For most NBA fans, this was a passing moment during a post-game show, when analysts try to fill the time block with some mix of insight and entertainment and keep people from changing the channel. And few do it better than TNT for the NBA, often driven by former NBA star Charles Barkley’s regularly outlandish comments that extend far beyond the court. The NBA on TNT show is best described as organized chaos, but for years it has remained one of the rare sports television properties that balances sports and entertainment, especially when pretty much every stat and highlight is only a click away. The program, which Ernie Johnson attempts to maintain, has its outlandish moments. Like when Barkley tried to applaud college team managers by casually mentioning that he used to shower in his uniform on road trips.
Anyway, it was something Barkley said last week that grabbed people’s attention – at least people from Texas. When Shaquille O’Neil asked Barkley where New Orleans was about to head on the brink of losing their first round playoff series to Oklahoma City, which is a prompt to name some nice island beach because their offseason was soon to begin, Barkley instead said that the Pelicans didn’t deserve to go to Cancun because they played so poorly, so they should actually be sent to Galveston as a punishment, where, as he put it, dirty water washes up on the shore and people actually believe it’s a beach. He went on to insult San Antonio as well, but most of his ire was set on the beach where Houstonians head on weekend, something a Texas poor man’s Jersey Shore. And before I go any further, I grew up in Houston, and I can confirm that the water is really brown. It doesn’t help that you basically have to drive through a ship channel filled with oil barges to get there. So technically speaking, Barkley isn’t wrong, and he probably learned as much during his four relatively mediocre seasons playing for the Rockets.
But, as would be expected, Barkley did get plenty of clap back for his travel reviews. The most notable came from Beyonce’s mom, a Galveston native, who told Charles they like their beach just fine. Beyonce is Houston royalty, kind of the Billy Joel of the Bayou City, so her mom holds considerable weight. Members of the Galveston city council took the airwaves to say stuff like, if anyone knows about being washed up, it’s Charles Barkley. And social lit up with people both defending the Gulf beach town while also taking a shot at Sir Charles. Which led to Charles revisiting his comments this week and doubling down. Which was actually really funny and typical of a show that wins more Sports Emmys for most anything not related to the Olympics.
I wish I could say there’s a hot sports take here, but I’d be lying. To be honest, I consider this time of the year one of the most boring. And yes, I know the NBA and NHL are in playoff mode, blah, blah. Call me when the conference finals start. For my money, I’m least spots happy in the time between the NCAA Basketball Tournament and the start of the French Open, when the season of summer events begin – and college football edges ever closer. But watching Barkley do his thing and insult a beach I’m not a big fan of, and getting the reaction he did, reminds me of a couple things.
First, you cannot overestimate the inherent link between sports spectatorship and entertainment, particularly in a star-studded league like the NBA. People don’t watch sports solely because of their inherent love of the game – at least not most sports. They watch because it keeps them entertained. Which is why networks pay millions and millions for the right broadcast team and a captivating second screen experience. Barkley and TNT have long understood this, which is why when a whole lot of sports highlight shows have come and gone, they endure.
And second, Barkley and his detractors remind us that the most compelling thing in all of sports is conflict. That obviously includes compelling rivalries. But it also means constructed arguments. Like what pretty much every Stephen A. Smith show ever does. And what Charles Barkley did when he insulted one of America’s most mediocre beaches. It may seem silly, but a jab a beach town is great for television. And honestly, probably better than most listless New Orleans playoff games.
But I wouldn’t worry. I’m guessing the team is halfway to Galveston by now.
Keith Strudler is the director of the School of Communication and Media at Montclair State University. You can follow him at @KeithStrudler
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