Tiki Barber unsure of reception he'll get in wake of Coughlin remarks

In the wake of more controversial comments from former Giants running back Tiki Barber about head coach Tom Coughlin, Barber isn’t sure what kind of reception he’ll get from fans during a halftime ceremony in which he’ll be inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor.

“I have no idea,” Barber said in a conference call with reporters. “I know when I get individual receptions, it’s always gracious and thankful for the memories I provided. I would expect the same … but only time will tell.”

Barber said in a piece for Yahoo! Sports that Coughlin is “at a crisis.”

“I don't know if he's completely lost control of the team, but it's definitely slipping away,” Barber said.  "Right now, Tom Coughlin is at a crisis.  His job is certainly in jeopardy."

Barber has been critical in the past of Eli Manning’s leadership, and he once suggested that Michael Strahan was being selfish during contract negotiations near the end of his career.

“[Coughlin] is in a crisis because the perception is he’s losing his team,” Barber said. “in New York, the perception becomes reality … He needs to figure out a way to get control of the situation.”

Barber suggested that Coughlin needs to get better leadership from his better players, and create an atmosphere similar to the one in 2007, the year the Giants won the Super Bowl.

“When you have a coach who has players who can disseminate one single message, that’s when a coach takes control of a locker room,” he said. “It’s a hard thing to pin down, but that’s essentially what it is. In 2007, Tom and his players had that.”

Barber retired after the 2006 season, and was critical of the way Coughlin treated his players. Coughlin’s image softened the following season, and many players credited his more approachable demeanor with helping the team win the Super Bowl.

“I’ve never said Tom is a bad coach,” Barber said. “He’s a great coach. We’ve had plenty of discussions, some civil and some not, about how you treat people. His biggest evolution is how he’s gotten his players to play for him. Now he needs to find that mutual sense of respect.”