Charles Barkley Calls Philadelphia An Eagles Town, Lets Loose On Sixers
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Charles Barkley cemented his place as one of the best interviews in sports radio on Tuesday morning.
Barkley joined Howard Eskin, Rhea Hughes and Al Morganti on the WIP Morning Show, to talk about his favorite NFL team (the Eagles), the Sixers and basketball analytics, why the Phillies haven't been successful, and argue with what he thought was former Sixers coach Jimmy Lynam (it was Joe Conklin)
Charles On The Eagles:
Well, I'm excited about Chip Kelly. You know, I root for the Eagles. Being from Alabama, we don't have a professional team so I have kind of adopted the Eagles as my team, and I'm really excited, really excited about Chip Kelly, but if Michael Vick don't get that ball on the ground, he gonna get killed!
I was telling somebody the other night, no matter how much success the Phillies have, the Flyers, or the 76ers, Philadelphia is still, in my opinion---in my opinion, an Eagles town. I've always known that---I've been here since 1984 and this is a Philadelphia Eagles town, no matter how much success any of those other teams have had, people just love the Eagles. Sports is better when the Eagles do well.
I think, number one, it was time for a change. I think every coach has a shelf life in a certain situation to be honest with you. I think it's fascinating that Chip Kelly is going to try to do something innovative, I do. I think innovation is always good. No matter where I've been, talking to my football friends, they all want to know how this fast-paced offense is going to work, but the big key is going to be can Michael Vick stay healthy? I think that's a fair, legitimate question. I root for Michael Vick, so I want to see him stay healthy and play well.
I think two things---eight wins would be a solid season, but I think people just want to see them getting better. I think as a fan, you just want to see your team getting better, and I thought the Eagles have been regressing the last couple of years.
Charles On Donovan McNabb:
You know I love Donovan [McNabb], but he needs to let that go man. He needs to let that go. I mean, when you're out the game, the one thing you can't do, you can't make things personal. It's probably best for him to stay out of the relationship to be honest with you. Clearly the Shanahan's didn't like him, and he don't like the Shanahan's, but I think he shouldn't try to get involved in that relationship. That's his coach, no matter what he thinks about the Shanahan's, RGIII's got to work with those guys every single, so it's best for Donovan to stay out of it.
LISTEN: Charles Barkley argues with fake Jimmy Lynam
Charles On The Phillies:
Well, I think it was time for a change. It goes back to the whole Andy Reid thing we were talking about earlier. Howard [Eskin], I truly believe every coach has a shelf life. I just think it was time for a change, it was probably time for a change sooner, to be honest with you, because I think the Phillies got an old team. They needed a boost of energy and I think Ryne [Sandberg] can really bring that to the table. It was due for him to get a job, even if it wasn't for the Phillies, he's paid his dues. I was happy for him, because he's a great guy and I hope he becomes a great coach---but I think it was time, because the Phillies man, they just let this team get old and that's the one thing you can't do. Sports aren't for old people and the Phillies have let their selves get old, and they're going to be in trouble for the next few years.
Charles On Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley:
When I become a GM, I don't sign old players of what they've done for me. First of all, I've been paying them $20 million a year, so that's my loyalty. Obviously you know, my next job is going to be a GM, and I'll always been honest to my players. Said hey, 'I've been loyal to you. I've been paying you $20 million a year, for the last five years, but I can't pay you when you're 36, 37, 38 because you're just a good, solid players. You'e not worth that type of money, you're killing my salary cap. Listen, people just get older. You know what I always said about basketball, when everybody try to tell me the Knicks were gonna to be good, I said, 'They old! Old people don't get healthy, they die!'
I love old people, but they don't get healthy, they die!
And I love Jimmy [Rollins]. I love Jimmy. I love Jimmy and I love Chase [Utley], I don't know Chase. I know Jimmy a little bit, but I can't pay those guys---and everybody will say when you're paying someone $10, $12 million a year, that's a lot of money because, number, you can't go out and get free agents. You can't go out and get free agents, but you can't make trades, I mean, it just puts you in an awkward situation.
Charles On The Sixers:
I'm disappointed because I thought they treated those assistant coaches bad. They should have fired them at the beginning of the summer and gave them an opportunity to get another job, I do. I mean, I don't understand why you would hold them, let them work the team out all summer, now it's too late for them to get a job, and if I'm the [Brett] Brown guy I wouldn't want somebody else's assistant coaches. He may not even know those guys, and exactly what he did. He fired them right away, and I felt bad for Aaron [McKie] and Michael [Curry] because right now they're stuck in no where because all the good jobs are gone now.
And also, I had a problem with---if I'm a coach I would want to have some say in the draft, I would want to have some say in the draft. These are all Sam Hinkle's people who they drafted this year. He traded one of the better point guards in the NBA, yeah I have a problem with the way the Sixers are running their organization right now. Listen, Howard, you know I don't believe in that analytical crap. If LeBron James couldn't spell cat, I want him on my team. I always tell people, give me a dumb guy that can really play. Don't give me no smart guy.
The guy, he came from Houston. When did Houston get good? When they went out a paid James Harden all that money and [Omar] Asik, and now they went out a got Dwight Howard. That's got nothing to do with analytics, that's got to do with paying really good players to come to town.
On Syracuse players:
I don't think you get better defensively, or offensively, playing against a zone every day. You look at their track record, other than Carmelo [Anthony], they haven't had a lot of success in the pros. Obviously, you have to play man-to-man defense in the pros, offensively and defensively obviously. I think playing and practicing against a zone every day, it doesn't allow you to elevate your game and once you get to the NBA you're trying to play catch up offensively and defensively.
