Barber is still blabbing about the Giants

by Ed Valentine on Feb 9, 2008 8:24 AM EST in News Comment 11 comments

Why can't Tiki Barber just go away once and for all and leave the Giants alone?

It seems that Blabber, with a huge assist from William C. Rhoden of the New York Times, is claiming some credit for helping the Giants win Super Bowl XLII.

"I feel great joy for them because I know in a lot of ways I helped a lot of guys on that team," Blabber told Rhoden.

Blabber, who of course was famously critical of eventual Super Bowl MVP Eli Manning, is now also trying to take some of the credit for Eli's transformation.

"In this case, it (the criticism) made him stand up and I guess become aware," Blabber told Rhoden.

Rhoden, a veteran writer who should know better, falls all over himself agreeing and trying to give Blabber undeserved credit.

Retiring star players often set the foundation for future success. In Barber's case, his criticism of Coach Tom Coughlin and of Manning might have paid dividends this season. You can argue that Barber's tactics became too public. But often, the only way to bring about change is to confront -- sometimes embarrass -- authority. Barber laid the foundation for what happened this season, from taking on Coughlin, to challenging Manning to step up, to tutoring Brandon Jacobs.

I agree with Pro Football Talk, which reminds that nothing Blabber ever does or says is done with the purpose of helping anyone but himself.

It's important to remember that he didn't do what he did to help the team win. Every action he took and word that he spoke was an act of selfishness, and the fact that it had a positive effect on the team was coincidental, and ironic.

What's not ironic is Barber's decision to turn the attention back to himself. That's his normal approach, and he's happy for the spotlight, even when being in it by all rights should be an embarrassment.

Well said.

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Barber is still blabbing about the Giants

Rhodens article: "For Barber and Giants, a Parting, Then an Embrace" is a joke. (try to send an e-mail to Rhoden: he has had it redirected to a phantom address which rejects your e-mail)

Those of us in Mississippi think you, and others, should call upon Tiki Barber to apologize to Eli Manning (and Tom Coughlin for that matter) rather than allow Rhoden and Tiki to spin a story to make Mr. Barber appear to be a hero....nay....a visionary. The initial defense of Mr. Barber by journalists was in the form of some ill defined "Journalistic Duty" required of Mr. Barber, as an excuse for his bitter words. (Tony Kornheiser comes to mind) At that time there was no hint that Mr. Barber had some grand visionary design to make the team better or to help Mr. Manning become a leader. (I suppose Mr. Barber was trying to be the father Mr. Manning lacked as a young man growing up.) In point of fact, Mr Barber played upon his position as a member of a of a team, coupled it with a personal disdain he has for the Giants organization (which he refused to admit clouded his judgment), and repackaged it as journalistic "opinion" to attempt to undermine the Giants organization, in part by making false allegations about Mr. Manning's leadership qualities. While the Giants are like any other large organization (and I will not defend or make excuses for them) what Tiki Barber did and said lacked objectivity and civility. He was not acting as an agent for change; rather, he was looking out for his self interest.

Those of us who watched Eli Manning play here at The University of Mississippi know he is a leader because he demonstrated that quality on, and off, the field. As a senior football player, he was feared by every team in the SEC and, had good fortune given us defensive players, Ole Miss would have won the SEC Championship. (To those of us with a small town mentality the SEC Championship is more revered than being the Champions of the NFL). Mr. Manning carried those qualities with him to New York. Thus, when Mr. Barber said Mr. Manning was "laughable" in his attempts to be a leader it lacked a rational basis. Mr. Barbers statements were intended to be demeaning.

Eli Manning will never be Joe Montana, who is without peer. Likewise he will never be Dan Marino, or even Payton Manning in terms of skills; however given the opportunity he will be a leader in the mold of Bart Starr or Bob Griese. Yet the next story line will be, no doubt, that Eli Manning is overrated.

Mr. Barber should show some class by making a public apology.

by Jeff on Feb 9, 2008 9:08 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

Excellent, insightful post

One of the clutchest performances in Super Bowl history has not stopped Eli's detractors from downplaying his contribution to the win. I've seen many compare his role to that of Trent Dilfer for the Ravens in 2000: competent game manager who needed only to not make mistakes while the defense secured the win. The fact that Eli was the only QB besides Montana to rally a team from behind in the final minute of a Super Bowl is conveniently ignored by those who favor this analysis.

