If you're in the well-populated camp that believes Tiki Barber has a habit of grossly overestimating his importance, please accept this gift of additional ammo.
The former Giants running back told a New York radio station Sunday that he reached out Tom Coughlin in the hopes of reconciling with his one-time coach. To Barber's disappointment, Coughlin wasn't interested.
"We tried. He said no, through his agent, (Giants vice president of communications) Pat Hanlon," Barber said during an interview with WEPN-AM. "But one of these days, I'm sure it'll happen, because as we know, time heals all wounds. And I think at the end of the day, Giants fans, despite their dislike of me at times, know that I was one of the guys that put (it) on the line every time I put on my uniform."
If you were noticeably sympathetic to Barber in the first part of that quote, then disgusted by his hubris in the second part, then take note. This is an accurate summation of the Tiki Barber Experience.
The Giantsmet the Packers on Sunday for the right to play in the NFC Championship Game. Given those circumstances, it's hard to imagine Coughlin paying much mind to a bury-the-hatchet session with a long-retired running back, even if he is the franchise's all-time leading rusher.
Barber's well-publicized attempt at a comeback fell flat after he was unable to garner any interest beyond a workout with the Dolphins. With his 37th birthday approaching, Barber said he has hung up his cleats for good.
"No. No. I'm not trying to come back," Barber said. "It was an excuse for me to get up off the couch and do something, and it worked, because now I'm engaged in a few different things, and I feel really strong about where I am personally, and that's all that matters in life."
