So sick of Charles...

[TheMayorOfChillville 31]

Taken from Jay Tate's Blog:

Charles Barkley was a guest on WJOX's "The Roundtable" show (3/16/2010)

Here is what he had to say:

* On Jeff Lebo: "Jeff is a nice guy, but he didn't win. It's not personal. Every coach is going to get fired at some point. He was there for six years and he didn't win."

* On his recent talk with Jay Jacobs: "I told him anything he needs me to do, I'll do. There's not a person is basketball I don't know or can't find out about. If he wants me to do a background check on any coach in the country, I can get it done. I can find out the truth. I'm there for him."

* On what Auburn needs: "We need to bring some excitement into the new building. We can't hide behind the crutch that we don't have a good building anymore … or good practice facilities. You can win at Auburn. Auburn is a good program. We're never going to be North Carolina or Duke, but we've had success and if you put the right coach in there, we can be successful again."

* On if Auburn needs to hire a black coach: "I've never demanded that they hire a black coach. I said I thought Turner Gill's resume was better than Gene Chizik's. And it was. Gene did a great job. I wish him success. Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job. That's why we have no minority coaches in football -- because a majority of the people who run these schools are white. They're always going to hire a while guy. The best candidate? That's b.s. I don't care who Auburn hires. I just want them to hire a good coach.

"Everybody went crazy. I said the exact same thing about Alabama when they hired Mike Shula over Sylvester Croom. Clearly race had a lot to do with that. Mike Shula -- that was the saddest day of my life when he got fired."

"That was a travesty. I know how the South works down here. We've got a bunch of rednecks down here. It is what it is."

* On his relationship with Jay Jacobs: "Me and Jay have always been cool. Jay knows -- I'm always going to be myself. I ain't never gonna be no kiss-*** brother. I'm my own man. I'm not one of these Alabama guys who listens to Finebaum and Scarbinsky. I know how this thing works."

* On if candidates have called him: "I've had 10 guys call. I told them -- I don't pull any strings down at Auburn. I'm not running the program. For some reason, they think I'm going to hire the next coach, which is not true."

I used to love Chuck. I was so proud that one of the NBA's top 50 players came from AU and I loved that he was such a big character. When he was younger, even though he was still contoversial, he was more fun. There seemed to be a more light-heartedness in him even when he was saying something most people didn't agree with.

Now, most of what he said in what I posted above isn't anything special and it doesn't bother me. But the part where he talks about Chzik does bother me. I'm sick and tired of hearing Chuck bring up Turner Gill and how he thinks Turner had a better resume than Chizik. He doesn't know that for sure and is taking speculation and trying to turn it into fact. What I mean by that is there's more to hiring a football coach at Auburn than the win-loss record. For all Chuck knows, Turner went into the interview and said everything right, but didn't have a list of assistants that were impressive enough for Jacobs to pull the trigger. Jacobs then could have turned around and talked to Chizik and he could have said, "I plan on bringing Gus Malzahn and Curtis Luper and Ted Roof etc." I don't know. I wasn't there. But neither was Chuck.

The other part and this is the part that bothers me more than anything is when he says..."Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job. That's why we have no minority coaches in football -- because a majority of the people who run these schools are white. They're always going to hire a while guy. The best candidate? That's b.s."

And then talking about Shula said, "That was a travesty. I know how the South works down here. We've got a bunch of rednecks down here. It is what it is."

That's nothing but spewing racism. You can call it what you want and say that he's got a point, but I take offense to the fact that "We've got a bunch of rednecks down here in the South and that's how it works down here." And ..."Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job." These are ridiculous statements in my opinion and racist at that. In effect, what he's saying is Auburn (since we're in the South) are a bunch of rednecks and most of us think the white guy is the best guy for the job.

Personally, I don't think most of us think that way at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure that most of us don't care if our head coach is black, white, or a multi-colored rainbow as long as he wins and represents us the right way. To lump us all in the same boat together because of our geographical location shows ignorance. To think that we all want to hire the white guy and think he's the best candidate because we're all white guys is plain and simple racism.

Sorry for the rant. I had to get this off my chest. Sometimes I have to use you all as free therapy. HaHa! You may not agree with what I've said here. You don't have to. My point to all of this is....Sir Charles...Please....SHUT UP!!!

[Wareagle3720 0]

1 thing out of this that is good is he said around 10 coaches have called interested in the job so Auburn is a very attractive job to ALL coaches out there!!! WDE!!!!

