Barkley Shows Human Side, but How Long Will It Last?

For once, he was silent. Charles Barkley paused for what seemed a lifetime, then took the deepest and bravest breath of his 46 years, clenching his fists and briefly meditating on national TV. This was a Charles we'd never experienced, knowing him as the rude, crude, decorum-be-damned analyst and basketball legend who threw down drinks as easily as he took down anybody who ticked him off or invaded his philosophical space.

Suddenly, he was vulnerable Thursday evening. Suddenly, he was in pain. Suddenly, Good Time Chuck was a human being.

Which is what we needed to see.

"Whooooooooo,'' said Barkley, looking humbled and rested, revealing seven weeks of anguish to millions of eyeballs.

I will not sit here and declare that the man's life is repaired now. Too little time has passed since he blew a .149, almost twice the legal limit in Arizona, in the drunk-driving arrest that interrupted his career as the explosive TNT motor mouth. Married with a daughter, Barkley told police officers on that December night in Scottsdale that he was "going to drive around the corner and (have oral sex)'' with a woman he'd escorted from an establishment called the Dirty Pretty Rock Bar, where he had been partying with actor Jaleel White -- Steve Urkel to you -- in a scenario you couldn't make up. For a man who has had trouble controlling his gambling, drinking and carousing, this was rock bottom, an indefensible blunder in a wild life pardoned too often by basketball and media buddies who should have been in his face instead of frolicking with him.

Barkley has major issues. He needs ongoing help. Once, he told us he had a gambling problem but refused to stop. Now, he has a drinking problem and may or may not stop. Seven weeks isn't long enough to determine if he can save his own life, let alone the lives of others who could benefit from his wisdom if he settled down and taught lessons. Back on Jan. 6, in only my second column for AOL, I criticized him harshly after his arrest and had hundreds upon hundreds of responses from the comment gallery. To suggest he's ready to lead a responsible life would be naive and stupid on my part.

But in a sports year in which we're evaluating public apologies more than watching games, at least we heard sincerity in Barkley's voice. He said more in two minutes than Alex Rodriguez did in 32, beginning TNT's "Inside The NBA'' program by apologizing directly to his family, the network, his sponsors, the league and the fans who have made him the most talked-about analyst in sports television. Even if he struggled to maintain his composure and kept stumbling over his words, this was his best broadcasting performance to date.

"It's unacceptable. It's 100 percent my fault. All I can say is that it will never happen again, and I'm sorry,'' Barkley said. "It has been interesting sitting back and listening to everybody say what they say. I screwed up. I made a mistake. I'm sorry, and I apologize. I don't really know what everybody else wants me to do other than that. It's 100 percent my fault. There's no one else to blame.

"I will never get behind the wheel when I've been drinking. Every person who's drunk thinks they're all right to drive, but I challenge everybody out there ... to seriously think about it. If you have had something to drink, you clearly can kill someone else or you can kill yourself. Drinking and driving and getting a DUI, I embarrassed everybody in my life. I'm sorry, and I apologize. I hope someone else thinks about that before they get behind the wheel.''


He said it with conviction, from the heart, without prepared notes or prior counseling from a crisis-management firm. He thanked those who called him with comforting words -- Larry Bird, NBC Sports boss Dick Ebersol, TNT colleagues Reggie Miller and Doug Collins, on and on -- but not to drop names. He wanted the world to know that he needed friends. "When you're famous -- and clearly, when you're on TV, you're really in the limelight -- I never need friends when things are going good,'' he said. "But for complete strangers and people I've met in my life to take time and say, 'Hang in there,' I learned there are a lot more good people out there than bad people. That's the greatest thing about this whole thing.''

The B.S. meter wasn't moving, either. I had it out, ready to gauge his honesty and contrition levels. He passed. Say what you want about Barkley, but he's real, going so far to admit he never entirely trusted the TNT bosses who have been so supportive of him. "This might get me in trouble,'' he said.

"Sure you want to do this?'' cautioned his partner, show host Ernie Johnson.

