In Case It Wasn't Obvious, Tiki Barber Says He Was Wrong About Eli Manning

It was during the 2007 preseason that retired Giants running back Tiki Barber proclaimed on NBC's Football Night in America that former teammate Eli Manning lacked the requisite leadership skills to lead New York. Of course, they won the whole thing a few months later.

Uncharacteristically, Manning promptly refuted Barber's claim, and now, some 16 months later, Tiki is looking to mend a few fences.

According to the New York Daily News' Ralph Vacchiano, Barber interviewed Manning recently and the topic came up (we'll get to see them during tonight's NBC pregame show):

Barber: "So before last season on NBC, I publicly questioned your early leadership. Now, clearly I was proven wrong. But what was your reaction when you heard?"

Manning: "I obviously had to stand up for myself. I kind felt I was called out. So I had to come back and stand up for myself. I felt in that situation, I had to say something. Sometimes, you've got to go outside what's your norm and do something you feel strongly about. I've been through all sorts of things in New York City through the media. There's a time when you reach a certain point where you've got to stand up and fight back a little bit."

Not exactly an apology, but Vacchiano points out that Barber wasn't necessarily wrong when he initially made the comments in August 2007. "At the time, there were a million doubters about Manning's leadership abilities, including some of his bosses and some of his teammates. At the time, it was perfectly fair for a TV commentator to wonder out loud whether Manning would ever become the leader the Giants needed him to be."

And I think that's right. It's just that having it come from Tiki a few months after he retired from the Giants rubbed just about everybody the wrong way. On the upside, Manning has a Super Bowl ring and Barber has to spend his weekends with Peter King and Bob Costas. See, everything works out in the end.

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