Eli passes on Giants stake: 'Too expensive for me'

After initially being interested, erstwhile New York Giants backmost Eli Manning has opted not to bargain an ownership involvement successful the team, saying "it's excessively costly for me."

The Giants said successful February that they were putting a constricted involvement successful the squad -- possibly up to 10% -- connected the market, with the process apt to acceptable a grounds for an NFL franchise valuation.

Forbes' past valuation of the Giants was $7.3 billion, portion CNBC estimated it to beryllium $7.85 billion.

"Basically, it's excessively costly for me," Manning told CNBC Sport. "These numbers are getting precise big. ... A 1% involvement of thing valued astatine $10 cardinal -- it turns into a precise large number.

"I emotion the Giants, and I deliberation it is deserving of that valuation. There volition beryllium radical that privation to spell for it, and I was benignant of on for the ride."

Manning, a two-time Super Bowl MVP with the Giants whose No. 10 is retired by the team, said becoming progressive successful ownership besides would make "a batch of conflicts" with his existent projects, including his relation arsenic a broadcaster with ESPN.

"It truly was a substance of immoderate complications with the information that I'm doing broadcasting; I wouldn't beryllium capable to speech to the players. I manager successful the Pro Bowl. I bash a precocious schoolhouse shot campy wherever assemblage guys come.

"There would beryllium a batch of conflicts and it was going to impact my time job, truthful I benignant of had to propulsion retired of the Giants deal."

The Mara and Tisch families each ain 50% of the Giants. John Mara and Steve Tisch person been successful power of the enactment connected behalf of their families since the deaths of their fathers successful 2005.

Bob Tisch, Steve's father, bought 50% of the Giants for astir $75 cardinal successful 1991. Tim Mara, John's grandfather, founded the squad successful 1925 for $500.