Tiki Throws Coughlin Under the Bus

[Hostile]

Exclusive
Tiki Barber would still be Giant if Tom Coughlin was not coach, former RB's memoir reveals

BY JONATHAN LEMIRE
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Tuesday, September 4th 2007, 4:00 AM



In his memoir, 'Tiki: My Life in the Game and Beyond,' Tiki Barber writes: 'If Tom Coughlin (below) had not remained as head coach of the Giants, I might still be in a Giants uniform.'



Tiki Barber says he would still be playing football if the Giants had a new head coach.

The recently retired star running back has used his new memoir to rip Big Blue boss Tom Coughlin, blaming his former head coach for driving him from the game he loved.

"If Tom Coughlin had not remained as head coach of the Giants, I might still be in a Giants uniform," Barber wrote in his upcoming book "Tiki: My Life in the Game and Beyond," excerpts of which were obtained by the Daily News.
"[Coughlin] robbed me of what had been one of the most important things I had in my life, which was the joy I felt playing football," Barber wrote. "I had lost that. He had taken it away."

Barber has unleashed a steady stream of verbal jabs at his former coach and teammates since he walked off the gridiron in January at the age of 31 to pursue a TV career.

Barber, who landed a regular gig on NBC's "Today" and its upcoming "Sunday Night Football" telecasts, most recently engaged in a war of words with Eli Manning, accusing the young Giants quarterback of not showing enough leadership.

Most of his vitriol in the book is reserved for Coughlin. Though he credits his former coach for helping solve a chronic fumbling problem, Barber believes his on-the-field performance saved Coughlin's job.

"It's a double-edged sword, because as much as Coach Coughlin helped me, I also helped Tom Coughlin," he wrote. Barber says he believes the Giants' win over the Redskins in 2006 - which put them into the playoffs - allowed Coach Coughlin to keep his job.

In last season's final game, Barber rushed for a career-best 234 yards against Washington. The Giants were knocked out of the playoffs the following week in his last game.

He says he came to resent the way he was being treated so much by the end of last season that he decided to quit even though his love for football never waned.

In the book, Barber defends his decision to walk away from football even though he was still clearly at the top of his game, having just become the Giants' all-time leader in rushing yards and receptions.

"The fans normally only see me suited up on Sunday," Barber wrote. "They never witness the agony of Monday morning, or all the muscle-straining workouts, the practices, the blood, the sweat, and tears it takes to walk out onto the field.

He wrote that fans who don't witness the pain athletes go through can't understand why so many sports figures quit. He said that by walking away, true-blue fans saw him as a heretic, while those who saw football as a war considered him a deserter. He also slams the Giants for underpaying him, claiming he made about half of what some of the NFL's other top running backs made.

Barber says Big Blue shorted him about $10 million over his career.

He said the Giants should have won more championships over the years, but failed to do so because they have never been too smart about attracting and retaining high-caliber players or coaches.

Longtime Giants fans have never forgiven the owners for letting two of the best coaches in football - Vince Lombardi and Tom Landry - get away. Both took head coaching jobs after the Giants failed to promote them. Barber angrily rebutted those in the media who slammed his decision to announce his retirement during the middle of last season.

"It was overwhelmingly negative," he wrote. "One theme: I was a 'distraction' to my teammates. I was labeled self-centered, a loose cannon, not a team player."

The 240-page book, which Barber co-wrote with Gil Reavill and was published by Simon Spotlight, goes on sale Sept. 18.

jlemire@nydailynews.com

[Jay-D]

I wonder if anybody besides Tiki Barber's mom is gonna buy this book?

[zrinkill]

He just will not shut up ...... I love it.

[TunaFan33]

Wow...

[Rampage]

this guy needs to just go away.

[Hoov]

what a wussy. the practices were hard work - whine,whine.

He did have a big fumble problem before, he ran better under Coughlin and then rips him and says he saved the coach's job. Looks like those hardnosed practices helped him be a better back.

[SultanOfSix]

Tiki's a clown. Stop using someone else as an excuse.

[Hostile]

Here's hoping this divides the Giants locker room this weekend.

[Everlastingxxx]

An enemy of my enemy is a friend of mine.

Keep on talkin Barber!

[MichaelWinicki]

Eli Manning - check

Tom Coughlin - check

Michael Strahan - Still to come

Plexico Burress - A work in progress

[WoodysGirl]

Maybe Barber doesn't care much about being a revered Giant...

For all of LT's bad behavior, I don't recall him throwing crap at the organization...and he's still welcomed with open arms.

Tiki walked away slinging stuff. How can the fans and the organization justify bringing him in as a revered Giant?

[sago1]

Barber has started his career in broadcasting and is clearly showing why the Giants continually had problems in their lockerroom. Coughlin is well known as a tyrannical & unreasonable dictator although supposedly this season he is changing his stripes. As for the book itself, how else do you think he could get anybody to buy the autobiography of a retired NFL RB not known LD or Walter Peyton?

[WV Cowboy]

For the longest time, even years ago, I just never could like Tiki Barber, .. it was just something in my gut, but I couldn't figure out what it was or why I didn't like him.

Now I know why. Now we see him for what he always was.

[TunaFan33]

Wow-is it the hangover from the Labor Day holiday or what?

Now everyone's throwing out conspiracy theories how Tiki's outrage has exposed Coughlin and that locker room, how it'll further divide that locker room, etc, etc?

If anything-this could light a fire under the Nats' tails and make them play GREAT this season.

[BrAinPaiNt]

Originally Posted by MichaelWinicki

Eli Manning - check

Tom Coughlin - check

Michael Strahan - Still to come

Plexico Burress - A work in progress

Actually I think he ripped Strahan when Strahan was holding out last year or the year before.