Thank you Kobe

Submitted by 615Wolverine on
Last and final game of a hall of fame career. I know most guys on the board are not Kobe fans, but it's only right to give his respect. The last of a dying breed. The black mamba, have a happy and healthy retirement. Go blue

yvgeni

April 13th, 2016 at 11:04 PM ^

i guess we're all going to pretend he's not a rapist and just go ahead and praise him for being a great human being?

Ok then, I'll be over here, not doing that.

BursleyBaitsBus

April 14th, 2016 at 12:53 AM ^

Speaking of things the public doesn't give a fuck about since we're on the topic about that and Kobe. 

 

Did you know Michael Jordan's dad impregnated/raped his older sister and never got punished for it? In fact, his mother got pissed at the sister for telling her. 

(yep, that happened) 

Everyone Murders

April 14th, 2016 at 7:46 AM ^

I'm late to the party, but I brought chips and salsa.  I'm not a fan for all the reasons people who hate Kobe hate Kobe.  Starts with the rape allegations, and ... well, you had me at very credible rape allegations.

But this Michael Jordan's dad business?  Do you have a source for that? 

Everyone Murders

April 14th, 2016 at 9:43 AM ^

I never even hinted that the story about Michael Jordan's father was a negative with respect to MJ's accomplishments.  I think you're making quite a leap there.

Kobe is an over-idolized rapist.  The rapist part of this is by his own admission, and corroborated by a pretty damning police report - and yes, Kobe lovers (not talking to you, IndyBlue), a woman who is promiscuous can still get raped, so fuck off with that line of argument.  People are free to sing his praises, but us "haters" are also free to point out that he admitted the elements of rape. 

My opinion on MJ is far different.  He was a marvelous ballplayer, and any reputed infidelities are his and his wife's business.  Is he a "good" person?  I don't know or care that much.  Until some credible allegation about an athlete acting in a heinous way comes up, I mostly focus on their on-the-court/field/etc. activity and their general public persona.  I've got nothing negative to say about MJ.

ijohnb

April 14th, 2016 at 10:45 AM ^

believe the rape allegations against Kobe Bryant.  I really don't.  I am not at all dismissive of sexual assault allegations in general and this does not make me a "rape supporter" or any other ridiculous response that may be thrown at me.  I have taken a look at that case and the allegations at some length and I don't believe that encounter makes sense as a rape.  I think there are some things to like about Kobe and some things that are not so great, but I don't believe he is a rapist.

name redacted

April 14th, 2016 at 11:09 AM ^

When Bryant began groping her, the woman said she tried to flee but the athlete barred her way and grabbed her by the neck, Winters said. “She was afraid that he was going to choke her.”

Then, the woman said, Bryant turned her around, pushed her against a chair, pulled down her panties and raped her. She tearfully said “no” twice but was ignored, Winters said. At one point, Bryant “stated that he liked Vail, Colo.,” he said.

 

Five minutes later, it was over, Winters said, and Bryant made her kiss his genitals. Then he told her to “go clean up.”

Doctor examination and witness accounts support her story.  She was in his room 5 minutes.  She left with blood on her underwear, Kobe had her blood on his clothes.  She had bruises on her neck, tears on her vaginal wall.  She immediately told a friend, who told his father.  She didn't report the rape until the day after, because she told her mother and her mom insisted.  Justice Dept puts the percent of rapes that go unreported at 68%.  Author Scott Shapiro has found 2 other woman who claim to be victims of Kobe, but won't come forward because they saw how the Colorado vicitim was treated when she did.  The money a civil suit would bring isn't enough to endour the vicitim blaming this girl went through, her life was destroyed.  Some put the number of rape convictions per 100 rapes at 2.  2 out of 100.  Even if that is inflated, what isn't horrible?  4 of 100?  10 of 100?  50 of 100?  Jesus.

Mark Shaw, an attorney and author for ESPN and USA Today: 

“Every time I see Kobe Bryant on television playing basketball, I think about how lucky he is... Based on the evidence I knew about… he should be in prison.”

 

But you looked into it so....

ijohnb

April 14th, 2016 at 11:45 AM ^

that was the evidence and it was vetted, corrobated and reliable he would have been convicted.  As it stands, he was not even charged with any crime.  And before you say that it wasn't charged because the accuser refused to testify, keep in mind that 1) you cannot "refuse" to testify about anything that does not or may not incriminate yourself, and 2) the accuser filed a civil suit before a charging decision had even been made knowing full well that the filing of a civil suit during the criminal investigation would all but eliminate the possibility of criminal charges anyway.  And FYI, this author knowing somebody who knows somebody who said something about a suspect is not quite the smoking gun he or you think it is.

In reply to by ijohnb

Monocle Smile

April 14th, 2016 at 11:51 AM ^

I posted a link about rape convictions. You might want to read it. Your naivete is rather frustrating.

