Media members across sports gave their opinions on the argument between former New York Giants running backs. In case you missed it, Tiki Barber used his platform at WFAN in New York to attack now-former Giants running back Saquon Barkley, who left the Giants for their division rivals, the Philadelphia Eagles.
“You’re dead to us,” Barber said referring to the New York Giants and its fanbase. “Good luck, you’re dead to me.” Barkley responded to Barber with a cutting jab via his X account:
Barber made an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show to offer his side of the story, saying that he was speaking for Giants fans who didn’t have a chance to call in and offer their thoughts.
“It’s part of the job,” Barber said. “It’s part of the reaction from athletes who think the media is always against them…I still like Saquon, and I wish him nothing but luck, but he also has to realize that my job for the past 17 years has not been in a locker room, it’s been to be the voice of the fan.”
Barber admits that his tone would’ve been different had Barkley gone to Houston or Baltimore, but to go to a division rival hurt Giants fans — and Barber by proxy.
On today’s First Take, Stephen A. Smith rationalized the conversation, saying that unless there was some unreported beef between the two, Barber’s comments weren’t that bad.
“Come on man,” Smith said. “Tiki Barber [was] talking tongue-in-cheek, he wasn’t volatile at all towards Saquon Barkley.
“The man has earned the right to speak on behalf of the New York Giants as an alumnus…Let’s not walk around acting like Tiki Barber, based off of strictly that sound, disrespected him.”
Not one to miss an industry story, Dan Le Batard and his crew chimed in on today’s episode of The Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz — and weren’t so kind to the former Giants running back. “Please, Tiki Barber,” said Le Batard Show producer Tony Calatayud. “What makes you the God of the New York Giants all of a sudden? He’s got a problem with everybody.”
Later in the show, Le Batard spoke similarly, though maybe more respectfully. Maybe.
“[The Tiki Barber/Saquon Barkley beef] is one of the dumbest,” Le Batard said. “Running back from 20 years ago says ‘you’re dead to me’ to Saquon Barkley, Barkley says ‘you’ve been a hater since I got here,’ Tiki’s like ‘What’re you talking about? I’ve never said anything but nice things about you.’
“But if you want someone who understands how unreasonable it is to work at that position in New York, Tiki Barber is one of the few in the world who can tell you that if you don’t produce at that position in that city, you’ll get Don La Greca’d doing something like this to an offensive lineman…” The show then plays an all-time Don La Greca rant.
