Doug Gottlieb apologizes for awkward 'white man's perspective' comment

CBS college basketball analyst Doug Gottlieb almost immediately apologized Thursday night after delivering an awkward comment about how he brings a "white man's perspective" to the CBS set.

After being introduced by host Greg Gumbel, Gottlieb made the awkward comment on the set with four other African-American co-hosts — Gumbel, Kenny Smith, Greg Anthony and Charles Barkley.

"Cream rising to the crop. I don't know why you guys asked me, I'm just here to bring diversity to the set here. Give the kind of white man's perspective on things from the point guard position," Gottlieb said, according to USA Today.

All four co-hosts immediately looked away, and Smith told him he was "swimming upstream." Later, CBS released a statement from Gottlieb, who remained on air throughout the night.

"It was not a smart thing to say and I apologize," Gottlieb said, according to The Los Angeles Times.

Later, during halftime of the game between Wichita State and La Salle, Barkley addressed Gottlieb's comment by saying that Gottlieb was just making a joke and blamed "all those idiots" on Twitter for making it seem controversial.

"Listen — me Kenny, Greg Anthony, and Greg Gumbel did not take that personally, so all you people at home who have got no life and who are talking bad about Doug Gottlieb — get a life. It is over with, and it's no big deal," Barkley said.