Charles Barkley Says About His Upcoming CNN Show: Feels Like 'Jumping On The Titanic'

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CNN is in the midst of a crisis. After the American people elected Donald Trump in 2016, the cable news network decided to go all-in on trying to bring him down. At first, that produced great ratings. But now CNN is drowning. They hired arguably the best sports commentator in the country, Charles Barkley, to help boost those numbers.

Barkley is set to host a show with Gayle King. The show is slated to premiere in the fall and air weekly on CNN.

Last week, though, CEO Chris Licht left the company after just over one year. They are in the process of searching for a new head of the network for the second time in the past 18 months.

It appears everyone is trying to get Charles Barkley on-air as much as possible. NBA TV convinced him to postpone his summer vacation to do work for them during the NBA Finals.

Charles Barkley is set to star in a new CNN show this fall with Gayle King and he says people are trying to talk him out of it.

Charles Barkley is set to star in a new CNN show this fall with Gayle King and he says people are trying to talk him out of it.(Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)

TNT, his primary employer, is even using him during Stanley Cup Final coverage on the network. Barkley enjoys hockey, but he's clearly not an expert. He even admitted that Vegas star Jack Eichel didn't know who he was.

No matter, if a network has a chance to get Chuck in front of a camera, it's going to do it.

During his NHL on TNT Stanley Cup Final coverage is where Barkley made his comments about the upcoming CNN show.

"Apparently with this new talk show I'm jumping on the titanic," Barkley said prior to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. "Everybody keeps saying 'abort, abort.'"

Barkley covered a range of topics, but the CNN comments come around the 3:30 mark of the clip below.

The Titanic seems like an apt comparison. Growing up in the 90s, I knew CNN as nothing but THE news source.

When someone said "reported on CNN," no questions need be asked. That just meant it was the truth.

Go back and watch TV shows and movies from 20 years ago. They reference CNN all the time. It's just like ESPN or the New York Times.

Those brands were ubiquitous in American culture. Everyone knew what they were and everyone trusted them implicitly.

But that's simply not the case anymore. Now, when someone notes that "CNN is reporting," most people question their motives. Same with ESPN and the New York Times.

But they've all simultaneously hit an iceberg.

CNN is arguably sinking the fastest of the three.

And not even the great Charles Barkley can save it from that.

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.