Do you like Barkley and what he has to say?

[DelMonte West]

The only thing that gets on my nerves with Charles is the fact that he probably does less to "earn" his paycheck than anyone on TV. Don't get me wrong, I love listening to TNT, although Ernie's the heart and soul of their broadcast as far as I'm concerned. But stuff like calling Paul Pierce a "young stud" or whatever it was during the playoffs, and not knowing a thing about teams without a top 5 superstar make him hard to take seriously as an analyst. You'd think a guy that has a job that easy would try to be a little more up-to-date than that.

[Dave_From_NB]

Just because the village idiot is funny, doesn't mean you should take him seriously...

I just take him for entertainment value, and I'd never get upset about anything he or any other analyst said. Frankly if they knew squat, they'd be employed by an NBA team.

[campybatman]

Charles Barkley, loudmouth TNT NBA analyst and potential 2014 gubernatorial nominee, may have finally crossed his own arbitrary tastelessness line. Barkley, commenting on the current state of the Knicks at a press conference, made this unfortunate quip about his old buddy Isiah Thomas, who recently overdosed on sleeping pills:

In discussing ways in which the Knicks should be improved this season, Barkley said, "I think they have a better coach. This coach probably won't try to kill himself." [...]

Barkley, usually not one to shy from potentially insensitive remarks, seemed to sense his attempt at humor had crossed a line. "That's my fault," he said.

Chris Mottram, the Sporting Blog's resident staff sergeant, had this to say about the slip-up:

Part of Barkley's appeal is a style that is always this close to some kind of disaster. Here, he walked right into it and I suspect, earned some respect from his critics by admitting his mistake. Though I see it as him realizing that, for once, the act he'd worked so hard to perfect during his time in the public eye sometimes just won't cut it.

http://deadspin.com/5069927/charles-bar ... onferences

[Celtics_Champs]

Barkely just made a crack at paul pierce tearing up. Saying it was because leBron was going to score 39 on him, or something like that. What an ****. Jealous ****.

[sully00]

I loved him as a player and I love him on TV. Of course he is only going to care about the top teams in the league that is all that makes his show. He is the NBA version of Don Cherry. He isn't always right but he knows what that game is about and it isn't about clothes, sneakers and draft picks. Chuck is no bull in a world full of it.

[Tenbomber]

Don't always like what he has to say, but I love him for saying what he thinks. Sports in general needs more sincerity on all fronts, but especially from the media.

Agree...

Sir Charles can be outrageous!...but he's entertaning as all hell!....sometimes the commentary from that TNT group is even more fun than the game itself....

Too bad the Celtics couldn't have won a few more games last year....would have been fun to watch a clip of Barkley making good on that speedo wearing bet...

He would have done it too!

[celticfan42487]

You watch Barkley the same way you watch an intoxicated friend in an amusment park. You know he's going to say something wrong at some part and make an ass out of himself... but he doesn't realize it.

And yes impressionable children are just that, impressionable. YOu say there is nothing wrong with drinking a beer, but that doesn't mean you think there is nothing wrong with drinking beer all the time because someone you admire does so?

Or how about a 6 year old kid gettind drunk. We are all aware of the ramifications of that.

So yes there is a promblem with that for children's parents.

[tombattor]

I love Barkley on TNT, although I didn't like him that much as a player. Sometimes he says things I don't agree with, but for the most part, he's pretty funny and speaks his mind, which is pretty refreshing.

[campybatman]

It amazes me Barkley's a good friend of Jordan. Their personalities seemingly differ. I can't imagine him not getting under Jordan's skin even after they'd became friends. I wonder if Pippen still doesn't talk to him [Barkley]. They were once friends too.

I understand a lot of NBA fans dig Barkley and his sense of humor. But, I can't say I would would ever want to meet him. He's like a student who plays his role to a tee. No one really likes him but they enjoy laughing at him and what he does to be laughed at. This student knows full well no one's truly fond of him so he continues to act out for the attention. Not because he or she requires it, but because it makes them satisfied. Like people give a bleep about him. They don't really... But, that's Chuck...

[tombattor]

It amazes me Barkley's a good friend of Jordan. Their personalities seemingly differ. I can't imagine him not getting under Jordan's skin even after they'd became friends. I wonder if Pippen still doesn't talk to him [Barkley]. They were once friends too.

