Ashley Mitchell, The Eli Manning of the Challenge

As my last article received… Well, not much of any reaction at all, I’ve decided to continue this series. After all, it’s a good way to get the writing flowing for my actual paid job. So without further ado, here we are.

Ashley Mitchell the Eli Manning of the Challenge

There are great players, amazing players, and terrible players, and I’m sure we could all name a lot. However, every so often, there comes a special, unexplainable player. For the NFL, one of those such players, is Eli Manning. He has had good seasons, bad seasons, and everything in between. But, there is one characteristic of his that fits Ashley so well, I couldn’t compare either of them with anyone else.

Finals Magic

Eli Manning made it to the playoffs only 6 times in his career and won two Super Bowls. While this may seem like an inconsequential stat, compare it to Aaron Rodgers who has made it to the playoffs 10 times, and only won/played in 1 Super Bowl. While this can partially be accounted to the entire Giants’ team, it also shows how Eli Manning carries playoff magic. Along with skill, winning games in the playoffs takes a certain amount of luck (and no I don’t mean Andrew). Eli Manning has proven that not only is he a clutch player when it counts, but he’s got that little something that even Tom Brady can’t beat.

Ashley Mitchell’s challenge career looks similar to Eli Manning’s playoff career. She has had quite a few early exits, but when she stays, she often wins the big one. Some of her performances in the regular season look terrible, even worse than the Giants’ 2017 season, however no one can doubt that she is a force to be reckoned with come time for the finals. Her endurance combined with her puzzle acumen makes her possibly the best finals competitor the challenge has seen.

Da Money

When Eli Manning retired, he was the highest paid player in NFL history. While he has since dropped to 4th highest, he still managed to gain his title in less seasons than the other players. Eli Manning only played 16 seasons with the NFL, all for the Giants. Rothlisberger, #3, has played 17 seasons, and beat him out by $1 million, Tom Brady, #2, has played 21 seasons, and Drew Brees, #1, has played 20 seasons.

Ashley Mitchell, otherwise known as Millionaire Mitchell, Was at one point the highest earner in Challenge history, and although she also has been surpassed, it was in a heck of a lot less seasons than the number one pick, Johnny Bananas (Maybe whoever I end up comparing with Rothlisberger and Brees will surpass her too).