Eli torches Tiki, and that's a good thing

ALBANY, N.Y. -- Let's hear it for Eli Manning.

When the New York Giants quarterback stepped forward Tuesday to defend himself against former teammate Tiki Barber he may have offered us a glimpse into a brave new world.

And that would be the world of Eli Manning, team spokesman.

Eli Manning: A step forward as a Giants leader? (AP)

For years, Manning was criticized as being too reserved, too soft-spoken, too laid back to be a team leader. He faded into the background when it mattered most -- which was the second half of the season -- and his body language sometimes seemed symptomatic of a battered, beaten quarterback.

That, of course, is before Manning broke from character and called out his best-known critic. I'm talking, of course, of Barber who said during halftime of last weekend's Baltimore-Giants preseason game that Manning "never" would be outspoken enough to lead the Giants.

Maybe he should've heard him Tuesday.

Manning didn't just respond to Barber's charges; he fired back, saying "I guess I could've questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season and (how) he lost the heart (to play)."

Ouch.

With that one sentence he delivered a strong self-defense. I was there when he spoke, and I was struck by how comfortable and clear Manning was with his message. He was annoyed, and he wasn't afraid to communicate it to an audience.

"I knew about the situation," Manning told me later. "I didn't know if I would be asked about it, but I thought about it a bit. I said I didn't want to make it into a bigger issue than it was.

"I guess I could've just passed it over and forgotten about it. But, for whatever reason, it came out. I don't have anything against Tiki. He's been a good teammate to me, and I don't want to start something up. So it just came out."

Well, bully for Eli. Look, I have nothing against Barber. In fact, I loved watching him play, and I enjoyed listening to him almost as much. I still enjoy listening to him. But I'm not Eli Manning, which means I'm not the target of his barbs.

When Barber was criticized last year he fired back. And he should have. The guy was the heart and soul of the Giants, and if you don't believe it you didn't see him hoist the club to his shoulders in its last regular-season game and carry it into the playoffs.