Charles Barkley Taco Bell commercial - it rocks?

"The five buck box, it rocks it rocks, it rocks with a meal for lots and lots. That is lots and lots in just one box..." Annoyed yet? If you've watched any amount of TV since the Superbowl, you've likely been constantly bombarded by the Charles Barkley Taco Bell commercial. "It rocks, it rocks" Barkley rhymes and half-raps as he walks around with his Taco Bell meal. Lamar Odom even makes a cameo, but it's clear Odom isn't eating those $5 Taco Bell meals, while Barkley may have done 100 takes to get the ad right. Somewhere the Taco Bell Chihuahua is rolling over in its doggy grave (RIP).



The Barkley Taco Bell commercial aired ad nauseum during the 2010 All-Star Saturday night events. Unfortunately, unlike Barkley's commentary on TNT, the ad is not funny at all. In fact, it's rather Dr. Seuss in its style and could have been done a lot better. That's just one humble opinion though.

As evidence of Barkley's true off-the-cusp and blatant humor, a few of his quips from 2010 NBA All-Star Saturday night stand out:

"Ever notice how Gatorade doesn't work on guys who suck?" ...after Nate Robinson took a swig of Gatorade during the dunk contest.

..in reference to four Dallas Cowgirls standing behind a seated Nate Robinson, waving their pom-poms...Kenny Smith "Looks like he's gonna use them" Barkley "for what, to cool himself off?"

...in reference to the dunk contest winner about to be announced by Cheryl Miller Dean: "maybe no one will win"

Barkley's T-Mobile ads with Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard were much funnier and better done. Please Taco Bell do us a favor and take this ad off the air or at least limit it to late night viewings! If not, re-write it after referring to some of the best NBA basketball commercials of all-time!

Elevator Ernie Johnson Reborn!

Years ago, award-winning NBA analyst from TNT, Ernie Johnson, took part in a mini dunking tutorial on a lowered hoop, complete with extra short shorts and a specially made black T-shirt which displayed his nickname. That's right Elevator Ernie Johnson was re-introduced Sunday night as on the air footage prior to the Cavaliers-Magic Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. EJ's co-hosts, Barkley, Kenny Smith and Reggie Miller all had some choice comments poking fun at their colleague's apparel. Ernie also announced that Homage clothing offers a re-created version of the Elevator Ernie Johnson T-Shirt. That's right it can be yours fans for a mere $32. (Ernie's elevator hops not included)

Check out the Elevator Ernie Johnson T-shirt at HomageClothing.com

Charles Barkley DUI Arrest

NBA Hall of Famer and current TNT NBA Analyst, Sir Charles Barkley, was arrested on New Years Eve (12/31/08) morning for a DUI in Arizona. The arrest was made by the Gilbert Police Department at a DUI Checkpoint when Barkley ran a stop sign. Barkley was blood tested on scene by mobile DUI task force and released from custody just a short time after the arrest, calling a taxi to pick him up. According to reports, Barkley told the cops he ran the stop sign due to the fact he was in a hurry to have sex with a female companion.

According to TMZ.com:

According to the officer who wrote the report, "He told me that he ran the stop sign because he was in a hurry to pick up the girl I saw get in the passenger seat."

The officer continues: "He asked me to admit that she was 'hot.' He asked me, 'You want the truth?' When I told him I did he said, 'I was gonna drive around the corner and get a b**w job. He then explained that she had given him a 'b**w job' one week earlier and said it was the best one he had ever had in his life."

Also according to the reports, the police impounded a handgun found in Barkley's vehicle, but there's no word on whether it was legal or not. Not sure if he needed it, but it's good that Barkley has D-Wade in his Fave 5 speed dial for that one call you get at the station to have someone bail you out.

See Photos of the Barkley arrest from TMZ.com

Lebron James vs. Sir Charles

It's time for more NBA controversy and another war of words. The names Iverson and Marbury aren't even involved here. This time it's not a player vs. player or coach vs. player altercation. Instead it's the most explosive superstar in the game versus a hall-of-famer and the NBA big mouth analyst who's never afraid to let his opinions be known. At the center of the controversy is Lebron James, eligible for free agency in a season or so. NBA analyst for TNT, Charles Barkley, made comments that Cleveland Cavalier Lebron James is being disrespectful to his franchise. Barkley basically suggested that Lebron should keep his mouth closed about the free agency, because discussing it now is a slap in the face to the Cavs organization.

Lebron faced a slew of questions while visiting NYC as his Cavs faced the Knicks. The Knicks recently cleared up plenty of cap room in the hopes of landing a big star such as Chris Bosh, Dwayne Wade, or King James in 2010.

"I think July 1, 2010, is a very big day," James said when the Cavaliers were in New York. "It's probably going to be one of the biggest days in free-agent history in the NBA. So a lot of teams are gearing up to try to prepare themselves to be able to put themselves in position to get one of the big free-agent market guys."

Barkely made his public comments about Lebron on the TNT NBA Studio show as well as Dan Patrick's sports radio show:

"If I was LeBron James, I would shut the hell up," the Hall of Famer said on Patrick's show. "I'm a big LeBron fan. He's a stud. You gotta give him his props. I'm getting so annoyed he's talking about what he's going to do in two years. I think it's disrespectful to the game. I think it's disrespectful to the Cavaliers."

Lebron's response:

"He's stupid. That's all I've got to say about that," James said.

(Info source: AOL Sports)

KJ to Run for Mayor

According to AOL Sports, former Phoenix Suns guard Kevin Johnson is entering the Sacramento Mayor's race. KJ will be challenging three-term incumbent Heather Fargo in the municipal election this coming June.

From AOL Sports:

"We need a change in the city and I believe we need a change now," Johnson said. "As I went out the last month and talked to people around the city, folks have said to me they believe city government is nonresponsive, tired, uninspired and bureaucratic. They want something different in Sacramento. (They're) clamoring for change."

Fargo said she was "looking forward to holding my record up against his record. I think the voters will find more credibility and progress in my record than his."

"We've been making a lot of progress throughout the city," Fargo said. "He has a great image and a great star quality as a basketball player, but that's a far different job than being mayor of a city." (SOURCE)

Kevin Johnson has already been instrumental in bringing about a non-profit development project called St. Hope, which has transformed a lesser Sacramento High School into a successful charter school. St. Hope also created 40 Acres Art Gallery and Cultural Center, which includes a bustling book store, Starbucks and other commercial properties in the heart of Oak Park. Johnson had been cited for other properties which hadn't been developed up to par, but the former NBA star says he plans move ahead with these projects including a "Fresh & Easy" market.

Many people question whether pro athletes are qualified to run for public office. What many people fail to realize is there are many intelligent athletes out there who achieved college degrees and Masters degrees as fall back options. Two examples of publicly elected officials are Arnold Schwarzenegger and Governor Jesse Ventura. Both were involved in celebrity status and pop culture, with Arnold as a bodybuilder and Ventura as a wrestler, yet they easily made the transition. So Kevin Johnson could be the next mayor of Sacramento, paving the way for his former Suns' teammate Charles Barkley to run for governor.

Should NBA Players be Betting?

Charley Rosen of FoxSports.com with an interesting article regarding the NBA and betting. The article is a response to a reader who raises the question, should gambling be outlawed completely in the NBA? More specifically, the article cites the past gambling issues and losses of Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley as well as "friendly wagers" that occur during shootarounds, games of HORSE and on the golf courts. Rosen discusses the many ways gambling by NBA players can hurt them overall.

Read the full article on the NBA's Gambling Problem here