I think making personal attacks on one team is over the line and TNT probably warned him that this platform isn't to play out his personal grudges.
Even though I can't stand the guy on television, I have heard amazing stories about his time when he was here, and terrible ones. Anyways two friends of mine would work out at 24 hr fitness in sugar land and see him all the time. He was very nice to them (I guess he loves Irish immigrants). He always made a point to talk to them over anyone in the gym. He always told my buddy how he was inspired by how much he could lift, especially being Handicapped (rapping the full stack on every machine he could do). Anyways it's things like that, that define someone's true character. My buddy still adores his knucklehead personality. I understand the beef he has with Houston, he did kinda get screwed here. Cool story bro, I know... Just my 2 cents...
The more reasonable theories I've seen: 1. Someone had a talk with him about professionalism and he realized the error of his ways. 2. Les paid him the disputed sum to shut up. 3. Barkley caved under threat of legal action. 4. Barkley caved under threat of termination. #4 seems like the likely answer. If Barkley just grew up, he probably wouldn't do it with a carefully staged apology. and #2 is totally implausible -- handing over millions of dollars would be an admission of guilt. Legal threats are a possibility, but Les probably doesn't want to have to hash out in court what under the table deals he may or may not have made. Not when there is a much easier option to have the league put in a phone call to TNT.
He may have apologized, but the fat ass is going to continue to do it anyways. His has never showed up to any training camp in shape and has the audacity to call out others for lacking heart of fake hussel or whatever? Freakin hypocrite.
They care because the show he is on is the #1 NBA show and is considered by many to be the gold standard of a sports recap/halftime show. It impacts perception of teams. Their show matters like no other show matters in any other sport.
well it showed heavy bias on TNT's part. Were there any "Not Necessary" digs on teams that got swept like DET or MEM? I doubt it.
I remember a long time ago Barkley said in the newspaper he would play for a million dollars or something like that,...?
Houston fans gave Barkley a hero's sendoff into retirement. The entire stadium cheered for him when he rehabbed all year and came back to get his final minutes. It's not just a knock on the organization but against Rockets fans. We were loyal to him the years he was here. It's easy to make fun of and blame him now, I used to defend the guy because he did have some pretty amazing games here. Now I understand why no one remembers any of great things he did and why his tenure is regarded as a failure. No class whatsoever. If i still had my dark blue #4 Barkley jersey, I'd put it in the trash. To go from Dream Team hero, '93 MVP, all star, etc to TNT gutter trash is a pretty big fall from grace. Get it together Charles. Show your last team and fans the same love we showed you.
I still have my #4 jersey. It's white and was rare at the time (compared to the blue which was out for several years at Rockets shop). I remember the game he played against MJ when Dream & Drexler were out. He was relentless. Never gave up. Even when the game was out of reach he kept going. Pure fight that day. CB is loyal and treats people with respect. He has to genuinely be upset about something to treat someone negatively IMO. He's very sensitive to business relationships. I've heard him apologize profusely for missing a radio spot, promising to make up for it, etc... he expects the same level of professionalism and honor from others. I like him with or without the Houston hate.
I agree 100% - whatever beef he had with Les, to take it out on Morey and Houston was crappy thing for him to do. I respected him so much and was so sad he day he got injured. But the way he has pooped on the team has really turned me off.
My frustration with Barkley lies with the fact that the damage he caused is already done. No apology is going to change peoples' perception of this team....he's been railing us for far too long, and the vast majority of NBA fans blindly follow what they're told. The rhetoric is that the Rockets are whiny, fake, and they flop. Barkley helped spread that. Now he comes back and apologizes, but just like a lawyer in court, even if our objection (as Rockets fans) is sustained, the jury still heard the question that was out of line. We, as fans, are the ultimate losers here. He is on the leading talk show in all of sports, and everything that's said on there is taken as gospel. By him bashing the Rockets constantly (some criticisms hold merit, others don't), it causes a trickle-down where ALL media outlets carry the narrative that's set by Inside the NBA. No matter where we turn as Rockets fans, we get no solace from the constant negativity surrounding our team. I'd venture that NO fanbase puts up with as much media negativity as the Rockets, and I'd lay most of that blame at the doorsteps of Chuck and Shaq (with an honorable mention to ESPN, but they're just hacks who follow the herd). And as others have stated, it hurts even more when you take into account how excited we were as fans when he came here. He was treated as if he had played his whole career here, and we sent him off in style. He lost perspective of who he was actually hurting with all of his vitriol, and now we are the ones who suffer.
I wish there was a donkey for him to kiss... oh there is. <iframe width="420" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SOK0mVRPfdk" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
