TNT's Barkley Arrested Tuesday On Suspicion Of Drunken Driving
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TNT Yet To Address Barkley's Arrest
For Suspicion Of Drunken Driving |
TNT's Charles Barkley was arrested on "suspicion of drinking and driving" in Scottsdale, Arizona, Tuesday morning, according to Kristena Hansen of the ARIZONA REPUBLIC. Gilbert (AZ) Police Lieutenant Eric Shuhandler said that Barkley was pulled over at 1:30am MT "for running a stop sign." Shuhandler added that after the arrest Barkley was "cited and released the same day but was not booked" (AZCENTRAL.com, 12/31). Barkley in a statement said, "I am disappointed that I put myself in that situation. The Scottsdale police were fantastic. Now it is a legal matter and I will not comment any further as it is a legal matter" (SPORTING NEWS TODAY, 1/1). In Dallas, Barry Horn cited a report from The Smoking Gun that Barkley told the police that he ran the stop sign because he was "in a hurry to pick up a girl who had 'given him (oral sex) one week earlier.'" There has been "no reaction yet from his employers at TNT," and because of the New Year's holiday, the net did not have its usual Thursday night doubleheader this week (DALLASNEWS.com, 1/1).
HARD STANCE NEEDED: In N.Y., Peter Vecsey writes why should Barkley come clean when Turner Sports President David Levy "protects, excuses, enables and overlooks ... except for an occasional beckoning to the principal's office for a serious chat?" Levy "for the most part ... cheers him on and laughs at the antics of his house hoople." Vecsey: "Do not, I reiterate, do not, expect Levy to take any action -- other than a token scolding, complete with Barkley's normal insincere apology -- in the wake of his latest incident" (N.Y. POST, 1/2). Also in N.Y., Phil Mushnick writes an individual with a "long, considerable (or worse) drinking problem, a profound gambling habit and a proclivity for shoot-first/think-later highly public speaking, would, at the least, be temporarily disqualified, pending treatment, from serving multiple networks (HBO, TNT, CNN) as a scold of American society." But Barkley's "lofty status as socio-political critic is sustained." Mushnick: "Few TV figures have hollered for help louder and longer than Barkley. But enablers and panderers -- and they're pretty much the same -- aren't known for their guts" (N.Y. POST, 1/2). YAHOO SPORTS' Adrian Wojnarowski writes Barkley "could be a player on the national stage" for elected office or an NBA front-office position, but these incidents are "destroying his credibility." Barkley is losing the "chance to be taken seriously, to have a legitimate platform" beyond teasing TNT's Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith, and he is "costing himself the chance to be a serious commentator on issues" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/2).
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