Giants better off without Barber?
Former New York Giants running back Tiki Barber was officially introduced by NBC Monday afternoon. Barber will be working on the 'Today' show and as part of the 'Football Night in America' broadcast crew.
Maybe now the Giants can move on. And maybe, just maybe, in some ways they will be better off without him.
I know Barber is the best running back in team history, and I've gone on record as saying I think Barber deserves enshrinement into the Hall of Fame.
Barber's act has been wearing thin for a while now, however. He has spent the last two seasons undermining his coach, publicly criticizing Tom Coughlin whenever things did not go well -- meaning whenever the Giants lost and Barber felt like he didn't carry the ball often enough.
Even during his NBC press conference Tuesday Barber couldn't resist taking shots at Coughlin. He hinted that Coughlin's practices were too tough and too physical, and that those practices were part of the reason he retired -- as well as being partially to blame for the many injuries suffered by the Giants.
The biggest problem with that assertion is that it does not appear to be true, at least in the eyes of one Giants beat reporter. The other problem with it, as with much of the nonsense that has come out of Barber's mouth during the past two seasons, is that it does nothing to help the Giants. It only shines the light on Tiki and makes Coughlin look bad.
Barber could have played well for several more seasons, if he chose. Giants fans shouldn't fret about losing Tiki, however. Running starts with blocking, and even without the released Luke Petitgout the Giants will have a quality offensive line.
As for replacing Barber, in the opportunities he has been given Brandon Jacobs has shown that he is capable of being a good NFL running back. In addition, I think the Giants will place a priority on finding a second back to compliment Jacobs -- either via free agency or the draft. So, I believe they will run the ball effectively next season even with Barber in an broadcast studio somewhere.
The Giants might also benefit from the tranquility that will come from not having a star player constantly questioning the ability of the coach. Maybe they will concentrate on winning, instead of whining.
1 comments:
I think it could be reasonably argued that the only difference between Terrell Owens and Tiki Barber is an understanding of subtlety and a bigger vocabulary. Barber is as selfish and me-first as any player in the NFL, but his intelligence allows him to play and win the media games. Luckily, his arrogance is beginning to trump his tact, and everyone is starting to realize this.
I stand by statement of Michael Vick as a coach-killer, but Tiki is right there and if I was Tom Coughlin, I would be ecstatic to have Tiki out of my locker room.
Coach Mora
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