Charles Barkley Quotes

If the NFL wants to change the season to 17 games they should ask me, and I say no. Because my body was hurting and I needed that break.

I think fans oftentimes get an inferior product on back-to-back games, and I think that has to be the number one thing that gets addressed for the fans and for the players - the elimination or the drastic reduction of back-to-back games.

Players want to play a lot of rugby. We're walking contradictions at times in that we want to play a lot of rugby, but we don't want to play too much rugby, and we want to be available for all the big games, yet there are times when you have to sacrifice that because of game limits.

Only players can understand what it's like, travelling and playing every three days, it gets on top of you.

To play three games in seven days is not simple, above all for our wings-backs.

You play 162 days, and you play every day, or you try to play every day, and it's going to take a toll on your body. But that's what we're out here for. We're out here to play.

The hand check has always been a part of pro basketball.

In international football you have 10 games a season, with players from different clubs. There's no time for proper coaching; they're just recovering from playing on the Saturday.

When I got to professional ball I used to play 150 games every year. It depends on how many games there was.

Big climbs energize me. It's all the other aspects of being a pro-climber that wear me down. The travel and expeditions and training can become pretty tiring. But the actual big climbs - that's what I live for.

This whole 'tired footballers' and three-games-a-week thing is an absolute myth.

I felt, when I was 20, I wasn't quite ready for the physical contact of 82 games. Mentally, it was tough. I forgot what city we were in most of the time. I can't even imagine going through it at 18 or 19.

Players today moan about the number of games, but when you're young, you can't play enough.

While players say they like the five-day break, they're also saying they don't like the compression that goes along with it, and that's something that is of great concern to us as well.

During the season, I'm always locked in one gear, ready to play basketball, always keeping my guard up.

Any player over 40-50 games per season will have moments of fatigue, let alone a 22-year-old who has a lot to learn on how to control games and pace himself throughout 90 minutes.

When I go to the U.S., the flights are long, and they do affect the body clock, but they are worth it.

During the season, the teams play every third day. That's a huge workload with some long journeys. I think, in football, we need more time to rest and recover.

I am of the opinion that the burden of playing games is much too high, especially for international players that also play domestically with their clubs.

I think we would all prefer to have a slightly shorter regular season with less back-to-back games. This would seem to help put out a better product, and it could also possibly help with injury prevention from over-use injuries.

Going out there as a forward can shorten your career somewhat, whereas if you go out as a back, you will be OK.

I think the biggest thing - when it comes to injuries and stuff, travel has a big part in that, because after a match, guys hit the road, and they're in a sitting position. They're not able to ice up or do whatever they have to do therapy-wise.

It is not a problem to sit on the bench: absolutely not. When you have three games in a week, and you don't play, though, you have to think about it.

English football gives other leagues an advantage. There are some traditions you can't change, I realise that. Boxing Day is non-negotiable. But you can't play nine games in December and nine in January. You have to stop at some point.

Travel takes a toll on you.