When the conversation is about the Auburn Tigers, no one can stop Charles Barkley from hoisting up his alma mater. Unfortunately for Chuck, the overconfidence has often turned into misery. The Chuckster had high hopes for the Tigers after he found out they would be playing the Yale Bulldogs in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. It even provoked the Sixers legend to make a wild gesture on live TV. However, after the game, he got humbled by the Bulldogs, who have now shared a hilarious video to mock him on social media.
Before the Yale vs Auburn game, Charles Barkley imitated smoking a cigar on live TV, to convey that it would be an easy win for his alma mater. However, the Tigers lost the game, 76-78, after the 13th-seed Bulldogs upset them. Barkley was left with no choice but to accept the defeat. He shared after the game, “Today I’m going to congratulate my Yale friends. Y’all were the better team today”. This was surprising from Barkley, but this admission was not enough for the Bulldogs stars to let him off the hook.
Bulldogs’ guard John Poulakidas shared, “I’m not sure if there’s any room on that bandwagon after he pulled out that cigar”. Another star from the team, August Mahoney, said, “Being a basketball fan, you wanna see Charles Barkley on every TNT broadcast…He’s a legend, but I guess my message is sorry not sorry.” Well clearly, the Yale Bulldogs did not hesitate to roast Barkley back. Looks like the 1993 MVP has some players going extra hard against his Tigers.
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Yale players react to Charles Barkley's premature Auburn cigar.
"I'm not sure if there's any room on that bandwagon after he pulled out that cigar."
"He's a legend, but I guess my message is sorry not sorry." 🏀 #MarchMadness pic.twitter.com/LSqzeFTzVT
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 24, 2024
John Poulakidas dropped a 28-point game, which was supported by Mahoney’s 14 points that helped the Bulldogs put the Tigers to sleep. This unexpected turn of events was a bit too “frustrating” for Barkley to accept.
Charles Barkley speaks on how the Auburn Tigers ruined their great season
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Barkley’s alma mater finished 4th in the Big East and was favored to make it to the Final Four this year. The young core had a lot of talented guards, and their former #34 held his hopes high on them. However, the Tigers did not hustle enough to close out the game against the Yale Bulldogs. Barkley considers it to be “disappointing”.
Read more: Charles Barkley’s March Madness Torment Takes a Pause Much to Kenny Smith’s Relief
The NCAA games matter the most, and the Tigers did not even make it past the first round. The 1993 MVP shared, “They had plenty of chances…They did not play well. But Yale played better, they deserved to win the game. My Tigers, man, this kind of ruins a really good season, winning the SEC Tournament. To lose in the first round is very disappointing and frustrating.”
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Charles Barkley could relate to this loss. When he played for the Tigers in 1983-84, he also faced a similar first-round loss to the Richmond by just one point.
Read more: Co-Host’s “Nasty Hands” Ruin Charles Barkley’s Delicious March Madness Treat on Live TV