Peyton Manning rides a giant flying baguette. As the NFL season kicks off, let’s all just take a minute to let Peyton Manning’s current whereabouts sink in.
If you’re among the 20 million people who will watch the Kansas City Chiefs and Detroit Lions open the 2023-24 NFL season Thursday night, you might catch Manning riding a giant baguette. The bizarre commercial is part of NBC Universal’s campaign to promote the network’s coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. If Peyton Manning riding a giant flying baguette wasn’t weird enough, NBC sending a press release about the retired quarterback’s latest mode of transportation takes it to another level.
Manning opens the ad by soaring into view on a baguette while holding a glass of red wine before tearing off a hunk of bread and welcoming viewers to Paris. “Welcome to Paris, home of French bread, wine, and now, the Olympics,” Manning says before the commercial moves to a conference room where the multimedia star is seen pitching NBC on his flying baguette idea. And that’s why the “Sheriff” ditched the Colts and Broncos to ride a baguette.
For decades, Peyton Manning and Tom Brady were the focal points of every NFL season. But in their retirements, they’ve stumbled on a lot of free time. In 2023, Manning is riding a giant baguette, and Brady is strategically advising Delta Air Lines. You can no longer rely on Manning or Brady to anchor your Sunday picks, but if you have stale bread or a delayed flight, they’re your quarterbacks.
The baguette riding promo for NBC comes just days after testing his comedic prowess alongside his brother Eli Manning in a lengthy ad for their ManningCast on ESPN.
About Brandon Contes
Brandon Contes is a staff writer for Awful Announcing and The Comeback. He previously helped carve the sports vertical for Mediaite and spent more than three years with Barrett Sports Media. Send tips/comments/complaints to bcontes@thecomeback.com