Charles Barkley is at Angels Spring Training Spewing a Bunch of Nonsense for Some Reason
By Brendan Balsamo
Charles Barkley is a basketball guy. He is an Auburn Tigers legend and has had his number retired by both the Philadelphia 76ers and the Phoenix Suns. He is an authority on the NBA and all things basketball.
But don't count him out elsewhere in the sports world! Barkley showed up at the Los Angeles Angels Spring Training on Monday and had some things to say that were, well, very "Chuck"-like.
Greetings from Angels camp, where Charles Barkley said, “Do not compare Ohtani to Bo Jackson.”
— Andy McCullough (@ByMcCullough) March 2, 2020
Who was comparing Shohei Ohtani and Bo Jackson? One played two different sports and one plays two different positions. This comparison was never made until Barkley decided to allude to it on Monday.
On top of making this up, he was also flat-out wrong about another thing.
Charles Barkley on his friend Joe Maddon: “I like his leadership style. I like his personality even more. And we both hate analytics.”
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 2, 2020
Everyone likes Angels manager Joe Maddon and his lovable personality, but Barkley is saying that the man who basically invented the shift hates analytics. He couldn't be more off. All Maddon has said in the past was that some teams' overuse or extreme use of analytics can come back to hurt them, which is why he's blending analytics and fundamentals in LA.
Joe Maddon (left) and Charles Barkley. pic.twitter.com/rnQ5jIUUny
— Bill Shaikin (@BillShaikin) March 2, 2020
Barkley is one of the most respected living basketball players. His role on NBA on TNT and his banter with Shaquille O'Neal is irreplaceable. However, if he were on MLB Network, he'd be fired an hour into his first shift. Stick to basketball, Chuck.