Ernie Johnson, White NBA Host…WTF?
Ernie Johnson’s the white guy that anchors TNT’s show Inside The NBA and he’s flanked by Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Charles Barkley, both of whom are former NBA players. Every now and then, another former player will sit in as a guest host. Now, I have nothing against anyone making a living, but why the hell is Ernie Johnson the guy?
Ernie’s a geek from way back. He used to have oversized black rimmed glasses and, although I’m sure he’s a decent guy, he’s basically got the personality of a slice of toast. I don’t mean to paint a poor picture of the guy, but alongside a firecracker like Charles Barkley, it’s a tough sell. Even Kenny Smith comes up with some good angles on the game and adds to the discussion. Ernie, also known as “EJ” (ooh, real stretch for a nickname, guys), does keep everyone reeled in, but adds little to the proceedings. Maybe they’ve got him in there as the straight man, or maybe the show isn’t supposed to be entertaining, but then why hire Charles Barkley?
As I said, I’m sure EJ’s a decent human being outside of work and he’s probably a great guy to have as a neighbor, but for such a visible spot in a major sporting event’s broadcast, I just don’t get it. Maybe he was the guy who happened to be in the building on the first day of shooting and they just kept him around. Or maybe he’s good friends with Ted Turner? At least that other show got Tom Arnold, who adds comic relief if nothing else. I’m still wondering what EJ adds to the show.
For the record, I do love Charles Barkley. Kenny and the other players that come in are alright, but Charles is the real cornerstone of the show. I love a guy that calls things as he sees them and is not afraid to speak his mind, good or bad. Barkley’s DUI or DWI or whatever the hell it’s called these days (how about “drunk driving”?) was totally lame on his part, though, no excuses. He seems to be taking the punishment and seems to have acknowledged his major mistake, so I guess that’s all you can expect. He’s another guy I’d like to meet someday.
Maybe Charles can introduce me to Ernie.
March 4, 2009 - Posted by belikemichael | Celebrities, Sports | Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, NBA
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i don’t know why your bitching. but it seems like its just cuz you don’t want a white guy being a host on a basketball program. i just call you racist, nothing more. ej, kenny and charles have great chemistry together and it just works, thats why its lasted 10 years. so why you bitching about him being white? why don’t you say the same about marv albert or kevin harlen. douche.
I’ll ignore the fact that you mention racism, because that’s just plain pathetic. I thought I was clear that I dislike Ernie on the basis of him being a geek without basketball credentials; I only mention his skin color so it’s easier to distinguish him from the other hosts.
That said, I’ll grant you that there may be some chemistry on the show, but doesn’t seem natural. When other players come on the show, you see everyone laughing freely, etc and it’s very comfortable. With Ernie, I always got the impression that the executives at TNT chose to put Ernie on the show for some specific reason and that Kenny and Charles would just have to accept him. Over the years, they’ve accepted him, but it seems more unnatural and may have only developed from years of working together. As I said, Ernie’s not a bad guy; I just wish they anchored the show with someone a bit more charismatic.