Former Giants running back and current WFAN radio personality Tiki Barber has never shied away from offering candid opinions about fan behavior, and his latest remarks were no exception. On Tuesday’s edition of “Evan & Tiki,” Barber took aim at the group of disgruntled Giants supporters who hired planes to fly messages critical of team ownership over MetLife Stadium this season.
Instead of praising their dedication or acknowledging their frustration, Barber questioned whether these individuals were true fans at all, calling them a “troller” who might be targeting the wrong New York football team.
In Barber’s view, if anyone should be taking to the skies to express their ire, it’s the fans of the Jets, who share MetLife Stadium with the Giants. After all, the Jets have endured a far more prolonged period of futility, with the NFL’s longest active playoff drought.
The Giants, by comparison, made it to the postseason as recently as 2022, advancing past the Wild Card round before getting knocked out by the Philadelphia Eagles. According to Barber, those recent accomplishments make the fan’s airborne protest seem not only petty, but misdirected.
“We’ve been talking the last couple of weeks about the Giant fan—or troller, because I don’t know if it’s really a fan—flying aircraft over the stadium,” Barber said on air, his tone tinged with exasperation. “If you’re going to go through all that trouble, why not fly it over the team that hasn’t made the playoffs in 14 years?”
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Barber’s co-host, Evan Roberts, pushed back, arguing that these were indeed genuine fans who felt deeply let down by the franchise’s recent decisions and current trajectory. But Barber wasn’t having it, pointing out that for all the Giants’ recent struggles, they still managed a playoff win two seasons ago under the leadership of head coach Brian Daboll and general manager Joe Schoen.
“You went to the playoffs and won a game two years ago,” Barber continued, incredulously. “What in the hell are you talking about? Now if you want to fly a plane, fly it over the stadium—at least when the stadium is in use by the team that hasn’t been to the playoffs in 14 years.”
Roberts countered that the Giants’ last two seasons have been disastrous. After a brief playoff cameo, the team seemed to regress alarmingly, making questionable roster moves that have drawn the ire of fans.
Yet Barber deflected those criticisms, pointing out that the Jets and their supporters have endured a far lengthier stretch of disappointment, suggesting that if any team deserves public shaming from an aircraft’s trailing banner, it’s the one wearing green.
The host’s refusal to sympathize with Giants fans also glossed over some recent, controversial decisions by the franchise.
The Giants signed quarterback Daniel Jones to a four-year, $160 million extension after their playoff run—only to release him by the end of November this season, signaling a dramatic and expensive miscalculation.
Equally baffling was the decision not to re-sign star running back Saquon Barkley, a move that many consider to have contributed to the team’s lackluster performance. As the Giants sit at a 2-12 record and look poised to secure a top draft pick, frustration among the fanbase has reached a fever pitch.
The anonymous fan who organized the second aerial message told NJ.com that the intention was not mere trolling, but a calculated attempt to embarrass Giants owner John Mara into taking action. The fan argued that, since the Mara family prides itself on maintaining a certain standard of class and reputation, publicly shaming them from above MetLife Stadium might catalyze meaningful change.
“The biggest thing that the Mara family prides itself on is pride in themselves,” the fan told the outlet. “And so, if you’re able to make it more embarrassing, it will further force them to take action.”
From Barber’s perspective, however, this approach is misguided—especially when a neighboring fanbase, the Jets’, has suffered even longer without tangible reasons for hope. In a sense, Barber is calling for some perspective.
Although the Giants’ recent roster moves and losses are certainly disappointing, the mere fact that they achieved postseason success only two years ago sets them apart from the Jets, who haven’t appeared in the playoffs since the early 2010s.
Ultimately, Barber’s comments highlight the tension between fans who feel their frustrations warrant dramatic demonstrations and a former player who believes some supporters are losing sight of the bigger picture.
Whether the “trollers” take Barber’s advice and redirect their airborne protests at the Jets—or double down in an effort to shake the Giants’ front office—remains to be seen. For now, the skies above MetLife Stadium have become a new frontier for New York football discontent, leaving one of the city’s most opinionated voices asking just where such stunts truly belong.
