Charles Barkley's comments on OKC

[metro]

Barkley: Oklahoma a vast wasteland

By Andrew Gilman
The Oklahoman

TNT analyst Charles Barkley took a shot at Oklahoma but took time to praise Hornets rookie Chris Paul during TNT's All-Star selection show.
Charles Barkley blog
Charles Barkley quotes

"Oklahoma is nothing but vast wasteland," Barkley said, adding that Oklahoma was "no place for black people."

"The Oklahoma Sooners and the Hornets are the only brothers in town."

The former NBA star had plenty of kind words about Paul and the Hornets, saying that Paul should have been picked for the All-Star game and the Hornets should make the playoffs.

Barkley teased Paul, asking if he had chickens and cows in his yard.

[MadMonk]

Yet another celebrity proves that fame does not equal intelligence.

[BricktownGuy]

These comments come from an individual that causes bar brawls.

Should anyone even give any weight to what he says? He has probably never been to Oklahoma City.. or even Oklahoma for that matter.

[BFizzy]

He's from Alabama. Give me a break. He always insults people. That's just what he does. I don't think this is worth discussing.

[Karried]

I think it 's worth discussing - he's never even been here.

I think it's insulting - he's an idiot.

[Curt]

I'd tell him to stay out of Oklahoma and move to NOLA where he is wanted.

[jbrown84]

Ignorant jerk.

[Nuclear_2525]

LOL, I think it's funny because he is from Alabama...Maybe he is just jealous that his home state didn't get a team before OK did.

[windowphobe]

Oh, come on. This is Sir Charles talking here. He always comes up with stuff like that.

Every day you have your choice of pernicious pronouncements from people seeking power and/or glory; it's a waste of time to get bent out of shape over something said by a sportscaster, fercryingoutloud.

[HOT ROD]

I think that is ridiculous.

If he had come to OKC, he would see that the city is very diverse, with an extremely large black population - among Asian, Hispanic, gays, and other minorities!!!

I bet he could not even hang in some of OKC's ethnic ghettos!!!!!

I think a positive statement or at least "hold off until you visit" would have been a more class thing to do.

But then again, Barkeley was never known for class only lack of it.

[Intrepid]

Oh, come on. This is Sir Charles talking here. He always comes up with stuff like that.

Every day you have your choice of pernicious pronouncements from people seeking power and/or glory; it's a waste of time to get bent out of shape over something said by a sportscaster, fercryingoutloud.

I agree. He's always been known to say stuff like this. He does it for attention. And what is he getting? Attention. That's what he's PAID to do

Just ignore him.

From what I've heard on the Sports Animal, Mayor Cornett has extended an invitation to Sir Charles to visit OKC.

[BFizzy]

Maybe Chris Paul should invite Sir Charles to OKC. We could give them an intenerary.

[zuluwarrior0760]

He has always said these sorts of things
to see what response he can attain.

He has received that response....the governor
has responded on TV, the FORMER governer
has responded also on TV.....our tourism
people are sending him a gift basket,
and every radio station, news station and this
newsgroup is talking about it.

If he had said something similar about Dallas
or Kansas City, it would not have even
elicited so much as a comment, but because
of Oklahoma's pronounced inferiority complex,
we feel the need to defend ourselves against
a comment that is akin to a "Yo Mama" putdown....

Let it go....

[HOT ROD]

He has always said these sorts of things
to see what response he can attain.

He has received that response....the governor
has responded on TV, the FORMER governer
has responded also on TV.....our tourism
people are sending him a gift basket,
and every radio station, news station and this
newsgroup is talking about it.

If he had said something similar about Dallas
or Kansas City, it would not have even
elicited so much as a comment, but because
of Oklahoma's pronounced inferiority complex,
we feel the need to defend ourselves against
a comment that is akin to a "Yo Mama" putdown....

Let it go....

The point is:

Barkeley would never say that about Dallas or KC.

He said it about OKC because he doesnt know OKC or anything about it. Otherwise, he'd realize how foolish he is making such a fallous statement.

[HOT ROD]

Every city deserves some respect, especially up and coming ones like OKC. I think the city is commendable and he should have noted the same just like every other sports/media authority has.

[okcpulse]

Let me iterate how educated Charles Barkley really is. He just trashed a state that has more black-founded towns than any state in the country. Oklahoma City was the first city to desegregate its public school system in 1963 (although it didn't go over well). Point is... OKC could have fought desegregation. Sure, I bet there were some protests, and whites moved to the 'burbs. However, it was nothing comapred to the tention in Alabama. In any case, I don't like the south. Never have, never will. Oklahoma is not part of the 'south' that was the confederacy.

So Charles might want to reconsider his claim that Oklahoma is 'no place for black people'.

[writerranger]

Oh, come on. This is Sir Charles talking here. He always comes up with stuff like that.

Every day you have your choice of pernicious pronouncements from people seeking power and/or glory; it's a waste of time to get bent out of shape over something said by a sportscaster, fercryingoutloud.

You tell me if it would matter if a white sportscaster said Detroit was not a place for white people and the only brothers in Detroit were in the NHL and the Chess Club. These double standards are constant and ongoing.

