By Marc Thaler
Sports Editor

Before September rolled around, few things rivaled the reward of watching the Patriots pummel Peyton Manning in the postseason. A pouting Peyton provided tremendous gratification for the citizens of New England’s Nation.

Aside from shortstop Derek Jeter, the Pinstripes’ poster boy, Manning is probably Public Enemy No. 1 in terms of talented superstars folks in these parts love to loathe.

Want to watch a Pats fan pop a blood vessel? Just re-examine the gridiron’s great debate, where the flames can be fanned uttering five words.

Tom Brady or Peyton Manning?

From now until the end of time, the number of big games Brady wins in the dead of winter won’t matter. Like death and taxes, it’s inevitable …

The national media will make Manning the NFL’s version of the teacher’s pet when summer turns to fall and hot cider is the order on Sunday.

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It’s enough to make fans of the Flying Elvis fly off the handle.

But now, after his latest act of kindness, it’s pretty much impossible for Pats fans to make Peyton the punchline of a joke. In the past, whenever New England collided with the Colts, Indy’s franchise player was always left bruised and confused, bullied by another Bill Belichick defense that managed to take his lunch money, to boot.

However, roughly two weeks ago, Manning gave new meaning to “Most Valuable Player” when he willingly opened his wallet. There’s simply no denying this University of Tennessee alumnus truly is a Volunteer.

Hurricane Katrina made a horrific mess along the Gulf Coast. The massive storm covered the distance of a round-trip trek from Southern New Hampshire to Syracuse, N.Y.

Although a natural disaster, not a terrorist attack, the level of death and destruction Katrina left in her wake conjured up images from Sept. 11, 2001.

Once again, We The People were reminded there are more important things worth contemplating than how best to beat a Cover-2 defense.

In the immediate aftermath of the Katrina catastrophe, Peyton and his kid brother, Eli, helped prove that point.

Let’s give credit where it’s due. The Colts’ gifted gunslinger could’ve chosen to continue living the life of the modern-day million dollar athlete.

He could’ve decided against leaving the cozy confines of his dream world. With the ’05 season about to begin when Mother Nature reminded everyone of her power, Manning could’ve opted to spend his time making last-minute adjustments to the Week 1 game plan. Instead, he willingly woke up to join the very real, no-end-in-sight nightmare taking place in and around New Orleans.

On Sept. 3, the Manning brothers boarded a plane in Indianapolis, bound for Baton Rouge. They helped pack an AirTran 737 with more than 30,000 pounds of non perishable items like baby formula, diapers and drinks.

“You certainly know when you have an opportunity, and you want to take advantage of it,” Manning told reporters.

Perhaps you’d care to know those words were spoken to sportswriters – from a podium following Indy’s 20-3 divisional playoff loss at Gillette Stadium in January.

Ironically, they have just as much meaning nearly nine months later – in the context of discussing Manning’s involvement helping hurricane victims.

Although he was 0-for-Florida during his college days, and has yet to triumph on the Pats’ home turf, it seems to me, the argument Peyton Manning can’t deliver when it counts no longer applies.