Tiki Barber responds to latest comments from Eagles' Saquon Barkley

New York Giants legend Tiki Barber used Wednesday's edition of the WFAN "Evan and Tiki" program to respond to the latest comments offered by new Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley regarding what's become one of the most discussed feuds of the offseason. 

"I think most fans are very aware of the lack of loyalty in the NFL," Barber said about Barkley going from the Giants to the Eagles in free agency, as shared by Ryan Chichester of Audacy. "...I think what Saquon is wanting me to do is be someone I was 10 years ago. I’ve been retired for 17 seasons. I’m so much more a media member now, both covering games and being an opinion generator on this station, than I am an NFL player. It was almost a generation ago."

A situation that began with Barber warning Barkley about tarnishing his legacy and becoming "dead" to Giants fans has morphed into heated conversations about rivalries and about who was and/or wasn't a "hater" going all the way back to at least September 2020. 

On the latest episode of the "New Heights" podcast, Barkley told retired Eagles center Jason Kelce and current Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce that he felt Barber should've used the media platform to explain "why Saquon is going to Philly" in free agency. 

"I get fans being upset about me going to Philly," Barkley told the Kelce brothers. "Obviously, they don’t get the business side of it…first of all, the Giants didn’t even offer me." 

On Wednesday, Barber mentioned that part of his WFAN role on midday afternoons is to speak with and for Giants fans who reacted negatively to Barkley joining a despised rival. 

"Fandom is real," Barber added. "I think that’s what [Barkley] and other athletes miss. When I was playing, we hated the Eagles. ...I hated those dudes. I hated the interactions with fans. They would cuss and yell and everything at me. That’s real. So when he says, 'I am old school,' I’m just speaking it how I lived it. Maybe it’s different in today’s NFL...that wasn’t the world I lived in." 

For a piece published on March 12, media analyst Jimmy Traina of Sports Illustrated wrote that Barkley previously looked "super sensitive" in the early days of this saga. 

"Any time a sports talk radio host can get a reaction from an athlete, whether it’s positive or negative, is a win for the radio host," Traina noted. 

Those who agree with Traina will believe Barber notched yet another victory ahead of the Easter holiday.