Tiki Barber Says He Will Likely Retire After the 2006 Season

Tiki Barber Says He Will Likely Retire After the 2006 Season: According to The New York Times, during a promotional book tour yesterday for a new children’s book that he has co-authored with his brother, HB Tiki Barber said he was leaning toward retiring after the current NFL season and had pretty much made up his mind to do so. When Barber was asked what it would take to make him reconsider, he responded by saying, “Nothing.”

“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.”

“He’s seriously leaning toward (retiring),” said Barber’s business agent. “I think he feels he’s perfected his craft, in a way, and is ready for something else.”

Giants-Bears Game May Be Moved to Sunday Night?: The Chicago Tribune reported yesterday that the NFL has decided to move the Giants-Bears game on November 12 from 1:00PM to 8:00PM as part of the NFL’s new flex scheduling package. If true, the game will be televised on NBC instead of FOX. There is still no official word from the NFL.

Notes and Quotes: The Giants are 1-7 in Monday night game against the Cowboys. Overall, the Giants are 9-21-1 in Monday night road games.

MLB Antonio Pierce on playing against Dallas WR Terrell Owens: “You hope he does something to piss his team off. I know I’m going to strive to try to make him do something that fires that team up to do something wrong. I wish he’d keep messing up that team over there. But you respect him as a player, because when he goes out on that field he’s going to give it all he’s got. He might complain about not getting the ball but he’s well deserving of getting the ball because when he gets it he makes things happen. We’re going to know where he is at all times…You see what (Dallas’) plan was (last Sunday against Houston), shut him up real quick, get him three touchdowns, next thing you know he’s smiling, telling jokes, hugging the receivers coach. We know who we’re facing. You want to get him frustrated, you want him and that quarterback going at it. It’s going to be at their house, so we’re going to have to do something to quiet the crowd, maybe get them to start booing him.”

The Giants are second in the league in total offense, averaging 401.8 yards a game. In the 36 seasons from 1970-2005, the Giants never finished higher than fourth in total offense. They were fourth twice: in 1971 (averaging 323.1 yards a game) and 2005 (361.7).

HB Tiki Barber leads the NFL with 40 first downs (29 rushing, 11 receiving). Barber is currently the leading rusher in the NFL with 553 yards, and second in the NFL in yards from scrimmage with 723 yards (533 rushing, 190 receiving).

TE Jeremy Shockey has 266 career catches, tying him with TE Mark Bavaro for ninth place on the Giants’ career reception list. Only Bob Tucker, with 327 catches, has more receptions as a tight end in Giants’ history.

The NFL trade deadline passed yesterday. The last in-season trade the Giants made was on October 8, 1986 when they sent second- and seventh-round draft picks to the St. Louis Cardinals for HB O.J. Anderson.