Charles Barkley says Tiger Woods changed number, not talking to some of famous friends

By Rachel Cohen, AP
Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Barkley: Tiger changed phone number after accident

Charles Barkley says Tiger Woods changed his cell phone number the day after his car accident and is not talking to some of his famous friends.

On a show that airs Sunday on news network HLN, Barkley and filmmaker Spike Lee worry that Woods isn’t taking advantage of the invaluable advice that can only be offered by friends who are used to the spotlight.

“You should reach out to your celebrity friends when things go bad,” Barkley told The Associated Press in a phone interview Tuesday. “They’re the only people who understand what it’s like.”

Barkley appears on “With All Due Respect” with two other Turner Sports analysts, baseball Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley and longtime NASCAR driver Kyle Petty. Lee is one of the guests in the one-hour special during which the sports stars discuss a variety of topics.

Turner Sports and HLN are owned by Turner Broadcasting System.

“He’s insulated,” Lee said during the taping for the show. “If Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan can’t get to him, and those are his boys, then other people are making bad moves.”

Barkley said Tuesday he has not spoken to Woods since the Nov. 27 accident, which unleashed a series of events that resulted in him admitting to marital infidelity.

“I’ve been trying to get to him and can’t get to him,” he said. “It’s very frustrating.”

Barkley said he just wants to tell Woods, “Hey, man, we love you. If you need anything, pick up the phone.”

Chatting about subjects ranging from sports to world news, entertainment and current events is a natural for the outspoken Barkley, who has long expressed an interest in entering politics. He said he wants potential voters to be familiar with his views, with include support for abortion rights and gay marriage.

“I hope people get a chance to see where I am on different issues,” he said.

While taping the show, the three athletes found they had similar feelings about another of the year’s big stories: the death of Michael Jackson. Each felt at peace about the saga after seeing “Michael Jackson’s This Is It,” the film about the King of Pop’s final rehearsals.

During the conversation, Barkley said, “I thought Kyle was going to cry.”

Discussion

Marty G
December 16, 2009: 9:48 am

I agree with earlier comments that Tiger has carried the world of golf on his shoulders for more than a decade, in that time he has been a great role model for young and old alike. In that time he has never had any other scandals and has held himself with great sportsmanship and dignity. So far Tiger has as far as we know admitted to “Indiscretion” in his marriage. There is no doubt in my mind that the media has done irreversible damage to Tigers carrier. Reports are hitting the 20 mistress mark and though possible we have not had any real proof of this being a realistic fact. Yes tabloids are covered by freedom of speech and the press etc but I believe that it should be governed by a certain requirement of facts. I also believe that in good time that some if not most of these woman will be proved to be nothing but money hungry, fame seeking cows trying to cash in on one of the most disgusting examples of media and tabloid reporting in quite a long time. As I said, though possible I find it hard to believe that Tiger was upholding being the No1 Golf Player in the world, keeping his obligations to his multiple sponsors and endorsements, keeping up with his own wife and children and carrying on with 20 woman. And yes I know if this was to be true that they wouldn’t all bee at the same time, but if its as many as they say and what the woman are claiming he would of had to be keeping up with all the obligations mentioned above and at times keeping also 3-4 mistresses and as said though possible I think very unlikely. I strongly believe that as the truth comes out if there are any woman that have jumped on this media frenzy with no proof should be held responsible by the law but be fair game for Tiger’s Lawyers to (excuse the pun) take a piece of their ass.
Yes I do think its terrible that Tiger has cheated on his family at all, but I also think it is terrible that a man who has given so much, to the world of golf, to multiple charities hope and inspiration to many and has almost single-handedly bought and carried golf back to the forefront of sport for the past decade and so many are ready to believe so many woman, some with no proof of any kind and jump to so many conclusions in a matter of a couple of weeks. Some of the accusations and assumptions of the clowns on TV have just been blatant talking shit for the sake of talking shit. Considering that nobody has really any idea of what is going on in the family home there have been reports of 7 times a day counselling, Tiger sneaking out to hit balls, Elan not eating or sleeping and much more. Also having to listen to wannabe physiologists putting in their 2 cents worth of what Tiger “HAS” to do to save his marriage and I am quite surprised that one of the worst that has really gone overboard on this is Entertainment Tonight which is usually quite a good program for keeping up with what’s happening with the stars has really jumped to the bottom of the barrel on this storey, some of it is so far fetched if it wasn’t such a high profile case about a delicate subject I would be sure that most people would be pissing themselves laughing. I think good on Tiger for taking immediate steps to admit there has been some indiscretion and he is going to take time to focus on his family etc. Things have been said about Tigers silence, but just try something, find yourself a quiet spot on your own and think about the stress you normally have in your day to day life and the imagine having everything thrown at you all at once as Tiger has in the past two weeks and how well you would be coping and what you would be saying to the public right now. I believe Tiger will face up to what he has done in good time but when you think about it from now on, think about what actually has been proven, a car accident possibly caused by a domestic situation and somewhere along the lines an affair admitted by Tiger, that’s it. Not 20 woman, not a group of employees setting up these affairs for him and at this stage not taking off on a cruise with one of his mistresses, surely he’s not that stupid. If a lot of this is lies I do feel sorry for Tiger and his whole family and if its all true and Tiger throws up his hands in the next week and says yep I did it all then hopefully it will be another lesson of what can happen when someone so young (when he started) has the world laid at his feet and not the life skills to deal with it.


its over now
December 16, 2009: 3:13 am

well these so call famous friends….all knew about tigers indiscretions and condone his infedelity, what sort of friends are these people? are they real friends? do they really care what might happen if he got caught? did they really care enough to say…tiger stop for the sake of your family??? no they didnt..it seems money really is the only thing these friends and tiger have incommon.
its a wonder hes now changed his cell number.

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