Charles in charge: Barkley wants Bobby Petrino running his alma mater’s football program
TNT commentator Charles Barkley rides a horse to the set prior to action with the San Antonio Spurs and the Oklahoma City Thunder in game three of the Western Conference finals of the 2012 NBA playoffs at Chesapeake Energy Arena. (Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE)
It’s a good thing Charles Barkley, a professional basketball Hall of Famer, loves the Auburn Tigers, his alma mater. It is even better, however, that Sir Charles loves hearing his own voice.
Yes, the TBS NBA analyst knows as much or more about his chosen sport than anyone in the world, but football is probably a different story.
Not to Barkley, however.
Back in 2008, Barkley voiced his support loudly for Turner Gill, who eventually lost out on the Auburn head coaching job to Gene Chizik. Chizik, of course, was fired after a disastrous 2012 football season. Barkley did not get the last laugh, however, as Chizik at least went down in flames after winning the 2010 BCS National Championship.
Barkley seems to, once again, know exactly what his alma mater needs.
However, his choice is not simply him flapping his gums. This time his choice is downright controversial, and he is requesting it loudly.
Barkley voiced his support for former Arkansas savior-turned-pariah Bobby Petrino on NBC.
“I understand he has some baggage but he’s a hell of a coach, and we shouldn’t try to play judge and jury and moral judge. He made a mistake, he admitted to his mistake, we have to hire a guy who we know can win, and that’s him,” Barkley told NBC 38. “It’s unfortunate about what happened to (former coach Gene) Chizik, but it’s time for Auburn to move on.”
Arkansas helped Petrino prove he is a great coach while he relaxed on the sofa recovering from injuries he sustained crashing his motorcycle with his mistress riding on the backseat. The Razorbacks, under interim coach John L. Smith, opened the season at No. 8-nationally and promptly tanked, finishing with a 4-8 record overall.
Such a disastrous waste of uber-talented football players is exactly the type of season that leads fans in the South to call for a man with Petrino’s known “proclivities”.
Charles Barkley is not at all the only Auburn die-hard that would love to see Petrino patrolling the War Eagle sidelines; he is simply the loudest.
H/T: Fansided
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