This is Charles talking with my friend Steve Yingling, in the aftermath of a South Lake Tahoe forest fire that destroyed Steve's home — and about 200 others — in July of 2007. That's where our little story begins.

I thought it appropriate to revisit this little snapshot in time, considering all the grief Barkley has been getting lately. Hey, he earned it, no doubt; running a red light while drunk to get a blow job will even get you arrested in Amsterdam. But when we widen the scope and ask the question, is Charles Barkley a bad person?, I believe a little perspective is in order.

Steve's the sports editor of the Tahoe Daily Tribune, who, among other notable accomplishments, won our fantasy football league this season despite having drafted Tom Brady with the No. 1 pick. About a year and a half ago, he was not so lucky. That's when the Angora Fire swept through a large portion of the southwest side of the Tahoe basin, displacing upwards of 3,500 residents and causing about $160 million in damage.

One thinks of South Tahoe as a resort area and in many respects it is. But it's mostly a blue collar community with small town sensibilities, where people like Steve work and live and raise their kids. Steve and his wife and his two kids were among the people who lost their homes in the fire, and I mean they lost everything. No freaking fun.

Steve has covered the American Century Celebrity golf tournament each of its 17 years of existence, and has interacted often with Barkley, who plays in the tournament every year. And when he heard about the disaster, Barkley's first order of business was to visit the fire zone. Next, he wrote a check for $25,000 to the fire victims fund. He then asked Steve's son, Jordan, what he could do for him.

"Could you get me a ball signed by Michael Jordan?" the 14-year-old asked. "Done," Barkley replied. "Michael does what I tell him to do."

The result is pictured to the left.

"If we stay over there at the golf and casino, we're not going to think anything is going on here,'' Barkley said while touring the fire zone. "That's why I wanted to come here with a camera. When you live in different parts of the country and they show you two houses burned down, you don't get the full effect."

Tahoe has been the scene of many of Barkley's most notorious escapades; in 2006 he chugged Patron and purchased drinks for practically everyone at Harrah's on Saturday night until the sun came up. But the following year, he was on a different mission.

"I didn't think it was appropriate for us to be out here just having fun playing golf when so many people experienced such devastation," Barkley said. "After seeing the fire area, I wanted to do something for them."

His generosity didn't stop there. That Friday, he took 200 firefighters to dinner at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Club at the Hard Rock Cafe at Harveys, picking up the entire check. In tow was none other than Dan Quayle, giving Barkley an impressive double-double; bringing out the philanthropist in both Michael Jordan and Quayle on the same weekend. Before he left, Barkley gave another 75 grand to the fund for displaced families; making his total donation the second largest received, next to Harrah's/Harveys.

One year later, South Lake Tahoe paid tribute with Charles Barkley Day, planting a tree at Edgewood Golf Course in his honor, which Barkley promptly hit off the first tee.

"The thing is, with anyone else you would assume it was all a publicity stunt," Steve told me. "But Barkley's concern is real. He cares about people, and it's not an act. You'd never be able to talk bad about him around my kids, I know that. The guy's an anomaly."

I guess the moral of the story is that we're all anomalies; made up of several moving parts, some functioning at all times, some not. Unless you've got several heads stored in a basement freezer or enjoy the music of Andrew Lloyd-Webber, nobody is truly a bad person. Meeting adjourned.

Michael Jordan Presents Signed Basketball To Tribune Sports Editor Who Lost Home In Angora Fire [Tahoe Daily Tribune]

Rick Reilly uses the celebrity washroom.

It's conveniently located down a short flight of stairs just off of the main dining room at Edgewood Tahoe, which was the host course of last weekend's American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament. If a spectator or a lowly journalist attempts to use the washroom, he is shooed away by two muscular security guards. Only the likes of Tony Romo, Ray Romano and, yes, Rick Reilly, are allowed to use it.

