• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, February 9, 2016

Product placement is alive and well in the biggest TV event of the year.

Still, Denver Broncos’ Peyton Manning mentioning his desire to drink some Budweisers after the Super Bowl sure seemed out of sync.

But Manning owns some big Bud distributorships in Louisiana. Forget about the less-than-organic approach; some believe fuller disclosures by athletes are necessary for the viewing public. One Budweiser executive said Manning was not paid for his impromptu efforts.

Still, you might be wondering why Papa John’s Pizza got shortchanged?

Manning owns Papa John’s franchises in Denver, and he has made many TV appearances in commercials for the chain of pizza restaurants. There was a somewhat out-of-view hug/embrace at the end of the game with “Papa John” himself, Papa John's Pizza founder/CEO John Schnatter.

But that was it? No Bud-like on-air love? C’mon. Beer and pizza go together... like... like... football and Advil.

Manning is the highest paid NFL athlete when it comes to sponsorships, some $12 million a year, according to Forbes -- deals which also include Buick, DirecTV, Gatorade, and Nationwide Insurance.

Didn’t really hear any shout-outs to those connections. But perhaps those marketers weren’t expecting Manning to roll through all those brand names. Even less organic, for sure. Still, Manning could be seen in video throwing back some Gatorade before the game.

Back to Bud:  When an athlete says they are going to toss back some beer after an arduous sporting event that’s understandable. Drinking some Gatorade after the game? Hmm. Get me rewrite!

In a few interviews, Manning also said he would be taking his family to Disneyland

Lo and behold, the next day on ESPN’s “SportsCenter,” there he was, in front of Disneyland’s façade, which included signage for Disneyland’s 60th Anniversary.  (Yes, ESPN and Disneyland are owned by the same parent company).

Still, we haven’t seen any of those now bland Super Bowl  TV commercials featuring Manning saying “I’m going to Disneyland” yet. 

The next morning Manning confirmed he drank a few Budweisers after the game. But did he have any pizza? After all, you need those carbs for that hard ride around Space Mountain.