Leave it to the New York Post’s Richard Johnson to supply the distasteful image of Giants RB Tiki Barber as a gridiron Doug Christie.
Tiki Barber’s wife was the catalyst behind the Giants star’s decision to hang up his helmet. A longtime friend of Barber says she made him afraid he’d suffer a catastrophic injury that would turn him into a lousy dad. The 205-pound running back is heading for the broadcasting booth at age 31 because Ginny Barber has been “nagging him for a long time – and with others present – that he’d better retire before he has a crippling injury,” Barber’s friend says. If that happened, Ginny told him, “he couldn’t participate in raising his children.”
I still find it amazing that Barber isn’t receiving more credit for getting out of a brutal, exploitive game a) at the height of his skills and b) while he still has all his marbles. There’s no shame in walking away before suffering a catastrophic injury that might render him as ineffective a broadcaster as Michael Irvin.
As much flack as Brett Favre has taken for staying with the game too long, you’d think this would not be an issue. I don’t really understand at all. I guess Richard Johnson is just jealous he’ll be working until he’s 65 like most of the rest of us.
Maybe Brett Favre has hit the point of no return. I don’t think Tiki will experience diminshed returns by investing in a new field.
He’s healthy now (as far as WE can tell) and has improved the probabilty of remaining healthy. Get while the gettin’ is good.
I don’t think there was any gun put to his temple.
He’s a FREE man in a FREE country.
Bona Fortuna mio amici …Suerte Amigo!