TVSquad

I can think of a few reasons. Could it be that some of the big-name stars look at doing SNL as just another job while the athletes look at it as an honor and a chance to have some fun? (Alec Baldwin and Tom Hanks being two notable exceptions to that theory.) And unless they're also accomplished stage actors, working in front of a live audience may be distracing, whereas Manning, for example, led his team to victory in the Super Bowl with tens of thousands of people in the stands and a few hundred million more watching on TV.

Reply

"They both have two more rings than me."

Classic!

Reply

I remember reading an interview with the producer or director of SNL years ago and he said they really liked having athletes host because they take coaching so well. You tell them to go to a spot, turn this way, and say this, and they do it exactly that way. They are used to performing in stressful situations and stick to the plays as called. I think it's true.

Reply

I agree that athletes do it to have fun while actors typically do it to promote a movie or TV show. I also think viewers are less critical of athletes. When Peyton Manning reads of a cue card, people think it's cute. When Scarlett Johansson does it, people pitch a fit.

Reply

Elf is onto a good theory. For a lot of the actors that come on SNL it means nothing. It's just another job, it's a way to promote whatever movie they have coming out. They have no reason to really care about it. Peyton Manning on the other hand isn't used to acting all the time and really has nothing to promote. He may have been genuinely excited to be a part of SNL and really thrown himself into it.

Reply

Peyton Manning was funny. But I remember way back when Joe Montana hosted SNL and he was like a deer in the headlights. Not so funny. So I'm not sure your hypothesis holds true.

Reply

Charles Barkley, Howard Cosell, Chris Evert, George Foreman, Wayne Gretzky, Jeff Gordon, Hulk Hogan, Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan, Alex Karras, Nancy Kerrigan, John Madden, Billy Martin, Jonny Mosely, Joe Montana, Walter Payton, Andy Roddick, The Rock, Bill Russell, Deion Sanders, O.J. Simpson, Fran Tarkenton, and Bob Uecker.

Outside The Rock, any of those hosts really stand out for having great performances and being a solid show? Mosely and Gordon were torture. Roddick survived that embarrassment. Brady and Manning were good hosts despite a mediocre writing staff - perhaps they will have a competition who will host the most shows.

Reply

Wireboy, while I agree that Montana was a little overwhelmed, he still participated in the greatest skit involving a Superbowl Champion.

I believe the skit featured the late great Phil Hartman and Jan Hooks where Hartman and Montana were roommates. Hooks and Hartman were on a date and hoped they wouldn't bother Joe by sitting on the couch and chatting. When Joe dropped this bomb:

"That's OK, I'll be up in my room masturbating"

Reply

wireboy makes a good point. Lets not get carried away by thinking all athletes are good on SNL. Montana sucked, Walter Payton sucked, Jeter was passable, and Pete Sampras was not unwatchable. Personally I say no athletes and Lorne Michaels needs to be a lot more choosey over who gets to host, not just who's hot at the moment (e.g. Paris Hilton.)

Reply

Also, in Mississippi, where the Manning family is originally from (and where I live), Peyton's dad, Archie and his brother Eli do commercials for local banks that are quite funny. So I really think they are just a very close-knit, funny, southern family who know how to lighten up and make people laugh. Although, I did wonder how his mom felt about some of the language! But being married to football player and raising three boys, she's probably heard a lot worse!!! I really enjoyed the show, and really liked that they brought out a birthday cake for him at the end. It looked like they all enjoyed working together this past week. It showed.

Reply

On the flip side, Joel does make a good point: There have been a few actual actors (some Oscar-winning) who are less-than-stellar when it comes to hosting SNL. Most obvious mistakes/errors that come to mind are too many hosts who are obviously reading the cue cards or just don't have that knack for comic timing on live TV.

Reply

Sportscenter's "Big Buddy" take on ultra-competitive athletes with kids was far, far better.

Reply

Here's a theory: You have a low threshold for comedy.

Peyton was OK, but let's not over-react to this episode. The best hosts are still the regulars, e.g. Alec Baldwin and Christopher Walken. Justin Timberlake is working his way up too.

Reply

I like Elf's theory the best, but I have three more ideas.

First, the KISS principle. I wonder if the writers, producers, etc, are "simplifying" the writing/humor. Where you might expect a big-name star to take on nuanced, timed performances, the "civilians" might get something that isn't a stretch. As others observed, SNL is more like stage, and the actors want to play up to their game (take on the challenge).

Second, for the most part, actors/actresses come in when they are trying to sell something (new movie, for instance). This is probably stop number 69 on their press tour. The athletes are on their off season, relaxed, and able to focus.

Finally, I think everyone has sacred cows they don't want SNL to touch--they don't want to be made a fool. For an athlete, they have nothing to lose. An actor or actress wants to make sure they can still get acting work in the morning. Likewise, they don't want their unmarketable side to show.

Reply

No one's mentioned the Barkley vs. Barney sketch, or Shaq getting spanked by Tracy Morgan, or Jordan's positive affirmations with Stuart Smalley? The rest of the episodes they were on are imminently forgettable (other than Barkley's musical guest being Nirvana), but those were sketches were as funny as anything on Peyton's episode.

Reply

Actually, that's the skit I had in mind when I wrote that. The skit's punchline is indeed pretty hilarious but the journey to get there was tortuous. Thanks for pointing it out.

Reply

Peyton Manning was so funny in that United Way PSA skit, where he is so cruel to some of the kids, but in a funny way. He even hit a football behind one kid--that had me laughing so hard! I feel that he should get into acting--he's a natural at it, even with the countless commercials he's made (Cut that Meat! D-Caf clap-clap, D-Caf clap-clap--his punchlines and hooks are infectious!). If he does retire from football, which might be in 10 years, he should go for a full-scale acting career. He has comedic elements of either Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler, sometimes crazy or out of the way funny. Some athletes did SNL, but they weren't that good. Peyton did it, and he was great at it.

Reply