Which Hero, Villain or Fool would you rather play golf with? Peyton Manning?

Admittedly, my golf game’s rusty. Can’t remember when I last played. Maybe ten years ago with a neighbor.
But here’s the point, what hero, villain or fool in your world would you like to have a beer with, spend some time with?

Peyton Manning’s my choice. Not only could we talk about cleft palate surgeries we’d endured, we could probably talk about resilience.

He could’ve stayed out of the public eye after Sunday’s Super Bowl debacle where the Seattle Seahawks dominated his Denver Broncos. (I felt the Broncos hardly “showed up” for the game.)   But Peyton chose to face the music and indulge in his favorite hobby  in Monterey, California yesterday.

He knew the press and autograph hunters at Pebble Beach would pepper him with questions about the 43-8 S’ Bowl rout. “Was it your fault?” “Are you too old?” “Thinking of retirement?” and mindless* questions like that. But no, Peyton chose to play golf in the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, a celebrity tournament that raises millions for charity. He showed resilience and “class” after being trounced (some angry souls would say, “humiliated”) during Sunday’s S’ Bowl, one of the largest sports spectacles in the world.

I’d ask him how he manages to shrug off defeat, keep his cool, and–most of all–keep showing up for a job that has superb 250 pound athletes charging at you every time you take a snapped football.

I might also ask him about his golf game. According to a story in the San Francisco Chronicle by Ron Kroichick (@ronkroichick on Twitter), “ [Wednesday, Manning] picked up a golf club for the first time since July and sprayed shots around the storied links .His best line came when he said of his practice round, ‘I didn’t hit anybody, so that’s a good thing.'”. . Manning played in the AT&T Pro-Am once previously, missing the cut with Webb Simpson in 2009.”

Under no circumstances would I ask Peyton “What the hell happened against the Seahawks?” After all, I imagine he plays golf to relieve stress and  get away from his problems.

So, who would you pick as your golf partner and why?

If there are just too many to choose from, narrow your choices to the 8 in the slide show to the left. Names are in FAQ, if you’re mentally rusty about who they are.

*”Mindless” because Manning just won the NFL’s  2013 MVP award. This is another of countless records for him, and a record fifth fifth, which is two more than any other player in the history of the game. Jim Brown, Johnny Unitas and Brett Favre each won three MVP awards during their careers.

My latest book, PRIVILEGED KILLERS, is a true story about a half-dozen Dark Triad people in my everyday life - narcissists, manipulators, and psychopaths. Three of 'em murdered people, and one came after my wife and me. Print and e-book versions of this (and CLEFT HEART) available at Amazon and elsewhere online. Also at your local bookstore.