Tiki Barber speaks unclearly, causes blogosphere stir
The video was nine days old by the time it became a minor blogosphere sensation Thursday, but it was difficult to ignore:
Was that really the famously buttoned-down former Giants running back Tiki Barber aiming a wildly offensive word at MSNBC colleague Jenna Wolfe?
MSNBC and Barber insisted it wasn’t, no matter how it sounded.
Barber, Wolfe and Brian Williams were in Beijing debating whether it is more important for a country to finish atop the total medal count in the Olympics or atop the gold medal count.
At one point Barber turned to Wolfe and said, “You’re a total medal ----.’’
To many ears, it sounded like an offensive word usually aimed at women. But MSNBC said Barber meant to say “You’re a total medal count,’’ meaning Wolfe was on that side of the ongoing debate.
“I would never disrespect a colleague and friend with that kind of language,’’ Barber said from Beijing through an MSNBC spokeswoman, who said Barber had no idea of a budding controversy until she informed him of it.
“It’s disappointing someone would intentionally misrepresent the hard work Jenna and I are doing.’’ Barber and Wolfe co-host “Olympic Wrap-up’’ from 5 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time.
MSNBC said in a statement, “Tiki and Jenna were discussing total medal count versus gold medal counts and Tiki’s words were unclear.’’
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Comments (16)
Tiki needs to disappear
Misrepresent? Tiki, it was on video camera. I heard it first to believe it and it sounded like the c-word. Freudian slip? Anyway how can it be a misrepresentation. It's not like it was super-edited to make a constructive sentence or phrase.
Tiki has made the updates on MSNBC absolutely sophomoric. Go back to reporting on men's underwear, Tiki!
Jenna's been just as bad but I love the fact she burned him over the super bowl ring.
The other girl (not Jenna) is hot as hell!! Fire Tiki!!!
GO AWAY TIKI !!!!!!!!
GO AWAY TIKI !!!!!!!!
There are fans of the weekend Today show who want Jenna to go away. Reading various TV message boards, viewers feel her behavior is unbecoming of a TV host. Having never seen her on Weekend Today, I cannot verify this, but seeing her on the MSNBC show, she's very weak.
Ken I dont know what she does on Weekend Today but she was always a sportscaster in NY on WABC and MSG and her job was to act and look cute (which is exactly the way I remember her as on that clip.)
Sounds to me like he said the word c***. Right now, I trust Tiki about as far as I can throw him.
They can say whatever they want, he said it plain as day and did it on purpose!
Sounds like a Larry David moment ...
the "Curb Your Enthusiasm" episode where someone at a newspaper replaced the "a" in "beloved aunt" with the letter "c" in a death notice.
At least Larry's show is intentionally funny.
The "Olympic Update" show is an embarrassment.
Tiki's an absolute disaster. He needs to go dine with some world leaders and stay there.
I won't hold my breath waiting for NBC to fire Barber!
Why is that woman so ugly, and what does she know about football? What an idiot she is.
That woman is a fugly idiot.
That woman is a fugly idiot.
Really? You guys are pathetic. Its a TV show I remember watching that and didn't think anything of it until 20 seconds ago. He said count, maybe he said c*nt but either way, who cares? Jenna doesn't seem offended so neither should you.