Tiki Barber Says He'll Retire After This Season

[Hache Man]

	Barber says he'll retire after this season
	Tiki Barber - RB - NYG - Oct. 18 - 9:25 a.m. ET
	Speaking at a promotional event for his children's book, RB Tiki Barber said Tuesday that he will likely retire following the season, adding that "nothing" could change his mind. Barber has plenty of off-field interests, which makes the situation plausible despite the fact that it comes from out of the blue and was said at a promotional event. "For the longest time, I thought I had to win a Super Bowl to define my career," Barber said. "I would like to, but I don’t have to, because I can walk away knowing I did the best I could." This story will surely gain steam in the New York media this week, so further details should emerge.Oct. 18 - 9:25 a.m. ET Source: New York Times

[Hache Man]

Wow, what a surprise

This guy has SO MUCH left........

[Hache Man]

Be prepared next season Fantasy Gurus......




Tiki to Retire?
It's rare to see a seemingly big story come out of the blue in a media-driven market like New York, but that's exactly what happened Wednesday. The New York Times reported that Tiki Barber revealed Tuesday night at a promotional event for his children's book that he will likely retire following the season. Barber reportedly said he has "pretty much" made up his mind and "nothing" could force him to reconsider.

Even more shocking than a single newspaper breaking the story the morning after is that Barber is giving serious thought to stepping away at his absolute peak. Barber is 31 years old and running backs on the wrong side of 30 are more or less ticking time bombs, but he was a late-bloomer to begin with and has been playing at a Hall of Fame level for the past three seasons.

Barber's many off-field interests were cited as a reason to believe him more than the average athlete who talks of retirement in the middle of a great year and this story is sure to be examined further once the rest of the New York media jumps on it later this week. In the meantime, Brandon Jacobs' keeper-league value gets a major boost, as his owners start dreaming about what sort of production he'd be capable of without Barber around.

While Jacobs as an every-down back is very intriguing, it's likely that his role in the passing game would remain limited even sans Barber. Jacobs has a grand total of three catches in 21 career games, with all three of them coming in a two-game stretch earlier this season, so it's likely that the Giants would bring in a third-down specialist. Of course, Jacobs' goal-line ability and gaudy per-carry average this year suggests he could be a fantasy monster even without the catches.

While Giants fans ponder whether or not Barber is serious about following the Barry Sanders career path, here are some other notes from around football …

* The NFL moved swiftly Tuesday, denying Koren Robinson's appeal and enforcing his one-year suspension a day after Robinson pleaded not guilty to drunken-driving charges in Minnesota. Robinson's lawyer expressed shock that the league ruled on the appeal so quickly, indicating that they were counting on a slow process giving Robinson some extra time to play this season.

Instead, Robinson is out until the middle of next year and the Packers are left without their No. 3 wide receiver. Green Bay's lack of receiver depth is why they turned to Robinson in the first place, knowing that he'd likely be suspended. Losing him after he gained a big role in the offense following Robert Ferguson's injury magnifies the problem, and leaves Donald Driver and rookie Greg Jennings as Brett Favre's only established targets.

Driver has long been a reliable fantasy starter and Jennings has quickly emerged as one of the most promising young receivers in the league in less than half a season, but their value rises even further now. Ruvell Martin takes over as the team's nominal third wideout, but it's likely that the Packers will bring another veteran in and will probably turn more than ever to tight ends and running backs in the passing game.

* As expected, the trading deadline came and went Tuesday with very little action. Rumors had been flying for the past several weeks, with anyone from Randy Moss to Donnie Edwards mentioned as possibly being on the move, but in the end the only big name to get dealt was Anthony McFarland. Booger was shipped from Tampa Bay to Indianapolis, where he'll be reunited with former coach Tony Dungy for the price of a second-round pick in next year's draft.

That's a lot to pay for a midseason acquisition, particularly one who has been so underwhelming of late, and the Colts will hope bringing in McFarland to anchor the defensive line works out better than bringing in Corey Simon to do the same. Meanwhile, Moss and Jerry Porter remain in Oakland to play out the string, and all the newspaper print devoted to unlikely trade scenarios this month were officially for naught.

Two-Minute Drill: An interesting note from the Elias Sports Bureau: Rex Grossman's 10.7 passer rating Monday night was the lowest from a winning quarterback since Drew Henson's 7.6 on Thanksgiving day 2004 … Now a wide receiver, Marcus Vick was promoted to the Dolphins' 53-man roster Tuesday, which means he's already done more than most thought he would after leaving Virginia Tech … In addition to taking over as the team's offensive coordinator, coach Brian Billick said Tuesday that Steve McNair will remain the starter when the Ravens return from their bye week … Perhaps this is just me being a bitter baseball fan, but why aren't multiple players being suspended for steroids in the NFL anywhere close to a headline-grabbing story?

Red Zone: Trent Green (concussion) is not expected to return to practice this week, giving Damon Huard at least two more starts … Roy Williams told reporters that his neck was sore Sunday, but his monster 10-catch, 161-yard game says the injury that knocked him out of Week 5 is no longer a major issue … DeAngelo Williams (ankle) is expected to be out for at least a month, leaving DeShaun Foster alone in the Panthers' backfield … Ahman Green (hamstring) reportedly "looked good" in practice earlier this week, so the Packers are expecting him to return after a two-game absence … Coach Mike Holmgrem indicated Monday that Bobby Engram (thyroid) may be able to return for Week 8.