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ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - John Elway doesnt see Peyton Manning riding off into that orange Rocky Mountain sunset the way Elway did 15 years ago if the Denver Broncos quarterback caps his record-setting season with a second Super Bowl ring. Elways body was breaking down, having been sacked 516 times — 244 more than Manning has been in about the same number of games. "I still think hes young and hes playing well," Elway, now the Broncos executive vice-president, said Thursday of his quarterback, whos coming off his best statistical season just two years removed from neck problems that weakened his throwing arm. "Thats going to come down to Peyton. Its going to come down to what he wants to do." Manning has given no indication that hes anywhere near calling it quits at age 37, although he has dropped phrases lately like "light at the end of the tunnel" when talking about his career. Elway takes that to mean Manning knows that whenever he does walk away, these are the days hell look back on. Manning is preparing to lead the Broncos (14-3) against Tom Brady and the New England Patriots (13-4) Sunday in the AFC championship. Elway said hell meet with Manning after the season to talk about his future. But the four-time MVP who will likely have No. 5 soon certainly doesnt seem to be wringing the last Sundays out of his battered body like Elway was doing back in 1998. After all, Manning has thrown for 97 touchdowns in his two seasons in Denver, including an NFL-record 55 this season. "When you leave this game, you want to leave it on your last leg and try not to leave anything on the table. ... I was just fortunate to be able to be on two great football teams and be able to win world championships when my last leg broke," said Elway, who retired after leading the Broncos to their second straight Super Bowl title on Jan. 31, 1999. "I missed four games my last year. So, could I have gotten through another year? Sure, I could have," Elway said. "But would it have been at the level I want? ... Was I enjoying the game as much as I had enjoyed it? No, because it took me so long to heal. It was kind of the beginning of the body breaking down. So the combination of both — and being able to run off into the sunset — made it easier for me." Elway said running the Broncos front office has proven much different from running the team from the huddle. "It takes some getting used to," he said. "I enjoy watching the regular season games, but I was absolutely miserable last week watching this game. I mean, it took me four hours to get the pit out of my stomach after the game was over." Elway has hit the jackpot less in the draft than in free agency, none bigger than when he lured Manning to Denver after his release by the Indianapolis Colts. Together, the two great quarterbacks are one win from returning to the Super Bowl. "He has been a great resource," Manning said. "He doesnt come to our quarterback meetings and he is not on the phones with me during the game. I think he wants to make that clear. Its his job to hire good people to communicate with me on those. At the same time, I think you would be crazy not to ask a quarterback with his experience questions. "And it was kind of the same way growing up. My dad was never my coach by any means. But when you enjoy playing quarterback and you want to learn about the position, you try to use resources around you and so I have asked John a number of questions and hes provided me with knowledge or tidbits from experiences that hes had and hes been very helpful that way." Elway said his conversations with Manning are less Xs and Os and more philosophical. "There is a fraternity and there is a closeness among quarterbacks," Elway said. "I enjoy those conversations and weve had a lot of good ones." ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org ___ Follow AP Pro Football Writer Arnie Melendrez Stapleton on Twitter: http://twitter.com/arniestapleton Cheap Nike Shox . - A late-game interception by defensive back Malcolm Butler saved the Super Bowl for the New England Patriots. Nike Shox Clearance . LA (SportsNetwork. http://www.cheapnikeshox.net/ . Both sides came closest to scoring in the first half, when Roma had a goal from Mattia Destro waved off for offside and Inters Rodrigo Palacio headed high. "A draw was a fair result. Neither squad had many chances," Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic said. Nike Shox Cheap Mens . Schaub will start for an injured Case Keenum and try to help the Texans end a 12-game skid. Schaubs last action in Houston came when he took over late in a game against Oakland on Nov. 17 as Keenum was struggling. Cheap Nike Shox Outlet . After a 99-97 loss to the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night, his Celtics coaches and teammates have only positive things to say about the Toronto-born rookie. MIAMI -- The only thing that keeps LeBron James up worrying at night is basketball, which simultaneously makes perfect sense and no sense. On one hand, hes the games best player. On the other, hes rarely impressed with himself. Even after a year like 2013 -- when a spectacular wedding, a second NBA championship and a fourth MVP award were among the many highlights enjoyed by the Miami Heat star -- he still is, as he puts it, striving for greatness. Or, technically, more greatness, since his enormous list of accomplishments just keeps growing. James was announced Thursday as The Associated Press 2013 Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the third basketball player to capture the award that has been annually awarded since 1931. James received 31 of 96 votes cast in a poll of news organizations, beating Peyton Manning (20) and Jimmie Johnson (7). "Im chasing something and its bigger than me as a basketball player," James told the AP. "I believe my calling is much higher than being a basketball player. I can inspire people. Youth is huge to me. If I can get kids to look at me as a role model, as a leader, a superhero ... those things mean so much, and thats what I think I was built for. I was put here for this lovely game of basketball, but I dont think this is the biggest role that Im going to have." Past winners include Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali, Carl Lewis, Joe Montana, Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps. Serena Williams was the AP Female Athlete of the Year, announced Wednesday. James joins Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as NBA players to win the award. "I dont think Ive changed much this year," James said. "Ive just improved and continued to improve on being more than just as a basketball player. Ive matured as a leader, as a father, as a husband, as a friend." So far in 2013, with a maximum of three games left to play, James has appeared in 98. The Heat have won 78 of them. None of those was bigger than the four Miami got in the NBA Finals against San Antonio. In Game 7, James was at his best,, scoring 37 points, including the jump shot with 27.dddddddddddd.9 seconds left that essentially was the clincher. "He always rises to the occasion when it matters the most," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Business-wise, James is booming. Some estimate his annual income around $60 million, less than one-third of that being made on the court. His wife has opened a juice bar in Miami, and David Beckham wants James to be part of the Major League Soccer team he plans on bringing to South Florida in the next couple years. Countless people want to align with James. Few make him listen. Beckham did. "You want to be a part of it, but it has to feel real to you," James said. "You dont want to do something that doesnt feel much to you, that youre just doing for the money. We all have money. For me, my time is more than money at this point in my life." James has another "decision" to make in 2014. He can become a free agent again this summer, though still smarting from the circus atmosphere that followed him during his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers four years ago, James is staying largely silent on what might happen. He insists he has no idea. "Im so zoned in on what my task is here this year that its hard to think about anything else," James said. "A guy the other day asked me what Im going to do for New Years, and I havent even thought about that." When asked if theres anything he doesnt like about Miami, James offered few complaints, other than the often-clogged street -- Biscayne Boulevard, or U.S. 1 -- that leads to the arena the Heat call home. "What is there not to like about Miami?" James said. "It is a home. My family is very happy; Im very comfortable. But U.S. 1? I wish that was a highway." Bear in mind, hes not always unhappy when that street is gridlocked. The last two years, hes been largely responsible for hundreds of thousands of people lining that road for Heat championship parades. And if he gets his way, theyll be back next June. ' ' '