Is it just us, or is Charles Barkley wearing thin? What was once refreshing spontaneity is starting to look like plain old boorishness.
The latest incident, in which Barkely punched a man he said heckled him in a Phoenix bar, included a call for an apology by the punchee. Edward Durham offered the olive branch last week when he said, "I know he's a good man inside. I don't think he's a bad person. But he just has a temper problem, and that temper will get him in trouble someday. I couldn't understand why he just flipped like that. It was just like watching him on the basketball court when he gets out of hand."While Durham wanted an apology, Barkley wasn't interested. "I'd rather go to a Klan meeting with a Malcom X hat than apologize," said Sir Charles. "I'm not apologizing. We don't apologize in Alabama unless we do things wrong."
In the nonsensical coachspeak category comes this from Orlando coach Brian Hill on the Jazz: "Historically, they are one of the best road teams in the league, year in and year out."
The Jazz have never won more than 19 road games and have often been criticized for their poor road performances.
Danny Ainge to Charles Barkley after a recent Suns' game: "Three for eight from the line and you want ME to pass YOU the ball? How's your back?"
Replied Barkley: "Like your face. It needs surgery."
The trade of Alvin Robertson to Denver avoided what could have been an even messier situation than it was.
Word out of Detroit is that if the Pistons couldn't have traded Robertson, they would have tried to skip paying off the $7 million they owed him by saying his attack on personnel director Billy McKinney voided the contract.
"I can't imagine any line of work where you strangle the boss and then come back and everything's OK," said Detroit president Tom Wilson. "If there's no penalty, then it's open season on every coach and G.M."
ADDENDUM: An excited security guard at the Newark airport to John Stockton: "If you're a basketball fan, the whole Utah Jazz team just walked through here a minute ago." . . . Kendall Gill on playing in Seattle: "Teams in the East are very physical, night in, night out. I think it's going to be to my advantage, having played in the East with the physical contact. Teams in the West run a lot more." . . . Boston's Robert Parish, who was fined $10,000 and suspended one game in 1987 after smacking Detroit's Bill Laimber: "It was worth every penny. That's how much I enjoyed it." . . . Reports are saying Laimbeer considered retiring after his fight last week with Isiah Thomas, but was talked out of it by management . . . Shawn Bradley on developing a sky hook: "That's definitely a shot that, if I shoot it right, it's totally uncontested. If I miss doing it that way, then it's my fault."
This column includes materials gathered from outside news sources.