Charles Barkley Says He Wishes Tiger Woods Would ‘Blast’ Greg Norman, Channel Some of His ‘Blackness’

It's not every day that Charles Barkley wishes Tiger Woods would be more like him.

But, after former golf pro Greg Norman challenged Woods by saying that rising star Rory McIlroy was intimidating the living legend, Barkley is asking Woods to tap into his inner Sir Charles.

"I would like for him to just blast Greg Norman," Barkley told the Waddle and Silvy radio show in Chicago.

Barkley said he himself has built a reputation for not taking assaults on his talent and reputation, and he suggested Woods do the same.

"That situation gave everybody a chance to dump on [Woods]," Barkley said, "and [Woods] still tried to take the high road. I'm not a high road guy. I want him to come out and really blast Greg Norman."

Barkley said Woods should go "ballistic" on the fellow golfer, whose resume is a bit shorter than Woods' despite a still-illustrious career. But Barkley didn't stop there.

"I wish I could put some of my blackness in him … like toughness," Barkley said.

Chances are that Woods will answer Norman's challenge the way he always has — by dominating on the course — but the exchange did provide some nice takeaways. Thanks for these lessons, Mr. Barkley: (A) Charles Barkley does not take the high road. (B) Charles Barkley is black. (C) Tiger Woods has at least one part of his reputation (the rare ability among athletes not to spout off whenever he's slighted) intact.

Now, if only we could hear what Norman thinks about Barkley's golf swing.

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