Video: How Did Charles Barkley Compare To Other Athletes Hosting SNL?

By Scott Harris Posted Jan 10th 2010 09:21AM

It's a busy time in the world of sports, as some of the biggest events of the year are about to hit your television. The NFL playoffs. The Winter Olympics. The NHL All-Star Game. But most important of all ... Charles Barkley hosting 'Saturday Night Live.'

Yes, the Round Mound of Rebound brought his unique joie de vivre to the venerable sketch comedy show Saturday. It's not the first time Sir Charles has hosted the show, of course; he also headlined the show back in 1993, meaning his return engagement puts him in elite company among the few athletes who have been tapped as return hosts.

A Sample of Barkley on SNL ... and More Sports Stars Below

Perhaps the most successful hosting effort by an athlete in 'Saturday Night Live' history was turned in by Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. The three time league MVP appeared on the show back in 2007 and spoofed his squeaky image in this now-classic parody of a United Way commercial.

Where there's Peyton Manning, of course, there must also be arch-rival Tom Brady. Coming off his of third Super Bowl win back in 2004, Brady's appearance on 'SNL' included this snarky look at professional jealousy among his quarterbacking brethren.

One of the best known examples of an athlete hosting 'Saturday night Live,' is, naturally, the legendary Michael Jordan, who appeared on the show back in 1991. Among his classic skits were his tete-a-tete with Al Franken's Stuart Smalley character and this roundtable discussion of Bears coach Mike Ditka's abilities with the Super Fans.

If there's anyone who has a chance to live up to Jordan's legacy on the court, it's superstar LeBron James. King James tried his hand at following in Jordan's 'SNL' footsteps as well (and trust us, walking on your hands is pretty hard) when he helmed the show back in 2007.

Bicycling champion Lance Armstrong has a leg up on most of his fellow athlete-hosts, as he's pulled in seven Tour De France wins, which tops even Jordan's six titles. His appearance as host of the show in 2005 wasn't quite as dominant, but he did have some kick, as shown in this triathlon skit.

Even though former wrestling star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has left his athletic days behind him for the brighter lights of Hollywood, there are still plenty of fans who remember him best form his days cooking it up inside the square circle. His crossover appeal is undeniable, though: he's the only athlete to have hosted the show three times.

Not all stints by athletes are quite as well received as "The Rock," however. While Michael Phelps certainly gave his best effort during his 2008 appearance, the results were generally a little short of medal contention. Here's one of his better -- if not smoother -- efforts from the evening.

This clip from Hall of Fame running back Walter Peyton's 1987 appearance proves a few things. Firstly, comedic timing is not necessary to be an NFL great. Secondly, everyone loves making fun of kickers. And thirdly, it's difficult to transfer footage from VHS to Youtube successfully.

Finally, we thought it would only be appropriate to bring you a clip from Barkley's first hosting appearance. His musical guest that night? Nirvana, of course. So what do Charles Barkley and the icons of Nirvana talk about when they are waiting for the cameras to roll? As this somewhat awkward behind the scenes footage shows, the answer is: nothing.

Tags: saturday night live, SaturdayNightLive

Comments

(27)

Monday 11 January

By bob schmalz

Vote down Vote up Report this

I think Sir Charles should of be on the Biggest LOSER, he is a Heart Attack or Stroke waiting to happen. They should of done a skit "Guess Charles Weight"

Sunday 10 January

By Uncledickierc

I thought Barkley had retired from the public eye and had gone to hell. Guess I was only half right, he hasn't retired from the public eye.

By Suzetta

ENCORE! SIR CHARLES!!!!!!!

By karen

I liked Charles Barkley on SNL. The scripts have been better lately, so that helped. You can only do so much with a McGruber skit, but they worked too. Charles got to make fun of himself and looked like he had fun doing it.

By kd

For some reason, the first thing I think of when I think of athletes on SNL is the skit with Joe Montana years ago, where he says everything that he thinks. "I'm going upstairs to masturbate." Does anyone else remember that?

By dj

Sir Charles is an uneducated racist dog. He needs to spend his time learning english and put the bottle down.

By Tova

Seth Meyers is the head writer not Tina Fey.

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