Updated throughout the day with quick takes from staff.
At this point, you probably know that Charles Barkley is a spokesman for Weight Watchers, pitching people on the product by telling people he was once known as "Sir Cumference" before using it. I'm sure you all thought he was being totally sincere, because nobody is realer than Charles Barkley.
Well, Barkley is real all right, at least when he's off camera. Fans who watch on international NBA League Pass were treated to Barkley joking about how he's scamming Weight Watchers in what he thought was a candid moment during Thursday's game between the Atlanta Hawks and the Miami Heat. The cameras were still rolling, though, and this all became YouTube gold.
Barkley said the program has helped him, but then said this:
"I ain't giving away no free money. I thought this was the biggest scam going, being paid to watch sports, but this Weight Watchers thing is a bigger scam."
To top it all off, Barkley opined on the state of the Hawks, saying he hates to watch them play and adding that they should chase Dwight Howard. The world demands more off-the-cuff Chuck, and it demands it now.
8 comments
Comments
I wonder
Is he still going to be the spokesman for Weight Watchers?
by Jeffrey Thompson on Jan 6, 2012 1:14 PM EST reply actions
Awesome!!!
I love him. He speaks his mind and the guy is rarely wrong when it comes to basketball. He called the playoffs to the T last year. It was quite impressive. He was saying the mavs would win the championship during the all star break…
On the other hand, dont take any advise from him on any other subject.haha
by UnconqueredJag904 on Jan 6, 2012 1:48 PM EST reply actions
Charles Barkley is a complete jackass. The fact that anyone hires him to do anything is just incredible. I suppose I can’t look down on the employers though, they get credit for hiring the mentally disabled.
Ron Paul 2012
by BuffaloBlueBlood on Jan 6, 2012 3:09 PM EST via mobile reply actions
Barkley ripped the Hawks when he knew he was on TV too, you didnt have to get behind the scenes to hear his opinion on that. he questioned their toughness in the first quarter and the Hawks made hime look like he knew what he was talking about because they were getting out-hustled by the Heat’s bench players.
The Hawks are a joke
by warriorsvictim on Jan 6, 2012 7:24 PM EST reply actions
To be fair
It did sound like he said that Weight Watchers WORKS, and that he’s lost weight and feels great. He just said that it was a scam to pay for it, presumably since anybody could lose weight through diet and exercise all on their own if they could muster the willpower. There are no secrets to the Weight Watchers program. You pretty much just pay them to tell you to eat less. That said, some people really do need outside support in order to achieve that goal.
Of course, if you hire Charles Barkley to represent your brand, you should probably expect that something like this will happen sooner or later. If WW shows any outrage about this, then it is they who are the jackasses for thinking that they could play with fire and not get burned.
by ahhall on Jan 6, 2012 9:28 PM EST reply actions
And just as I expected, Weight Watchers pretty much knew this was coming
In a statement to the News, Weight Watchers said they were still thrilled to have the outspoken hoopster.
“We love Charles for the same reason everyone loves Charles, he’s unfiltered," a spokesman said. "We are thrilled that he is having great success and inspiring millions of men to join him. We agree that being a spokesman for Weight Watchers is a pretty great gig.”
Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/charles-barkley-weight-watchers-deal-a-scam-nba-crows-hot-mic-paid-lose-weight-article-1.1001968#ixzz1ijfzWQmk
I can’t imagine a more mature, appropriate response to this situation. Well done, Weight Watchers.
by ahhall on Jan 6, 2012 9:32 PM EST up reply actions
WW Interpretation...
… was the same way I took it, that getting paid to be a spokesman for them is a ridiculous thing to get paid for. Even moreso than getting paid to watch sports, I thought was the context.
But either way, you want Charles, you get Charles.
by fez66 on Jan 7, 2012 11:58 AM EST up reply actions
That's how I heard it too.
It’s even a bigger scam to be paid for losing weight than to be paid for watching sports. No slam on Weight Watchers there at all.
by MeToo on Jan 7, 2012 3:20 PM EST up reply actions
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