Country singer Eric Church says Eli Manning, the two-time Super Bowl champion and longtime New York Giants quarterback, wasn’t willing to hold the bass he caught during a fishing trip at Church’s property just outside Nashville roughly six months ago.
Church made the claim during an episode of Pro Football Hall of Famer Randy Moss’ YouTube series “Chasing 10,” filmed at Church’s 1,600-acre property about 15 minutes from downtown Nashville. The land includes multiple lakes stocked with largemouth bass.
“I brought Eli here about six months ago. He came fishing with me here,” Church told Moss. When Moss asked how Manning fared, Church said, “I think Eli’s scared to hold ’em. I had to hold the fish for him.”
Moss, seeking confirmation, asked, “Hold on, hold on. You talking about one of the Manning brothers?” Church confirmed it was Eli, and Moss replied, “Eli, man. Come on, Eli.”
“I held them all for him,” Church continued. “It’s kind of like you do with your kid. You catch them and hand them to him and say, ‘Here, y’all take a picture.'”
Manning was not present to respond to the account. Notably, Church shared the story with Moss, who was a member of the undefeated New England Patriots team that Manning and the Giants upset in Super Bowl XLII.
Moss’ own outing with Church at the Nashville property went more smoothly. Church, who has caught four bass weighing at least 10 pounds on the lakes there, including an 11.2-pound personal best, landed a 6.7-pound largemouth early in the day. The pair continued catching fish throughout the outing, including another bass estimated at nearly 8 pounds. They did not land a double-digit fish during this trip, though Moss has previously caught a 10-pound bass on the show.
“Chasing 10” follows Moss as he fishes with fellow athletes and celebrities around the country. The series also supports the Children’s Cancer Research Fund, and the boat used throughout filming is set to be raffled off to benefit the organization.
