“TNT Are a Bunch of Dummies”: Charles Barkley Thrashes Employer for Ruining His New York Surprise

If you ever want to throw a surprise, don’t count on the planners at TNT. They nearly busted the grand plan the Inside Guys had prepared for The Godfather. Remember when Ernie Johnson was pleasantly surprised that his friends came on stage at the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame induction? Turns out that was nearly ruined because of a planning faux pas by TNT. Charles Barkley was the maddest about it.

“TNT are a bunch of dummies,” he groused on The Steam Room even though Ernie told him not to trash talk their colleagues. Barkley said, “No, I’m trashing somebody… whoever put us at the same Hotel.” That is a comedy waiting to happen. Because indeed, Ernie ran into Chuck in the New York hotel they were staying at, almost ruining the surprise planned by the co-hosts.

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“When you walked in the bar and said ‘Chuck, what are you doing here?’ I couldn’t know what to say,” Barkley said to his bestie. He apparently didn’t give away the surprise instantly. Ernie’s follow-up question was who was running the show if 2/4 were in New York. “That’s how professional he is,” Barkley said about TNT’s 34-year-long veteran.

That’s why Johnson expected Barkley at the ceremony. Though, he didn’t expect Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny “The Jet” Smith. After all, they didn’t spend much time at the hotel to get caught by Ernie. “Shaq was at the hookah bar and Kenny was acting like he was big time in New York,” Barkley recounted to the Godfather.

Maybe if Chuck was smart enough to stay out of the hotel too, he wouldn’t have been busted. Just sayin’ since it wasn’t a total bust.

Charles Barkley’s surprise was a success

Barkley had the privilege of surprising Ernie twice. He was the one who broke the news of his Hall of Fame induction when they were both covering The Match. Johnson later confessed, “I tremble a little bit,” every time Chuck opens his mouth. He was instead left stunned by the HoF news.

During his appearance on The Steakhouse podcast, Ernie said that he didn’t expect more than Barkley to show up because he met him before the event.

The ceremony in New York ran parallel with the NBA games. But while the B-team took over at Inside the NBA, Shaq, Kenny and Chuck surprised Ernie on stage. “It was awesome to have you three walk out there,” Ernie Johnson told Charles Barkley.

READ MORE: “I’m Glad He’s Gone” – Why Was Charles Barkley’s Absence Celebrated on TNT’s Live Show?

Whether the surprise was a complete success or not, the trio was there for Ernie. Let’s hope the next surprise is planned better.