Former
NBA star Charles Barkley, believing his microphone was turned off,
described his gig as a Weight Watchers spokesman as a “scam.” Barkley,
who serves as an NBA commentator on TNT, made the comments during a
commercial break in last week’s game between the Miami Heat and the
Atlanta Hawks. “I thought this was the greatest scam going – getting
paid to watch sports. This Weight Watchers thing is a bigger scam,” he
said. YouTube took down a clip of the comment after a copyright claim by
the NBA. Weight Watchers defended Barkley and put a positive spin on
his unguarded remark. “We love Charles for the same reason everyone
loves Charles – he’s unfiltered,” a Weight Watchers spokesman said. “We
are thrilled that he is having great success and inspiring millions of
men to join him. We agree that being a spokesman for Weight Watchers is a
pretty great gig.” Weight Watchers also released a statement from
Barkley, in which he said: “I meant what I said. The fact that I’m
dropping pounds, getting healthier and getting paid at the same time is
my definition of a great scam. The only problem is I’m going to have to
use some of the money to buy a new wardrobe.”
