Many ex-players will talk about their Super Bowl experiences, but few do it as eloquently as ex-Giants running back Tiki Barber. Barber was attending Super Bowl Media Day and contributed his thoughts on his own Super Bowl XXXV experience with the Giants.
While Barber agreed that events like Media Day are obvious interruptions to game focus, he said that players who think that all this will end come Sunday are mistaken.
"Media Day is an enormous distraction that can get overwhelming at times," Barber said, "but I think the game is as big of a distraction because there's so much hype the day of ... many more people than you're used to seeing on the sidelines, media outlets ... you think about where it's going to be broadcast and it can make your head spin."
That might be a reason why the superstars aren't always the players who have the best performances in the big game. "It's easier for guys who don't care about the outside stuff to play this game," Barber said. "You try to enjoy it, but it's hard."
Barber said that for some players, the spectacle that is Media Day can actually help them. "When Kerry Collins was with us, it was a cathartic moment for him ... getting comfort from telling his story about (his quarterbacking career) in Carolina," Barber said. "It was a great moment for him."
Naturally, the focus shifts to another quarterback who might use this Super Bowl week to explain himself to a nation that wonders about his character, but Barber won't put words in Big Ben's mouth.
Instead he talked about the spectacle itself, which Barber says is only getting larger since he witnessed it as a player: "It's the same and growing ... much more interest worldwide ... huge interest internationally in this game. The sport is growing."
According to Barber, the Super Bowl is only going to get bigger, and Media Day is only going to get zanier in the future.
What's your take?
