Charles Barkley has mentioned his man crush on Detroit Lions head coach Dan Campbell time and again. But that isn’t stopping the analyst in Chuck from calling him out on his shortcomings. As re-emphasized his admiration for the coach recently, the Philadelphia 76ers star couldn’t forget one of the most criticized moments of Campbell’s life — losing the 2024 NFC championship.

“As much as I love Dan Campbell, those two calls he made in that NFC championship game… cost the Lions the championship. You got to kick those field goals, man. On the road, especially…” Chuck said. He emphasized one cannot follow the coaching methodologies of the regular season during the championship phase. “Those two not scoring plays cost the Lions that game…” he added.

In the NFC championship clash against the San Francisco 49ers, Campbell’s decision-making became a focal point of controversy. Twice, in critical moments, the Lions coach decided to pass up on kicking a field goal and opted to go for it on fourth down. The first instance happened early in the third quarter. When the Lions were up 24-10.

Rather than adding to their lead with a sure three points, Campbell took a gamble and lost. This misstep opened the door for the 49ers to claw their way back into the game. And that they did! San Francisco surged ahead in the fourth quarter, taking the lead.

With the Lions trailing 27-24, Campbell once again kept the field goal unit on the sideline. Only to make a bold attempt for it on fourth down. The 49ers capitalized on the mistake, scoring again and swinging the game’s momentum entirely in their favor. Fans were quick to blame Campbell’s decisions for the momentum shift.

“And of course they lose by 3. The same amount of points they would’ve got if they kicked the FG on that 4th down…” wrote a user on X. Something similar that even Charles Barkley pointed out in his appearance on Roc and Manuch Show. “You make it a three-score game that first time… but the second time, the house is on fire… But at least you tie the game up. Once you do not get it, the game is over…” he said. Firmly standing by his criticism.

Having lost interest in one attempt, Charles Barkley once wanted to play football for Dan Campbell

Not many would know that Chuck once gave football an attempt. Chuck tried his hand at the sport, albeit for a brief stint. He was put on the defensive line, tasked with crashing into opponents, full speed. But after just a single day, he realized it wasn’t quite his game. Appearing on Inside the NFL Barkley described the experience as exhausting and not exactly his “cup of tea”.

The idea of running into another player over and over for hours left him less than impressed with the sport’s appeal. ‘I remember the last thing the coach said to me was, ‘I’ll see y’all tomorrow’. I was like, ‘Yo, I’m not doing this tomorrow,'” Chuck said. However, during an appearance on Bill Simmons Podcast, the ex-76ers star admitted that watching Campbell’s intense passion for the game made him wish to make another attempt.

“I quit football after one day. When I’m watching Dan Campbell, I’m like, ‘I want a do-over. I want to play for that dude,'” he said. It’s clear that Charles Barkley has immense respect and love for the Lions Coach. But whenever it’ll come to speaking what Barkley believes is right, he will not mince his words for any crush in the world.

Stay tuned for more such updates. And join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger.