Charles Barkley Arrested on DUI

The Associated Press and other sources are reporting that retired basketball icon Charles Barkley was arrested on a DUI charge in Scottsdale, Arizona. As the Associated Press goes on to report, Barkley was spotted by a task force who specializes in drunk driving and saw him run a stop sign.

Barkley was apparently not belligerent and in fact complimented the police on their behavior.

In 1996 Charles Barkley was selected to the NBA's greatest 50 players and in 2006 was selected to the Hall of Fame. In 1997, Barkley was arrested for throwing a man through a glass window after he threw a glass of ice on him.

Barkley was known as "The Round Mound of Rebound" so named because of his excellent play despite his less than attractive physique. All through his career Charles Barkley was aggressive, loud, outspoken and confrontational. He got involved in fights with other players and fans, many who developed a downright hatred for him.

I remember Charles Barkley well because he was a contemporary of Michael Jordan and my beloved Chicago Bulls.

I was not a Barkley fan and, frankly I still am not.

I remember Charles Barkley because of two major issues. He got into trouble on numerous occasions and finally said that it was wrong and unfair to hold professional athletes up as role models. That would have been alright but he insisted that the reason society wanted to use professional sports players as role models was because of jealousy and a desire to hold young black athletes down.

What got most people livid was when Barkley tried to retaliate against a person in the stands by spitting on them and inadvertently spat on a little girl. Despite his caring acts later towards the family, he was simply labeled a "jerk."

It is interesting as you watch new players come into professional leagues be they basketball, baseball or football, Barkley's legacy is alive and well.

Very few professional sports players act as role models. More importantly they not only don't act as role models, they do whatever they want no matter the consequences.

References:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jh2TEiu9mYmss8nRoJUo4HkdQKbwD95DS7IG0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Barkley