Rating The Rookies

Tiki Barber
NBC's Football Night in America

VS

Keyshawn Johnson
ESPN's Sunday and Monday NFL Countdowns

FROM THE SET

[ Tiki Barber]After characterizing former teammate and Giants QB Eli Manning's leadership as "comical," says Barber, "the amount of criticism I got ... I couldn't believe it." Even Eli shot back, saying that Tiki's NBC work "seemed rehearsed, kind of like his pregame speeches."

[ Keyshawn Johnson]"Once I couldn't recall what team Dallas had played," Johnson says. "I had to ask [on air], 'What was that team?'" He did, he says, "work on my timing." And when Mike Ditka picked the Bears to lose in Week 12, Keyshawn ad-libbed, "You just lost money at your [ Chicago steak] restaurant."

ADVICE

[ Tiki Barber]"I'd tell my former colleagues, 'Be prepared [if you do this]. It's hard work. You don't actually just show up and talk about whatever you want.'"

[ Keyshawn Johnson]"You can't worry about people's feelings. Many players [after being criticized on air by Keyshawn] have been like, 'Dawg, that's not cool; I thought we were boys.'"

SI's GRADE