Charles Barkley once offered a 'Monday Night Football' halftime spot?

"Monday Night Football" halftime segments were almost "turrible" or awesome, depending on one's point of view. 

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk reports that Mike Pearl, once an ESPN production executive, offered Barkley an opportunity to star in 'MNF' halftime spots in 2003 after Pearl returned to ABC from Turner Broadcasting. The two worked together as part of Turner's NBA coverage and built a strong relationship. 

According to Florio, Barkley would've been a halftime guest with Al Michaels and John Madden, and the member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame considered accepting the gig before ultimately turning it down. 

"MNF" has a long history of welcoming non-football-related celebrities into booths for games. Comedian Dennis Miller was once added to the commentary team in an attempt to bolster ratings that, as Mike Thomas of Sportscasting noted, went poorly for all involved. While Barkley is an NBA all-time great, many younger viewers know him more for his "NBA on TNT" exploits than for anything he achieved on the court as a player. 

Sure, Barkley may have flopped on "MNF," but ABC/ESPN could've added him to their NBA broadcasts and changed cable television history in the process. Critics can say whatever they will about Chuck. It's difficult to imagine the "NBA on TNT" without him.