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Justin Tuck Says The Giants Will Take LeSean McCoy’s Comments Personally, Believes Athletes Are Cowards For Using Twitter
Philadelphia Eagles running back LeSean McCoy set off some heated word between bitter rivals, if there wasn’t already some bad blood between the G-Men and Eagles dating back to Michael Vick carving up the New York defense last December, by calling out defensive end Osi Umenyiora on twitter. McCoy called Umenyiora soft, overrated and the third best defensive lineman on the New York Giants.Those are some pretty bold statements coming from a relatively inexperienced third year running back in McCoy, but athletes seem to be calling out others through social media these days. We already had Donovan McNabb tells us he isn’t a fan of athletes using twitter and you can add Justin Tuck to that list.
Tuck believes that where he came from if you have a problem with someone you tell it to their face and now McCoy’s potshots on twitter are fighting words for the New York Giants. Well they will be if Umenyiora is back on the Giants that is. If the NFL lockout were to be lifted and Umenyiora is to stay a Giant, add another story line to the already fierce rivalry between New York and Philadelphia this season.Justin Tuck joined ESPN Radio with Mike & Mike In The Morning to discuss his take on LeSean McCoy’s comments towards Osi Umenyiora, LeSean McCoy using twitter to call Osi Umenyiora ‘soft,’ Osi Umenyiora’s future with the New York Giants, his feelings on Tiki Barber as a teammate with the sudden news that he is coming out of retirement and why Tiki Barber became unpopular among his New York Giants teammates.I could not believe when LeSean McCoy called out your teammate Osi Umenyiora on twitter. What was your reaction to the Eagles running back calling out a Giants defensive lineman on twitter?
“Two things:
One, yes we will take that personally and two he [LeSean McCoy] might want to watch some film before he starts talking about a defensive end of Osi’s quality. I don’t know where he would say something of that nature because honestly I think Osi’s stats back up the fact that he is a pretty good NFL football player.”LeSean McCoy basically called Osi Umenyiora overrated, soft, and the third best defensive lineman on the team. Do you think it’s just the social media of today to have players do that now?“I don’t know. I honestly think social media makes people cowards. Where I’m from if you have a problem with somebody you say it to their face. I think now people are hiding behind computers and smart phones to get out something. I’m use to like I said if you have a problem with a person you go tell it to their face. You don’t go blast it out so everybody in the world can see about it, so I don’t know. I don’t know what’s gotten into these young guys, but it is what it is. I think Osi handled it the right way and we’ll handle it on the football field when we get an opportunity.The real question is Osi Umenyiora being with the New York Giants if and when the season were to start.
What is your take on Osi Umenyiora’s future with the New York Giants?
“I would love to have the quality of defensive end in Osi on the opposite side of me. We had a lot of success playing off of each other and playing with each other. It makes it very difficult for the offensive line and offensive coordinator scheme us when you have both sides of the defensive line having quality defensive ends like that, but I understand where Osi is coming from. I think he has to do what is best for him and especially in this situation where we are in this lockout and obviously the owners are trying to do what is best for them. I don’t see anything wrong with a player doing what is best for them. I just root for Osi making sure that hopefully that everything works out. Hopefully he’s a Giant this year, but if not I just wish the guy all the best of luck. He’s one of those guys that when I came in the league he kind of took me under his wing and showed me the ropes, so honestly I wouldn’t be the player I am today without him.”
I’ve sat in some degree in amazement with the amount of players that are calling out Tiki Barber. Players seem to have a problem with Tiki coming back now. What are your feelings on Tiki? You played with him? Why do people view him almost differently then they do of any other player?“Well I think Tiki burned some bridges as he left the game. He said some things that maybe he shouldn’t have said. You know things of that nature. If you look back when he talked about Eli Manning and Coach Tom Coughlin and we won the Super Bowl right after that, so it was just something he probably shouldn’t have said. It’s unfortunate because I think a lot of people forget the fact of how well he played the game when he was here. You go to Giants Stadium and they put up highlights of old players. When they put up highlights of Tiki Barber they boo him, but it’s tough. Like I said he said some things leaving the game that kind of left people with a sour taste in their mouth and they don’t forget that, but honestly for me I wish the guy all the luck in the world. I don’t hold grudges. I don’t wish anything negative on him, but like I said he said some things that maybe he shouldn’t have said and that’s kind of coming back to bite him right now.”
Was Tiki Barber turning off players before he even left the Giants locker-room in the last season he played?
“A little bit. A little bit. Tiki has always been the kind of guy that has been to himself. He kind of led by example. He kind of let his play lead by example. He was never the kind of the guy who would get in the huddle and be ‘rah-rah,’ and things of that nature, which is fine, but he did kind of turn some people off with some of things he did the year he was leaving. He kind of knew he was leaving. I don’t know what his reason was. I don’t know if management said something. I don’t know. Yeah he did kind of turn some guys off.”
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