After saying last week that “big ol’ women” in San Antonio, a place where “Victoria is definitely a secret,” was a “gold mine for weight-watchers,” Charles Barkley figured to be making the requisite tail-through-the-legs apology after the uproar commenced. Anybody else would have had to. But not Sir Charles, one of the handful of people in America who can say whatever he wants and get away with it.

During Sunday night’s telecast, Barkley was defiant in his lack apology:

“If you don’t like me or the show, turn it off. And they want me to apologize. That’s not going to happen. That’s not gonna happen. You all can write letters to your momma, your daddy, your uncle. I’m going to have fun on television. You know that I’m joking around. But if y’all waiting on me to apologize, hell gonna freeze over.”

The guffaws from the rest of the crew didn’t help the optics — it felt like piling on. (The “Barkley is a loose cannon” schtick works much better when Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson are playing the straight men.)

But even though we don’t condone the words, Barkley’s refusal to apologize should be commended. He was never going to believe any apology he made anyway, so why bother? Sincere defiance is far better than disingenuous apology.