[auclong 1]

1 thing out of this that is good is he said around 10 coaches have called interested in the job so Auburn is a very attractive job to ALL coaches out there!!! WDE!!!!

They should call JJ since as the fat guy said; he isn`t the one making the decision. If he spent anytime in or around the school  and the program I might could take what he says a little better.

[Guest Autiger88]

Taken from Jay Tate's Blog:

Charles Barkley was a guest on WJOX's "The Roundtable" show (3/16/2010)

Here is what he had to say:

* On Jeff Lebo: "Jeff is a nice guy, but he didn't win. It's not personal. Every coach is going to get fired at some point. He was there for six years and he didn't win."

* On his recent talk with Jay Jacobs: "I told him anything he needs me to do, I'll do. There's not a person is basketball I don't know or can't find out about. If he wants me to do a background check on any coach in the country, I can get it done. I can find out the truth. I'm there for him."

* On what Auburn needs: "We need to bring some excitement into the new building. We can't hide behind the crutch that we don't have a good building anymore or good practice facilities. You can win at Auburn. Auburn is a good program. We're never going to be North Carolina or Duke, but we've had success and if you put the right coach in there, we can be successful again."

* On if Auburn needs to hire a black coach: "I've never demanded that they hire a black coach. I said I thought Turner Gill's resume was better than Gene Chizik's. And it was. Gene did a great job. I wish him success. Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job. That's why we have no minority coaches in football -- because a majority of the people who run these schools are white. They're always going to hire a while guy. The best candidate? That's b.s. I don't care who Auburn hires. I just want them to hire a good coach.

"Everybody went crazy. I said the exact same thing about Alabama when they hired Mike Shula over Sylvester Croom. Clearly race had a lot to do with that. Mike Shula -- that was the saddest day of my life when he got fired."

"That was a travesty. I know how the South works down here. We've got a bunch of rednecks down here. It is what it is."

* On his relationship with Jay Jacobs: "Me and Jay have always been cool. Jay knows -- I'm always going to be myself. I ain't never gonna be no kiss-*** brother. I'm my own man. I'm not one of these Alabama guys who listens to Finebaum and Scarbinsky. I know how this thing works."

* On if candidates have called him: "I've had 10 guys call. I told them -- I don't pull any strings down at Auburn. I'm not running the program. For some reason, they think I'm going to hire the next coach, which is not true."

I used to love Chuck. I was so proud that one of the NBA's top 50 players came from AU and I loved that he was such a big character. When he was younger, even though he was still contoversial, he was more fun. There seemed to be a more light-heartedness in him even when he was saying something most people didn't agree with.

Now, most of what he said in what I posted above isn't anything special and it doesn't bother me. But the part where he talks about Chzik does bother me. I'm sick and tired of hearing Chuck bring up Turner Gill and how he thinks Turner had a better resume than Chizik. He doesn't know that for sure and is taking speculation and trying to turn it into fact. What I mean by that is there's more to hiring a football coach at Auburn than the win-loss record. For all Chuck knows, Turner went into the interview and said everything right, but didn't have a list of assistants that were impressive enough for Jacobs to pull the trigger. Jacobs then could have turned around and talked to Chizik and he could have said, "I plan on bringing Gus Malzahn and Curtis Luper and Ted Roof etc." I don't know. I wasn't there. But neither was Chuck.

The other part and this is the part that bothers me more than anything is when he says..."Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job. That's why we have no minority coaches in football -- because a majority of the people who run these schools are white. They're always going to hire a while guy. The best candidate? That's b.s."

And then talking about Shula said, "That was a travesty. I know how the South works down here. We've got a bunch of rednecks down here. It is what it is."

That's nothing but spewing racism. You can call it what you want and say that he's got a point, but I take offense to the fact that "We've got a bunch of rednecks down here in the South and that's how it works down here." And ..."Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job." These are ridiculous statements in my opinion and racist at that. In effect, what he's saying is Auburn (since we're in the South) are a bunch of rednecks and most of us think the white guy is the best guy for the job.

Personally, I don't think most of us think that way at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure that most of us don't care if our head coach is black, white, or a multi-colored rainbow as long as he wins and represents us the right way. To lump us all in the same boat together because of our geographical location shows ignorance. To think that we all want to hire the white guy and think he's the best candidate because we're all white guys is plain and simple racism.

Sorry for the rant. I had to get this off my chest. Sometimes I have to use you all as free therapy. HaHa! You may not agree with what I've said here. You don't have to. My point to all of this is....Sir Charles...Please....SHUT UP!!!

