After Tiki Barber retired from the National Football League following the 2006 season, he started working for NBC Sports and appeared on a preseason edition of Football Night in America where he was asked about quarterback Eli Manning and his leadership qualities. In response, Barber explained that Manning was comical in how leads, trying to underscore how he was funny, entertaining and someone whom his teammates enjoyed being around. Barber explained that a beat reporter then made it sound as if Manning had a laughable leadership style, resulting in Manning issuing a response and the remarks becoming a story unto itself.
During an unrelated discussion about Draymond Green and the New York Knicks on Monday’s edition of WFAN’s Evan & Tiki, the show took a call from a listener who immediately claimed that he had a big problem with Barber. The caller, who was named John, proceeded to ask Barber about his remarks in calling Manning laughable in trying to be a leader. After Barber subsequently questioned John if he had watched Manning post-career, the caller demanded he respond to his query rather than the one he wanted him to answer.
“Answer my question, John, you jack***, it’s my show,” Barber said. “Have you watched Eli post-career?”
Following additional riposte and conversation, Barber asked the caller if he had ever heard him say such a thing, to which he replied that he had. From there, he questioned when he uttered such words and did not receive a clear answer. When Barber asked for him to tell him that he heard him say it, he would articulate whether or not it was indeed the case. The caller replied by declaring the assertion “laughable,” and Barber decided to subsequently drop the call.
“John is a jack*** because he’s taking something that he didn’t hear – he heard it second-hand in some article by some beat reporter – and twisted it into his own narrative. How was it relevant to this? I have no idea. It’s like he’s sitting on this for 13, 15 years or whatever it is. John, you are a loser, dude.”
Barber proceeded to elaborate on the situation and conveyed that Manning’s response was the only reason it became a story. Within his explanation, he mentioned how after saying that former New York Giants running back Saquon Barkley was dead to the fanbase after signing with the Philadelphia Eagles, the response from the athlete cultivated a narrative. Barber then issued a message for the listener, who he had told never to call the show again.
“John, if you’re going to call, you got to have your facts right, and if I ask you a question to determine whether or not you have your facts right, answer me,” Barber said. “Otherwise, you’re just (expletive) trying to be a jackass, and I hate that about people. I hate people like you, John, because you don’t know what you’re talking about and you call up just to get your point in.
“You might not like me for whatever reason. It might be because I’m Black, it might be because I’m smart, it might be because I’m a Giant instead of a Jet or whatever the heck it is. You have a clear bias against me, and I hate you [for] the fact that you called and tried to get me on something that you don’t know what you’re talking about. That frustrates me more than anything.”
Barber continued by stating that if he wanted to call or see him, he would engage in the conversation regardless if he was receiving praise or criticism. Yet the manner in which the caller phoned the show and expressed his opinions is something he does not appreciate, leading to his tangible expression of agitation and exasperation. Evan Roberts then chimed in and asked what the call had to do with Green and the discussion they were having, prompting Barber to concur with the observation.
“It’s pointless,” Barber said. “Sometimes I hate people, I really do.”
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