Tiki interviews Eli

[Lubeck]

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/giants/20...-was-wrong.html

December 13, 2008

Tiki to Eli: 'I was wrong'

 

Tiki Barber admitted he was “wrong”.

 

Actually, he will be admitting it tomorrow evening in front of the nation, when NBC airs an interview that Barber did with Giants quarterback Eli Manning for the Football Night in America pre-game show that airs right before Giants-Cowboys. In a brief transcript, provided by NBC, Barber tells Manning he was wrong when he questioned the quarterback’s leadership abilities during an NBC pre-game show on Aug. 19, 2007, before a Giants preseason game.

 

Here’s their exchange:

 

Barber: “So before last season on NBC, I publicly questioned your early leadership. Now, clearly I was proven wrong. But what was your reaction when you heard?”

 

Manning: “I obviously had to stand up for myself. I kind felt I was called out. So I had to come back and stand up for myself. I felt in that situation, I had to say something. Sometimes, you’ve got to go outside what’s your norm and do something you feel strongly about. I’ve been through all sorts of things in New York City through the media. There’s a time when you reach a certain point where you’ve got to stand up and fight back a little bit.”

 

In fairness to Barber, he wasn’t wrong, nor was he saying anything groundbreaking back then. At the time, there were a million doubters about Manning’s leadership abilities, including some of his bosses and some of his teammates. At the time, it was perfectly fair for a TV commentator to wonder out loud whether Manning would ever become the leader the Giants needed him to be.

 

Now, you could argue that Barber - eight months removed from his Giants career - shouldn’t have been the one to question a former teammate. I’d argue that he was exactly the right person to do it, since NBC hired him to give insight and opinion, and he was absolutely and expert on the Giants back then.

 

Personally, I’ve always felt like he only did one thing wrong on that show. He used the word “comical”. It left people with the image of Eli the Clown.

 

“Last year about Week 12 I turned over the offensive motivational speech to Eli,” Barber said that night. “And he was gung-ho to do it. But he was uncomfortable doing it. I think a lot of it had to do with vets being around — myself, Jeremy Shockey, Plaxico Burress. He didn’t feel like his voice was going to be strong enough and it showed.

 

“Sometimes,” Barber added, ““it was almost comical the way that he would say things.”

 

Take out that last sentence and no one would’ve objected to what Barber said.

 

The rest is history, of course. Manning, after some careful consideration, shot back at Barber two days later, much to incredible delight of almost everyone in the Giants organization. Six months later, Manning was the Super Bowl MVP.

 

(And before any of you say, “Why does any of this matter? What about the game?” It doesn’t matter. It’s just interesting. And I had a three-hour, 15-minute flight and I needed something to do. Check back in the morning for my game preview).

[Allstarjim]

Uh, I don't really want to comment on this because I know this is going to start a firestorm. But Tiki took far too much backlash, and ESPN quoted him out of context and made it sound worse than it really was. Tiki did question his leadership, but he also said that he thought Eli could become that leader down the road. It really was unfortunate that the media created something bigger than it was. But hopefully tonight everyone will see that Eli and Tiki are cool. Eli absolutely has proved all his doubters wrong now, including myself. I'm hoping Eli has a huge game tonight.

[BIGBLUE01]

I'll comment. I'm glad he finally apologized. Water under the bridge. Now we can all remember Tiki for what he was, a great Giant.

[BurnThePhilFans]

I LOVED tiki as a player. But he damaged his image with Giants fans and he deserves the heat he took for it. Do you think someone like Strahan, Toomer, Keith Hamilton, etc etc (people who took pride in wearing blue) would ever say something to cause a rift in their former team? I think that Tiki didn't love the game. It was a job to him and thats what saddens me the most about him. He carried the team on his back the last 4 years of his career and I'll never forget him catching 5 yard passes and running across the field and turning it into a 20 yard yard gain. The guy was a BEAST his last few years. I think he was the second runningback behind Ladanian in his last 2 seasons. But like I said, the way the guy approached his nearing retirement and his conduct after he retired caused permanenet damage to his image.

[BIGBLUE01]

I LOVED tiki as a player. But he damaged his image with Giants fans and he deserves the heat he took for it. Do you think someone like Strahan, Toomer, Keith Hamilton, etc etc (people who took pride in wearing blue) would ever say something to cause a rift in their former team? I think that Tiki didn't love the game. It was a job to him and thats what saddens me the most about him. He carried the team on his back the last 4 years of his career and I'll never forget him catching 5 yard passes and running across the field and turning it into a 20 yard yard gain. The guy was a BEAST his last few years. I think he was the second runningback behind Ladanian in his last 2 seasons. But like I said, the way the guy approached his nearing retirement and his conduct after he retired caused permanenet damage to his image.

