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"Hi,
I'm Charles Barkley, and I'm a Dumbass" This is a line directly out of Sir Charles' mouth when he was reading a teleprompter when he was being punked during a NBA/TNT broadcast. Charles read it exactly as it appeared, and everybody got a good laugh out of it. It was funny...and amazingly Barkley read the entire line without screwing up, and that was surprising, too. I have been watching the NCAA Tournament just like everybody else, and I have been amazed at how weak Barkley is on-air during the college hoops coverage. He is so unprepared that he can't even ask a single question that makes any sense or has any relevance to the games, teams, players or coaches. Every time he attempts to use the English language, I watch the other co-hosts and you can tell they are unsure about his direction, content or tongue. Don't get me wrong; there are times in which I find Barkley funny and insightful, but unfortunately neither have taken place yet on the NCAA hoops coverage. The guy could be a permanent host on Saturday Night Live. I saw Ashley Judd being interviewed for 2 minutes during the Kentucky - Iowa State game. She laid down more basketball knowledge in that short clip that Barkley has for the entire tournament. Of course, Judd has also watched more college hoops than Barkley this year, too.....and it is obvious every time Barkley looks down at his blank tablet pretending to go over his notes. Watching Barkley is like watching the dumbest kid in class stare at an unexpected pop quiz that has been placed on his desk. Somehow he thinks the answers will magically appear. I guess I'm supposed to pretend that everything he says is funny when he interrupts the host and cuts up with pal Kenny Smith. Those inside jokes must be hilarious...but nearly as funny as watching Barkley pretend to know the game of college basketball. Maybe CBS could ask Ashley Judd to join the studio crew....or better yet replace Barkley. Not only is she more knowledgeable, but she is easier on the eyes, too. I want to thank everyone that sent me an email, text or note about the new gig on WRFX (99.7 FM). The Clear Channel suits impressed me when they scheduled a meeting a few weeks ago and laid out an idea that they had in mind. I'm not used to radio executives who have the ability to think out of the box. My past experience has led me to believe that radio execs have mastered ways to manage from the comfort of home or somewhere else more pleasurable. I was so intrigued by their concept and direction, that I had to jump on board. The big, old, hairy Fox has been kicking ass in Charlotte for decades and I'm looking forward to having some fun with them on a daily basis. I'm also looking forward to some of the other ideas they want to incorporate down the road, too.....it's going to be fascinating. But in the meantime, if you miss me in the mornings on SiriusXM (9-noon), you can catch the daily "Packman on Sports" commentaries and rants on WRFX-FM in Charlotte at 4:45 & 6;45. I still continue to do the "Packman on Sports" TV commentary at night on WJZY-TV during the 10pm newscast. I've got some other cool things that I'm working on that I hope to announce later this summer....stay tuned. I was in Greensboro for the NCAA Tournament on Sunday afternoon, so I didn't catch any of the Cup racing from Bristol. However, I did watch some of the Nationwide race between NCAA Tourney games, and I was very surprised....NASCAR has found a way to make Bristol boring. I miss the old days when the single groove meant rubbing and high blood pressure. The multiple groove racing at Bristol is as lame as that tandem-crap at the Super speedways last year. We've got enough 1.5 mile cookie cutter tracks to put me asleep....don't mess with Bristol. Apparently it's too late. Saturday's race featured all of 5 lead changes and only 4 cautions....And ironically, none of them involved Danica Patrick! That's disappointing. The NCAA Tournament took on a different feel in these parts with the injury to UNC point guard, Kendall Marshall. I spoke to him in the UNC locker room during our SiriusXM interview, and needless to say he was emotional....so were his teammates. The Heels had just completed beating a quality team in Creighton, and were rolling to St. Louis before getting the bad news about Marshall's injury. The team will have to wait until they see how Marshall's wrist responds after surgery. This is the one position on the team where a lack of quality depth is apparent...if Marshall can't go, the Heels have few options. Injuries have taken their toll on the UNC backcourt all season long. While UNC is in a "holding pattern" as the region's #1 seed, one of their arch-enemies is riding a confident streak. That team is NC State, and if everything works out for the Wolfpack, they plan on seeing UNC in the regional final on Sunday in St. Louis. What kind of odds could you get on February 25th, after a 4th consecutive loss, this time at Clemson, that the Pack would not only be NCAA Tourney-bound, but a team that would be alive and kicking heading into the Sweet 16? It's been an awesome run by the Wolfpack, and now there is the chance of a collision course meeting with the team that they hate the most for a chance at a trip to the Final Four. Now granted, Kansas will have something to say about that potential meeting, but you get the point. While State and UNC were dealing with their issues, the other team on Tobacco Road, Duke, was trying to figure out what hit them. The Blue Devils suffered the ACC's worst loss in NCAA Tournament history when they were beaten by 15-seeded Lehigh of the Patriot League. What else is there to say about Duke? Other than it's football season. The last time the folks in Charlotte saw John Fox, he was putting the finishing touch on a dismal 2-14 season. Since his departure, Fox has landed in Denver....won the AFC West.....won a playoff game against Pittsburgh.....dealt with the Tim Tebow Mania.....and now it looks like he is going to be Peyton Manning's next coach. Times are good for Fox and the Broncos. Back in Carolina, the Panthers are feeling upbeat, too. Cam Newton is in place...and that's a great thing. The club also signed another RB....this time it's Mike Tolbert. He supposedly can be used as a fullback....that's good. Because we already have Mike Goodson, DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart. What are the Panthers going to run, the wishbone? The team needs to make another deal and get some quality defensive help in place ASAP. We can't let John Fox have all the fun in Denver. |
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