Barkley, Smith know how to rile up fans
There is a certain predictability to the NCAA tournament. Over the next three weeks, there will be brackets aplenty, most of them busted, and sweetheart Cinderellas. There will be Luther Vandross’ song and the ever-present paradox of a billion-dollar television deal for an event starring amateurs.
And there will also be lots of opportunities to listen to Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith.
Since CBS and Turner Sports partnered on a rights deal in 2011, the two basketball analysts annually take a break from their award-winning NBA studio show on TNT to offer their thoughts and analysis of the college game.
“The toughest thing is you have to watch so many games and you get so many different reports on different players,” Barkley said.
“It’s kind of like homework, except now I have to do my own homework. When I was in college, they did it for me.”
Barkley’s wit is legendary; Smith is polished and insightful; and host Ernie Johnson, who joins them in the move, is the consummate professional.
But that doesn’t mean the NBA experts — particularly Barkley — haven’t riled up college hoops fans. The litany of faux pas includes the time Barkley complimented the play of Kansas star Cliff Alexander during a game he wasn’t playing in (and when he confused Big Ten teams Iowa and Purdue ahead of the tournament).
Smith drew his own ire last season when he complimented the defence of former Duke star Marvin Bagley. (Bagley was generally considered not quite a defensive stalwart.)
“When I first started doing this, I used to just watch the NBA and ACC,” said Smith, a former North Carolina star. “I became more of a college basketball fan, starting like Year Three. This year, I’ve watched Kentucky play more than I’ve watched the Knicks.”
His colleagues have adjusted their approaches, too. Barkley starts his prep work Jan. 1 and each week after that he receives a report from the Turner research staff on every conference in the country. He estimated he’s watched around 100 college games this year. Barkley had his own message for the critics.
“I don’t worry about no criticisms,” he said. “You know what they should do? They should just kiss my a-- and thank me for the billion dollars we pay for this tournament.”