What about Bob? Glauber's NFL Blog

Tiki Barber was clearly the team's most valuable player last year on the field, and he might just be the most valuable off the field this year.

The former Giants' running back, who is quite successfully blowing up every bridge remaining to his old team with his comments about Tom Coughlin and now Eli Manning, will probably do more to improve team chemistry with his critical remarks about the coach and the quarterback than any current player or coach could do on his own.

Manning was essentially trash-talking this afternoon when he fired back at Tiki for remarks he made on NBC's Giants-Ravens telecast on Sunday night. Barber poked fun at Manning's pre-game speech late in the season, saying it was "comical" the way the quarterback tried to rally the troops.

But this afternoon, Manning shot back:

"I guess I was just happy for Tiki that he made a smooth transition into the media world. It will be interesting to see if he has anything else to say besides the Giants and what his comments will be on that. It’s one of those deals – I’m not going to lose any sleep over what Tiki has to say."

The best line of all: "I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year, calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season saying he lost the heart. As a quarterback you’re reading your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it’s about the 10th week, I can see that a little bit at times. I’m not going to get concerned and I’m going to go out and play ball."

Manning is getting rave reviews from Giants fans who are looking for some fire from their laid-back quarterback. But Barber is the one who deserves the credit for the latest rallying cry. If he continually bashes the coach and the quarterback, the guys in the locker room have no choice but to shout back and become a closer-knit group as a result.

I wish Barber would find a way to be more tactful as he makes the transition from player to media member. He is a bright, insightful, interesting man, but he doesn't need to be so shrill when discussing his former team. Phil Simms has done a terrific job becoming a talented broadcaster, yet all the while remaining a beloved ex-Giant. He knows how to criticize without alienating people, something Barber should learn to do more.

I believe Tiki will develop a more subdued approach, but it's obviously going to take some time. He needs to understand that you don't have to beat people over the head with your opinion; a straightforward, measured approach is far better and will serve him well over the long run. And I do believe Barber will have a long, long run in the media, just as he did in the NFL.

But Tiki is running the risk of tarnishing his legacy as a Giant, and that just shouldn't be. He needs to figure out a way to speak his mind, yet still preserve the admiration that people had for him as a player.