{"id":277430,"date":"2010-02-04T11:57:00","date_gmt":"2010-02-04T16:57:00","guid":{"rendered":"tag:www.opensecrets.org,2010:\/news\/\/8.1351"},"modified":"2010-02-05T16:09:30","modified_gmt":"2010-02-05T21:09:30","slug":"peyton-manning-jonathan-vilma-foes-both-in-super-bowl-politics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/mereja.media\/index\/277430","title":{"rendered":"Peyton Manning, Jonathan Vilma Foes Both in Super Bowl, Politics"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"jonathanvilma.jpg\"\"peytonmanning.jpg\"Come Super Bowl Sunday, the Indianapolis Colts’ Peyton Manning<\/a> will find himself perched inches away from New Orleans Saints’ Pro Bowl linebacker Jonathan Vilma<\/a>, who’s tasked, in part, with dislodging the all-galaxy quarterback’s head. <\/p>\n

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But the outcome of professional football’s most glorious game isn’t the only point on which Manning and Vilma disagree.<\/div>\n
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In a teeny, tiny Super Bowl<\/a> subplot, the two rivals are political foils, too.<\/div>\n
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That’s because Manning, the evermore political<\/a> National Football League<\/a>‘s most valuable player in 2009, is a dedicated Republican bankroller, having contributed to the presidential campaigns of George W. Bush<\/a> ($2,000) and Fred Thompson<\/a> ($2,300), a Center for Responsive Politics<\/a> analysis indicates. Manning has also contributed $5,200 to the campaign of U.S. Sen. Bob Corker<\/a> (R-Tenn.).<\/div>\n
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Vilma, meanwhile, has donated $4,800 to Rep. Kendrick Meek<\/a> (D-Fla.), who’s now running for the Democratic nomination in an atypically crowded<\/a> U.S. Senate race.<\/div>\n
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Manning’s patterns of political giving — to an extent — mirror those of Colts owner Jim Irsay<\/a>, who has donated to Republican candidates and interests for years, including Bush, the Republican National Committee<\/a> and U.S. Sen. Richard Lugar<\/a>. <\/div>\n
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Players, employees and executives associated with the Colts slightly favor the GOP in their political giving, with 53 percent of their cash going to Republicans, the Center<\/a> found. In all, Colts associates have contributed more than $121,000 to federal-level candidates and committees since the 1990 election cycle. <\/div>\n
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But Irsay, who has himself donated more than $86,000 to federal political candidates during the past two decades, has also lined Democrats’ pockets, as well. U.S. Sen. Evan Bayh<\/a> (D-Ind.), Rep. Edolphus Towns<\/a> (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Patrick Kennedy<\/a> (D-R.I.) are among the left-leaning recipients of his wealth, according to the Center<\/a>‘s research.<\/div>\n
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That stands in stark contrast to the Saints’ political giving history, which is overwhelmingly Republican<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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That’s largely thanks to team owner Tom Benson, who’s cut checks to GOP politicos from presidential candidates Bush and Rudy Giuliani<\/a> to Sens. David Vitter<\/a> and John Cornyn<\/a>.<\/div>\n
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Former Saints head coach Mike Ditka<\/a> also contributed thousands of dollars to Republicans, including Bush, John McCain<\/a> and the Republican National Committee<\/a>. Another former Saints head coach, Jim Haslett<\/a>, also donated $2,000 to the RNC.<\/div>\n
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If Vilma — a rare Saint who bucks his team’s Republican leanings — feels lonely with that designation, maybe he’ll find solace in the fact that at least one of his athletic enemies is a political compatriot: Colts defensive end Raheem Brock<\/a> gave Barack Obama<\/a> $2,300 during the 2008 presidential campaign.<\/div>\n
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To see the Saints’ and Colts’ political contributions during the past 20 years, click here: superbowldonors.xls<\/a><\/span><\/div>\n
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CRP Senior Researcher Doug Weber contributed to this report.<\/span><\/div>\n
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