Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning – “I’m going to Disneyland”

After uttering the catchphrase “I’m going to Disneyland” after Super Bowl XLII, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning will make good on his declaration by serving as parade grand marshal at 10:30 a.m. today at the Anaheim, California, theme park.

Immediately following Sunday night’s game, the Super Bowl MVP recorded two commercials — “I’m going to Disneyland” for West Coast audiences and “I’m going to Disney World” for the East Coast.

The phrase was first uttered in 1987 by Phil Simms — another Giants quarterback. Last year, Indianapolis Colts running back Dominic Rhodes and coach Tony Dungy shared the honor.

Shortly after the start of Operation Desert Storm in 1991, running back Ottis Anderson (yet another Giants player) deviated from the script when he said, “I’m dedicating this one to our troops.” Disney skipped the post-game advertisement in 2005, opting instead to film a spot in Orlando, Florida, with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady saying, “I’m at Disney World.”

While usually associated with the Super Bowl, the slogan has been spoken after the Stanley Cup, World Series, NBA finals and the Olympics. San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds said it after he shattered the single-season home run record in 2001.

Find the latest amusement and theme park news at the
Los Angeles Times Funland blog: www.latimes.com/funland.

— Brady MacDonald, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Photo: Associated Press]

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This entry was posted on Monday, February 4, 2008 at 9:57 am by Brady MacDonald and is filed under Celebrity, Disneyland, East Coast, Family & Kids, San Diego, Sports, Theme Parks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.