Another Giant Punk

For most of my life the men in the NFL announcer’s box and overly produced Fox Gameday morning shows have always been players from far off generations, when the games were played in black and white and men were made of concrete and smelled of old spice. Recently players that I watched tear up the grid iron have made the transition from the field to the broadcaster booth. In a time when games are played in High Definition and players are actually made of signing bonus money and smell of products bearing their own name. Some have made that transition smoother than others. Some have even taken their teams into retirement with them. They defend the playing, coaching and lack of production of their former teams as they stare unrelentingly into the face of unbiased criticism and kindly refuse to partake.

Others have taken their platform behind the camera to take shots at former teams, coaches, general managers and even former teammates. Just after taking up employment as a professional teleprompter reader, Tiki Barber was given the chance to voice his opinion. When asked, by the other members of his unwatchable Sunday Night “Football Night in America” pre-game show, to share his thoughts on the Giants and more specifically Eli Manning, Tiki decided against valor and chose to trade in his old Team and quarterback for full membership in the “whoring shameless media club.” Tiki called out his former coach, their practice regiment but most notably he called out his former teammate Eli Manning, calling his leadership of the New York Football Giants laughable.

I know this is an old story being that it took place before a 2007 regular season snap, but now that the Giants sit again at 6 and 2 this season (same start as the past two seasons) it might be a good time to revisit the story and take a look at what we all missed the first time.

Everyone knows what happens next. Eli took an opportunity during a training camp interview to shoot back at Barber questioning whether or not the Pro Bowl running back ever really gave it his all during the 2006 season knowing that retirement and the sweet glow of studio lighting was awaiting him. And then the back and forth continued with Barber criticizing Eli for taking a cheap shot at him. Barber claimed that no one is ever allowed to question his “heart” as a person or a football player.

And this is where I officially get off the Tiki Barber bandwagon. I can now reveal that I don’t hold the New York Giants in the highest regards, and for years I believed the bright spot among their huddle of degenerates and mediocrity was their all pro running back. Personally I think a good portion of the Giants starting line up is, for lack of a better word, punks. Talented or not, Jeremy Shockey is a punk, Plaxico Burress is a punk, Brandon Jacobs is a punk, and the ringmaster of this circus that shows flashes of greatness and then tumbles like a rocky mountain avalanche, Tom Coughlin, is the closest thing to a punk a coach can be. Add Tiki Barber to my list of famous New York Giant punks.

Let’s re-examine the turn of events, which I have dubbed TikiGate in an attempt at sensationalistic journalism. Tiki threw the first punch, Eli fired back, then Tiki got his feelings hurt because someone questioned his “question proof heart.” Hold on for a second Mr. Barber, I think you missed something.

He didn’t call out Eli Manning with his comments. He called out Eli Manning’s leadership, and as a quarterback in the National Football League, Eli Manning’s leadership has as much or more diplomatic immunity as Tiki Barber’s heart. This aspect of the story was never really covered. Many would agree that quarterback is the most talked about, the most publicized, the most hyped and the hardest position to play, if not in all sports, at least in football. These guys face press conference after press conference that can range from a friendly roast like atmosphere to a target at a shooting range. And that is off the field. But rarely does any member of the media have the guts to ask, write, speak or print any question of a young quarterback’s leadership, especially if his last name is Manning. For me, on this occasion Mr. Barber over stepped his bounds and perhaps it took Manning leading this band of misfit punks to a 6 and 2 start to make me realize that Tiki Barber’s heart might not stand toe to toe with Manning’s leadership for 9 rounds. After all, Manning is still playing, and while heart and passion for the game don’t exactly go hand in hand, it is still a pretty close relationship. Manning’s leadership wins by TKO in the 5th round after Barber’s heart escapes to its’ backstage makeup chair.