Why NBA legend Charles Barkley thinks NFL commissioner Roger Goodell is ‘greedy’

During a recent appearance on The Stein Line, Charles Barkley delivered one of his bluntest takes yet. The Hall of Famer is known for his outspoken opinions, but this one hit a nerve across both the NBA and NFL fan bases.

“The NFL got greedy and started adding Christmas games. We used to have this day to ourselves, but Roger Goodell and them p___ at the NFL always want to hog every day of the week now,” he said.

Barkley added: “… Christmas is an NBA day.”

That line instantly went viral, partly because Barkley has long represented the NBA’s unfiltered voice. He speaks as a player who remembers when Christmas Day was the NBA’s signature showcase, the day every fan turned on their TV to see the league’s biggest stars.

For decades, those matchups symbolized the sport’s cultural reach, merging entertainment, competition, and holiday tradition. The NFL, however, has slowly stepped into that space.

In Barkley’s view, the league’s decision to add more holiday games is less about audience overlap and more about control.

With the NFL already owning Sunday, Monday, and Thursday nights, its arrival on Christmas feels like one more step in an all-consuming media strategy.

When the NFL began playing on Christmas Day

The NFL’s first Christmas Day game took place in 1971, a playoff matchup between the Dallas Cowboys and Minnesota Vikings. That game remains memorable not only for its timing but also because it caused enough public pushback to keep the league away from December 25 for decades.

That changed in 2016 when the NFL began scheduling regular-season games on Christmas more intentionally.

In 2023, three NFL games aired on Christmas Day, overlapping directly with the NBA’s national lineup. The NFL’s presence has made it harder for basketball to hold the same cultural space it once did on December 25.

It is a small example of a larger shift in sports entertainment. Every major league competes for attention, but Barkley’s words capture the point clearly. Christmas used to belong to basketball.

The tug of war for Christmas viewership is not likely to fade. Barkley’s jab reminded fans that competition between leagues extends beyond the field, into traditions once considered untouchable.