Rick Reilly is a big deal now; a giant among Lilliputians, having recently signed a contract for $10 million over five years at ESPN. That's more than Homer, Twain, Steinbeck and Shakespeare ever made in a year combined. It was Twain who once famously said of golf that it was "a good walk spoiled," but Reilly has no such qualms; he's fashioned a career around it. This was his first trip here, where he rubbed elbows with fellow competitors such as Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky and Dan Quayle. Perhaps he even ran into Quayle in the exclusive restroom, remarking to the former Vice President on how soft the towels were (I know because I had sneaked in there during Thursday's practice round, before it was being guarded).

On Friday, mine and Reilly's assignments were basically the same. I was live-blogging Charles Barkley's round for NBCSports.com, and Reilly was in the actual threesome (David Wells was the other). I stood on the periphery, trailing the group behind the ropes, while Reilly hobnobbed with Sir Charles up close. Occasionally Rick would produce a notepad from his back pocket and jot down notes, usually as he walked the fairway. It was clear that he was working on a column about Barkley.

This is the new journalism: Celebrities writing about celebrities. Reilly occasionally had to put away his notebook to sign autographs; something with which I imagine Grantland Rice or Red Smith never had to contend. Today, Chris Berman and Harold Reynolds are the story. Dan Patrick's job search is bigger news than Richie Sexon's. And journalists — writers — command multi-million dollar salaries. What would J. Jonah Jameson say to that?

And here's what ESPN is getting for their $2 million per. In his column on Barkley, Reilly described Sir Charles' golf swing thusly:

Technically, it's not even a swing. It's a lunge. Scientists study it. He gets to the top, starts down and then—two feet from impact—just stops! Totally freezes! He looks like a man waiting for a rattlesnake to pop up so he can kill it.

A day earlier on my NBC blog, I had written:

I suppose I should talk a little about Barkley's swing. It's segmented, of course — three different swings, really. There are two hitches, and then a final approach that may or may not actually strike the ball. A friend of mine describes it like this: "It looks like Barkley is in the middle of his swing, and suddenly sees a snake."

It was Tim Parsons of the Tahoe Daily Tribune who used the snake line, so technically Reilly is aping him, not me.

Anyway, I missed Rick at the tournament (washroom attendants can be forceful), and tried to call him at Harrah's, where all the "celebritries" were sequestered. No luck. I got hold of his personal email, and tried that. As of this writing — a week later — he hasn't responded. Hey, big stars are busy people.

I wanted to get Reilly's take on all of this journalist-as-celebrity business, with one main question burning a hole in my notepad. Dick Anderson, the former Miami Dolphins great and member of the 1972 unbeaten team, was not invited to the tournament this year; this despite having played in all 18 previous American Centuries, even winning the event in 1994. From what I heard, he wasn't asked back because he "wasn't famous enough." So Rick; how do you feel about the fact that you, a journalist, had taken his spot? When did the lines between athletes and the people who cover them become so blurred? And what entree did they serve in the players' dining room, where the rest of us lowly reporters were not allowed to go?

Anyway, that's what I would have asked him, had he returned my email. Maybe I should have enlisted Quayle to intervene in my behalf.

Life Of Reilly: A Day On The Links With The Round Mound Whose Swing Will Astound [ESPN]

Journey? Really? By my calculations, Romo was 5 years old when that band was last relevant. Other CDs found in Romo's car:

• Foreigner.

• Huey Lewis & the News.

• Wham!

• Party All the Time by Eddie Murphy

• Simple Minds

Jessica Simpson's Massive Cleavage-Revealing Dress Steals The Show In Lake Tahoe [The Insider]

What hell did he mean? The answer remained shrouded in mystery all day Friday and Saturday, as researchers feverishly searched for clues. But on Sunday, after Barkley had concluded his final round (he finished in last place), I was able to ask him.

ME: "What did you mean by 'My game is like a blog?'

BARKLEY: "When I talked with you on Thursday, and you said your were blogging my rounds, I didn't know what that was. What's a 'blog?' It sounds awful."

(Note: Barkley is not kidding here.)

BARKLEY: "So when they asked me on television how to describe my golf game, I told them 'My game is like a blog.' Because I don't know what a blog is, but it don't sound good."

And he still doesn't know. And I'd appreciate it if nobody tells him.

