In Praise of the Fathlete

After the rotund Charles Barkley was picked by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 1984 NBA draft, general manager Pat Williams greeted reporters with jokes.

“When Charles walks down Broad Street, it instantly becomes a one-way street,” Williams quipped at the post-draft press conference. “When Charles goes swimming, we have to worry about him being harpooned,” he added, noting that Barkley had recently paid him a visit “wearing a form-fitting poncho.”