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“Never Thought a Bulldog Would Beat a Tiger”: Charles Barkley Stunned at His Alma Mater’s Shocking Loss in March Madness

Published 03/22/2024, 10:31 PM EDT

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Here’s something you won’t see on the Discovery Channel – a bulldog beating a tiger. The only place you can see that is in March Madness. #4 Auburn Tigers, the alma mater of Charles Barkley, suffered an upset in the First Round. After his team lost 76-78 to the #13 Yale Bulldogs, Barkley was naturally dejected. As part of the in-studio team for the NCAA Tournament, Chuck had to state his piece. And he couldn’t hold back his disappointment.

To lose in the first round, very disappointing and frustrating…” he said about his team but went on to be a gracious loser. “Shoutout to Yale, the Bulldogs. I never thought a Bulldog would beat a Tiger, but they did. Congratulations to Yale.”

After that game, the regular studio host for March Madness, Ernie Johnson, knew this was going to hurt his co-analyst. Indeed, Chuck didn’t take pleasure in seeing the highlights of his Tigers losing. That too less than a week after he was celebrating the Tigers winning the SEC Tournament, something he dominated from 1981 to 84.

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The team too was riding on the fourth-best record in program history with 27 wins this season. They were the odds-on favorite against the Ivy League champions. He admitted, though, that the Bulldogs were the better team today and deserved the win. Yet, “My Tigers, man, this kind of ruins a really good season, winning the SEC Tournament.”

As if he wasn’t in grief already, the person sitting next to him was eager to drive the stake in his heart deeper.

Tar Heel alum rubs it in Charles Barkley’s face

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In the absence of Shaquille O’Neal from the Inside Guys this week, Kenny “The Jet” Smith filled the void. The void being making Chuck miserable. For all the times Sir Charles took a dig at North Carolina, Kenny’s school, he got back times ten.

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He sat beside Chuck in a self-made sash/banner for Yale with hearts. And he got cheekier, waving it around in Chuck’s proximity. He even admitted this is payback for all the trolling Chuck has subjected his alma mater to.

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As gracious as he was to the Bulldogs, Chuck wasn’t letting this slide. He pretended to call Spartans head coach, Tom Izzo and ask him to make the Tar Heels suffer on Saturday. What do you think? Will Magic Johnson’s school give Chuck a chance to wave a banner in Kenny’s face?

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Written by:

Caroline John

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Caroline John is a senior NBA writer at EssentiallySports. She holds a Masters degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from a reputed university. With 8 years of experience in content writing and after judiciously covering the life of Shaquille O’Neal, she even earned an exclusive interview with the CEO of Shaq’s Big Chicken franchise, Josh Halpern.
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Edited by:

Pragya Vashisth