"I don't know what that gas is made of, but it can't smell any worse than Ernie Johnson 's gym bag"
About this Quote
Dragging Ernie Johnson’s gym bag into it is surgical. Johnson, the polished host and grown-up in the room on TNT’s NBA coverage, represents composure and professionalism. Barkley punctures that by importing the most intimate, unglamorous object imaginable: a sweaty bag that’s been marinating in old socks and neglect. The implication isn’t that Johnson is dirty; it’s that even the “respectable” guy can be reduced to a smell joke, because in this ecosystem everyone is fair game. That’s how Barkley maintains his brand: he’s the Hall of Fame player who refuses to act like a corporate ambassador.
The line also shows how sports media sells authenticity. Viewers tune in for analysis, but they stay for the feeling that they’re eavesdropping on friends who’ve known each other too long to be polite. Barkley isn’t just insulting a gym bag; he’s reinforcing the show’s core promise: this is not press-conference talk. This is locker-room truth, weaponized for laughs.
Quote Details
| Topic | Witty One-Liners |
|---|---|
| Source | Help us find the source |
| Cite |
Citation Formats
APA Style (7th ed.)
Barkley, Charles. (2026, January 17). I don't know what that gas is made of, but it can't smell any worse than Ernie Johnson 's gym bag. FixQuotes. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-know-what-that-gas-is-made-of-but-it-cant-26855/
Chicago Style
Barkley, Charles. "I don't know what that gas is made of, but it can't smell any worse than Ernie Johnson 's gym bag." FixQuotes. January 17, 2026. https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-know-what-that-gas-is-made-of-but-it-cant-26855/.
MLA Style (9th ed.)
"I don't know what that gas is made of, but it can't smell any worse than Ernie Johnson 's gym bag." FixQuotes, 17 Jan. 2026, https://fixquotes.com/quotes/i-dont-know-what-that-gas-is-made-of-but-it-cant-26855/. Accessed 12 Feb. 2026.








