Charles Barkley has never been as mad as he was Monday night

Count Charles Barkley among those still steaming mad with the outcome of the Monday night game in Seattle when replacement officials turned the tables on the Green Bay Packers and bettors around the world.

The favored Packers were the more popular play and Barkley got down on Green Bay only to lose on the erroneous touchdown awarded to the Seahawks’ Golden Tate on the final play of the game. Las Vegas insiders have estimated the call cost Packers’ bettors about $200 million according to the NFP’s Joe Fortenbaugh.

A chunk of that money belonged to Barkey, who talked about the game on 97.5 The Fanatic in Philadelphia, according to the fine folks at sportsradiointerviews.com.

I don’t think I’ve ever been this mad in my entire life. I got robbed (Monday) night,” Barkley said. “I’m just angry. I love to gamble, I can live with winning and losing, but I don’t ever want to get jobbed like I did (Monday) night. I’m going to give you a quick synopsis. Everybody is going crazy over the catch, but I got screwed on the roughing the passer, I got screwed on the pass interference, I got screwed on the interception and I found out today that they actually have a real official in the replay booth who could’ve overruled that? I got screwed four times and that makes it even worse.

“It was a fluke game because the line was three and when Cedric Benson fumbled I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’ There was a lot of emotion going on. They didn’t get the first down and they’re only going to kick a field goal and be up two so I’m screwed. Then they went for the challenge and got the first down and I’m like, ‘Whew, I might get a lucky break here.’ Then they didn’t get the first down, Cedric Benson fumbled the ball and I’m like, ‘They might take a safety and then it becomes a push.’ I was all over the place. Then I jump up and down when they get the interception on the roughing the passer so my emotions were obviously all over the place. I love to gamble, I’m always going to gamble, but I just don’t like to get screwed like that.”

Barkley doesn’t buy into the idea being spread by some that owners care about the game and the integrity of it, or the fans for that matter.

“You think the guys that play with the replacement officials are concerned about the fans or the integrity of the game?” Barkley said. “These guys are all about the cash bro. These guys don’t care about the fans! They used replacement players! This notion that these owners are worried about the integrity of the game, I’m like, wait a minute, a few years ago they used replacement players. You think they’re worried about replacement referees? You think you’re going to get an Aaron Rodgers off the street? Or Tom Brady off the street? They got players off the street to play football and the players came across the picket line.”

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Brad Biggs covers the Bears for the Chicago Tribune

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