NY Giants icon Tiki Barber blasts 'wussification' of NFL

Retired running back and New York Giants icon Tiki Barber has strong feelings about the modern NFL compared to the league he played in years ago. 

As shared by Ryan Chichester of Audacy, Barber blasted the "wussification of the game" and the NFL during a portion of Thursday's "Evan and Tiki" WFAN program. 

"Practice, two-a-days, it’s hard for a reason," Barber said about league training camps. "It goes back to high school. There is a weeding out, a 'can you make it' quality of the NFL. You have to be a little crazy. You are willingly forcing your body to make fast contact with somebody else’s body, who is probably bigger than you, and it’s going to hurt." 

Seemingly every year, teams receive punishments from the league for violating rules regarding what is and isn't acceptable during organized team activities and training-camp practices. Back in May, Pro Football Talk reported how the New England Patriots lost a pair of OTA days because they committed a meeting violation. 

Barber, who played for the Giants from 1997 through the 2006 season, suggested on Thursday that players have it a little too easy these days thanks to guidelines related to practices and also the enforcement of certain in-game penalties such as roughing the passer.

"This isn’t flag football," Barber continued during his rant. "You get hit, it hurts, you get up, and you do it again. Sometimes, it p----- you off, and it makes you a better football player. That’s the game that I love, and I think we’re losing some of that, especially with some of the expectations people have about hitting their quarterbacks or wide receivers. It’s football. Trust me, we’re crazy enough that we want to do it, despite the pain that’s gonna come with it." 

Barber has openly discussed playing through injuries during his career and clearly doesn't love what he indicated is a questionable culture inside locker rooms. The radio personality is scheduled to call NFL games for CBS alongside free-agent quarterback Matt Ryan this fall, and it will be interesting to hear if they eventually touch upon what Barber discussed Thursday afternoon.