Barkley Isn’t About to Spare Some Fans

Charles Barkley, never shy about offering opinions, was a guest on CNN’s “Larry King Live” Thursday night, and the topic was the Kobe Bryant case.

Barkley, asked by King if he thought Bryant should play this season, said he’d thought so until a few days ago. Now he’s not so sure.

“I think it’s going to be such a distraction,” Barkley said. “I think, No. 1, there are going to be fans out there shouting some things.

“There are some evil fans out there. Like 90% are great, and 10%, we just kill ‘em and the world would be a better place.”

Trivia time: On which surface did Jimmy Connors not win a U.S. Open, red clay, grass, green clay or hard courts?

The expert: Former New York Jet defensive end Mark Gastineau, in a taped interview with ESPN, talked about the similarly brash New York Giant tight end Jeremy Shockey.

“I’m not a politician, but I’ll tell you what,” Gastineau said. “If you’re a football player, you better protect your career.

“And the things he’s done, I wish his momma was here to beat his.... Because his mom would take care of Jeremy Shockey, I’m telling you.

“I say this out of love for Jeremy, OK? Because he’s an Okie. He’ll always be an Okie. He’s a hick.”

Gastineau, looking directly into the camera, animatedly added, “You are a hick! You can’t do anything about it!”

Always good to hear from Gastineau.

Still lacks humility: Pete Rose recently told ESPN, “Is there an owner that would give me an opportunity? I have to think so. I don’t want to sound cocky or brash or anything, but there are two things I’m going to bring to the table -- I’m going to win, and I’m going to put people in the seats.

“If you’re not interested in doing any of those things, don’t call my number.”

More caddielaffs: Caddie jokes have been making the rounds. San Francisco Chronicle readers contributed two more:

* Golfer: “Do you think we can find that one?” Caddie: “Sir, you could wrap that ball with bacon and Lassie couldn’t find it.”

* Golfer: “Do you mind not checking your watch so often -- you’re really making me nervous.” Caddie: “This isn’t a watch, it’s a compass.”

Fear factor: New York Met outfielder Cliff Floyd has a collection of vintage baseball jerseys numbering in the hundreds. Floyd told MLB.com the one thing he fears is running into a former ballplayer while wearing that player’s jersey.

“That would be embarrassing,” Floyd said. “I hope I never do.”

Trivia answer: Red clay. Connors is the only player to have won U.S. Open titles on three surfaces -- on grass at Forest Hills in 1974, on green clay at the West Side Tennis Club in 1976, and on hard courts at Flushing Meadow in 1978.

And finally: After outspoken defensive tackle Warren Sapp of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers posed for a Miami Herald photo shoot with a 750-pound lion, Coach Jon Gruden was told by a St. Petersburg Times reporter that on the African plains, a lion’s roar can be heard for seven miles.

“There are a lot of similarities,” Gruden said.

-- Larry Stewart