Barkley: McCoy Never Bonded With Philly, Now It's All On Chip
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- Charles Barkley is beloved by Philadelphia. The former Sixer, now an NBA analyst and one of the most opinionated voices in sports, said---on the morning after LeSean McCoy was reportedly traded---McCoy never bonded with the city of brotherly love.
"I think I consider myself a Philadelphia guy, but I don't think Shady considers himself a Philadelphia guy," Barkley told Howard Eskin and Angelo Cataldi Wednesday on the 94WIP Morning Show. "I don't think Donovan [McNabb] ever did. The one thing I could say is I gave the fans everything that I had. And you go back to this summer with that little check incident. You could just tell, like Shady he didn't really bond with the people of Philadelphia. He's a terrific player, but I don't think he ever really bonded with the fans."
Listen: Charles Barkley on the 94WIP Morning Show
Barkley admitted he was surprised by the trade and put all the pressure on the man calling the shots now, Chip Kelly.
"Hey it all goes together, his neck, his ass is on the line," Barkley said of Kelly. "It's all on him now. He got all the power. He has 100 percent control. Now, if they don't win he's got to go. It's that simple. When you get that type of power, your neck, your ass, is on the line. And if they don't win, it's all on him. Plain and simple.
"Nobody wants to get fired," Barkley continued. "Everybody assumes he can go back to college, which he probably can, but with these trades---getting rid of DeSean [Jackson] last year, getting rid of Shady now, and they fired somebody obviously over the summer when I was there---he has 100 percent control. Now, if he don't win it's all on him. It's not the general manager, it's not anybody. It's 100 percent on him, he has complete control. And to be honest with you Howard [Eskin], I have no problem with that, but ya'll got to hold his feet to the fire. If they don't win, he's in serious trouble there."
Barkley also talked about the money aspect of the industry, and explained, the philosophy for athletes should be money over winning every time.
"The only thing that bugs me is when players take money from other teams and they're looked at as selfish," Barkley said. "And, you know, going back to Reggie White. Remember when he left there was an uproar, 'He just took the money!' But when teams cut players they're like it's just business.
"The most important thing about sports is getting the most money you possibly can. It'd be great to win a championship, but anybody that think a championship is worth $30 million, they're just an idiot or a fool. These teams don't care about winning. You think the Cowboys care about winning? No, we're gonna sign Dez Bryant and we're gonna cut DeMarco Murray. So I tell all these players, 'Hey, people talk about you want to win a championship. Dude, get as much money as you possibly can, forget that other stuff they're talking about.'"
