Courtesy USA Today

(February 19, 2009) Charles Barkley, in communicating Wednesday about the driving under the influence charge that prompted his leave of absence from TNT's NBA coverage since last month, gave a glimpse of the future.

And not just his future, as Barkley suggests his case won't go to trial although he "potentially" faces jail time.

But the way in which Barkley communicated might also suggest a coming attraction in sports: Leagues, and the TV networks who are their business partners, might finally have figured out that marketing live human beings can be like selling soap — just put "new and improved" on the package and get it on the shelves.

Or in this case, in a transcript on NBA.com. Rather than do interviews, Barkley spoke with TNT colleague Ernie Johnson, who he wanted to "personally thank" in his opening, and the NBA reviewed it before releasing it on its website.

Meaning, you don't know what else Barkley was asked — and didn't answer — or what else he said that wasn't included.

But why quibble? The voracious appetite to take anything like this — even if, say, it had been authored by an ad agency copywriter — and put it online and on sports talk radio and anyone else trying to keep up with the media pack, means that NBA/TNT can get out its message without any intrusions from fussy outsiders.

Today, maybe a moon landing really could be filmed in a movie studio if, say, NASA managed to come up with convincing online video — spurring the rest of us to quickly come up with our own takes on it.

Barkley says he was "in shock" to be arrested ("you don't think anything bad will happen") and will have to "go to alcohol counseling." If told he has to stop drinking, says Barkley, "then I'll have to stop drinking. I feel I can do anything I put my mind to."

Which is good. But even if he can't, it won't have to be a big deal. Because, increasingly, the powers-that-be in sports can write history without having to worry about hecklers.