11/05/24
February 13, 2007
Tiki Barber joins NBC.: While Barber's NFL career may have come to an end, his media career is just beginning.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia to football at 01:54 PM - 29 comments
Imagine this..I wonder what prophetic insight he'll bring this year with the other 2 hour pre game specialists. Seems almost like a govt. thing. Create a job just so the next great ex-player buddy of yours has somewhere to go after retirement. The burning, insatiable question now is, "Whose next?"
posted by bavarianmotorworker at 04:14 PM on February 13, 2007
Maybe it's because I'm not a Giants fan and don't see that much of him, but I like Tiki Barber. I was actually kinda looking forward to seeing him...but dyams and bavariansausageeater went and ruined it for me.
posted by lil_brown_bat at 04:19 PM on February 13, 2007
Sorry, lbb. Maybe I'm just a little football'd-out.
posted by dyams at 04:38 PM on February 13, 2007
I like the idea that he will be doing work on the Today show also. So he won't just be an ex-jock doing sports news. Seems to me that most of the network brass only think ex-players are well spoken enough to do sports show. Tiki has always said he wanted to do serious journalism not just sports. I think he will do well and I'm looking forward to seeing him in the morning.
posted by scottypup at 04:50 PM on February 13, 2007
I like Tiki, too. Well, I like saying his name. He'll be good at this I think. Leaving football in good health speaks to his general intelligence.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 04:53 PM on February 13, 2007
Amen, Weedy. I suspect he'll be like Aikman, who I feel is as good in the booth as he was on the field.
posted by mjkredliner at 05:33 PM on February 13, 2007
I've always liked Tiki Barber, he seems like a nice guy. I wish him well in his new carreer. I have a feeling he'll be good at it. Also, i really like his torches, I have a few on my deck
posted by yankee0758 at 05:34 PM on February 13, 2007
I like Tiki. He is articulate and a bit more to the point then the average talking head on TV. He is broad enough to do a variety of jobs. Good for Tiki Barber.
posted by Fly_Piscator at 05:45 PM on February 13, 2007
You gotta respect how he went about this. Tiki's been real up front about retiring and his intentions to go into broadcasting. He's certainly better spoken than many other former player turned broadcasters (Shannon Sharp, Rich Gannon to name a few)
posted by nymetsfan at 06:05 PM on February 13, 2007
Although there are a lot of bad examples of athlete-turned-broadcaster, I think Tiki Barber has the potential to be one of the good ones. Aikman is a great broadcaster, I actually like him a lot more now than I did as a player! I thought Bettis had his moments last season as well. At best, an ex-jock can bring a lot of insight to the table. At worst, hell, they're really no more obnoxious than some of the guys who have been broadcasting for their entire professional lives.
posted by Venicemenace at 06:16 PM on February 13, 2007
FWIW a couple weeks ago the New Yorker did a piece about him and he came across as much more intelligent (and ambitious) than the average ex-pro. I've never paid attention to him in interviews, so I don't know what he's like on camera, but the article suggested he could eventually host the Today Show or some such.
posted by drumdance at 06:25 PM on February 13, 2007
With all the attention showered on Tiki (deservedly) last season, I kind of felt bad for Ronde, who has never had as much of the spotlight (though he does have a ring). It seemed like whenever they talked to the defensive Barber, the questions basically amounted to, "How great is Tiki, and how much do you suck in comparison?" Now he may get his own share of recognition.
posted by Bonkers at 06:49 PM on February 13, 2007
Gotta say I'm a little bummed that it's NBC. Granted they give him a lot of additional opportunities, like the Today Show, but their football presentation was downright awful and mainly just a carbon copy of everything MNF tried to do at ABC (opening song included). Tiki is a smart guy and I hope he doesn't end up becoming a caricature of the former football player analyst. But he's an analyst. Anyone not working a live game is destined for it. I kind of felt bad for Ronde, who has never had as much of the spotlight From a football perspective, Ronde is no where near the talent that Tiki is. He's a very solid player and been quite successful in Tampa, but I don't think people will argue his HOF credentials like they probably will with Tiki. Did Tiki grab a little too much of the spotlight last season, yeah but that's part of the package. Ronde always seemed to handle it well and he has known Tiki his whole life. I'm sure he was prepared for it.