 

I hate to break this to you, but the only people its not "just a job" to, is us fans. Do some take their job more serious than others? YEs, but its their job. We sometimes as fans forget that. Believe me, Im about as pathetically die hard as you can get. But to answer the question about Hammer, Strahan, etc. No, they would not say something like that if they realized they were gonna say it. Tiki said it himself, that he didnt mean for it to come across the way it did. And he apologized. It aint that big a deal. And if his image is forever tarnished for that little thing, that no NY Giant player even cares about anymore, Eli and TC included, than thats ridiculous.

[xxi-xxv]

In all honesty I can care less what Tiki Barber the talking head has to say, IMO its as relevant as Aikman, Moose, Boomer, Bus, Collinsworth etc. I am quite thankful for Tiki Barber the ex Giant player and all he did on the field, I could care less what he says now and that has nothing to do with him.

 

At this point I remember the 200 yard games, the toughness and being a great Giant RB, the rest is irelevant. I am sure its no fun being Tiki Barber and constantly being reminded that you left the Giants and they won the Super bowl.

 

BTW, Tiki is no saint in all of this. Anyone that use to listen to that Sirius show he and his brother would do would know that he used Ronde as his bad cop vs his good cop to badmouth the Giants the entire 2007 season. Funny thing happened though, Ronde bad mouthed ELI with the "he can be had" comment leading up to the playoff game and ELI made him pay and quite frankly embrassed Ronde on that TD to Toomer.

 

Coincidence the show is off the air? I think not.

[Allstarjim]

I LOVED tiki as a player. But he damaged his image with Giants fans and he deserves the heat he took for it. Do you think someone like Strahan, Toomer, Keith Hamilton, etc etc (people who took pride in wearing blue) would ever say something to cause a rift in their former team? I think that Tiki didn't love the game. It was a job to him and thats what saddens me the most about him. He carried the team on his back the last 4 years of his career and I'll never forget him catching 5 yard passes and running across the field and turning it into a 20 yard yard gain. The guy was a BEAST his last few years. I think he was the second runningback behind Ladanian in his last 2 seasons. But like I said, the way the guy approached his nearing retirement and his conduct after he retired caused permanenet damage to his image.

 

You mean like say that the Cowboys are the best team in the league and are his SuperBowl choice (Strahan).

 

BTW, Tiki is no saint in all of this. Anyone that use to listen to that Sirius show he and his brother would do would know that he used Ronde as his bad cop vs his good cop to badmouth the Giants the entire 2007 season. Funny thing happened though, Ronde bad mouthed ELI with the "he can be had" comment leading up to the playoff game and ELI made him pay and quite frankly embrassed Ronde on that TD to Toomer.

 

 

That is your perception, xxi, not necessarily reality. I do not think Tiki was using Ronde to badmouth the Giants. I think Ronde thought what he thought and said what he thought, but Tiki was rooting for us the whole way, and said so.

 

As far as the rest of your post, fair enough, you make good points. I think most people at this point have forgiven Tiki, and if they haven't, seeing him in that interview probably pushes a few more over to that end.

 

 

[xxi-xxv]

You mean like say that the Cowboys are the best team in the league and are his SuperBowl choice (Strahan).

 

 

 

 

That is your perception, xxi, not necessarily reality. I do not think Tiki was using Ronde to badmouth the Giants. I think Ronde thought what he thought and said what he thought, but Tiki was rooting for us the whole way, and said so.

 

As far as the rest of your post, fair enough, you make good points. I think most people at this point have forgiven Tiki, and if they haven't, seeing him in that interview probably pushes a few more over to that end.

 

If you think Tiki was rooting for the Giants vs his OWN BROTHER you obviously do not have a brother or even a close family member you are close with.

 

[Allstarjim]

If you think Tiki was rooting for the Giants vs his OWN BROTHER you obviously do not have a brother or even a close family member you are close with.

 

 

He said he was rooting for his brother, but he was rooting for the Giants to win the game. That's what the man says, and I have no reason to call him a liar.

[boohyah]

I'll comment. I'm glad he finally apologized. Water under the bridge. Now we can all remember Tiki for what he was, a great Giant.

 

 

Why would his comments not make you remember him for his achievements?. Why are these things so hard for people to seperate?. He was a great player, he's a poor TV personality. 2 different deals.