Tiki Barber Comes Out of Retirement: Why He Shouldn't Quit His Day (Show) Job

So are you getting tired of the laborious labor talks going on in Washington?  Since the Super Bowl ended, fans have been inundated with news updates that have added up to pretty much nothing.  Owners and players began the offseason with major disagreements between how money should be allocated, whether to extend the regular season and retirement benefits, and after a month, nothing has been resolved.

But never fear NFL fans, because Tiki Barber is here!

To those who felt Brett Favre might un-retire yet again, well, Tiki Barber beat everyone to the punch!  The 36-year-old Barber today announced his intention today to come back to the NFL, which he retired from in 2006 as a member of the New York Giants. 

The news comes as a surprise to many, as Barber left the NFL in his prime, and immediately was hired by NBC to work as part of The Today Show as well as the Sunday Night Football crew.  But his on-air talent (or lack thereof) and recent off-field issues, led to NBC not re-newing his contract, which has perhaps necessitated his comeback. 

Since Barber has left the public eye, many do not know what's gone on in his personal life since his retirement.  Many people fell in love with Barber and his infectious smile, which NBC felt would make him a perfect fit as a Today Show reporter after his retirement, and he also enjoyed what appeared to be the perfect family life, married to his college sweetheart with two sons.

However, news spread last year that Barber had left his wife while eight months pregnant with two more sons.  What made it even worse however was he left her for a college student.  (The story can be found here.  http://www.nypost.com/p/news/local/timing_tiki_plays_field_TMZxMDNXxvBbNgVBToZL8O)

Because of NBC letting him go, many are speculating his attempt to return to the NFL is fueled solely by money.  This can be debated by the likes of TMZ.  The question is, can a 36-year-old who's been out of football since the end of 2006 possibly return to the league?

Barber has one advantage that no one else in the league has, and that's seeing how his twin brother is doing in the league. Ronde Barber just signed a one-year extension with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If his brother can still survive in the league, there is the slightest possibility Tiki could also hack it in the league.

The fact is though, a comeback like this rarely succeeds.  While some may argue that by leaving at top health, he could still make it in the league, the fact is Barber is trying to return to the one position where you usually have to be between the ages of 22-27 to be truly dominant.

Can he make it onto a team? Perhaps as a third-string running back.  There are those like Fred Taylor who are still in the league.  The much higher probability though is Barber got his name into the paper during the deadest time of the NFL season and it will not amount to much more than that.

But regardless of his success or failure we can thank Barber for providing an NFL story that didn't involve labor discussions, potential solutions, or fears of missing a 2011 season.  When the most exciting time of year int he NFL is pro day workouts, any story is often welcome news! 

Tiki Barber will undoubtedly go down as one of the best running backs in Giants history.  He had a dominant final years in his career and at that time, go to go out on top health wise, though the Giants won the Super Bowl the next year. 

However, "father time" catches up to players faster these days, especially at running back. Barber will need to defy the odds to make a team, but I wish him the best of luck at that attempt, however unlikely it might be.