http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/20...t-still-bo.html
Eli's signature moment still bothers Dallas
By Ralph Vacchiano
It was bad enough down in Dallas when the Giants ruined the opening game of Jerry Jones’ new stadium by beating the Cowboys 33-31 last September. But it was made worse, apparently, when Eli Manning punctuated the victory by signing his name to the locker room wall.
Apparently they haven’t quite gotten over that down in Dallas, and Manning was quizzed about the signature moment on his conference call with the Texas media today.
Not surprisingly, Manning was “a little bit” surprised at all the attention his signature got. There are many visiting locker rooms in the NFL decorated with signatures of opponents. But when Manning became the first to sign the wall at Cowboys Stadium it became salt in the wound, especially since under his name he wrote the date and “’33-31’ First win in the new stadium.”
“A lot of different teams in opposing locker room, assistants have players sign the opposing wall,” Manning said. “I’ve done it at a lot of different places around the NFL and I thought they were starting a new tradition.
“It will be interesting to see if anybody else has signed the wall, or if I’m the only one, or if they erased it.”
Manning explained that it’s not like he signed the middle of the wall inside the visiting locker room. He actually signed his name “in the locker room attendant’s own little locker room in the back.”
“It’s not like I was trying to do anything disrespectful to their new stadium by any means,” he said. “I was surprised (at the attention it got) just because it is a tradition in a lot of other stadiums. Part of the reason why is it just wasn’t explained very well. People made it sound like I just went right in their locker room and right for everybody to see, (like) I was trying to do something disrespectful. It wasn’t like that by any means.”
Still, I’d imagine the thought of signing his name to the home team’s wall has to be a little tempting. And he’d have the chance to do it if the Giants reach Super Bowl XLV, which will be played at Cowboys Stadium in February. The NFC representative would be the home team and would get to use the Cowboys’ room.
The wall would be a tempting target for a signing, especially after a win.
“I don’t think so,” Manning said. “I ‘d like to be there, but I wouldn’t want to disrespect the Cowboys or their new stadium, I think people kind of got the wrong (idea), like I just signed right in the middle of the locker room for everybody to see. It’s far away and unless you’re invited to go back into the attendant’s own private locker room, you’re not going to see it.”