I also staked out Harrah's on Friday and Saturday nights, and I'm here to report that Barkley did not approach the gaming tables even once. He did, however, camp out at one of the bars and buy shots for the house for three hours straight each night. Beverage of choice? Patron Tequila.

(Photo credit: Dan Thrift, Tahoe Daily Tribune)

Charles Barkley Reluctantly Puts Me In His Fave Five [Deadspin]

"If anyone gives you 10,000 to 1 odds on anything, you take that bet. If John Mellencamp ever wins an Oscar, I will be one rich dude."

The odds on Baumgartner ever winning the American Century Championship are probably longer than that. But who cares? It's Kevin Malone!

Pam Beesley: Guys, my mom is coming in today and...
Kevin: MILF.
Pam Beesley: Thanks, Kevin.

That's my favorite Kevin line, so that's out of the way. Upon arriving in Tahoe, there was never any doubt as to who I would try to talk to first.

"I feel really lucky because I'm a huge fan of [The Office]; I feel its the best show on television, and I think we'll be around for awhile now," Baumgartner said. "I was a huge fan of the British version, yeah. I couldn't believe that we were gonna remake it. Really from the very beginning I knew that if people gave it a chance it was really something special."

Who would have thought that the Atlanta native who attended Holy Innocents' Episcopal School would one day be playing in a celebrity golf tournament while draped in blondes? (The women seem to love Kevin).

"A cult following; I don't know," Baumgartner said. "I've never had it before. I don't think I've ever even had a following before, so I guess I don't know the feeling. But it's pretty intense; people are really passionate about the show."

And what is Brian Baumgartner's analysis of Kevin Malone?

"You know, the thing about Kevin oddly enough, for all of his deviances, is that he kind of gets along with everybody. Like he'll kind of hang out with Dwight and go watch firecrackers or whatever, and he and Jim will do fantasy sports. Even he and Michael get along relatively well. I think he can sort of handle anybody."

So who would his three golf partners be?

"I guess it would be Pam, and, a couple of people who look like Pam."

Multiply this by about 600, with not a single variation. It's almost as if Romo has indeed dumped her, and is using a Jessica robot for public appearances. Said one onlooker: "Being stupid is apparently not an act." Jessica was on hand all weekend, and had a private VIP booth on the 17th hole. On Saturday, she walked down the fairway with Romo on the 18th, and then the two quickly left the course; even though Romo had promised to stay for a press conference (he was in second place at the time).

Was it fair to allow Jessica on the premises to begin with? Kids show up to get an autograph from Michael Jordan and Wayne Gretzky, and end up with giant white bazooms right at eye level. Welcome to Tahoe: Puberty comes two years early.

But not for the fellow below: He has eyes for only one man. Is there anything sadder than a guy wearing a Brady Quinn jersey watching Charles Barkley golf? I suspect the answer is no. You have to admire this lad, though; with star quarterbacks such as Romo, Ben Roethlisberger and John Elway on the premises, he decided to represent the brown-and-orange and his No. 1 man, who wasn't even at the event. You keep it real, Brady Quinn fan! (Is later found bloody and pummeled on the beach).

(Jessica Simpson photo by Dan Thrift, Tahoe Daily Tribune)

Former Major League Pitcher Overtakes Quinn To Win Seventh American Century [Tahoe Daily Tribune]

When NBC Sports asked if I'd blog portions of this year's American Century Championship celebrity golf tournament, of course I said yes. At what other event would I get a chance to interview FOUR participants of Dancing With the Stars? But gradually more details emerged, and I was not amused. The shocking truth: They wanted me to take my laptop out on the course and live blog Charles Barkley's rounds in the event. And I was just foolish enough not to back out.

As you read this, I'm out near the sixth tee, typing furiously, having just mended the wing of some poor goose. Many wild fowl will perish this weekend I'm afraid, some as a result of Barkley's errant drives, others from trampling each other trying to flee. Hell, Barkley may try to catch one for a snack. His heart is as big as the sprawling Edgewood Golf Course on which this tournament is played, and his basketball talents were of course immense. But as a golfer he's, um, not good. An annual fixture here, Barkley is never far from last place. Said Kevin Nealon in 2006 after a round with Sir Charles: "I think he's right in contention to win this thing not a chance in hell."

