I feel that if I were 10 years old, I would be way more enthusiastic about the recent comebacks.
Three of the most memorable athletes during my childhood years have returned to their respective sports over the past month. I was happy that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin came back to the WWE, but that's a totally different topic.
What I'm not too thrilled about is Tiki Barber's planned return to the NFL. Barber is one of the most prolific running backs in Giants history, leaving at arguably his peak when he recorded an outstanding 1,662 yards in the 2006 season. As a lifelong Giants fan, I should be excited.
But then, the Giants announced that they plan to release Barber as soon as a collective bargaining agreement is finalized.
Good move, Big Blue.
When I look back on Barber's career, I don't see the elusive, record-breaking backfield threat that the records show. I see an obnoxious, snide person who would be detrimental to any team that would take on his aging self.
Every time I think about Barber, I think about his mediocre qualities as a teammate. He had no problem running his mouth about Michael Strahan's contract negotiations or Eli Manning's struggles.
Yet, he was nowhere to be found when it came time to lead his team. During his nine-year career, the Giants made it past the first round of the playoffs only once. Plus, New York proved it didn't even need the "star" running back by winning the Super Bowl right after his retirement.
I think former linebacker Antonio Pierce hit the nail on the head with his analysis of the situation.
"Tiki Barber, the football player, is a great [athlete] and would be very productive probably in certain situations," Pierce said. "Tiki Barber, the person in that locker room, is probably not going to do anything for your team. From personal experience, he didn't really do anything to help the Giants, especially in his last year."
I'm also extremely skeptical about his reason for coming out of retirement. Returning to play professional sports because of your brother's success is extremely juvenile, especially after taking four years off.
And, I don't even think that's the real reason why.
He's lost relevance as a sports analyst and probably sees making a comeback as a way to get the money and the attention flowing back his way. He's 35 years old, and I guess he figured returning to the running back position would result in a rise in prominence.
Given Barber's personality, I doubt he'll play his role as the veteran running back on whichever team he signs with. This is especially malevolent since he is planning to join his brother on the Buccaneers, a team who is on the verge of being title contenders after their noteworthy 2010 season.
A young team like that needs Barber to take the back burner and guide its improving stars. He's going to be looking for some shine but this will end up holding the team back. This would be unfortunate after the strides the Bucs have made in the past year.
I sincerely hope the predictions I'm making do not come into fruition. NFL already has a reputation of having egocentric athletics. The league does not need another one.
E-mail: brian.josephs@ubspectrum.com
