New York Giants legend Tiki Barber didn’t hold back on Giants fans calling for the team to tank.
After a fan called into WFAN Sports Radio and suggested the Giants should have lost on purpose in 2024, Barber made it clear he was done hearing that argument.
Unlikely Win Could Cost New York Giants Their Next Quarterback
The Giants are in position to draft one of the top two quarterbacks in the 2025 NFL Draft. While they’re not guaranteed to get their guy, they’ll have a shot if either the Cleveland Browns or Tennessee Titans pass on a QB.
Two elite defensive prospects—pass rusher Abdul Carter and cornerback/receiver hybrid Travis Hunter—are also expected to go early in April’s draft. That means there’s a chance one of the top quarterbacks will still be there for New York at No. 3.
But heading into the final two games of the season, the Giants controlled their own fate for the No. 1 overall pick. That changed when they pulled off an upset win over the playoff-chasing Indianapolis Colts, 45-33, with backup quarterback Drew Lock.
For many fans, that win erased the only silver lining of another disappointing season. Barber, though, wasn’t having it.
‘You Drive Me Freakin’ Insane’ – Tiki Barber Rips Giants Fans
When a caller on WFAN Sports Radio blamed New York co-owner John Mara for missing out on the No. 1 pick, Barber had enough. The former Giants running back shut down the tanking argument in a heated rant.
The caller claimed Mara sent mixed signals by expecting the team to both win games and draft a quarterback.
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“The owner told the coach, ‘You lose this game, we lose all our games at home, you’re done.’ Barber’s face was one of a man who had heard this narrative a thousand times, but he allowed the caller to continue.
“[Mara said] ‘You need to draft a quarterback, or you need to do something that keeps you here for the long-term.’ That is so dumb.”
When the question was put to the caller, “What could [Brian] Daboll have done, that would have secured a loss?” Barber interjected.
“You don’t try to lose, dude.” The former Giant had started to organize the equipment on his desk once he recognized where the conversation was going. Now though, he was ready to shut the caller down, and he didn’t hold back.
“I wish you’d called earlier but that’s the most ridiculous phone call I ever heard, in my life. No player, or coach, is ever going to try to lose a football game. And if someone calls this station again and says ‘They should lose a game,’ I’m hanging up and I’m banning you from the station. It is the stupidest, and most ridiculous thing I’ve ever freakin’ heard.”
Barber, now fully in attack mode, wasn’t done.
“So stop saying, ‘Lose games, lose games, so you can draft higher.’ The draft is not a guarantee. Rookies suck too, by the way. So forget thinking you’re gonna change your franchise by losing games, it doesn’t work that way.”
Barber also pointed out that good players don’t want to sign with losing teams and that tanking only hurts a franchise’s reputation. And he has a point—the Lions and Eagles both built competitive rosters through the draft without needing the No. 1 pick.
As for the Giants, their once-proud fanbase is growing more frustrated by the day. They need to start making better decisions—and fast.