In an article that might as well be titled Peter King’s Conjecture, Sports Illustrated auteur Peter King says former NFL star Tiki Barber isn’t adjusting well to the reality that nobody wanted him, even though he really, really wanted back in. He “needed the game” and “needed to prove to [himself] that he could be successful at something”, but the NFL “needed” to have 53-man rosters without Tiki Barber on them, so here we are.
I tried to reach Barber on Sunday, but he wasn’t talking. I hear he’s devastated that no team gave him a chance. You might wonder if teams would bring him in after the first game of the season, so his contract wouldn’t be guaranteed, and that could still happen. But with no team calling Lepselter with even a hint of interest, it’s more likely teams would start with backs who’ve been in some football competition this summer.
Mark Lepselter, Barber’s agent, talked to King, but I’m pretty sure he only did it to work in the word “flabbergasted”.
Lepselter told me Sunday: “We are flabbergasted that Tiki has not had an opportunity with any team, especially when rosters were at 90 players this year. I certainly thought some team would be intrigued to see what he had left in the tank.”
The only team Tiki even got to work out for was the Miami Dolphins, and when the Dolphins can find nearly 60 people better than you it may be time to hug the 24-year old blonde you left your pregnant wife for, brush your beautiful, beautiful teeth and call it a career. Or, getting a job working somewhere and suddenly quit because you want to do something else, then define your entire life around getting back that first job. That’s what mentally healthy people usually do.
Everyone at With Leather wishes Tiki the best in his future endeavors, as long as they don’t involve trying to pay for teams we like.
[h/t Shutdown Corner]