[writerranger]

Everybody seems worried about his slamming of Oklahoma. What troubles me and SHOULD trouble others are his blatantly RACIST comments. Blacks always get a pass when they play the race card and EVEN when spouting outright racism like Barkley did. He should be fired, just like any white sportscaster would be if he said a particular city wasn't a good city for white people.

[Keith]

Everybody seems worried about his slamming of Oklahoma. What troubles me and SHOULD trouble others are his blatantly RACIST comments. Blacks always get a pass when they play the race card and EVEN when spouting outright racism like Barkley did. He should be fired, just like any white sportscaster would be if he said a particular city wasn't a good city for white people.

Although I agree that slamming Oklahoma was totally wrong, the racist comment was grounds for termination. The station even had to cut to a commercial because of the comments he made. I think the other commentators were very embarrassed by his comments and his disrespect. What he said may not mean much to others, but I do get sick and tired of celebrities making fun of our state when they have never even been here.

Barkley is just a wind bag with no intelligence whatsoever. His big mouth has gotten him in trouble.

[HOT ROD]

Let me iterate how educated Charles Barkley really is. He just trashed a state that has more black-founded towns than any state in the country. Oklahoma City was the first city to desegregate its public school system in 1963 (although it didn't go over well). Point is... OKC could have fought desegregation. Sure, I bet there were some protests, and whites moved to the 'burbs. However, it was nothing comapred to the tention in Alabama. In any case, I don't like the south. Never have, never will. Oklahoma is not part of the 'south' that was the confederacy.

So Charles might want to reconsider his claim that Oklahoma is 'no place for black people'.

Second that.

This ranking from a poster on SSP.com, is the % white of metro areas over 1M. OKC is in the middle and a lot more diverse than many metros than you'd think.

"here is the ranked "whiteness" ofr U.S. metros over one million in 2000:

Pittsburgh 89.51%
Salt Lake City 87.60%
Providence 86.25%
Minneapolis-St. Paul 86.12%
Grand Rapids 85.68%
Cincinnati 85.32%
Boston 85.06%
Portland 84.28%
Rochester 83.97%
Buffalo 83.78%
Tampa-St. Petersburg 82.91%
Louisville 82.84%
Indianapolis 82.05%
Columbus 81.28%
Kansas City 80.82%
Hartford 80.71%
Denver 80.56%
Nashville 79.42%
Seattle 79.31% (more white than OKC Metro!!!)
West Palm Beach 79.05%
Cleveland 79.04%
St. Louis 78.25% (amazing, more white than OKC Metro!!!)
San Juan, PR 78.21%
Milwaukee 77.75%
Phoenix 76.97%
Oklahoma City 75.66%
Orlando 74.98%
Greensboro-Winston-Salem 74.44%
Las Vegas 73.79%
Charlotte 73.62%
Detroit 73.05%
Jacksonville 72.65%
Philadelphia 72.54%
Austin 72.49%
San Antonio 70.59%
Miami 70.06%
Sacramento 69.99%
Dallas-Fort Worth 69.50%
Raleigh-Durham 69.36%
Chicago 66.85%
San Diego 66.52%
New York 64.10%
Washington-Baltimore 63.03%
Atlanta 62.98%
Houston 62.58%
Norfolk-Virginia Beach 62.47%
San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose 58.72%
New Orleans 57.30%
Los Angeles 55.14%
Memphis 52.89%
"

And OKC has sizeable numbers of diversity in Asian, Hispanic, other Latin, Indian (of course), and Black.

But we Oklahomans know this already!!! Perhaps Chuckie should come visit and he can see the diversity that is OKC.

[Karried]

This is what I received from the TNT pr people:

'Charles comments represent his personal viewpoints, and we're sorry if you were offended by them. Weve made Charles aware of your comments, and thank you for expressing them to us.'


My message to TNT:
A vast wasteland! What a terrible insult to the citizens of Oklahoma. Charles Barkley typifies all that is wrong in sports. He is an opinionated, ignorant bigot who has set race relations back 40 years with his comments about African Americans in Oklahoma.

At the very least, he needs to come to OK and watch a Hornet's game... if he can't at least visit to see this ' vast wasteland' he needs to keep his mouth closed.

[writerranger]

This is what I received from the TNT pr people:

'Charles comments represent his personal viewpoints, and we're sorry if you were offended by them. Weve made Charles aware of your comments, and thank you for expressing them to us.'

Lame and insulting response from TNT. They should have fired him - period. This whole "it's just Barkley being Barkley" shouldn't wash. Howard Cosell, Rush Limbaugh and others of lesser celebrity weren't given that kind of pass when making so-called "racist" remarks, and neither should Charles Barkley. TNT should say they will not tolerate blatant racism and bigotry, and Barkley was clearly guilty of both and has been terminated. That's what TNT should have told you.

[ibda12u]

It was reported that Charles visited Coaches in OKlahoma in 1994. That was the last time he was down here. Totally not acceptable. He's in the same boat at Mayor Nagin.

[Patrick]

This is the same dude that said God told him he was going to beat the Chicago Bulls in the Finals back in the early 90's. Goes to show you can't believe anything he says.

I wonder who the dude's servants are?

[Curt]

It just goes to show that it's ok for Blacks to make racist comments and suffer no repercusions but if a white guy had said it he'd have been fired.I am so sick of this double standard that society has created. After reading more of what Barkley has said I am also going to contact TNT but they arent going to like the way I say things, too bad.