Tiki Barber believes Kevin Burkhardt and Tom Brady should leave their New York Giants jokes behind after the NFC Championship Game. The Giants have faced ridicule this season for allowing Saquon Barkley to join the Philadelphia Eagles in free agency, a decision that became painfully evident when Barkley led Philadelphia to a 55-23 victory over the Washington Commanders, scoring three touchdowns. During the broadcast, Burkhardt and Brady made the Giants the punchline once more.
“Giants fans may have a tough time sleeping going forward,” Burkhardt remarked while praising Barkley’s “magnificent” performance, subtly referencing Giants owner John Mara’s earlier comment that he would “have a hard time sleeping” if Barkley signed with Philly, as conveyed in an episode of Hard Knocks: Offseason. This quip prompted Brady to add, “Giant mistake letting him go.” The playful jabs left WFAN afternoon host Evan Roberts questioning how often fans might expect Giants-related jokes during the upcoming Super Bowl LIX, where Brady and Burkhardt will commentate on the Eagles and Kansas City Chiefs.
Will Tom Brady and Kevin Burkhardt mock the Giants for letting Saquon Barkley go again in the Super Bowl? https://t.co/4KFA19WjqN pic.twitter.com/f8HHsBXrOK
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) January 29, 2025
“None,” Barber replied confidently when asked how many times they would joke about the Giants. “I think it’s been played out and if they are anything other than tone-deaf, they will get it.” It would indeed be tone-deaf to allow the Giants to dominate the broadcast discourse, which wasn’t the case in the NFC Championship Game, where Burkhardt and Brady’s comments were mild jabs made during a one-sided contest.
Barber may be right; having already poked fun at the Giants’ missteps once, there seems little reason to revisit the topic during the Super Bowl. If the Fox broadcast team finds themselves looking for filler, they could always turn to a Taylor Swift reference instead.
