Barkley May Soon Get His Wish From NBA Fans

Now that the NBA lockout is over, Charles Barkley’s philosophy of his sport is more meaningful than ever.

“We have done irreparable harm to the game of basketball,” Barkley says. “I care about the game. Basketball has given me everything I have in my life. It has made me rich, made me famous.

“Everybody talks about the fans. I don’t play for the fans. I want every player to feel there is nobody in the stands and we play like we did when we were little kids. Shirts and skins, just play to win the game.”

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Trivia time: How many wide receivers have been named Associated Press most valuable player in the NFL?

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Happy warriors: It may or may not have had anything to do with the Cardinals’ 20-7 upset of the Dallas Cowboys on Saturday, but Arizona Cardinal owner Bill Bidwill earned a stadium full of goodwill when he agreed to Coach Vince Tobin’s request to take the nine players on injured reserve, the four practice squad players and four on the inactive list on the trip to Dallas.

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Onward and upward: Jesse “the Body” Ventura was inaugurated as governor of Minnesota on Monday, but his former boss, World Wrestling Federation chairman Vince McMahon, says it’s only the beginning.

“As a former WWF superstar, he has what it takes to survive in any area--be it politics or sports entertainment,” McMahon said. “Jesse has mentioned his presidential aspirations many times. We could do worse than elect Jesse president. In fact, some say we have!”

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Get it right: Brigham Young’s leading runner next year will probably be sophomore Junior Mahe, and he has requested that his last name be pronounced “Ma-hay,” and not “Ma-hee.”

In the Tongan language, ma-hee means underwear.

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Sweet tooth: The latest doping scandal in sports doesn’t involve androstenedione or high levels of testosterone. It involves chocolate.

The British Whippet Racing Assn. recently stripped several dogs of wins and championships because they tested positive for theobromine and caffeine--both found in chocolate.

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Family man: When golfer Billy Andrade decided to take his wife and two children with him to Hawaii, where he was going to play in the Mercedes Championship and the Hawaiian Open, he had this to say about the long flight from Rhode Island:

“Good luck to the passengers.”

Daughter Lelia is 20 months old.

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Books on ice: The Edmonton Oilers’ Doug Weight is an avid reader of fiction and always takes a book along with him on trips. The problem is he never finishes one before the flight ends.

“I’ve got some books I started eight years ago,” he said. “I can’t wait to see how they end when my career’s over.”

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Trivia answer: None.

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And finally: After the Florida Panthers’ Paul Laus ended a scoreless drought of 188 games last week, dating to April 6, 1996, the veteran defenseman said, “That’s a big King Kong off my shoulders.”