Barber's comments - while not denigrating Eli's game performance per se - are very much in this vein of thinking. It is based on the idea that Eli is some kind of weak-willed, shrinking violet who needs "tough love" from the likes of Barber in order to attain the level of competence required to play QB in the NFL. And while Jeff and others are absolutely correct when they point out that Barber's comments were largely motivated by self-interest, the fact that a New York Times sportswriter bought into them shows how much resonance the narrative of a weak, skittish Eli still has, even in spite of his Super Bowl performance.

Eli is still very young. He still has a lot of mistakes - as well as many great plays - in his future. But the bottom line is that his body of work is still much too small to accurately determine just what his place in history will be. None of us can really say whether he will turn out to be the equivalent of a Montana, a Starr, or even his brother. But no matter whatever else happens, his performance in Supe 42 will endure for as long as the NFL game is played. His fourth quarter heroics will be recalled long after the name Tiki Barber has been reduced to nothing more than a footnote in the NFL record books. And - as far as his place in the current day pantheon of NFL QBs goes - his accomplishment in last Sunday's Super Bowl surpasses the achievements of many (such as Romo) whom the media have already anointed with "Elite" status. Sadly, that fact will be quickly obscured when Eli throws his first pick next season. So Jeff is completely on point when he says that Eli is a long way away from shedding the "over-rated" tag, once again proving the age-old dictum that facts should never be allowed to stand in the way of a good story.

by knickfan on Feb 9, 2008 5:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

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by GonzoDN on Feb 9, 2008 9:12 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm still searching for a way to reconcile

my admiration for Tiki as far as his on-field skills and everything he did, the past couple of years especially, to help the G-Men, with his off-field self-promotional blather, which of course spilled into the public realm about halfway through last season. I loved watching him play, but I hate hearing him talk about the Giants.

I will say this: his comments about Coughlin and Eli, though ill-advised and self-serving, may have had a positive effect on them. It does seem, at least from the outside, that Coughlin did change this year, and that Eli did step up leadership-wise this year. Those things may have happened without Tiki saying anything publicly, but it's hard to know that. All we know is what occurred.

Whether Eli and/or Tom would ever say, "yeah, those comments stung, so I made the effort to take them as constructive criticism and improve myself as a result" is something that may never happen either, even if it was true.

by Mr Met on Feb 9, 2008 11:27 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

I'm still searching for a way to reconcile

Mr. Met:

I respectfully disagree. Tiki was "piling on". His intent was bad, and he would have been the first to say "I told you so"

Bad form by Tiki. He owes everyone an apology.

by Jeff on Feb 9, 2008 1:53 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Ed, you all know what I think of Blabber, so you

know what I think of Rhoden's piece. What was the point of his last sentence. How did it fit in with all the rest?

by george cronin on Feb 9, 2008 3:08 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

I just don't know

I am really surprised someone like Rhoden would become a Barber apologist.

by Ed Valentine on Feb 9, 2008 3:42 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

this fan sums up my feelings on tiki

from the parade. NSFW by the way.

http://cache.deadspin.com/assets/resources/2008/02/effthattiki.jpg

by DieEaglesDie on Feb 9, 2008 4:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

he's dead to me

I hate that Barber has dug himself a deep hole and keeps on digging, but it's just further evidence that he's a selfish egomaniac. He's dead to me.

Hey Tiki, what helped was the maturation of Eli, the tightening of the defense, the growth of Steve Smith, and the establishment of a new (and better) "thunder and lightning" in Jacobs and Bradshaw. Your comments had nothing to do with it. STFU and take your medicine like an adult.

New York Giants 17, New England Patriots 14

by Greenpoint Ian on Feb 9, 2008 5:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The Key Thing is Intent

It's obvious that Tiki didn't intend his comments as a way to motivate the team so he can't take credit for them, beyond pointing out a strange, unintended and ironic causal relationship.

It's like if someone who stole your car, forcing you to take the bus where you meet the woman of your dreams and eventual wife, showed up at your wedding asking to give your best man speech. He still stole your car and is a douche-bag. Just because good things came out of his bad deeds doesn't mean he can take credit for them or has a right to feel happy or responsible about them.

Sure, if Tiki's comments were part of some crazy master plan, then way to go Tiki, but that's obviously not what happened here. The saddest thing is he's probably actually convinced himself in his own mind that this is true.

by Nick T on Feb 11, 2008 3:45 PM EST reply actions 0 recs