Sir Charles vs. Uncle Tom

Barkley Rips Masters Head -- He's an 'Uncle Tom'
by TMZ Staff

Charles Barkley has resorted to racial insults in his attack on the guy who runs the Masters -- comparing Billy Payne to a slave-driving plantation owner after Payne ripped Tiger Woods over the scandal.

Barkley -- who used to be pretty tight with Woods -- went on Fox Sports Radio yesterday and said, "You got this punk ass Billy Payne who goes on TV ... for him to get on there and act like he's all Uncle Tom, he's the master on the plantation, that piss me off."

Barkley added, "I wish somebody would just walk up to him and punch him in his face."

Earlier this week, Payne mentioned Tiger in his news conference saying, "Our hero did not live up to the expectations of the role model we saw for our children."

I'm usually not one to dog my man Charles Barkley but I've got to say he missed this one by a country mile. I understand there is still an underlying element of racism in sports between owners and players (or in golf in general) but I think Charles unfairly brought race into the equation here. I think it was necessary and prudent for The Masters to acknowledge there was wrongdoing on Tiger's part. The tournament has gone out of its way to protect him so I think they have to right to say he was in the wrong. Furthermore I think that statement would have been the same if the filanderer was Phil (or any other white player) and not Tiger. What would Charles say if Obama said something like this about John Edwards?

I think Charles just bristles when he hears the word role model. He needs to understand that while he shirked the reposibility of being a role model, Tiger embraced it and tried to use it to sell himself. Thus, America lashes out at Tiger when he screws up but we'll give Charles a pass.

P.S. - I'm pretty sure an Uncle Tom has to be black but whatever. Here's a cherrier Charles moment.