posted by YukonGold at 08:32 PM on February 13, 2007
Bonkers I think one of the big reasons for that is Tiki was a running back and the primary offensive threat for the Giants while Ronde is a defensive player. While it is true Ronde has a ring, Tiki is the one that is drafted on fantasy teams, the person whose jersey everybody wants. It is inherently tough for a defensive player to be as big as a offensive playmaker unless they are absolutley dominant like Urlacher or Lewis.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:49 PM on February 13, 2007
While Tiki was still playing, he showed up during the season on the Fox & Friends "news show". He is very, very articulate and talked about the war in Iraq, rising oil prices, and other real news items in a well thought out manner. I think he is shorting himself (or preparing himself) by going into football. He is WAY more intelligent than your typical athlete and got Management Information Systems (from wikipedia) from the University of Virginia. I was looking for his GPA because I remember reading a while back it was either close to 4.0 or over it but I cannot find it again. I also think he graduated in 3 or 3 1/2 years but also couldn't find those numbers. He will definitely be a welcome addition in the booth over those athletes who are unable to bring themselves across as intelligent even though they actually may be.
posted by Ricardo at 09:02 PM on February 13, 2007
Go on Tiki, make us proud.
posted by wdminott at 08:59 AM on February 14, 2007
Good for Tiki, and perhaps even better for us. Maybe now we will not have to watch that stupid direct tv commercial with him dancing in it! Seriously though I am looking forward to what Tiki can add to the booth.
posted by jojomfd1 at 09:13 AM on February 14, 2007
I don't have a problem with Tiki going into broadcasting but just thought to add this: I was watching the Mike & Mike Morning show on ESPN this morning (Mike Greenberg & Mike Golic), which is a great show BTW, and they were talking about this very subject. Anyways, they go on to talk about how Tiki wants to cover the news as well because he just came back from a trip to Israel. So Greenie (Greenberg) responds, without missing a beat, how he went to Colorado and therefore, he should start covering the Winter Olympics or something off the wall like that. Oh those ESPN guys, how they tickle the fancy.
posted by BornIcon at 01:56 PM on February 14, 2007
I would quit too, if I played for the Giants. All those years of overhyped expectations and unavoidable letdowns.
posted by yay-yo at 04:53 PM on February 14, 2007
In response to the ESPN article on Tiki Barber today. It's too bad for Tiki that Coughlin was hard nosed and hard on him. I am supposed to feel sorry for a million dollar athlete? Earn your money, hell that goes for all those pre-madonnas. Thank goodness for Tiki that he was a professional well-known athlete. Another job going to someone undeserving. Way to start at the top and work your way up. Another athlete having the American Dream spoon fed to him. Tiki's story has me all teared up. Lets lay it out how most American non-athletes do it. They start out at entry level and network there way up each rung of the ladder until they reach the top. Getting screwed over every day by every other human trying to get themselves to the top. Hey Tiki, do me a favor take your Pro Bowl football touchdown and go home. Fill up your hot tub with the millions you already have and sit back and laugh at all of us who are in the working class.
posted by bmurphy44 at 05:06 PM on February 14, 2007
Another job going to someone undeserving. How is Barber undeserving? He played the game of football at a professional level for a long time, and has no doubt gained an insight that not many people have. I've found that the former players often have great insight, having been in the same posistion themselves. The arguement that somebody who doesn't come close to having the same football expirience that Barber has should have the job instead of him is just ridiculous.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 05:23 PM on February 14, 2007
Another athlete having the American Dream spoon fed to him. You should copy that post and hold on to it, I don't think you've got a big enough soapbox on this one. I recommend a future T.O. thread where I'm sure you'll feel more comfortable with the bottom-feeders that reside there.
posted by YukonGold at 05:54 PM on February 14, 2007
hell that goes for all those pre-madonnas /files that shit away in the "Oh noes, you dinn't!" file
posted by yerfatma at 07:30 PM on February 14, 2007
I just found my next SpoFi fantasy sports team name.
posted by Venicemenace at 08:00 PM on February 14, 2007
The Pre-Madonnas are gonna straight up murder your ass. It looks like Tiki stole somebody's prom date.
posted by The_Black_Hand at 05:11 AM on February 15, 2007
I just found my next SpoFi fantasy sports team name. Then I'm taking "The Oh noes, you dinn't"
posted by YukonGold at 05:21 AM on February 15, 2007
And the millions Tiki would be filling the hot tub with -- Tiny bubbles? Soap suds? Spongy balls like they have in the bins at kiddie playgrounds? Out with it man -- what are you trying to tell us???
posted by ajaffe at 07:20 AM on February 15, 2007
In a related TiVi story, it looks like The Chin has hooked a gig at CBS. I thought he wanted to stay home? Seriously, does he need the money? Does he need the exposure? Just once I'd like to see a guy say he's going to spend time away, and with his family, then stay the hell away. That's the reason I'll always really admire Barry Sanders.
posted by dyams at 07:04 PM on February 15, 2007
I got really sick of seeing Tiki's mug everywhere while he was still playing. I have to imagine it will be even worse now that he's on one of these annoying pre-game disasters (along with everything else).