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Brady's campaign

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady and Colts quarterback Peyton Manning paired up this offseason and hit the campaign trail. They were hoping to rally all NFL quarterbacks to support a rule change that allows QBs to use their own footballs during road games.

"We sort of helped lead the charge on getting that rule changed; we had a little petition going around," Manning told The Tennessean in Friday's editions. "Tom Brady and I kind of teamed up and got 20 quarterbacks to sign the petition; we tracked Steve (McNair) down in Mississippi.

"Everybody faxed their petition back pretty much the next day. It was pretty much a no-brainer on trying to get that changed. Because it just makes sense. You throw your footballs at home, you ought to be able to throw the footballs you want on the road as well. Nobody wants to see a receiver wide open and the ball two-hopped to him because the ball is slick."

The rule was passed and Manning joked about more campaigns in the future.

"I asked Brady, what can we get changed next?" Manning said to the Tennessean. "Brett Favre was funny. He said, 'Now you're getting the balls changed, and now I'm about to retire, that's not fair.' There was a little bonding there by the quarterbacks of the NFL, it was good to see that."