This article is more than 15 years old. See today’s top stories here.

Tiki Barber Addresses Boos: 'If People Hate Me, They Hate Me'

Tiki Barber Addresses Merciless Boos

Former New York Giant Tiki Barber was mercilessly booed by an otherwise cheerful hometown crowd last weekend, and now the ex-NFL star has addressed the less-than-friendly reaction he endured.

Speaking on Showtime's "Inside the NFL," Barber said he thinks Giants fans are booing him now because of how he left the organization.

"I retired at the top of my career. A lot of people didn't want me to leave because of how effective I had become as a player, and I went directly into the broadcast booth," Barber reportedly said. "I never wanted to compromise myself as a broadcaster by being overly friendly to the organization I played for."

The former running back, who said last Thursday that head coach Tom Coughlin's job is in jeopardy, was greeted by Giants fans with loud boos, which didn't stop until the next former Giant was announced.

"I've always wanted to be succinct and to the point about what my opinion is, based on what my experiences are. And if people hate me for that, they hate me," he said. "I've never been someone who said you have to love me in order for me to do my job or you have to hate me in order for me to be able to do my job."

Barber has been trying to repair his public image ever since he left his then-eight-months-pregnant wife Ginny Cha for former NBC intern Traci Lynn Johnson. Ginny filed for divorce in April after finding out that he was cheating on her.

Close

What's Hot