I agree Mayor

[NoALtiger 3,867]

Too bad he has to be the 1 player everyone nationally associates AU basketball with. We have had so many other basketball players who handle themselves with class and are much more true members of the AU family than Charles is. He has lost his way, and in many ways, is not really an AU man. He could really do a lot of good for the AU family if he chose to, but as usual- Charles looks out for Charles.

[TheMayorOfChillville 31]

Too bad he has to be the 1 player everyone nationally associates AU basketball with. We have had so many other basketball players who handle themselves with class and are much more true members of the AU family than Charles is. He has lost his way, and in many ways, is not really an AU man. He could really do a lot of good for the AU family if he chose to, but as usual- Charles looks out for Charles.

Hammer meet Nail.

[TheMayorOfChillville 31]

1 thing out of this that is good is he said around 10 coaches have called interested in the job so Auburn is a very attractive job to ALL coaches out there!!! WDE!!!!

Agreed. I was a little surprised to hear that part.

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Didn't Charles pass up being at our final game at B-E so he could be at either a UK or UF game that ESPN carried? if he was a true Auburn man, he would have been at B-E that night.

[NoALtiger 3,867]

Didn't Charles pass up being at our final game at B-E so he could be at either a UK or UF game that ESPN carried? if he was a true Auburn man, he would have been at B-E that night.

He is not a true AU man.

[auclong 1]

Didn't Charles pass up being at our final game at B-E so he could be at either a UK or UF game that ESPN carried? if he was a true Auburn man, he would have been at B-E that night.

Yea but it may have been in Georgia. He wasn`t there no matter.

[FreeBird 0]

Charles said he would do anything to help Auburn. OK Charles why don't you get with some of your millionaire friends and stake the money for a STATE OF THE ART INDOOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE FACILITY. I'm sure if that happened your name or your Mother's name could be put on it permanently. This is not a joke, think about it Sir Charles. JMO

If anyone that knows Charles please send him this comment.

:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

[auburn4ever 1,266]

Sorry but I wasn't 100% sure which game he was at. I just know he wasn't where he should have been if he's a true Auburn as he tells people he is.

[TheMayorOfChillville 31]

Charles said he would do anything to help Auburn. OK Charles why don't you get with some of your millionaire friends and stake the money for a STATE OF THE ART INDOOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE FACILITY. I'm sure if that happened your name or your Mother's name could be put on it permanently. This is not a joke, think about it Sir Charles. JMO

If anyone that knows Charles please send him this comment.

:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

Yep...Either this or just put a piece of duct tape over his mouth. Either would help AU tremendously if you ask me.

[NoALtiger 3,867]

Charles said he would do anything to help Auburn. OK Charles why don't you get with some of your millionaire friends and stake the money for a STATE OF THE ART INDOOR FOOTBALL PRACTICE FACILITY. I'm sure if that happened your name or your Mother's name could be put on it permanently. This is not a joke, think about it Sir Charles. JMO

If anyone that knows Charles please send him this comment.

:bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow: :bow:

Yep...Either this or just put a piece of duct tape over his mouth. Either would help AU tremendously if you ask me.

I vote duct tape...or barb wire. Whatever is easiest.

[Stripe 5]

Mayor, Your absolutely correct. Charles hasn't had anything positive to say about any school that doesn't hire a black coach since his arrival at ESPN. It's getting to be really really old song that he sings.

You also right that the guy could be Technicolor rainbow and we wouldn't care as long as he wins and reps us well. So sick of listening to this guys BS. I can't believe I actually read the whole post and all the other below it. usually I read a few lines and get sick and stop reading.

Wish he would fall off the sports world and never return.

Bo is the man to rep Auburn. He does it better than anyone in the country. Because Bo Knows! and Charlie doesn't!

War Eagle! Bo

[TopGun90 0]

im just sick and tired of the outrage that there are not enough black coaches...the fact of the matter is there just arent a lot of black coaches out there...wouldnt simple math tell you that if the majority of the united states is white..wouldnt that mean the majority of coaches will probably be white...all charles is doing is hurting auburn and im pretty dang tired of it..if it makes charles feel any better maybe we ought to tell jay jacobs to put on a blind fold for every interview.....and now im imagining that  ...another thing are we just talkin black/white...i mean would charles say we were rednecks and what not if we hired an asian coach...lol how bout a hispanic coach...i think a orange and blue coach would be the most fitting 

[telling tiger 156]

If ten coaches called Barkley, we don't want any of them. They must be incredibly stupid. How out of touch must they all be with Auburn to not know he wouldn't do anything but hurt their chances at the job.

