Peyton Manning's Jennifer Hudson moment

The Patriots' loss to the Colts last night was tough to take, but the blow is softened by Selena Roberts's hilarious column in the NY Times today (don't bother trying to read the whole article, it's Times Selected):

[Indianapolis quarterback Peyton] Manning was solo a the end of a virtuoso performance. Call it a version of "Dreamboys" instead of "Dreamgirls", with the way Manning finally overcame his Jennifer Hudson moment as the drama of the American Football Conference title game unfolded last night in the RCA Dome.

Manning had always been the N.F.L. quarterback with the best pipes, the greatest arm and most talent. And yet Brady had forever emerged as his Beyonce, the beautiful one, always out front. Brady is the dimple-chinned Patriots quarterback, a perpetual prom king with a supermodel on his arm and three Super Bowl rings on his fingers.

Peyton has never been as cool or charmed, never the star on stage when everyone is watching and everything counts... To fulfill his thespian side, Manning craved an opportunity to look into the face masks of the Patriots at the end of the game and say, You complete me, as he finally skipped off to Miami for Super Bowl XLI.

It was nemesis interruptus for Manning... In bare feet last night, he stepped from Brady's aura and into his own as a playoff virtuoso.

With the comic brilliance Manning has shown in his commercials this season, he should join Jake Gyllenhaal for a duet.