From Rooters – In a move long rumored, ESPN has announced today that following the Giants’ loss to the Eagles in the Divisional game, it will no longer cover anything having to do with the NFL until after Super Bowl XLIII.

“We feel that our network has been and should continue to be exclusively dedicated to all things Manning,” said ESPN spokesperson Brad Gormann. “Peyton Manning is the very definition of the NFL alpha male, and the Colts’ loss to the San Diego Chargers last week, while galactically heroic, put the onus on his brother Eli. And while it was clear Eli was the superior quarterback against the Eagles, the events that transpired in the Meadowlands make any further coverage of the NFL Playoff Season superfluous.”

Speaking off the record, a number of ESPN insiders were skeptical about the network’s sports only format a week ago following Peyton’s exit in the Wild Card game against the San Diego Chargers.

“We have hours and hours of stories, specials, commentaries, endorsements, editorials, and general praise for MVPeyton and around a half hour or so for Eli. I don’t know what we’re going to do now,” said a source from ESPN’s critically acclaimed Sports Center show. “I have no idea what else we might talk about.”

Some have speculated that ESPN would try to work in coverage of the Manning brothers despite their exit from the Playoffs, as they have done in seasons past. The announcement today put that speculation to rest.

“We have followed the Mannings all season”, continued Gormann from the press conference at ESPN’s corporate headquarters in Bristol, CT, “and now that both of the two greatest human beings to ever play have left the field for the season, through no fault of their own, we feel our viewers will simply turn off their television sets to wait for next season.”

When asked about lost viewership going to local or rival networks for football news, Gormann was succinct. “Are you kidding? Peyton went out last week.”

Taking questions following the press conference, Gormann emphatically stated ESPN would be back on Feb. 2nd to cover all the breaking news regarding Brett Favre’s decision to retire. “Yes, of course, ” he said. “Brett’s fascinating retirement process will share time with our new reality show, ‘Whatever A-Rod Is Doing Right Now’.“