Wake-up call: Charles Barkley, Lakers, World Series

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First things first: The NBA season is underway, and that means Charles Barkley, maybe the liveliest voice in a busy media world, is back on TNT. He doesn’t try to be mean or vindictive or hate-filled. It is banter often with substance. And he sure has strong opinions. As Diane Pucin mentioned in a post late last night, he talked politics during the Lakers-Blazers telecast, saying he was going to vote for Barack Obama. He was on the Dan Patrick show this morning; here is some of what he had to say:

--On Sarah Palin: Attractive but doesn’t know what kind of candidate she would be because they don’t let her speak.
--On Greg Oden: Could become a player.
--Who would be his pick, Oden, Kevin Durant or the Lakers Andrew Bynum: Bynum.
--On rating the NBA’s centers: Dwight Howard is No. 1. If healthy, Yao is No. 2. Shaq is in the top five.
--On who he likes this season: Celtics and Lakers.

Chris Foster had some some quotes from him Tuesday too. And here is a video of some favorite Barkley moments, hosted by TNT play-by-play man Ernie Johnson.

Shoot, shoot, shoot: The Lakers won 96-76, and Pau Gasol started out on fire with 15 points in the first half and that was his final tally for the game. Kobe Bryant finished with 23 points and five assists. But Bill Plaschke said the victory was all a matter of defense and ‘Win One for the Tacos.’

Game 5, Part 2, Chapter 6: The World Series is back on as the Tampa Bay Rays and the Philadelphia Phillies finish Game 5, which was suspended in the sixth inning on Monday because of rain with the score 2-2. The rain appears to be gone, and the game begins at 5:30 tonight on Channel 11, but here is a question: Will beer be sold through the ninth inning now instead of the usual cutoff -- what, by the seventh? Just joking, because we know money is at stake and that means beer will be sold. If the Phillies win, it’s all over. If the Rays wins, it goes back to Tampa and the protective confines of the Trop.

Last chance to vote: If you haven’t voted yet in our least-favorite and favorite play-by-play announcers (remember, this is not a poll of color analysts or commentators), then do it now. Voting closes at noon Thursday. And we will dissect the final numbers in the ‘On Media’ column in Friday’s Sports section.

Good comparison or bad? I was off Tuesday and missed this. On Monday, Rush Limbaugh appeared on the Fox show ‘On the Record’ and compared GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin to NASCAR.

The horrible ‘hayseed hick’ reference aside, the image of Palin behind the wheel in the Daytona 500 somehow works. Winning that race takes a win-at-any-cost attitude. I see a Tina Fey comedy bit in there somewhere.

-- Debbie Goffa