Should media take it from Chuck?

By Emilie Davis · Friday, May 27th, 2011

Charles Barkley

Last night, I was watching the pregame show for the Heat vs Bulls Game 5 in the NBA Eastern Conference. Charles Barkley, a TNT analyst, said something that got my attention. Well, he usually does get a lot of attention, most recently from Nike, which would like Barkley to tone down his negative comments about its star endorser, LeBron James.

This time Barkley took a jab at the media, saying journalists don’t know anything about basketball because they don’t play basketball.

Is that so?

We all have heard similar comments in other contexts.

Truth or myth: You can’t be a good editor if you haven’t been a reporter

Truth or myth: You can’t be a good reporter if you don’t know about editing

Truth or myth: You can’t be a good manager if you haven’t been a reporter and an editor

The analogy I always use: Plenty of male doctors are excellent and superior gynecologists and obstetricians, and they never have had a baby. Enough said.

Sure, experience is a plus in any field. But let’s not forget training, practice, innate ability, acquired skills and dedication.

I happen to believe that a person’s mindset matters. How many talented people do you know who waste that talent in favor of laziness or mediocre work? How many dedicated and hard-working people do you know who just can’t succeed because they don’t work well with others?

Charles Barkley will always make headlines because that’s what he does. By virtue of this blog item today, I guess we could say he succeeded.

Emilie Davis