NFL

Giants great Tiki asks bro: Why doesn’t anyone like me?

Even on the day his brother officially announced his retirement, Tiki Barber made it about himself.

Scoring the first interview with Ronde Barber on his CBS Sports Radio show yesterday, the former Giants running back asked his twin: “Why do so many people like you, but don’t like me?”

Tiki’s co-hosts Brandon Tierney and Dana Jacobson seemed to love the question. But Ronde didn’t give the answer most Giants fans would. He didn’t mention his brother’s pot shots at quarterback Eli Manning and coach Tom Coughlin while working as an analyst for NBC in 2007. Or calling Michael Strahan greedy during 2002 contract negotiations. Or once comparing himself to Holocaust victim Anne Frank.

“That’s a great question,” said Ronde, a star defensive back for the Buccaneers. “Probably because you live in New York and I don’t know if New Yorkers like anything more than loving their stars, then hating them. They look for faults and exploit them. Or failure and exploit them. And it’s a national, national story when it’s up there.”

It was certainly a national story when Tiki left his pregnant wife in 2011 for an NBC intern. Giants fans harbor such ill will toward Tiki, who was an outstanding player, that they booed him during his induction in the team’s Ring of Honor in 2010.

Ronde said at Tampa Bay, where he played his entire career, “people just live the easy, laid back lifestyle.”

“You’re the more popular — less talented — but more popular brother,” Ronde joked.

Tiki then jumped in and said: “So now we get to the bottom of why my mother likes my brother better.”

She isn’t the only one.

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Ronde Barber said the Buccaneers trading for former Jets superstar cornerback had nothing to do with his retirement. Barber played corner his first 14 years in the NFL before switching to free safety last year.

“Us signing him didn’t affect the decision at all,” Barber said. “Obviously, would it have been cool to play with the guy? Absolutely. He is the premier talent at the position. He was a steal for us prior to the draft. He is gonna add a ton to our secondary.”