New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers has never shied away from taking shots at members of the media when he felt like it was warranted, and apparently, WFAN host Tiki Barber isn’t excluded. On Evan & Tiki last week, host Evan Roberts heard what Rodgers said at Jets training about handling the pressures of New York media. Roberts thought Rodgers was taking a shot at Tiki.
“I’m aware of the New York media. They are phenomenal. They can be tough. But I laughed at certain individuals in the media that would say, ‘He can’t handle the New York Media,'” Rodgers said. “OK? I look forward to the opportunity to speak and get my message out. I look forward to tough questions. I’d rather have tough questions than softballs. I’d rather have to think up here than be able to spout off some rhetoric in autopilot. That’s just not my personality.”
Evan Roberts felt like the swipe was in reference to Barber’s remarks back in February after Rodgers went on Pat McAfee’s show and talked about having a problem with NFL insiders digging for info about his football future.
“It just made me start to realize that if he’s that sensitive that he gets upset that people, reporters, opinion makers, influencers, whoever want to talk about him, he’s going to struggle in New York,” Tiki said at the time. “And I don’t know if it’s the right fit for him. I don’t know if I want him in New York if this is going to be his reaction to things that don’t matter.”
“You could tell by the way he said it,” Evan Roberts said. “He’s pissed.”
Tiki said he has no problem with Rodgers being mad about it or making a mental note of it.
“OK, be annoyed, and handle the media perfectly,” he said. “All he has to do is be good, and this means nothing. It will just be a piece of media that never sees the light of day again. I’m just setting him up to be good.”
Barber added that he was just trying to defend Ian Rapoport at the time. But the fact is if things don’t go so well for a stretch, Rodgers will face criticism and tough lines of questioning from the media. The way in which Rodgers responds will give you all the answer you need about whether or not he’s suited to handle New York media.
“The media should, and I know will, ask him the hard questions,” he said. “How he responds to those tough questions is going to determine how we all view him.”
