New York Giants running back and NFL rushing leader Tiki Barber called ESPN analyst Michael Irvin and others "idiots" for criticizing his statements that he is leaning toward retirement after the season, ESPN said.

Barber made his comments on his Sirius Satellite Radio show "The Barber Shop" on Tuesday night, ESPN said.

"...I will call them idiots, because they have neither spoken to me, nor any one of my teammates or any of my coaches," Barber said. "Yet all they do is criticize me for being a distraction with this retirement thing."

Barber took shots at New York Daily News columnist Gary Myers, who said Barber had "created a season-long distraction" and ESPN analysts and former NFL stars Tom Jackson and Irvin.

Jackson said Barber's remarks had "distracted the team from the task at hand," and Irvin said that, "To me, in my head, that's quitting. That's not retiring."

Barber singled the three out during his radio show Tuesday night.

Barber called Irvin "the ultimate character guy, facetiously speaking of course, Michael Irvin. Please get a clue on how to be a journalist.

"Don't make blanket assumptions about it [retirement]. And obviously, as was evidenced [Monday] night, I am a huge distraction to the New York Giants."

Barber said last Thursday that he is firm in his decision to retire after the season.

“I’ve been talking about retirement for years now, and it has nothing to do with being physical or money or Hall of Fame,” Barber said. “It’s all about my desires, and for me to change them would compromise my integrity and would compromise who I am as a person and what I’ve always stood for.”

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Asked whether there was added pressure to win this year because of his plans, Barber said: “The pressure’s always there, it’s no different just because you guys know that I’m going to retire this year.”

“I’m a diverse person,” added Barber, who leads the league in rushing with 533 yards this season. “I have a lot of interests, and at some point it’s time to execute a plan that’s been in place for me for about seven and a half, eight years.”

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Still, Barber wouldn’t commit to saying his retirement was 100 percent certain:

“It’s week six of the NFL season, so I won’t say that.”

However, he also said there was “nothing” that would change his mind.

Now in his 10th season, the 31-year-old Barber said that he has been banged up more this season than in any previous one, and that his passion for the game has waned.

Barber, who has spoken about retiring a couple of times in the past year, has a myriad of interests off the field. He has worked in television and he has discussed possible jobs in finance and philanthropy.