By Jason Whitlock Special to Page 2 You would think his name is Kobe Tillman or Pat Bryant. You would think Kobe Bryant is an American hero, shuttling back and forth between Baghdad and Los Angeles. There's no stopping RamKo. "The mental part that Kobe's going through, nobody can imagine,'' a Lakers' assistant coach was quoted as saying in an ESPN.com story. "He's done that consistently when he's come back from Colorado. There's a lack of sleep involved, so much else. It's pretty incredible." Yes, RamKo-be, the American TV ratings superhero predicted by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, has finally hit the NBA playoffs. We, the media, are thoroughly impressed that RamKo can fight Colorado prosecutors by day and San Antonio Spurs by night. He does it with virtually no help. The Lakers and their all-Hall-of-Fame lineup have eliminated the triangle from Phil Jackson's offense. RamKo simply goes one-on-one night after night against the Spurs, and he always does his best work after a Colorado shootaround session. Tuesday night, RamKo dropped 42 points on the Spurs, and commentators and journalists are hailing it as one of the most remarkable performances in NBA history. The performance, which included a 15-point fourth quarter and 15-of-27 shooting, sparked Shaquille O'Neal to call RamKo the greatest player ever. One of Phil Jackson's assistants compared RamKo's effort to the flu shots that Air Jordan once rained on the Utah Jazz during the NBA Finals. All this hype is because RamKo pleaded not guilty to sexual-assault charges inside a Colorado courthouse on Tuesday, and then jetted to L.A. to battle Bruce Bowen six-and-a-half hours later. RamKo, crime fighter by day, hoop-head by night, is making a habit of spectacular performances immediately after he duels judges and prosecutors. Back in December, he hit a game-winning shot to beat the Nuggets. In March, he spanked the Kings with 36 points. In L.A.'s first-round series against the Rockets, he scored 31 and added 10 assists in the series-deciding game. You'll hear all about it tonight on ABC as the Lakers and Spurs resume a series that's deadlocked at 2-2. You'll see the footage of Kobe Bryant in business attire, entering a not-guilty plea. You'll see him get into a chauffeured SUV, get whisked to an airport, enter another chauffeured vehicle and emerge at the Staples Center dressed as RamKo. All the while, several narrators and commentators will gush about RamKo's mental strength. No one will comment about the absurdity and the stupidity of the situation. Not once will you hear anyone speak this truth: "Man, it's a damn shame that Kobe Bryant is putting himself, his teammates, his fans and his family through all of this crap. Wow. As good as he played Tuesday, just think: If the idiot hadn't stepped out on his wife and slept with a teenage woman he didn't know, he might have been even better Tuesday night. Or maybe the Lakers would be winning this series and wouldn't find themselves in so much turmoil. But these are the dangers of a high-profile, married man sleeping with a teenager he's only known for 30 minutes. You might catch a case and wind up on national TV looking like Boo-Boo the Fool." That captures the sad reality of RamKo's existence. RamKo isn't Martin Luther King Jr. writing a letter from an Alabama jail. RamKo isn't a victim. His teammates are victims. His fans are victims. Hell, I feel like a victim myself, being forced to listen to and read the glowing accounts of RamKo's heroism. RamKo is not Pat Tillman. There's nothing heroic about fighting rape allegations by day and playing basketball by night. Nothing. Most people accused of sexual assault don't get the benefit of 20,000 supporters showering them with love just hours after a court appearance. Well, there's Michael Jackson. But besides me, Jacko has virtually no defenders in the media. You'll never convince me that Michael is capable of the crimes he's accused of. I just don't believe it. Excuse me, let me get back to RamKo. I like Kobe Bryant, and I've made no negative judgments about his guilt or innocence. I'm just sick of the way the media is manipulating this story for ratings and attention. Mark Cuban predicted this. He said the Kobe case would be good for NBA business. Cuban said it would be an amazing reality TV show. We ridiculed Cuban at the time. We said he was stupid and insensitive. But Cuban was right. RamKo is developing into the summer blockbuster for which NBA execs had been hoping. The story before Lakers playoff games used to be about the throwback jersey Kobe would wear to the game. Now we have Court-TV and motions to suppress. The RamKo drama on TNT is more intense than "Law and Order." Jason Whitlock is a columnist for the Kansas City Star (kcstar.com) and a regular contributor on ESPN The Magazine's Sunday morning edition of "The Sports Reporters." He also hosts an afternoon radio show, "The Doghouse," on Kansas City's 61 Sports KCSP. He can be reached at ballstate68@aol.com. Finally, someone tells what really should be said about kobe, he ain't no superman, he's going to court for being convicted of rape! Jason Whitlock
ok convicted, but then you're saying he still should be praised for comitting adultry . i dont think anybody should be praised after cheating on his wife.
but still its good to see someone who is grounded enough to realize the truth. Kobe has been playing amazing but he isnt a matyr, it was his own actions that got him into this situation in denver and he is playing basketball at night. for gods sakes its basketball its not like he is a policeman or anything. he gets paid millions of dollars to put a ball in a hoop, albeit he does it better than like 6 billion people its still basketball. if being paid an absurd amount of money, more in one night than most people make an entire year or two years isnt motivating enough I wouldnt know what is
You're putting words into his mouth. I didn't see him saying Kobe should be praised, he just corrected you.
