Tributes to George Foreman poured in from across the sports media landscape following news of the famed boxer and entrepreneur’s passing at 76 Friday. A particularly notable one came on CBS/TNT Sports NCAA Tournament studio coverage, where host Ernie Johnson shared the news and discussed Foreman’s career, and analyst Charles Barkley then spoke about his own relationship with Foreman and how this and other recent passings of prominent sports figures have affected him:
“Boxing and football are my two favorite sports, and I got to know Mr. Foreman a little bit. I’d see him at all the boxing matches, and I’d always pick his brain about trying to be an entrepreneur when your career is over. This one hurts, man.
“It’s been a rough…I ain’t going to lie, man, between Junior Bridgeman, Oliver Miller, it’s been a rough week, and now Mr. Foreman. When that thing came in, it hurts a lot. Because obviously he was one of the greatest boxers ever, but he was a gentle man, he was a pastor, and, this just hurts, man, plain and simple. My condolences to his family, and just…I’m shook up right now, that caught me so off guard.”
This added to the waves of sports media figures who noted Foreman’s incredible accomplishments in and outside of the ring. But Barkley’s comments stood out for the emotion he showed around losing someone he’d connected with, and how that tied into the other recent losses of Bridgeman and Miller.