childhood, Barney was constantly lied to by his mother to protect his feelings; for example Barney was told by his mother that he couldn't play basketball because he was too good, and it wasn't fair for the other kids, but in reality, his coach knew Barney wasn't good enough for the...
The Season 1 DVD indicates that the script writers originally intended for Barney to be Homer's next-door neighbor. Barney is also a major character on the show and has been central in a few episodes such as "Mr. Plow", "Homer's Barbershop Quartet", and "Days of Wine and D'oh'...