Tier 3 - The Schticky Tier
5 POINTS - Charles Barkley
Television analyst
Since 2000, Barkley has served as a studio analyst for Turner Network Television (TNT). He appears on the network's NBA coverage during pre-game and halftime shows, in addition to special NBA events. He also occasionally works as an onsite game analyst. He is part of the crew on Inside the NBA, a post-game show during which Barkley, Ernie Johnson Jr., Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal recap and comment on NBA games that have occurred during the day and also on general NBA affairs. Barkley has won three Sports Emmy Awards for "Outstanding Studio Analyst" for his work on TNT.
During the broadcast of a game, in which Barkley was courtside with Marv Albert, Barkley poked fun at NBA official **** Bavetta's age. Albert replied to Barkley, "I believe **** would beat you in a footrace." In response to that remark, Barkley went on to challenge Bavetta to a race at the 2007 NBA All-Star Weekend for $5,000. The winner was to choose a charity to which the money would be donated. The NBA agreed to pitch in an additional $50,000, and TNT threw in $25,000. The pair raced for three and a half lengths of the basketball court until Barkley ultimately won. After the event, the two kissed[75] in a show of good sportsmanship.
Barkley was also known for being the first ever celebrity guest picker for College GameDay, in 2004.
Additionally, since 2011, Barkley has served as a studio analyst for the joint coverage of the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament between Turner Sports and CBS. Barkley has broadcast every Final Four since 2011.
He also served as a guest commentator for NBC's coverage of the NFL Wild Card playoffs on January 7, 2012; the same night he hosted Saturday Night Live, which is taped next door to the Football Night in America studio in Manhattan's GE Building.
Barkley announced in November 2012 that he was contemplating retirement from broadcasting. "[N]ow I'm like, 'Dude, you have been doing this for 13 years and if I make it to the end of the contract, it will be 17 years.' Seventeen years is a long time. It's a lifetime in broadcasting. I personally have to figure out the next challenge for me", he said. After repeating that he planned to retire in 2016, he signed another contract with Turner Sports. He later said that he wants to retire when he is 60 in 2023.
I enjoy watching Charles. Like the other two in this tier, they have their own brand of authentic shtick and aren't afraid to give you there opinion. And will admit later if they're wrong.
I reffed in the Newport Beach Hoops Summer league a long ### time ago. One game, Scott Brooks was playing. He had been with Philly the year before and just signed his first big contract with the TWolves. He told me a story at half time about how Charles would always do anything for anybody at any time. He even let Brooks stay at his home for free that Philly year. He described several times where Charles would leave a crowded bar and just randomly pay all the tabs, Cool guy.
6 POINTS - Terry Bradshaw
Broadcasting career
Bradshaw retired from football on July 24, 1984, and quickly signed a television contract with CBS to become an NFL game analyst in 1984, where he and play-by-play announcer Verne Lundquist had the top rated programs. Prior to his full-time work for them, he served as a guest commentator for CBS Sports' NFC postseason broadcasts from 1980–82.
Bradshaw was promoted into television studio analyst for The NFL Today in 1990 (which he hosted with Greg Gumbel through the 1993 season). In 1994, with the Fox network establishing its sports division with their purchase of NFL TV rights, Bradshaw joined Fox NFL Sunday, where he normally acts as a comic foil to his co-hosts. On Fox NFL Sunday he hosts two semi-regular features, Ten Yards with TB, where he fires random questions at an NFL pro, and The Terry Awards, an annual comedic award show about the NFL season. As a cross-promotional stunt, he also hosted two consecutive Digi-Bowl specials in 2001 and 2002 on Fox Kids, providing commentary from the NFL on Fox studio in-between episodes of Digimon: Digital Monsters; the 2002 special was the final one as the Fox Kids block ended the same year. He appeared on the first broadcast of NASCAR on FOX where he took a ride with Dale Earnhardt at Daytona International Speedway the night before Earnhardt was killed in a last lap crash in the Daytona 500. Bradshaw also waved the green flag at the start of the ill-fated race.
Bradshaw has the reputation of being the "ol' redneck", but, in co-host and former NFL coach Jimmy Johnson's words, the act is a "schtick." According to Johnson, Bradshaw deflects such criticism by stating that "he's so dumb that he has to have somebody else fly his private plane."
Bradshaw has also garnered the reputation for criticizing players and teams. Following Super Bowl XLVI he was confronted by Ann Mara, wife of the late Wellington Mara, and "heckled" for not picking the Giants to win on Fox NFL Sunday
I like Terry. I think he does a much better job than people give him credit for. He's just been doing it longer than Chuck and the NFL is more popular than the NBA.
7 POINTS - **** Vitale
* College coach 73-77
* Pistons coach for 94 games 78-80
* "This is awesome, baby!" and "diaper dandy"
* He called ESPN's first college basketball game on December 5, 1979.
* Vitale is signed with ESPN through the 2021–22 college basketball season.
I can't stand this guy. Again, all the shouting. His gimmick is just too phony and old for me. I insta-turn him off also, but I did give him a few years before doing so.
The thing here is he's positive. He's had a huge impact on NCAA hoops and for NCAA hoops on TV. So I give him credit for that and for being at the top of the "Shticky Guys."