I don’t want to be sitting next to old fat-ass Shaq and drop dead.” I want to die on the golf course or somewhere fishing. “I’ll be 61 when I finish out my contract,” Barkley said prior to All-Star Weekend. Good move.Legendary NBA star turned Turner Sports analyst Charles Barkley believes he’ll retire when his contract is up in a couple of years. … In the wake of the Lisa Olson mess in New England, Golden State has instituted a post-game policy requiring players to remain dressed or don bathrobes in the first five minutes after the locker room is opened. … Wasn’t it a little premature for everyone to write off the Lakers after they lost their first couple of games?. … Early choices for Coach of the Year? Boston’s Chris Ford and Milwaukee’s Del Harris aren’t bad bets. … Even though he just had a tiff with his star point guard, Pooh Richardson, Minnesota’s Bill Musselman is probably the most stable of the expansion team coaches. The sooner Barkley realizes that, the better off he and the 76ers will be.ĪROUND THE RIM: The coaching axe is ready to fall around the league the question is, who will get it first? New York’s Stu Jackson and Indiana’s Dick Versace could be at the front of the line. But because Barkley is Barkley, because he’ll tell you he’s going to do what he wants to do, others are always going to be extra wary. Maybe a player of Barkley’s caliber shouldn’t be so easily tossed in a crucial moment like that. When the rule was put in the books, some even called it the “Barkley rule.” Knowing that he was going to be scrutinized extra closely all season, especially in Auburn Hills where he and Laimbeer engaged in a brutal fight last April that was much more entertaining than Holyfield-Douglas, Barkley again should have known better. Well, it should be remembered that the flagrant foul rule was instituted primarily for guys like Barkley, who are known to turn swinging elbows into flying fists. But if you play with fire often enough, sometimes, you’re going to get burned. Instead, he’s blaming it all on the media, a group which has often taken care of Barkley by censoring many of his “would be” controversial comments. Now, he’s too stubborn and proud to accept blame for the comments. Realizing his celebrity, realizing that what he says is taken much more seriously than anything you or I would say in our place of work, Barkley should have backed off.īarkley never backs off, though. But what led to it being in print and the ensuing controversy was his dare to print the initial comment just to make the women’s groups mad. So, Barkley’s initial comment was no big deal. Even the most loving of TV families like the Huxtables on “The Cosby Show” have similar moments. It’s the stuff sitcoms like “Roseanne,” “Married with Children” and “The Simpsons” thrive on. Yet, I’m sure once or twice in the office I’ve kiddingly said something like, “If she doesn’t cut down on that Christmas list, it’s bang, zoom time.”Īnd I’m not naive enough to think that she hasn’t expressed the same sentiments about me to her friends once in awhile with fist pounding hand. My wife and I have been married for eight and a half years. Ralph Kramden used to yell and scream about sending Alice “to the moon” all the time on the “Honeymooners.” We laughed then - and still laugh now - when we watch those reruns because we can all relate. In regard to the “wife beating” comment, it seemed harmless at the time. Sure, defenses can be made for Barkley in both of the instances that got him in trouble. Gone was the Sixers’ chance for a huge win over the world champions on their home floor. Garretson said an elbow foul with contact above the shoulders calls for an automatic ejection. Neither did the fact that Rodman, obviously taking acting lessons from Bill Laimbeer, delivered an Oscar-winning performance by crumbling to the floor. The fact that Barkley’s elbow barely grazed Rodman didn’t matter. Then, in the fourth quarter Friday night in Auburn Hills, referee Darrell Garretson said “See ya later,” to Barkley after he threw an elbow in the direction of Dennis Rodman’s head. He issued one-or two-sentence statements and then told the media, “See ya later.” So, after three games this week, Barkley, who is a regular on the NBA writers’ all-interview team, was terse. So, Barkley was invited to the league office this past week to discuss his statements and other behavior the NBA has deemed “not in the best interest of the game.”īarkley apologized to the women’s groups, then turned around and blamed the local media for getting him in trouble.
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