David Samson, host of Nothing Personal with David Samson, delivered a pointed response to Inside the NBA host Charles Barkley’s recent critique of the NFL’s Christmas Day schedule. Samson framed Barkley’s comments as outdated and misaligned with the realities of today’s sports landscape.
“Charles Barkley doesn’t like staying quiet,” Samson said, reflecting on Barkley’s claim that the NFL has become greedy by adding Christmas games. “We used to have this day to ourselves, but Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week. Now, Christmas is an NBA day. Charles, welcome to 2025.”
Samson, a former MLB executive, noted that the culture of sports and demand for content with massive viewership is too much for the NFL to pass up. He offered guidance for Barkley on addressing the facts when discussing the NFL’s hold on the American public.
“As you [Barkley] head into 2026, please try to remember the one sentence that all of us in sports need to say over and over like it’s our mantra: the NFL is king. There’s not a damn thing we can do about it,” he said.
Samson argued that the NFL’s dominance is undeniable, in part because of fan behavior. He pointed to the risks players take on the field and the enduring audience appetite for football, even in the face of serious injuries.
“It doesn’t matter if players lose limbs, or almost lose their lives, or suffer concussions that affect them in their 40s and 50s. It doesn’t matter if there are more carts on the field… The NFL, Roger Goodell, they don’t care — and neither do we,” Samson said. “We keep watching, and watch our gladiators because that’s what the human race does. We root for it.”
Barkley’s critical comments came during the opening moments of ESPN’s NBA coverage on Christmas Day.
He took a pointed shot at the NFL and commissioner Roger Goodell. His critique focused on the NFL encroaching on what has long been one of the NBA’s signature days. The Hall of Famer criticized the league’s decision to schedule regular-season games on Christmas. For decades, the holiday has been closely associated with the NBA.
“The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games,” Barkley said on the broadcast. “We used to have this day to ourselves. But Roger Goodell and them pigs at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now. Christmas is an NBA day.”
Beyond critiquing Barkley’s comments, Samson explored the media dynamics at play. He suggested that Barkley’s willingness to challenge the NFL publicly could create friction with league decision-makers.
“Charles Barkley did something I like to call pissing against the wind. There’s a very good lesson that little boys learn: you don’t do that,” Samson said.
He added that Barkley’s high-profile work with Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT Sports and ESPN requires careful navigation, given the NFL’s control over broadcast rights and platform options.
“You just don’t want to make enemies with Roger Goodell, especially when he has about 20 different choices and platforms to put his games on. ESPN needs the NFL more than we need oxygen,” Samson said.
Samson’s comments underscore the NFL’s unassailable position in sports media. While Barkley framed the Christmas schedule as an encroachment on the NBA’s marquee holiday, Samson emphasized that the league’s cultural and commercial clout leaves little room for pushback — and that media personalities, even outspoken ones, must acknowledge its dominance.
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Barkley says something then Samson says something.
talk about pissing in the wind. both of them.