That's because, like most other people, I tune in TNT on game nights not for the games, necessarily, but for the pre- and postgame shows, and halftime. There's simply no other studio show on TV quite like that of the NBA on TNT.

Spencer Hall wrote a great piece about the trio in the June 2 issue of The Sporting News. It captures perfectly the controlled chaos that is the TNT studio set, and provides more than a few laughs. That's because the things he writes are things we can identify with, things similar to what we've seen and heard while watching the show over the years. And it all revolves around Barkley -- as Hall points out in the last few paragraphs by offering a few of Charles' best lines. (Perhaps my favorite, a reference to the constant stream of promos for "The Closer," TNT's hit series: "If I see Kyra Sedgwyck one more time, my head's gonna explode.")
Kelly Dwyer alluded to the same magic in a 2005 article in Sports Illustrated. As Dwyer pointed out, the TNT show is just fun (unlike ESPN's, which he called "depressing"). No pretense, no maliciousness, just fun. And Barkley's blatant honesty, which has rubbed off on Smith. During this year's Cleveland-Boston series, Barkley complained loudly about the Cavaliers' "crappy offense" and Smith quickly, and enthusiastically, agreed.
The key to Barkley's appeal is his total transparency, his willingness to be honest with himself and with others. As Phil Taylor wrote in the June 3 issue of SI, "Part of the reason Barkley gets away with outrageous statements and acts...is because he doesn't deny, deflect or dissemble, like so many other sports figures do when caught in a sticky situation." It's that singular characteristic that makes Barkley so genuine, so believable, and so successful.

I'll be checking in on the rest of the postseason, obviously. But I won't go out of my way to watch the studio shows, which pale in comparison to the lively banter and honest insights of the guys on TNT.
3 comments:
Barkley & company will be missed, but at least it will be interesting now that it's the Celtics and Lakers. Not quite Bird and Magic, but hopefully it will be a good series.
i agree, the other studio shows have become very predictable, just like sportscenter on ESPN. they babble, state the obvious, and overtalk non-news stories. TNT mixes it up. i laughed for 3 days after the kenny smith parody of kobe bryants jump over a moving car. if you havent seen it-youtube.
Barkley's good but sometimes he gets carried away too much. It's like he starts joking around just because he's supposed to. Ernie Johnson is a real pro and was amazing when he worked while he had cancer. But I agree that these guys are interesting to watch compared to other shows like it.
Post a Comment