Charles Barkley: Some at CBS were not initially welcoming

Sean McManus and David Levy, who run CBS and Turner Sports, respectively, spoke Tuesday as they have for four years about the warm, successful partnership between the two media entities that carry the NCAA Tournament.

But studio analyst Charles Barkley said later that at first, some incumbent tournament announcers were not warm and cuddly toward Turner's NBA voices when they came aboard for the NCAAs.

Barkley had been talking about how helpful college basketball experts such as Mike Gminski, Greg Anthony and Dan Booner have been to him when he added, "Some of these guys are [expletive]. They didn’t treat us very well, because they thought we were trying to take their jobs.

"You could just tell there was some tension in the beginning. I’m not trying to take your job. I’m not even sure we want to do this. But Dan Bonner was great to me and said, 'Anytime you want to talk about players or teams.' He was a great resource.

"I shouldn’t call them [expletives]. But they were a little distant. They looked at it like a competition. We’re not trying to take your job. Relax.

"It’s gotten a lot better, because I think they realize, number one, they didn’t lose their job. We are in this together… I think the tension has eased and we’ve done a lot better, but the first time we got together they weren’t very friendly."

Invited to name names, Sir Charles declined.