Reactions continue to pour in around Brian Flores’ lawsuit against the NFL, Dolphins, Broncos and Giants, alleging racism and discrimination in his interview processes with Denver and New York and his firing last month by Miami.
Tiki Barber probably had the most emotional response to the situation.
The former New York Giants star showed his emotional side by speaking out on behalf of the Mara family and Giants co-owner Steve Tisch during his WFAN Sports Radio show “Tiki & Tierney” on Wednesday.
“The fact that the Maras, and I always say this with the Tisches as well, they embraced me like I was family, you know what I mean? And so, I know them intimately, so when I say that I don’t believe they’re racist – I know they’re not,” Barber told Brandon Tierney.
“Yeah maybe they don’t have the right head coach, the Black head coach. They don’t have a Black general manager or a Black coordinator, I know they’re not a racist organization,” he added.
Barber also called out Stephen A. Smith, who attacked the New York team amid the accusations of racism it is going through.
“I can’t sit here, with conviction, like Stephen A. [Smith], who doesn’t know anybody in the Giants’ organization and claim that they’re a racist organization. I would never do that. The only reason I would do that is because I’m trying to make a point, and my point is that Brian Flores is trying to make a point,” Barber said.
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The most intense moment came when he responded to a listener named Dwayne, who questioned whether Barber minimized Flores’ accusation against the Giants.
“So, for Dwayne to try to boil me into saying something that’s not true, it’s frustrating because you don’t know my truth and you don’t know my interactions with this Giants organization. And to force me because I have this seat to do so, it’s just wrong and it’s frustrating – and it’s creating an emotion in me that’s not anger, but I can’t even put my voice on it yet.
“But, it’s frustrating to me that the Giants are getting this rep because I don’t think this is the case,” Barber said.
