Barkley takes leave of absence from TNT

[flipcritic]

Well . There goes my INSIDE THE NBA entertainment. Love him or hate him (I love him), I'll miss the fatty.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/200....ap/index.html

Barkley takes leave of absence

NEW YORK (AP) -- Charles Barkley is taking a leave of absence from the broadcast booth.

The announcement by Turner Sports came Friday, hours after police said the 45-year-old former NBA star was legally drunk when he was arrested Dec. 31 on su ion of drunken driving in Scottsdale, Ariz.
Test results show Barkley had a blood-alcohol level at .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona.

Barkley will be off the air for a minimum of several weeks, and no return date has been set, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it.
Barkley was stopped by a Gilbert officer working a regional DUI task force shortly after he left a popular nightclub at about 1:30 a.m. He failed field sobriety tests but was cooperative.

He was booked and released at a field command post and later issued a statement saying he was disappointed he put himself in that situation.

"When I spoke with Charles, he was apologetic for the events that transpired and it was obvious he understood the significance of this situation," said David Levy, president of Turner Sports, said in a statement. "This is an important time for Charles as he deals with the legal and personal issues that confront him. Charles is a valued part of the Turner Sports organization, and we are concerned for his well-being."

Barkley's attorney wasn't immediately available for comment Friday.

[Many PackYao]

Nooooooooooo!he's the only reason I leave it on TnT during halftime and postgame.

[pauls931]

I doubt it wouldn't have been a bid deal except for the fact he was talking up the governor thing again lately.

[angelbelow]

well at least magic doesnt work there anymore cause magic+kenny+ernie=a bad time.

[baseline bum]

. Now TNT is worthless.

Reggie Miller sucks
Doug Collins sucks
Kenny Smith sucks

[SenorSpur]

The repercussions of Barkley's incident may have only just begun. I hear that the State of Arizona has some of the toughest laws against DUI infractions. The penalty could include a stiff fine and a minimum of several days in the slammer. It'll be interesting to see how much or if Barkley's celebrity status comes into play here.

[pauls931]

The repercussions of Barkley's incident may have only just begun. I hear that the State of Arizona has some of the toughest laws against DUI infractions. The penalty could include a stiff fine and a minimum of several days in the slammer. It'll be interesting to see how much or if Barkley's celebrity status comes into play here.

I have a feeling this will be another footnote in chuck's history. Unfortunatley it may end up deleting the future political chapter in his Bio..

[Biernutz]

Charles will make a token run at a rehab for his drinking, then the on air apology segment with Ernie. Then back to making money. He will be back sooner if the ratings go flat.

[pauls931]

^^^
nice throw

[duncan228]

Leave of absence gives Barkley time to grow
By Kenny Smith

My good friend and colleague, Charles Barkley, is leaving us at TNT for a little while to take time for himself and get things back in order – and I’m happy.

Our show isn’t the same without Chuck because he’s a guy who adds the e to life. But life also is about growth and, for Chuck, it’s time for growth.

Some things in life can’t be avoided, but these incidents seem to follow Chuck. Could this have happened to any of us? Maybe. Anyone who has had a drink can, at one point, ask themselves, was I over the limit? But Chuck is a magnet because of his fame, his size, his mouth and, unfortunately, at times, his lifestyle.

My main man knows it’s time to reevaluate and retool and, more importantly, grow.