I spotted Barkley working feverishly on his swing at the practice tees on Thursday (pitctured), and decided to introduce myself. I'd never met him before, and didn't know what to expect. But he extended a hand and smiled. He said he was glad to meet me.

ME: "NBC has sent me to live blog your rounds this weekend, and I just wanted to let you know in advance."

BARKLEY: "Live blog? What's that?"

ME: "I'll be out with my laptop on the course, following you around and writing about what I see."

BARKLEY: (Looks genuinely befuddled).

ME: "Then it will appear on the site right away."

BARKLEY: "Sounds good. Thanks for taking the time."

Then he continued scrolling messages on his phone, which he had been doing when I walked up.

I have no idea how this is going to turn out, but the results can be found here.

Tonight I'll haunt the MontBleu — host resort of the American Century — where I certainly will NOT find Barkley at the gaming tables.

American Century Championship Official Site
Most Celebrities Just Want To Top Barkley In Celebrity Golf [MSN]

“I’m heartbroken that I won’t be competing in the American Century Championship,” Dilfer said during a teleconference call Wednesday. “It’s ... the best week of the year if you’re not playing in the Super Bowl. I injured my Achilles’ while I was on vacation with my family. I was going to retire anyway. This just gives clarity to the situation. There will be a formal announcement in the next few days about that.”

The decision may have had something to do with the fact that he's a free agent this season, and no one had signed him. He played with the 49ers last year, appearing in seven games. Whatever you think about him as a quarterback, Dilfer has impressed me as a really good guy the few times I've met him, and has dedicated himself to raising money for a number of charities over the years. So there's that.

And so as we say goodbye to Mr. Dilfer, let me leave you with a look at the colorful golfing attire of another ex-quarterback, Mr. Jim McMahon. See you on the links.

NFL Quarterback Trent Dilfer Announces Retirement [Reno Gazette Journal]

NBC Sports officials are trying to persuade Brett Favre to make good on his earlier commitment to make his debut next month in the American Century Celebrity Golf Championship at Lake Tahoe, a tournament spokesman said Tuesday. The former Green Bay Packers quarterback told tournament officials in early May he would play for the first time in the 19th annual celebrity event July 11-13 at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course at Stateline. But his representatives sent an e-mail to NBC officials late Friday that said he was "probably not coming" due to a scheduling conflict, tourney spokesman Phil Weidinger said.

Last-minute no-shows are not uncommon in this tournament; Michael Jordan did it last year, and Aidan Quinn left a trail of broken hearts when he sent his regrets on Friday. But with Favre, one has to wonder; is an NFL comeback the reason he's changing his plans? According to the events schedule on his web site, he's cleared his entire calendar.

Poor Aaron Rodgers. He won't get into an actual NFL game until he's 50.

Favre May Back Out Of Celebrity Golf At Lake Tahoe [Chicago Tribune]
Tahoe Celebrity Golf

Also, a scoop! While listening in to a radio interview with Dan Quayle near the practice tees, I heard him say this: "The situation in Iraq is a difficult. The American people are going to have to understand that we are going to be there a long time; probably far exceeding the Bush administration. Hillary Clinton is going to inherit this." Slight pause. "Of course I hope that doesn't happen, but the next President is going to inherit this, whoever that is." Score! Quayle calls race for Hillary! Someone please alert the Huffington Post. Oh, and also, "Our economy is strong." Dan just thought he'd throw that one in there.

Lucas Black is a great golfer who could do very well in the tournament ... The photo above is from last year, as Ben Roethlisberger tries to hit a boat with a football ... Lawrence Taylor will not stop hitting balls at practice tee for me to ask him questions ... Howard Cosell impersonator — complete with vintage ABC jacket — pesters everyone, including Al Michaels ... Dick Jauron doesn't like it when you make fun of Buffalo's weather ... Vinnie Testaverde is a dick ... Gene Upshaw arrives today, unless NFL front office tells him otherwise ... Steve Spurrier has taken to using the restroom these days ... Lou Holtz is old.