Tiki Torches Coughlin

Tiki Barber, the former New York Giants running back and overall annoying as hell person, criticized Tom Coughlin for the heavy workload put on Tiki over the last 3 years and claims it contributed to his decision to retire. While there may certainly be some truth to this, I think Tiki calling out Coughlin (again - he did it after a 2005 playoff loss) is pretty poor form.

I don't like Tom Coughlin. He's a bad coach. Most NFL players are pussies deep down (especially Eli Manning) and his crazy, old school, incredibly strict approach to running that team just isn't working. His record with them is ok (25-23), but they really only had one good year (2005) and got shut out, at home, in the playoffs. Were they outcoached? Probably. But if Tiki Barber gets into Canton, he will have one person to thank - Tom Coughlin.

In the four years Tiki spent as a starter before Coughlin arrived, he averaged 4.25 lost fumbles a year. As soon as Coughlin got there he changed the way Tiki carried the ball and in the three years Coughlin has been there, Tiki's fumbles lost average is only 1.33. That's huge.

Now, do I think Tiki is a hall of famer? No, but it's close. And the only reason I say no is those fumbles. A lot of them came at inopportune times. I can remember a game against the Eagles a few years ago when he had something like 190 yards and two red zone fumbles. It cost the Giants the game. That being said, his last 3 years have been spectacular, and if he rides them into the Hall of Fame, it will be because he was coached by Tom Coughlin.