Please don’t do it, Chuck.
Last week, Charles Barkley acknowledged that he plans to meet with the LIV Golf tour about a possible analyst position.
“They called me and asked me if I would meet with them and I said yes,” Barkley confirmed to The Next Round co-host (and BSM columnist) Ryan Brown.
However, discussions are in the very early stages. It’s not known whether Barkley would be a broadcaster during actual play or perform as a studio analyst, a role in which he’s widely considered the best in the sports media industry.
“I actually don’t know everything they want from me or what they technically want me to do,” Barkley added. “But you got to always look at every opportunity that’s available. So the answer to your question is 100% yes, I’m going to meet with LIV.”
From a pure business standpoint and earning potential, meeting with LIV Golf is certainly a smart move for Barkley. The money being offered by the upstart tour is simply too generous to ignore.
Tournament winners will earn $4 million, with total purses for each event equaling $25 million. Phil Mickelson is reportedly being paid $200 million to play on the tour.
According to Greg Norman, hired by LIV Golf to be the tour’s commissioner and CEO, Tiger Woods turned down a “mind-blowingly enormous” deal.
“We’re talking about high nine digits,” Norman claimed to the Washington Post.
The appeal for Barkley is obvious. He would be paid extravagantly well for becoming the media face of LIV Golf. As the basketball Hall of Famer said himself, he wants to look at every opportunity that’s available. And with Barkley being outspoken about intending to retire when his contract with Turner Sports expires after the 2023-24 NBA season, there won’t be many more opportunities remaining, let alone any as lucrative as what LIV Golf might offer.
However, it’s where that LIV Golf money comes from that has engulfed this new endeavor in controversy. As sports fans surely know by now, LIV Golf is backed by the government of Saudi Arabia. Well, technically, it’s the “Saudi Public Investment Fund,” which makes the government’s connection appear less direct. (Or “lightly laundered,” as Washington Post columnist Barry Svrluga put it.)
But the money comes from a regime that murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi and organized the frequent bombing of Yemen that has destroyed cities and killed numerous civilians. President Joe Biden was recently criticized for fist-bumping with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Many have referred to LIV Golf’s cash — $400 million of which has been pledged for 2022 — as “blood money,” considering its origins.
Perhaps you’ve heard or read the term “sportswashing” in reference to LIV Golf in recent weeks. The prevalent belief is that the Saudi government is using golf to obscure its wrongs. Similar accusations were directed at China and Russia for hosting the Olympics, at Qatar for hosting the World Cup. Hey, hey — look over here at this shiny thing!
LIV Golf pursuing Barkley to be its prominent media personality feels like the latest step in this effort. Everyone loves Sir Charles. He’s must-watch TV in the studio for TNT’s Inside the NBA. He’s widely recognized by casual fans and non-sports observers. This past weekend, Barkley was a trending topic on Twitter for his support of LGBTQ rights.
Just a couple of months ago, former ESPN president John Skipper told Dan Patrick, “Barkley is the guy right now in all of sports that you can say people will tune in to see him.”
The appeal for LIV Golf is obvious. Bring on the most popular commentator in all of sports media, a broadcaster known for his willingness to express bold opinions and for his love of golf. Put him in a setting where he could probably say whatever he wanted.
LIV Golf just hired the analyst many would consider “the Charles Barkley of golf” in David Feherty. But what about hiring the actual Charles Barkley?
To no surprise, Barkley has been entertaining as an analyst for Turner’s celebrity golf exhibition, “The Match.” But he almost certainly wouldn’t be allowed to provide commentary during a PGA Tour event or major golf championship.
The appeal for Barkley is obvious. Judging from his own remarks, he’s already reconciled any possible conflict about taking LIV Golf money — because it’s just so much money.
“I don’t judge other people. Listen, if somebody gave me $200 million, I’d kill a relative,” joked Barkley on The Pat McAfee Show. “I’m serious. They’re saying Phil Mickelson got $200 million, Dustin Johnson got $150 million. Hey, for $150 million I’d kill a relative, even one I like.”
That’s a typically funny line from Barkley, though it also draws a wince when considering the objections of LIV Golf’s detractors. In looking back at Barkley’s career as an NBA player and broadcaster, it shouldn’t be surprising that he has a favorable opinion of an endeavor that seeks to shake up the status quo, to add something possibly new and exciting to golf.
Would signing on with LIV Golf stain Barkley’s popularity, his legacy as a broadcaster? Probably not. Many who watch him on Turner Sports’ NBA coverage might not even be aware of him moonlighting as a golf analyst.
Yet why even invite that question? This would be a blatant money grab, which Barkley doesn’t even deny. Is that worth undercutting any of the goodwill and love he has among millions of fans? Or is Barkley bigger and far more beloved than any tsk-tsking he might receive? We may find out soon enough.
Ian Casselberry is a sports media columnist for BSM. He has previously written and edited for Awful Announcing, The Comeback, Sports Illustrated, Yahoo Sports, MLive, Bleacher Report, and SB Nation. You can find him on Twitter @iancass or reach him by email at iancass@gmail.com.
