TNT analyst Charles Barkley called for the cancellation of March Madness after the recent coronavirus pandemic forced the hand of many sporting leagues across the country:
“Turner Sports and CBS got to close down March Madness, man, because you can't have these players — even if there's no fans in the stadium — you can't have these players breathing on each other for two weeks.
“I hate to say it. Like I said, I probably shouldn't say it because I work for CBS. I think we're going to have to shut down March Madness until we know more.”
"I think we're going to have to shut down March Madness until we know more." —Charles Barkley pic.twitter.com/hfogDJlYNl
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) March 12, 2020
Barkley is plenty cognizant he won't have to go to work for the next two weeks as an NBA analyst with the Inside The NBA crew, considering the NBA's decision to suspend the 2019-20 season after Rudy Gobert's coronavirus diagnosis. Yet this would create another wrinkle to his day-to-day life, as he has been a part of the analyst crew for March Madness in the past few years.
The Ivy League canceled its men's and women's tournament on Wednesday and soon after shut down all spring sports. Every major conference followed by choosing to go on with their tournaments, but without the fans in attendance.
Barkley is considering that to still be a high-risk proposition, given how little we know about the extent of the outbreak in the United States and the fact that there isn't a cure available yet.
Sir Charles is making a call for social conscience and aiming it at his own employer:
“I don't think that's the problem,” said Barkley when prompted with how players are looking forward to play in these conference tournaments and the ensuing NCAA Tournament. “I think my company's got to bite the bullet.”
“I know these kids want to play, but we can't have these kids … sweating, breathing, leaning on each other. That's crazy! Even if you lose, you go back home and you don't know if you got the virus for a week or two.”
The NCAA has to make the humane call, and that is to cancel or suspend March Madness until there's light at the end of this coronavirus tunnel. To go on with it for sheer greed or TV ratings is reckless. If Barkley is brave enough to call his own networks out, Turner Sports and CBS should listen.
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