Charles Barkley says he turned down Monday Night Football role

NBA legend Charles Barkley noted during a podcast rant that he was once offered the opportunity to be a part of ESPN’s Monday Night Football’s weekly broadcast.

Barkley, an NBA analyst for TNT, casually noted the job offer (at the 20-second mark) on “The Jim Brockmire Podcast” during a profane rant about Twitter users.

“I only comment on basketball,” Barkley said. “Like they offered me Monday Night Football. I says, I like football, but I ain’t gonna be one of these jackasses get on TV and act like he know about football.”

The quotable Barkley has sparked plenty of controversy both during and after his Hall of Fame NBA career, due to his unfiltered opinions.

ESPN has long been a network that has looked for commentators that can draw attention and its sizable investment in broadcasting Monday Night Football helps explain its interest in Barkley.

However, as Barkley himself noted, his level of knowledge about football is limited to his being a fan of the game. His honesty in admitting that his credibility would be questioned is just another example of his brutal honesty.