunch. We’d never do it for lunch."

The encounter was for Eli Manning and his online show Eli's Extras. In the episode, he takes up eating spaghetti with a spoon while uncovering the real inside story behind the scenes of The Sopranos. Thankfully, no former Super Bowl-winning quarterback was whacked during the episode.

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Is Eli Manning bigger than the Sopranos?

The Sopranos ran for six seasons (1999 - 2007) on HBO, winning 21 Primetime Emmys. Manning was drafted number one overall in the 2004 NFL draft and played 16 seasons in the NFL, all with the New York Giants. While the quarterback didn't win 21 Emmys, he did win two Super Bowls and was the Walter Payton Man of the Year winner in 2016.

Eli Manning could be compared to Tony Soprano, who was played by the late James Gandolfini on the show. Like Soprano, Manning led a team through the ups and downs and ultimately came out on top. The biggest difference: no Giants player was whacked as a solution to any problem.