TAMPA, Fla. -- Ronde Barber politely maneuvered around the question, preferring to talk about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returning to the playoffs rather than his more famous brother, Tiki.
The Bucs (9-7) face his twin's former team, the New York Giants (10-6), in Sunday's NFC wild-card game, so it's not really the time to be wondering what might have been if Tiki hadn't retired at the end of last season to pursue a career in broadcasting.
"I'm not going to talk about whether Tiki should be with them or not," Barber said. "He's gone."
The Bucs cornerback has had plenty to say this week, though.
And, the Giants have been paying attention.
First, Barber's comments about Eli Manning's inconsistency and propensity to make crucial mistakes made bulletin-board material in New York. On Friday, receiver Plaxico Burress had a quote he found annoying taped to his locker.
Both teams discount the impact words will have on the game.
"Football is all about the team, all about the competition. It's all about who can be the best man that day when you line with a guy one-on-one, man-to-man," Burress said. "That's what it is about in this league."
Nevertheless, New York's leading receiver took exception to a quote describing him as a "special athlete" who was difficult to defend even though he's not "overly fast" or as athletic as Randy Moss.
Although Burress acknowledged the quote was complimentary, he said it will give him and Barber something to talk about during the game.
"I'm not extra motivated because it's a playoff game," Burress said. "I'm trying to get to the next round. ... But, hey, motivation doesn't hurt either."
Barber isn't backing off his comments.
"Eli looks good at times and he looks bad at times. I'm not going to lie," the 11th-year pro said. "That's who he is. His completion percentage speaks to that."
