Giants turn Super minus Barber's dissonant chorus: me, me, me

Basically, Bradshaw and Jacobs have combined to do what Barber did, except Bradshaw and Jacobs aren't camera-hogging jerks.

The success of the Giants minus Me-ki goes beyond the X's and O's. It's also about exes and ho's.

First, Giants players are treating Barber like he's an ex-girlfriend. More than a few players on the team want to prove they can be successful without him and that Barber's departure was his loss, not theirs.

Second, Barber was a media ho'. He didn't know how to step back and let quarterback Eli Manning be one of the main presences and a spokesman for the offense.

Third, and most important, the absence of Barber -- and to some degree Shockey -- has allowed Manning to mature and become the leader of the team. This is not a new thought, but it is likely the most accurate one in explaining New York's surprising success.

Imagine you're Eli. No longer is Shockey gyrating like Elvis and complaining if a pass doesn't go his way or is errantly thrown. No longer is Me-ki undermining you in the locker room.

Wouldn't you get better? Wouldn't you feel more comfortable? Wouldn't you grow?

The past dynamics and ego-sautéing in that Giants locker room are among the most fascinating I've ever seen. Many in the New York media felt Barber was a good guy, and another strong personality in the room, Michael Strahan, was a bad guy. In fact, the opposite was true. What some have long failed to realize is that teammates love Strahan while most Giants players, in my opinion, only tolerated Barber.

People had misidentified their villains.

So, a question, indeed: How does a team lose a star player -- a borderline Hall of Famer, one of the best talents in the history of the New York Giants -- and get better?

Much better.

Make it to the Super Bowl better.

The answer: You say goodbye to Me-ki and never look back.