You just knew the Round Mound of Rebound would have some skin in one of the biggest Iron Bowls the last few years.
NBA Hall of Famer and current TNT hoops analyst Charles Barkley played his college basketball at Auburn and has always worn his fandom for Tigers football on his sleeve. Jalen Hurts, of course, is the star quarterback for hated rival Alabama.
Nov. 25, top-ranked Alabama will travel to The Plains to take on sixth-ranked Auburn. The winner will win the SEC West, a spot in the conference championship game and, potentially a College Football Playoff bid. The loser, especially if it’s the Tigers, could find themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in.
With so much at stake in the here and now, Barkley and Hurts preemptively upped the ante this past offseason, as the former relayed during a radio interview Tuesday. From al.com‘s transcription:Jalen Hurts challenged me to a bet, and I ain’t forgot it, Jalen,” Barkley said Tuesday. “I’m either going to wear an Alabama jersey on TV or he’s going to have to wear (an Auburn jersey) on campus. ... I’ve got the jersey coming.
“My Tigers need to win because I don’t want to wear that crap on TNT.I don’t have a dog in this in-state rivalry hunt, but I can’t think of many things that would be funnier than Barkley on a TV set wearing a Crimson Tide jersey while Shaq and Kenny the Jet hurl unrelenting shade at him.