Stephen A. Smith Issues Personal Warning To Tiki Barber Over Giants Feud
The very first feud of Super Bowl week just might be ESPN's Stephen A. Smith vs. former NFL running back Tiki Barber over comments the former Giants great made Friday in response to the lawsuit Brian Flores filed against the NFL.
"Chill out," Stephen A. warned Barber at the end of Monday's episode of "First Take."
Smith went further and advised Barber to "know who you're talking about."
This brewing feud goes back to Friday when Barber had an issue with Smith's response to Flores' discrimination lawsuit.
“I’m not willing to scream and yell that the Giants, an organization that I revere, that I had a great relationship with, to say that they’re racist simply because they haven’t had a black head coach or a black quarterback," Barber said Friday on WFAN while battling through tears.
“I can’t sit here, with conviction, like Stephen A. , 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.”
Monday, Stephen A. wasn't having it.
“Tiki Barber took the liberty of sounding off about me , talking how about I called the New York Giants racist and how I don’t know anybody there… First of all, I don’t recall calling the Giants racist. I brought to the attention that you got a guy like John Mara on the Diversity Committee and this man has never hired a black coach in the history of the franchise — one of only six franchises to do it,” Smith fired back at Barber.
And he wasn't done. There was more, lots more that will be discussed throughout the media landscape this week in Los Angeles.
“Tiki you don’t know who the hell I know. I’ve been a journalist for almost 30 years I know a few people within the Giants organization,” Smith added as the rebuttal went to a personal level.
“I know a lot of stuff I know about you my brother that I would never say because I have the decency not to say those things.”