I didn't use to be a Charles Barkley fan. He is an Auburn guy, which sends alarm bells ringing in my head. He is also brash, opinionated, and black. None of those are bad (except for the Auburn thing), but people who possess the whole package are usually diametrically opposed to me on most issues.

But Barkley has proven to be one of the most intelligent of the current breed of athlete- commentators working today. He rarely says anything stupid; even his off the cuff remarks are well thought out. When he is controversial, he doesn't claim to be misquoted or blame media outlets. He tells the truth, doesn't waver, and keeps things in perspective.

Then he made remarks criticizing Auburn's choice for a football coach. I don't blame him for being mad, it seems like a stupid hire. But Sir Charles threw down the race card and stirred up some stuff. In a follow up radio interview, he said one of the other white candidates would have been acceptable, but not Gene Chizik.

Now I'm confused. Either the choice of a white coach over a black one is racist or not. If they picked the wrong guy, then it appears to be a case of stupidity, not racism. But it got people talking about the horrid state of major college football.

Everyone from Dick Vitale to Bob Costas is decrying the lack of African American coaches running football teams. As soon as Sylvester Croom and Ron Prince lost their jobs, the numbers became appalling and unacceptable. Onehundred nineteen football teams and only four black coaches. Something has to be done.

A couple of years ago, major league baseball had a similar problem. The number of black players was way below the statistical number of African Americans in the US. The same hand wringing took place until it was determined no racism was involved. Black athletes just didn't want to play baseball. Suddenly everyone was happy.

Now we have the latest unacceptable statistic. Even though the numbers for college basketball players and coaches, NFL players and coaches, and NBA players and coaches far exceeds the percentage required to keep us from being offended by the racist attitudes of the "good old boy network," we must question the appalling numbers in college football. Someone needs to hire ten head football coaches.

Because that is what we are talking about. Ten more black coaches in the sport and the problem goes away; no more hand wringing, no more stealth racism, no more call for change. Ten jobs. It doesn't seem like a big problem.

I'll give you some big problems. How about the fact that black men are seven times more likely to be murdered and six times more likely to be a murderer? Seventy percent of all black children are raised without a father. African Americans are statistically much more likely to be poor, illiterate, and addicted to drugs than any other ethnic group. I want Charles Barkley and Dickie V to express concern at those numbers.

I still respect Barkley and would support him for governor of Alabama. I just wish he'd pay more attention to real problems.