Charles Barkley on LIV Tour: 'If You Are In Pro Sports, You Are Taking Some Type of Money From a Not Great Cause'
By Liam McKeone
Charles Barkley is entertaining offers from the LIV tour, according to the man himself. Barkley said he was going to meet with LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman to talk about a potential role. That meeting apparently happened, and Barkley spoke to the New York Post about it. Specifically, he said he thinks people are exercising "selective outrage" when it comes to criticizing those who are taking money from the Saudi-backed league and said anybody who's played professional sports has taken money from a not-so-great source.
Via the Post:
“I told [Norman,]” Barkley said. “’Listen, they are making up words, like ‘blood money’ and ‘sports washing.’ I said, ‘We have all taken ‘blood money’ and we all have ‘sports washed’ something so I don’t like those words, to be honest with you.’
“If you are in pro sports, you are taking some type of money from not a great cause.”
Barkley plans to play in the LIV pro-am that's happening at Trump Bedminster this weekend and appears to be very serious about committing to LIV if the money is right. That last part is crucial, as the article above notes that Barkley makes $10 million annually from TNT with a bunch on top due to commercial deals. All that could and probably would go away if he signed with LIV as a TV personality or whatever they have in mind for him.
Money talks.