I for one have been unhappy with the media coverage of Kobe's trial from the start. Frankly, I don't care, and I wish it would stop. One small thing in Kobe's defense, who I don't particularly like. It's not like Kobe enjoys the press he's getting. He only has himself to blame, but if anyone has the most reason to loathe all the media attention, it's Kobe, not me or Whitlock.
Kobe's case doesn't bother me as much as when Magic Johnson came out and announced his AIDS problem. Everybody treated him like a hero. The only voice of reason at that time was from Nolan Ryan. He said something like, "I have a hard time seeing why a guy is treated like a victim/hero simply because he got a desease from a lifestyle he himself has chosen."
Here is the interesting part of the logic though A (cheat on wife) = X (Negative Press) ie, Frank Gifford, Jesse Jackson, Woody Allen, Marv Albert, Bill Cosby, Ted and Joe Kennedy A (cheat on Wife) = Y (positive Press) ie, Eisenhower, Prince Charles, Sylvester Stallone, Thomas Jefferson, JFK, Giuliani A (cheat on wife) + B (broke the law) = X (Negative Press) ie, Hugh Grant, Mike Tyson, Jimmy Swaggart A (cheat on wife) + B (boke the law) = Y (Positive Press) ie, nobody A (Cheat on wife) + D (possibly broke the law = X (Negative Press) ie, Clinton, A (Cheat on wife) + D (Possibly broke the law) = Y (Positive Press) ie, Kobe Bryant C (Possibly Cheated on Wife) = Y (Positive Press) ie, Jack Nicholson, Mick Jaggar, Bob Dole C (Possibly cheated on Wife) = X (Negative Press) David Beckham, Rush Limbaugh,
Oh that's such crap. 75 percent of American males cheat. Calling out a superstar basketball player for "adultery" is hypocritical, and pathetic. By the way, I'm convinced that Bryant is innocent. No way would he have to rape anyone to get laid.
Here's one that says 50-70 %. http://shop.store.yahoo.com/eaglesnestpub/adstonchsp.html Another around 65. http://www.2-in-2-1.co.uk/marriageclinic/infidelity/monmythart/ According to Maggie Scarf, author of "Intimate Partners," first published in 1987 by Random House, re-issued in 1996 by Ballentine. "Most experts do consider the 'educated guess' that at the present time some 50 to 65 percent of husbands and 45 to 55 percent of wives become extramaritally involved by the age of 40 to be a relatively sound and reasonable one." I'll look for more.
Oh thank god somebody in the press has come out with this. None of this crap should've happened at all this season. I've said it in previous threads, but what pisses me off the most about this **** is everybody hudling around Kobe. Honestly, I tihnk (young) Americans are going to get the impression (once Kobe will be officially innocent unfortunately) that adultery and possibly rape is not only acceptable, but COOL. Not ONCE have you seen Kobe come out and say 'thanks for your support, but I don't deserve it at the moment'. No, what he has done is made sure everybody loves him this year so it will psychologically assure that he won't be convicted (from what I gather about the case, it's not innocent sex, but it's not brutal rape; it's in between but still illegal. Same rules apply for Ron Artest's playoff suspension). Now I have nothing but absolute disdain for what major media has done for him. Whenever I hear Stu Scott on SC or any of the absolute idiots on ABC talk about Bryant's case, they never actually mention anything specifically. They avoid talking about the details purposely in an attempt to make sure every idiot in America (let alone those ****ing idiots at Staples who APLAUD him for making back in the middle of the game; he's not Willis Reed you ****tards!!!) is convinced he is god. I believe Kobe should have (and god I hope he will in the near future) come out with ad campaigns against rape or adultery. Sure, it may have the same affect of getting him sympathy, but it would at least be in the right way. If he is convicted, I sincerely doubt a man like he would get ANY type of jail time, let alone 'community service'. Although if he does get community service or whatever, he should be forced (sort of like unusual punishment) to have these ad campaigns not necessarily talking about his situation but about how it is wrong). He's a role model even with his ****ing smug personality and ****ing annoying Jordan-like speech. If the media wants to hype him up it's fine with me but on only one circumstance: when talking about his 'court troubles' as good scripting before a basketball game, mention IN DETAIL why he is in trouble. Say 'an here is Kobe who just returned from a court hearing relating to his alledged rape case.' Every child in America that watches Kobe NEEDS to hear that because when they do and when they inevitably ask their parents 'what's rape' or 'why is Kobe on trial' they will get their answer. I don't dislike Bryant because he's a great basketball player; I just despise the way he relishes media attention in this manner.
Oh give me a bloody break. Yeah, Kobe doing his job and playing incredible ball is going to make those poor, poor children, rape every woman they see. As for adultery, it will always be around. Always has been, always will be.
ZRB, the point is not that Kobe committed adultery. The point is that when he committed adultery and play good, people think that's heroic. As I said, Magic being made a hero because of getting AIDS was more pathetic.
Watch the movie Philadelphia and you'll realize why Magic was a hero. He was basically removed from the league for no good reason at all and because of that he spoke out about HIV. Just like tom Hanks. And eventually he was allowed to play again but it was too late. Yes. He was a hero. Because he talked. He got the word out. You can't condemn a man for getting a disease. It happens all the time.
I don't know about heroic, but Kobe definitely has demonstrated that he won't allow his massive personal problems to hinder his performance on a team that is counting on him day in and day out. [insert Eddie Griffin jab here]
