No "Seinfeld" for Eli? Jerry to the rescue following TV prank

[Toe Jam]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/news?slu...v=ap&type=lgns

By DINESH RAMDE, Associated Press Writer
January 18, 2008

MILWAUKEE (AP) -- For a show that was about nothing, the hubbub around it has certainly turned into something.

A Green Bay television station decided to have some fun this week after employees discovered that Giants quarterback Eli Manning's favorite show is "Seinfeld." Station officials decided to pull the episode scheduled for Saturday afternoon and replace it with a different program chosen by viewers.

Manning and his New York teammates will be in town to play the Green Bay Packers in the NFC championship game Sunday afternoon. News of WLUK-TV's decision apparently reached Jerry Seinfeld himself.

"I'm going to send Eli a complete collection of 'Seinfeld' DVDs and a partial collection of 'Hogan's Heroes' for inspiration," the comedian told the New York Post on Thursday.

"You think I'm going to take that sitting down?"

Jay Zollar, the Fox station's general manager, laughed when he heard of Seinfeld's response. Zollar joked that the offer actually plays into the station's master plan of preventing Manning from being master of the domain on Sunday.

"Now he (Manning) will be up all night watching 'Seinfeld' -- there will be no sleep for you," he said, parodying the Soup Nazi episode in which a server admonishes noncompliant customers with, "No soup for you!"

Manning said Friday the whole affair was amusing.

"Yeah, it's pretty funny," he said. "You've got to enjoy it."

Manning added that he already has the entire "Seinfeld" collection.

"I've seen every episode anyway, so I'm not going to miss anything on it," he said. "Again, you take it all in, you smile at it and you don't really give it a lot of thought."

A message from The Associated Press relayed to Seinfeld's publicist through his lawyer was not immediately returned Friday.

The station let viewers vote on the show to replace the pulled "Seinfeld" episode.

Of about 3,700 votes cast, some 60 percent were for a 30-minute special about former Packers coach Vince Lombardi called "God, Family and the Green Bay Packers."

The other choices included a rerun of "The Donald Driver Show" from Monday, "M*A*S*H" and an infomercial starring former Dallas Cowboy Emmitt Smith.

The pre-empted "Seinfeld" episode is "The Mango" from Season 5. In the show Cosmo Kramer gets booted from a fruit store for trying to return a bad peach, George Costanza suffers impotence, yada yada yada.

Zollar said most people realized his station's move was in jest, but some thought the station should be treating the Giants better.

"Some people think we're mean," he said. "Some say we're not welcoming, that we should be gracious hosts, we should invite them in and be nice to their quarterback."

He said he doesn't understand how people could interpret the move as a sincere attempt at sabotage.

"Obviously, Eli coming to Green Bay, coming to watch a TV show at 5:30 p.m. the night before the game, it's pretty unlikely," he said.

Associated Press sports writer Tom Canavan in East Rutherford, N.J., contributed to this report.

[mvisit1]

It's clearly NOT going to affect Eli at all. What makes them think he would even know what channel or time it would be on in Wisconsin, anyway? When he's in his hotel room he should only be doing 1 of 3 things: Watching film/going over gameplan, talking to family on phone, resting. That's it besides the obvious eating and using the bathroom.

It was a funny idea though.

[wysknz1]

I love Seinfeld. He actually came to Cheyenne, we don't get very much great stuff here, and put on two shows. It was the best time. Really a great comedian.

[jnhay]

It's clearly NOT going to affect Eli at all. What makes them think he would even know what channel or time it would be on in Wisconsin, anyway? When he's in his hotel room he should only be doing 1 of 3 things: Watching film/going over gameplan, talking to family on phone, resting. That's it besides the obvious eating and using the bathroom.

It was a funny idea though.

I'm assuming you didn't read the last quotation. It's just a joke for Packers fans.

[DWinzit]

Eli Manning is ready to brave the elements at Lambeau

[TheDoyler23]

People in Wisconsin can be a little strange... I think its the cold or something.

[dockeryfan]

Funny thing is, they took Seinfeld off to bother Eli, but they replaced it with episodes of Silver Spoons, his second favorite show. He loves that Ricky Schroeder.

[brianforster]

I think its pretty clear that the games can't get here fast enough if this stuff is making news headlines.

[Califan007]

"And a partial collection of Hogan's Heroes" lol ...

[KiwiSupaFlyNuka]

They played a Seinfield re-run here in NY last night. They played the one where Jerry is dating a masseuse and they go to the Giants packers game. Kramer catches the Giants game winning FG.

It wasn't till I saw the Giants old uniforms, Phill Simms and LT that I realized how old Seinfield is. Seems like only yesterday they were a top show.

[rocazares]

I love Seinfeld.

He's my english teacher .