Tiki's right ya know

[The Assassin]

Updated: Oct. 26, 2006, 12:51 PM ET
Tiki torches 'idiots' for criticizing retirement decisionESPN.com news services



Barber

Tiki Barber blasted critics of his retirement decision on his Tuesday night Sirius Satellite Radio show, "The Barber Shop."

"...I will call them idiots, because they have neither spoken to me, nor any one of my teammates or any of my coaches," Barber said. "Yet all they do is criticize me for being a distraction with this retirement thing."

Barber was specifically upset at three of his critics: the New York Daily News' Gary Myers, who wrote that Barber had "created a season-long distraction" the Giants "don't need"; and ESPN's Tom Jackson, who said the decision "has distracted the team from the task at hand," and Michael Irvin.

"To me, in my head, that's quitting," Irvin said before the Giants' 36-22 win over the Dallas Cowboys on Monday night. "That's not retiring."

Barber singled the three out during his radio show Tuesday night.





"And that includes Gary Myers," he said. "That includes Tom Jackson on ESPN. That includes the ultimate character guy, facetiously speaking of course, Michael Irvin. Please get a clue on how to be a journalist.

"Don't make blanket assumptions about it [retirement]. And obviously, as was evidenced [Monday] night, I am a huge distraction to the New York Giants," he said.

The remarks come a week after it was first learned Barber was considering retiring after this season.

"I've been talking about retirement for years now, and it has nothing to do with being physical or money or Hall of Fame," Barber said at the time. "It's all about my desires, and for me to change them would compromise my integrity and would compromise who I am as a person and what I've always stood for."

Asked whether there was added pressure to win this year because of his plans, Barber said: "The pressure's always there, it's no different just because you guys know that I'm going to retire this year.

"I'm a diverse person," Barber said. "I have a lot of interests, and at some point it's time to execute a plan that's been in place for me for about seven and a half, eight years."

Still, Barber wouldn't commit to saying his retirement was 100 percent certain.

"It's Week 6 of the NFL season, so I won't say that," he said at the time.

However, he also said there was "nothing" that would change his mind.

Now in his 10th season, the 31-year-old Barber said that he has been banged up more this season than in any previous one and that his passion for the game has waned.

Barber, who has spoken about retiring a couple times in the past year, has a myriad interests off the field. He has worked in television and has discussed possible jobs in finance and philanthropy.

"I have a lot of interests and I've never wanted to be solely defined as a football player," said Barber, who will earn $4.15 million this season. "I wasn't that way in high school, I wasn't that way in college and I won't compromise my ideals to be that way in the National Football League."

Longtime teammate Amani Toomer believes Barber is serious about quitting after this season.

"Knowing Tiki, he is not the type of guy to just say things," Toomer said. "Whatever he says, he means."

Linebacker Brandon Short thinks the talk of Barber's will not distract the team.

"Tiki is an outstanding player and I hope he stays with the Giants and plays forever, so I can watch him play and he can help us win some championships," Short said. "Right now, our focus is the task at hand and that's the 2006 season."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.





Michael Irvin is just bitter he wasnt able to retire on his own terms. and what the hell is TJ agreeing with Irvin for? If anything this willmotivate Tiki and the G men to get to the Super Bowl and win.

[War Wagon]

Tiki is an attention whore just trying to pad his post NFL prospects. Why else announce his "retirement" during the middle of the season?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, just recognize it for what it is.

It certainly isn't out of some atruistic desire on his part. He's looking for a golden parachute.

The criticism from the talking heads is understandable. He wants to take their job, so it's nothing more than a self-defense mechanism.

[poptart]

Wagon's right.


Still, Barber wouldn't commit to saying his retirement was 100 percent certain.

[kcdave]

Judging by the number of td's he has scored, (zero), one would think he has already retired.

[WhatsMyName]

He's the NFL's leading rusher and the Giants are one of the best teams in the NFC. He's getting the job done, period.

[Qbert]

^^^^^

RACK.

far be it from me to agree with gknife on anything...but that is Nails.

[War Wagon]

He's the NFL's leading rusher and the Giants are one of the best teams in the NFC. He's getting the job done, period.

So?

That has what to do with him announcing his retirement (coincedentally?) just prior to MNF?

He's an attention grabbing whore.

Period.

[Shoalzie]

Rack Tiki for taking that crack pipe with lips to task on an ignorant statement. Barber isn't hurting the Giants right now. This was a team that some left for dead early on when the players were ripping Coughlin in the press. They've got some injuries on defense put that is a very potent offense right now with Barber leading the way. To hell with Irvin...

[See You Next Wednesday]

Good for Tiki, standing up for himself and sticking to his ideals. Best line was referring to Michael Irvin as the "ultimate character guy".

[Ken]

He's the NFL's leading rusher and the Giants are one of the best teams in the NFC. He's getting the job done, period.

So?

That has what to do with him announcing his retirement (coincedentally?) just prior to MNF?

He's an attention grabbing whore.

Period.

Idiot.

What 3.0 said.