[kevon67 2,368]

I agree the best thing charles can do for auburn is....... I always thought it was sickening how he wanted to ride Michael Jordan's coat tail and Jordan always seemed stand-offish. I lost respect for charles 20 years ago.

p.s. charles........my advice is to ask Jimmy Green for some golf lessons maybe some of his class will rub off on you

[beagle34 72]

Didn't he get arrested in LV on a DUI charge  along with a hooker in the vehicle several years ago? If so, I wouldn't want him doing a background check for a coach for AU.

[yellowfin1345162858 0]

Love him or hate him, he speaks the truth! Before y'all say anything I'm a white guy in South Alabama.

[TheMayorOfChillville 31]

Love him or hate him, he speaks the truth! Before y'all say anything I'm a white guy in South Alabama.

That's debatable. I'll give you half the time. He speaks the truth about half the time in my opinion.

[Jonesy 1]

I like Charles. You have to take the man for what he's worth.

He doesn't have discretion, he never has. He was a jewel for the NBA media for the decade and a half he played and it wasn't because he was a great athlete, it was because they could get straight answers out of him rather than politically correct, prepared statements. He says what everybody else wants to say but is too scared too. A lot of it is off the wall and from time to time it's not nice things about Auburn but he speaks how he feels and if he didn't love Auburn he probably wouldn't bother saying anything at all about Auburn to begin with.

Nobody takes him seriously anyways. I can't make myself get anywhere close to being overworked by what he says.

[NoALtiger 3,867]

Barkley is a cartoon character, a joke.

[doubleaWE 0]

He is what he is.  He gets paid for basketball commentary and is straight forward with his opinions weather you agree with them or not.  At least when he answers a question it is not a politcal response that answers nothing and tells you even less.  He speaks how he feels about the subject whether popular or not.  We do not know what the coaching search brought in to JJ and what he considered between the canidates.  But I would be hard pressed to think that Charles knows the same amount about this as most of us do.  Look, the guy ruffles some feathers and will make some people hate him for it.  But just listened to sportscenter in the morning and listen to the q and a to the coaches and players.  All are typical PR responses that we could have answered for them.  The man knows basketball has connections nationwide within the sport.  Football is a different sport where he may not be knowledgable and connected as college bb and nba.  The guy says how he feels and I will take it anyday over a PR goon.  At least I will get some mental stimilation from his answers one way or another; good or bad.  Just my two cents.

[DJ_Hatch 0]

Taken from Jay Tate's Blog:

Charles Barkley was a guest on WJOX's "The Roundtable" show (3/16/2010)

Here is what he had to say:

* On Jeff Lebo: "Jeff is a nice guy, but he didn't win. It's not personal. Every coach is going to get fired at some point. He was there for six years and he didn't win."

* On his recent talk with Jay Jacobs: "I told him anything he needs me to do, I'll do. There's not a person is basketball I don't know or can't find out about. If he wants me to do a background check on any coach in the country, I can get it done. I can find out the truth. I'm there for him."

* On what Auburn needs: "We need to bring some excitement into the new building. We can't hide behind the crutch that we don't have a good building anymore … or good practice facilities. You can win at Auburn. Auburn is a good program. We're never going to be North Carolina or Duke, but we've had success and if you put the right coach in there, we can be successful again."

* On if Auburn needs to hire a black coach: "I've never demanded that they hire a black coach. I said I thought Turner Gill's resume was better than Gene Chizik's. And it was. Gene did a great job. I wish him success. Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job. That's why we have no minority coaches in football -- because a majority of the people who run these schools are white. They're always going to hire a while guy. The best candidate? That's b.s. I don't care who Auburn hires. I just want them to hire a good coach.

"Everybody went crazy. I said the exact same thing about Alabama when they hired Mike Shula over Sylvester Croom. Clearly race had a lot to do with that. Mike Shula -- that was the saddest day of my life when he got fired."

"That was a travesty. I know how the South works down here. We've got a bunch of rednecks down here. It is what it is."

* On his relationship with Jay Jacobs: "Me and Jay have always been cool. Jay knows -- I'm always going to be myself. I ain't never gonna be no kiss-*** brother. I'm my own man. I'm not one of these Alabama guys who listens to Finebaum and Scarbinsky. I know how this thing works."

