Who thinks Charles Barkley plays the race card to much?

Good white coaches are often overlooked and bad white coaches are often picked. I am not sure why that is so, but owners make their selection of coaches based more on feeling than anything. I'm sure that race might play a part sometimes, but I don't believe it is very often. Decision makers want to win more than they care about skin color.

Coaches...black or white are seldom picked on pure qualifications. Gene Upshaw of the Raiders was hired as head coach of the Raiders over his white counterparts, though Upshaw was really not qualified.

Al Davis said that he hired Upshaw not on qualifications, or skin color, but rather because he felt that Upshaw understood the true Raider philosophy. Upshaw turned out to be very mediocre, but the point is that coaches are usually picked on philosophies and other criteria, not always pure qualifications. Looking back, I think Upshaw was a good pick. Not because he was Black, but because Davis was willing to take a chance on his gut. The move didn't pay off, but neither did any of the coaches that the Raiders hired. Being a winner often means taking chances.

OK, but Turner Gill also was an assistant on 3 Nebraska National championship teams, was a position coach for a heisman trophy winner and is the head coach of a program that was voted "10 worst programs" before he arrived. Now his program has just won a league title and their first bowl appearance in years and he is the reason. Chizik isn't coming to Auburn to be an assistant coach, but the head coach. Gill head coaching experience is slightly greater than the 5- 19 record of Chizik. I think that Barkley has some insight since HE WAS ON THE SEARCH Committee. Gill isn't Barkley's friend, Barkley talked to Gill as part of the search committee. Barkley was in the room for the decision and came out of that room and removed himself from the committee. Something was said behind close doors that we are not aware of. The spin on this is bad. Barkley maybe should not have said this, but the truth is probably the truth. Barkley isn't one to hold back on the truth as he sees it. And SOMETHING was said in that meeting that didn't agree with Barkley.

Respectfully, No...he came out of Auburn college as a chubby, yet quick player for his size, Barkley was drafted by the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers and made an impact and made them a solid contender even though he and the Sixers had their moments he couldn't get them a championship, he was traded to the Phoenix Suns for Tim Perry and another piece. Barkley had his best years in Phoenix where he got to the NBA Finals except Micheal Jordan and the Chicago Bulls got in the way, beating the Suns in the NBA Finals. Barkley later signed with the Houston Rockets to close out his legendary career. Despite not winning a title, Sir Charles is known as one of the best rebounders and shot blockers in NBA history. His career has not been without controversy as he appeared in a Nike Commercial where he announced "I am not a role model" and has admitted he has a gambling problem. He is an analyst on TNT's KIA NBA Shootaround. Barkley may have played football in his childhood as a hobby but not professionally or in the collegiate ranks. There, I hoped that maked things clear.

It is easier to scream "racist" than it is to have a honest debate. You can make a justification for either coach. Auburn was just more familiar with Chizik. People forget as an defensive assistant coach Chizik had the number 1 rated defense while at Auburn.

Let me say this. You are white and you will never know what us black people go through. Some of us have have had some bad experiences if our lives. Charles is right because if race was not a problem then why are SEC coaches are telling reporters that a black man will never get a job in the SEC if he is married to a white women. You need to wake up racism is still alive and well. It might be different than it was in the 1960s but it is here.

Usually I think that Barkley is an over the top idiot who will say anything for air time. This time, however, he is absolutely right. The SEC (and college football in general) has shown a pattern of unexeptable behavior when it comes to minority coaching interviews. If Turner Gill told Barkley that he felt like a token interview then Barkley should be making a big deal out of it. Also, he has a right to be mad that Auburn signed a terrible coach.

I like Charles Barkley. However, I find his thoughts to be uneducated rants of stupidity. I have seen other commentators get pissed or shake their head about the things he says.

A classic I saw was when the group was talking about football, he was staring out in another direction. He blurted out that Oscar De La Hoya won his fight and started to do small punching jabs. The commentators firmly kept their anger under their voices as the told him they are not to be reporting on that event. The reason? The fight was still live and on pay per view.

Thumbs up to those who agree.

barkley spoke without looking at the situtation. big shock there

chizik has SEC experience and has recruited the SEC area he has connections with area high schools and their coaches. he was in his 2nd season at iowst. its unfair to compare his overall abiltiy when he was working at a perptual losing program. it would be like saying Greg Schiano was a bum after his 2nd year at Rutgers. those first years are baby steps. look at rich rodriguez at wvu he was 4-8 his first year at wvu

gill would have been a better hire at syracuse he had been recruiting that upper new york area at buffalo.

In this particular case, NO.

I was in the south on business with in the past 12 months and there is definitely still a degree of racism just below the surface. The south may look like Calif with its newer shopping centers and housing tracks, but after awhile one does get the sense of pretty blatant segregation. So, I think he's got a point.

Barkley's not racist, he simply says what others are too darn afraid to say. Oh, and he's married to a Caucasian women in case you missed the memo. There's only one race card being played in this situation, and Sir Charles just called them out on it! I don't agree with everything this guy says but, come on you're not blind - I hope... He's merely stating the facts this time...