NEW YORK, NY – One football star has shown that it is better to give than receive. But his actions have gotten some unnecessary criticism!

NEW YORK, NY – One football star has shown that it is better to give than receive. But his actions have gotten some unnecessary criticism!

Eli Manning, quarterback of the New York Giants, has shown his charitable side. St. Vincent’s Hospital in New York has a marketing deal with Eli since 2006. The hospital currently owed Eli $500,000 for recent promotional work. Eli told the hospital to keep their money.

St. Vincent hospital faces $700 million in debt and has recently slashed salaries and, worse, jobs in order to remain open. The hospital has certainly benefited from the Giants quarterback’s work but continuing to pay him would have been a problem for the hospital.

“When Eli learned that the hospital was in financial difficulties, he released the from the contract … from the monetary agreement,” a Manning spokesman told the Post.

Eli Manning and his wife Abby will continue to do some promotional work for the Eli & Abby Manning Birthday Center without compensation.

That is a magnificent gesture and should show Eli as a real stand up guy. Not so much. Some cynics and critics are saying that Eli should give back all the money he has earned from the hospital. Sports figures are always under immense scrutiny and many will find any small detail to bash them into the ground.

The fact remains that Eli and the hospital had a marketing contract. It would also be safe to assume that the hospital approached the star quarterback and it wasn’t Eli holding a gun to their head demanding that they pay. He got paid due to his services and there is always the chance that he was unaware of their financial standings until recently. In a day where athletes are demanding more and more money, this should simple and merely be taken for what it is. A gesture straight from the heart and Eli should be applauded.