I understand a lot of NBA fans dig Barkley and his sense of humor. But, I can't say I would would ever want to meet him. He's like a student who plays his role to a tee. No one really likes him but they enjoy laughing at him and what he does to be laughed at. This student knows full well no one's truly fond of him so he continues to act out for the attention. Not because he or she requires it, but because it makes them satisfied. Like people give a bleep about him. They don't really... But, that's Chuck...

It's true that he and someone like Jordan have pretty opposite personalities. However, that doesn't mean one is better than the other. I think you are letting your personal agenda/hate get in the way of truly assessing Barkley's character. Yeah, he can rub some people the wrong way, but so can anyone.

Actually, one of my friends saw him at some sports bar in Vegas a few years ago. And he told me that Barkley was one of the funniest guys he's ever seen. They were showing some game on big screen TV and he was making some funny comments about stuff with everyone and in general, pretty friendly and was pretty much just a big jokester. Not exactly someone you'd hate to meet...

[campybatman]

I don't "hate" Chuck. I don't know why people mix-up dislike and hate. I dislike a bigmouth and that's what Barkley is. Too many people have a lot to say and don't think about it before they say it out loud.I don't understand what it is to like about him other than he was a player that excelled despite his lack of height for his position of power forward. People act like he's a riot. Really? I think some of the stuff I manage to hear him say is tactless. He wouldn't like it if people talked to him like he talks in general about other active players and franchises. I think he would catch himself as far as what he says openly if people would simply not indulge him. He isn't that amusing. Let's see him go head-to-head with a real comic who gets paid to make the audience laugh.

He's a character to me. That's all he is: A character. Not a clown but playing up a character on TV. The sad thing is that his on-air personality is likely not far from his real self. Regardless, the media needs him because who else will say what he says or wants to say about stuff pertaining to the NBA or off topic news.

[captain_cheapseats]

Compare that to the dark days of lame-ass Tom Tolbert, Ahmad Rashad with his nose squarely lodged in Jordan's behind, etc etc...(shudder) Some people seem to miss it for some reason, but nba on nbc SUCKED.

I can't speak for others, but when I say I miss the old NBA on NBC, I mean the scheduling/games, not the commentators. The Sunday afternoon double (and occasionally triple!) headers they used to run once the football season was over were awesome.

[captain_cheapseats]

I like Barkley. I always enjoy listening to any media member who is willing to break from the generic commentator script, even if they're wrong......it actually gives you something to think/talk about, even if it's only why the guy is an idiot. Also Barkley is a funny guy; his comments when one of his former teammates was accused of steroid use remains one of the funniest things I've ever heard from a basketball commentator ("I've seen that boy in the showers, and he wasn't on no steroids" or something like that).

[sully00]

Compare that to the dark days of lame-ass Tom Tolbert, Ahmad Rashad with his nose squarely lodged in Jordan's behind, etc etc...(shudder) Some people seem to miss it for some reason, but nba on nbc SUCKED.

I can't speak for others, but when I say I miss the old NBA on NBC, I mean the scheduling/games, not the commentators. The Sunday afternoon double (and occasionally triple!) headers they used to run once the football season was over were awesome.

The do the same thing now the games are just on ABC.

[captain_cheapseats]

Compare that to the dark days of lame-ass Tom Tolbert, Ahmad Rashad with his nose squarely lodged in Jordan's behind, etc etc...(shudder) Some people seem to miss it for some reason, but nba on nbc SUCKED.

I can't speak for others, but when I say I miss the old NBA on NBC, I mean the scheduling/games, not the commentators. The Sunday afternoon double (and occasionally triple!) headers they used to run once the football season was over were awesome.

The do the same thing now the games are just on ABC.

Not really. ABC runs a handful of double-headers, but usually it's just one game. With NBC it was always at least a double header, with plenty of triple-headers mixed in too.

[campybatman]

I like Barkley. I always enjoy listening to any media member who is willing to break from the generic commentator script, even if they're wrong......it actually gives you something to think/talk about, even if it's only why the guy is an idiot. Also Barkley is a funny guy; his comments when one of his former teammates was accused of steroid use remains one of the funniest things I've ever heard from a basketball commentator ("I've seen that boy in the showers, and he wasn't on no steroids" or something like that).

You sound genuine. But, you're someone who likes him as a person if for any reason for his comedic side. See, I don't like him as a person so I'm apt not to grant him the benefit of the doubt. Sometimes, something that you know you shouldn't laugh at and you do laugh at is still wrong. Even if it's hard to hold off laughing. Have I ever found something he has said before amusing? Probably... But, am I laughing at what was said or simply laughing at him?

I don't know, I reckon you simply give up and learn to like him.