San Diego Reader

I've read articles from people that complain about ex-athletes being hired to write or broadcast sports events.

To me, it makes sense. Why not have a person like Dan Fouts, who is good looking, a great speaker, and knows about the sport in which he's talking?

Why does it have to be some journalism student that graduated top of his class, and knows everything about writing/broadcasting, but has never played organized ball?

But what does bother me, is when they hire athletes that were jerks. For example, Bobby Knight is one of the biggest jerks in sports history. Yet now I see him on shows talking about college basketball.

Keshawn Johnson was one of the biggest jerks, and now he's on the NFL shows talking about what a jerk Terrell Owens is.

I'm the only person I know that hates Charles Barkley. As a player, I loved him. For his size, to be one of the best power forwards that ever played the game...is an amazing feat.

The few times I met him he was always nice (one time being in a locker room, where he was completely naked, talking golf with Michael Jordan...Jordan was dressed).

Yet everyone thinks he's this great announcer/commentator, because he "tells it like it is." And yeah, he can sometimes be funny. But most of the time, he gets his facts wrong.

I remember him talking about how Yao Ming would be horrible in the NBA and would never score more than 10 points in a game. He said if Yao ever did, he'd walk to the next arena naked (something about that guy and being naked).

Barkley once threw somebody thru a bar window. I think that person was drunk and said Barkley was no good because he never won a championship ring. And, instead of just ignoring the guy, he put him thru the window.

Another heckler in a game once said some things Sir Charles didn't like. He tried to spit on the guy, but hit a 6-year-old girl sitting in front of him.

Barkley had a casino that threatened to sue him, for not paying debts (I'm not even sure how a casino lets you leave owing them money...I'm going to try that next time I'm in Vegas).

I've heard Barkley talk about politics, and possibly running for office. Yet, he doesn't know a thing about politics. Sometimes he says he's a Republican, other times he's a Democrat. He has no clue about any of it, and listening to his idiotic nasally voice, as he thinks he knows more than anyone else....I'm just not sure how everyone else can tolerate him.

The latest incident with him involves a DUI in Arizona. The police asked him why he was driving so fast, and he pointed to the woman in the car (allegedly) and said he was going to take her around the corner for [insert sex act here]. That'll be interesting news to his wife.

I remember when Madonna was having an affair with Dennis Rodman, there were things that came out about Barkley cheating on his wife, with parties that the NBA players had. Someone in the media asked Barkley about this and he said "What happens at an NBA players house, stays at that house."

It must. One NBA player shot and killed his limo driver, and he didn't get charged (and he even tried to cover up and say the driver shot himself accidentally).

Barkley had recently been talking about his old school Auburn. He said they were racist because they didn't hire a black head coach (I assume that's for the basketball team, but I'm not positive).

And I wonder, if like Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson, who accuse everyone of being racist (even though they themselves are)...will he just always get camera time? No matter how idiotic the things are he says?

Or will people just start ignoring these idiots?

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