Charles Barkley

"I voted for John Kerry, and I was disappointed that he lost." (Tim Russert, 4/16/2005). Fly a lot.". He has repeatedly denied that he was a Republican in different TV interviews, and that he would run as an Independent. Pay for little. However, he rejected that rumor soon after he found out about it. "Jetsgo. Rumors swirled that he was Republican. Jetsgo also had special "comfort plus" sections on most of their planes which featured more leg room on seats A and B in rows 1 - 12, as well as no middle seat.

Barkley has long held outspoken libertarian political views and has hinted at a possible run for Governor of Alabama. All aircraft were configured in an "all-economy" setting typical of low-cost carriers. Charles Barkley also made several appearances in the short-lived series Clerks. Jetsgo operated a fleet of 14 McDonnell Douglas MD-83 and 15 Fokker F100; three more Fokker 100s were due for delivery in 2005. Barkley now broadcasts games for TNT and plays at celebrity golf tournaments. Jetsgo also operated weekend scheduled charter services from Toronto and Montreal to destinations in:. When asked if he had any regrets about throwing the man through the window, Barkley said "I regret we weren't on a higher floor.". Jetsgo was in competition with other carriers, such as Air Canada, WestJet, Canjet, American Airlines, and United Airlines.

Tired of people's accusations, Barkley, who is accessible to the public for autographs and hand shaking most of the time, limited his accessibility to the public to not much more than that. There were no casualties (ref: Flight International, July 2005). One of the most infamous cases involving Barkley in a lawsuit was one where, according to an Orlando man, he threw the man through a glass window during an altercation at an Orlando restaurant. The plane then declared a missed approach, took off and landed again. On March 20, 2004, in a game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Barkley's number 34 jersey was retired by the Suns, as he joined Connie Hawkins, Tom Chambers and Kevin Johnson, among others, in the Suns Ring of Honor. On 20 January 2005 a Jetsgo McDonnell Douglas MD-83 landing in poor weather and low visibility at Calgary International Airport, Canada, veered left off runway 34 and hit a runway hold sign, damaging landing gear and flaps. Later on, Barkley and Colangelo have seemingly cleared up their differences. Source: Transportation Safety Board of Canada / Toronto Star March 17, 2005 p C9.

And, to top it all, he and Suns owner Jerry Colangelo became involved in a very public dispute during his last year as a Sun. Here is a list of incidents reported about Jetsgo:. He published a pair of equally controversial books, he was rumored to plan to run for Governor of Alabama, and was in the middle of many lawsuits. The deficiencies were discovered during "a special inspection" into engine problems revealed after a forced landing in January 2005. He was rumored to have dated Madonna, and he became a favorite of late-night TV talk shows. In March 2005 Transport Canada said that investigators found issues with the operating methods of Jetsgo. During his stint as a member of the Suns, Barkley was controversial and outspoken. Source: Toronto Star March 14 ,2005 p A7.

Barkley ranked #19 in SLAM Magazine's Top 75 NBA Players of all time in 2003. The following is a list of employees employed at the time of the airline's insolvency:. He was an All-Star nine times, and he helped his teams to the playoffs every year he played. Employees were finally paid for the time prior to the airline's shutdown on March 14, 2005. During his career in the NBA, Barkey totalled 23,757 points for an average of 23 points per game, and 12,546 rebounds, for an average of 11.7 rebounds per game. Jetsgo accumulated $55 million in debt in the last eight months before it closed abruptly. Barkley retired immediately after that game. 1200 employees also lost their jobs.

He was told by doctors that he would never play again in the NBA, but was able to come back a little over four months later, scoring a basket in front of Houston's home fans on April 19, 2000 against the Grizzlies. This occurred on the Friday morning before the March Break holiday season, one of the busiest air travel days in 8 of 10 provinces. His last year in the NBA, he averaged 14 points a game over 19 games before tearing his left quadriceps tendon completely away from his kneecap during a game on December 8, 1999. The action stranded hundreds of passengers in airports and at their travel destinations with no way home, the defunct airline having made no arrangements with other carriers to handle their passengers. But as a member of the Rockets, Barkley faced back injury problems, which ultimately led to his retirement in 2000. On March 11, 2005, Jetsgo abruptly announced that it had ceased operations. Barkley was then traded to the Houston Rockets, where he joined Hakeem Olajuwon in their quest to win championships. Founder Michel Leblanc had previously founded Royal Airlines, which he later sold to Canada 3000.

He also was a member of the gold medal winning American team at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Expert analysts widely blame the airline itself for poor management. In 1996, Barkley and the Suns struggled to a 41-41 record, having to win 13 games in a row at the end to squeeze out a playoff spot. The airline was Canada's third largest airline at the time with up to 10% of the domestic market. In 1995, the Suns suffered exactly the same fate in the playoffs as the year before. Jetsgo was launched on June 12, 2002 and abruptly ceased operations on March 11, 2005. In 1994, Barkley again was part of a Suns team that almost won the NBA championship, losing in the Western semi-finals in 7 games to eventual NBA champions the Houston Rockets. .

Barkley would never again return to the Finals. The airline jets have now been repainted into Air Canada jets. At the Finals, Barkley and the Suns lost to Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and the Chicago Bulls in six games, after Barkley had told Jordan that it was destiny for the Suns to win the championship. Soon after its demise, the company pledged to make a comeback as a charter-only airline, but on May 13, 2005, the airline officially declared bankruptcy, cancelled plans to relaunch service, and began the process of liquidation. After joining Larry Bird, Magic Johnson and friend Michael Jordan for the 1992 US Dream Team that won the gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics, Barkley went to the Suns, where he became a vital part of the team's trip to the 1993 NBA Finals, scoring 25 points per game and becoming one of the most popular players ever among Suns fans. Jetsgo abruptly ended service and entered bankruptcy protection on March 11, 2005, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, right at the beginning of the busy March-break travel season. He averaged 24.3 points per game while with the 76ers. Jetsgo (IATA: SG, ICAO: JGO, and Callsign: Jetsgo) was a Canadian low-cost carrier based in Montreal, which served 19 destinations across Canada, 10 destinations in the United States, and 12 scheduled weekend-charter destinations in the Caribbean.

But he also became involved in a few scandals, notoriously a fight with Detroit Pistons center Bill Laimbeer in 1990. Cozumel. In between being drafted and traded, Barkley became a household name, and he was one of a few NBA players to have a figure published by Kenner's Starting Lineup toy line. Cancún. With Barkley, the team reached the playoffs every year except for 1988, and 1992, when he was traded in to the Phoenix Suns. Santiago. He battled those problems, however, and was able to fill the spot left by Julius Erving on the team. Santo Domingo.

His nickname of "The Round Mound of Rebound" dates back to his Auburn days. Puerto Plata. Early in his career, Barkley had a weight problem, sometimes weighing over 300 pounds (136 kg) at Auburn. La Romana. In 1984, he began in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers. Varadero. He mainly played center at Auburn, despite being far shorter than normal for the position; he stands slightly under 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m). Santiago.

Barkley played college basketball for Auburn University, where he excelled as a player. Santa Clara. . Manzanillo. He is both liked and criticized for his candid remarks and quotes. Havana. Besides being one of the best rebounders ever, he was also a prolific scorer and a consummate team player. Cayo Coco.

Barkley is best remembered for his tenacity for rebounds, despite his lack of height. New York LaGuardia. In 1996, the NBA's 50th anniversary, he was named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History. New York