Despite its longevity, success for 'SNL' at one point in time was not for certain. Sketch comedy was trending in the right direction, however, the show struggled to engage an audience consistently during the '80s.
That all changed when the likes of Eddie Murphy showed up - soon enough, the show was creating massive stars on the norm.
Along with creating stars like Adam Sandler, the show is known for its guest hosts. Of course, we've seen the good and the bad throughout the years. Amongst the very worst, might be Steven Segal, who was not funny and hard to deal with backstage.
Truth be told, given how green they are in comedy and acting, fan favorites from the sporting world don't do all that well either. We have a few examples of duds from the past, Lance Armstrong instantly comes to mind.
However, we've also seen the flip side, guest hosts that blew everyone away. In the sporting world, at least according to fans, one particular host knocked it out of the park. Not only is he regarded among the best in the athlete world, but his cameo is considered one of the best in the show's history.
Before we delve into who that is, let's take a look at other athletes that struggled as hosts.
The Worst Athlete Hosts
Rolling Stone released the list of worst hosts and a surprise to very few, a couple of athletes showed up on the list. Lance Armstrong was among the class, his performance was labeled as smug and arrogant.
It also doesn't help that his legacy took a hit in the years that would follow, this likely added to the failed stint on the show.
Credit Ronda Rousey for trying, though she also ended up on the dud list. It is said that Rousey over-acted skits, along with the fact that her performances seemed to be all over the place, basically without an identity. Still, it wasn't Paris Hilton bad...
A couple of Olympians top the list of the worst, they include Michael Phelps and Nancy Kerrigan.
Phelps seemed to be overly committed and he lacked natural charisma, something that is the opposite for the man in question.
Kerrigan would also struggle and it is said that she disliked her time on the show... yikes.
That's the bad, but as for the best, this athlete landed on the list amongst the elite.
Peyton Shines
Goliath issued a list of its ten best of all time. Perhaps the underdog on the said list has to be Peyton Manning, who comes in at number eight.
This, on a list that features iconic performances from the likes of Tom Hanks, John Goodman, Steve Martin, and Alec Baldwin.
It was his deadpan delivery that really got the fans on his side. According to Manning, the biggest key was not taking himself so seriously.
Turns out, Peyton received huge love for the performance and some of the praise came from the most important person on the show.
"He's A Natural"
That's right, none other than Lorne Michaels complemented Manning on his guest hosting duties, calling him an absolute natural.
Lorne also admitted that the process isn't all that different when an athlete is to host the show.
"Surprisingly not that much. The good part about athletes is that they’re used to being in front of large groups of people and not knowing how it’s going to turn out."
"And that’s kind of the only real preparation for us is because we won’t – we don’t really know until dress rehearsal what’s beginning to work and what’s not working. And then, there’s a lot of course correction. You go, “Well, if we do this this way it might work better,” and there’s still some risk involved."
Given Manning's success, Eli, his brother would also get to host the show and a surprise to few, he also got positive feedback.
The cast loved Peyton and it seems like the fans also agree.
The Fan's Choice
Take a quick scroll on Reddit or YouTube and it becomes obvious rather quickly, Manning thrived in his spot as the host. For a lot of fans, he was the best to host the show.
"This guy should be regular cast."
"Still one of the funniest things I've seen with Peyton."
"Dude Peyton’s delivery and timing is priceless. Truly a funny guy."
"Peyton did well (as usual), but the rest of the cast was much like his early Colts teammates . . . lacking in talent! Perhaps NBC should have Bill Polian take over?"
"No matter what Peyton does, he gives 100 percent and (Saturday night) he did just that."
The feedback was tremendous, though because of a certain skit, Manning felt the wrath from parents after the show...
'United Way Digital Short'
This was arguably the top moment on the show, the digital short entitled, 'United Way'. It was truly hilarious watching Peyton coach the kids as he did. However, Manning stated that mentoring kids was tough after the skit aired.
"And I think parents are like, 'Are we sure we want our kid to play on your team?'" he continued. "Like, it was Saturday Night Live! It was a spoof skit. Relax. I'm not gonna do that to your kid. Probably not."
Despite the hiccup, his time on the show was well-received and it would open the door to various other hosting gigs. It was the perfect combination and what fans loved the most is how effortless it all was.
Michael Jordan also gets big praise for his time as the host, however, it seems as though Manning is still untouchable at this point, among the very best.
Sources: YouTube, EW, Daily Actor, Goliath & Rolling Stone