"I've never had to be careful about how I want to word (something) -- I don't do p.r., I speak from the heart,'' he shot back. "I've never 100-percent trusted the big wigs at TNT. But they've proven to me that they not only like what we do (on TV), but I think they are my friends ... I just want to tell them, it means a great deal for them to stick with me through my screw-up.''

One reason they've supported him, through his many public ordeals, is his immense popularity. If anyone doubted it, TNT's ratings dropped 38 percent during his seven-week suspension while suffering through the likes of Chris Webber and Gary Payton. No offense to them, but anyone is boring when the comparison point is Barkley. People love him because he speaks his mind and, more often than not, it smacks of truth. And they'll continue to like him and watch him, despite the troubling nature of his DUI and dirty cop talk, because he now has shown he's flawed like everyone else.

If he screws up again, all bets are off. If he screws up again, the TNT bosses who have been forgiving will fire him on the spot. But as one who was tough on Barkley, I'll admit it's easier to give him another chance than most. Because his living hell is so visible, you want to see him overcome it and become the basketball ambassador he always should have been. Whether he's accountable enough to ever be the governor of Alabama, as he aspires, is unlikely. But I've seen politicians overcome worse than Barkley and thrive.

Normally, I'd disregard any interview conducted by a network with its own troubled star. But TNT's decision to have Johnson interview Barkley earlier this week -- and display the content on the Internet -- worked well because the questions were surprisingly hard-hitting.

Johnson: What have they told you about going to jail?

Barkley: I may be looking at potentially some jail time but don't know anything yet.

Johnson: Will you have to go out and do anything else?

Barkley: I will have to go to alcohol counseling.

Johnson: Is that something that you need?

Barkley: Well, I think it's going to be good for me, to be honest. I need to make sure drinking is not a problem for me. I just want some professionals to talk to me about it.

Johnson: What if the professionals tell you to stop drinking?

Barkley: Then I'll have to stop drinking.

Johnson: Do you think you'll be able to do that?

Barkley: I feel I can do anything that I put my mind to.

Johnson: What was the first thing that went through your mind when you saw the lights behind you when you were pulled over?

Barkley: I really wasn't thinking anything, to be honest with you. Until they tell you that you're going to jail, you don't even think like that. You don't think anything bad is going to happen. So I was in shock actually.

Johnson: I recall one night last season, when you were made aware of a picture on the Internet of your daughter at a party and you were really concerned about that. In the wake of (the DUI), you're all over the Internet.

Barkley: I think every person who is in the limelight has to be extraordinarily careful in public. With video cameras, camera phones and the Internet, it's become "gotcha" journalism. Most of the time that I'm on the Internet, I'm not doing anything. Clearly, people are standing away from me and taking pictures. You really have to be careful in public right now.

Johnson: How did you explain this to your daughter?

Barkley: I told her that I really, really screwed up and that's all you can say. You can't make excuses. This was 100 percent my fault and it's unacceptable.

Johnson: How did this affect your marriage?

Barkley: I never discuss my personal life with the public. They don't have the right to know that.

Johnson: Have you been back to Alabama?

Barkley: Yes. My grandmother is the greatest influence in my life. She calls me every day and tells me, "You made a mistake" and "Get on with your life. You weren't the first and you won't be the last." She tells me every single day.

Johnson: How have you spent your days during your leave of absence?

Barkley: I've expressed a lot of different things. I've been mad, I've been happy, I've been pissed off. Just thinking about how I can't believe I put myself in this situation. It's been frustrating not working, to be honest with you. Just thinking about it, I never realized how many people that I affected. My family understands all the good and bad that goes with being famous. My family understands that. I've been in this since 1984. There are a lot more good things than bad things. Once you are in the limelight, it's difficult. Every mistake you make is going to be magnified.

He could have kept talking about his personal life all night. But there were basketball games to analyze and trades to break down on deadline day. When partner Kenny Smith asked reporter David Aldridge to name a team that didn't make a deal but should have, Aldridge said, "That's a good question.''

"Then give us a good answer,'' snapped Barkley, smart-alecky as ever.

"Welcome back, Chuck,'' Johnson said.

He has been granted another chance in a forgiving nation. Hopefully, he won't blow this one into another breathalyzer.