Secondly, you can't refuse to testify if an actual trial is happening...but victims can indeed refuse to press charges.

ijohnb

April 14th, 2016 at 12:04 PM ^

the report is filed the charging decision rests solely with the prosectuor.  Nobody "presses charges."  People make reports, the police take reports, and the prosecutor decides whether to charge.  The purpose of a criminal prosecution in a violent felony offense is not solely punitive with regard to a known victim but also serves the equally important purpose of protecting other and future victims from the perpetrator.  The prosecutor was not going to be like "ah well" on a 1st degree foreceable rape charge with the type of evidence set forth above because the victim, who had already given a detailed statement, was having second thoughts about her decision to report it.  A subpoena has the same effect on her that it would on anybody else involved in the case.  They did not pursue the case because her testimony was not believable, and it became even less so when she filed a civil suit during the criminal investigation.

Everyone Murders

April 14th, 2016 at 2:04 PM ^

First off, I applaud your statement that "nobody 'presses charges'".  It irritates the shit out of me that people don't understand that.  Doubly so when a store says "We Prosecute Shoplifters".  You do?  Where?  In the food court?

That stated, I think you're missing the point on the difficulty of prosecuting a rape charge.  The evidence referenced in the police report existed, chain of custody was established, and the physical evidence was strong. 

However, there's more to it than that.  First off, the victim had apparently had relations with one or more men based on evidence in her dirty laundry.  So the victim faced the prospect of slut-shaming - including the prospect of one or more morons on the jury thinking that if a woman is promiscuous than she must have wanted sex with the defendant.  (The technical phrase for those people is "fucking idiots".)

Plus she faced the prospect of a vigorous defense from a defendant who could throw more resources at the trial than the state would muster.  Plus the defendant was a celebrity with a lot of people who support him.  And if he's going to have to do this fight, he's going to do it with a scorched earth approach.

On top of that, these cases still largely boil down to one person's word against another person's.  On top of that, you may have a victim who wants no part of the notoriety of being an accuser or a victim.  And her family may have, for benevolent ("why put yourself through this?") or selfish ("don't ruin our family's name") reasonsed her not to proceed/cooperate.

And the victim may not be a particularly strong person.  She may not want to relive the event for weeks or months while the trial process plays out.

So take those elements, as a prosecutor, and combine them with a victim who does not want to go forward and is satisfied with a settlement and what boiled down to a public admission of rape.  Not moving forward with the case is not necessarily irrational in light of that.  Nearly all prosecutors will take the victim's wishes into account and afford those wishes substantial weight.

And Kobe admitted to the elements of rape.  Which makes him a rapist, and thus a person many of us choose to cheer against.

Humen

April 13th, 2016 at 11:20 PM ^

The rape case against him was pretty bad, but maybe there's something you know about that I don't. There's a reason society at large isn't condemning him whereas society at large isn't too pleased with Roethlisberger




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wolpherine2000

April 13th, 2016 at 11:53 PM ^

I recall that he lied to police, suggested that there might be money in it for them not pursue the charges, publically apologized in a manner which acknowledged that the incident wasn't mutually consensual, and then settled with the presumed victim out of court for an undisclosed sum.  One must infer that this was totally unrelated to her sudden decision not to take the stand...

wolpherine2000

April 14th, 2016 at 12:10 AM ^

 

"I also want to make it clear that I do not question the motives of this young woman. No money has been paid to this woman. She has agreed that this statement will not be used against me in the civil case. Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter."

 

It has been suggested that this statement was a condition of the civil settlement.

Everyone Murders

April 14th, 2016 at 7:55 AM ^

Kobe admits, in the statement that wolpherine2000 cites, all the elements of rape.  Kobe's a rapist, folks.  That fact can make you mad, but maybe hate the rapist rather than the person who relays the rapist's direct quote.

It's not wolpherine2000's fault you bought a rapist's jersey.  Just put it in a drawer with your Ben Roethlisberger and Ray Lewis jerseys.

vbnautilus

April 13th, 2016 at 11:59 PM ^

Let's not rewrite history here. He did not acknowledge that the incident wasn't consensual. He acknowledged that the woman  believed it not to be consensual. That's a pretty big difference. What he said was: 

"Although I truly believe this encounter between us was consensual, I recognize now that she did not and does not view this incident the same way I did. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter."

WorldwideTJRob

April 14th, 2016 at 12:12 AM ^

Please man people on here defended Patrick Kane but somehow Kobe is a rapist? Even though the charges got dropped and the woman had multiple semen samples in her rape kit that night. If there was ever a lady looking for a payday it was her!...but black guy vs. white woman we all know who the public is going to side with




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The Pope

April 14th, 2016 at 12:45 AM ^

The case was dropped because he obviously paid her off. Even if she is a woman that sleeps around with multiple dudes, she still has the right to say no if he wants to do something she isn't cool with.

This case had little to do with race and more to do with the fact that Kobe had some great lawyers. The color that really mattered was the green.