* On if candidates have called him: "I've had 10 guys call. I told them -- I don't pull any strings down at Auburn. I'm not running the program. For some reason, they think I'm going to hire the next coach, which is not true."

I used to love Chuck. I was so proud that one of the NBA's top 50 players came from AU and I loved that he was such a big character. When he was younger, even though he was still contoversial, he was more fun. There seemed to be a more light-heartedness in him even when he was saying something most people didn't agree with.

Now, most of what he said in what I posted above isn't anything special and it doesn't bother me. But the part where he talks about Chzik does bother me. I'm sick and tired of hearing Chuck bring up Turner Gill and how he thinks Turner had a better resume than Chizik. He doesn't know that for sure and is taking speculation and trying to turn it into fact. What I mean by that is there's more to hiring a football coach at Auburn than the win-loss record. For all Chuck knows, Turner went into the interview and said everything right, but didn't have a list of assistants that were impressive enough for Jacobs to pull the trigger. Jacobs then could have turned around and talked to Chizik and he could have said, "I plan on bringing Gus Malzahn and Curtis Luper and Ted Roof etc." I don't know. I wasn't there. But neither was Chuck.

The other part and this is the part that bothers me more than anything is when he says..."Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job. That's why we have no minority coaches in football -- because a majority of the people who run these schools are white. They're always going to hire a while guy. The best candidate? That's b.s."

And then talking about Shula said, "That was a travesty. I know how the South works down here. We've got a bunch of rednecks down here. It is what it is."

That's nothing but spewing racism. You can call it what you want and say that he's got a point, but I take offense to the fact that "We've got a bunch of rednecks down here in the South and that's how it works down here." And ..."Most people always think the white guy is the best guy for the job." These are ridiculous statements in my opinion and racist at that. In effect, what he's saying is Auburn (since we're in the South) are a bunch of rednecks and most of us think the white guy is the best guy for the job.

Personally, I don't think most of us think that way at all. In fact, I'm pretty sure that most of us don't care if our head coach is black, white, or a multi-colored rainbow as long as he wins and represents us the right way. To lump us all in the same boat together because of our geographical location shows ignorance. To think that we all want to hire the white guy and think he's the best candidate because we're all white guys is plain and simple racism.

Sorry for the rant. I had to get this off my chest. Sometimes I have to use you all as free therapy. HaHa! You may not agree with what I've said here. You don't have to. My point to all of this is....Sir Charles...Please....SHUT UP!!!

Mayor, if I may, in Sir Charles' defense... he said he liked Coach Chizik and he wished him well! I think he just meant that at the time of the coaching search, Turner Gill was the hotter name, and A LOT of people (including Chuck and myself) were hoping we would hire him! Now am I glad we didn't and do I think Charles feels the same way? Yes!!! And that's why JJ is the AD and not me or CB!

Now to your second beef with what he said about "white guys" getting hired all the time... well, I think he's got a point here, too! He just didn't articulate it very well (he does this quite often). I work in a major corporation (in the South), and I can tell you right now that racism still exists when it comes to hiring! Also, a lot of the time it's about hiring the guys you're most comfortable with... the guy most like yourself (for the one's doing the hiring). I know dang well that a lot of the "good ole' boy" big-money guys around here would MUCH rather have a white coach who could win, than a minority one! I know that sounds horrible, but it is the way it is! Charles is right... most AD's and Presidents of Universities (I'm sure especially in the South) are white, and like I said... in certain situations, b/c of pressure from boosters and being more comfortable with someone like themselves, these AD's and coaches will hire the white coach!

Now to the Shula situation... who didn't think at the time that the turds were stupid to hire him over Croom? When Croom was OBVIOUSLY the better candidate! And as to what Charles said, he was directing it toward Alabama, first of all, and NOT AU, but what was wrong with what he said? He said that there are a lot of rednecks in the South! Uh... last time I checked, HE'S RIGHT!! Did he say that EVERYONE in the South are rednecks? NO! I think all he's saying is, as I said before, that there are STILL a lot of racist people in the South, with redneck mentalities, making decisions about who gets hired and who doesn't! And to that extent... he's right! Like I said before, he just not very good at getting his point across some of the time... okay MOST of the time!

P.s. The best thing Chuck said (other than his multiple shots at the turds) was this... "I don't care who Auburn hires. I just want them to hire a good coach." I think we ALL can at least agree with Sir Charles on that statement!