WE'VE ALL BEEN HOSED BY THE N.O.W. GANG: Why I Feel Sorry for Kobe

It's the whole "NO MEANS NO" brainwashing Gen X Y and Z have been receiving since we were in kindergarten. "NO MEANS NO" no matter what position you are in, or how you got yourself there.

Here's what I think happened: this girl went up to Kobe's bedroom in the hotel, like she said. She started having intimate contact with Kobe, they ended up in bed, and while they were in the middle of the act, the girl starts freaking out that she's only 19, Kobe isn't wearing protection, and she doesn't want to get pregnant. So she starts telling him to stop. But at that point, any man in that situation doesn't have a lot of concentration going on in his brain, and Kobe naturally wanted to complete the act, so maybe he restrained her a little.

Afterward, the girl was so upset, she ran to the police or whatever, knowing what she has been taught her whole life: "NO MEANS NO" even if you went up to a guy's room at night, even if you made out with him, even if you got in bed with him and starting doing stuff. "NO MEANS NO!!!"

At what point do we as a society come back to our senses and stop telling our girls that they can do all kinds of seductive things and be in all kinds of private, intimate situations with guys and if the guy starts making moves on her and she decides she doesn't like it all of a sudden, it's all the guy's fault and he needs to go to prison for life?

Kobe had Street Cred way before this incident. ESPN don't know what the !@#$ they're talking about. You mean to tell me that man couldn't walk on any playground and get some time on the court? Please.... Don't believe everything you read.

I don't have the vaguest idea of what they mean by street cred. It didn't sound too good to me, if getting charged with rape gives you more of it. I don't know about his endorsements, but Kobe isn't going to get jail time.

If you want to make this into a "pigmentation" issue, you're free to do so, but it may be your nature to bring "pigmentation" into the discussion. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't.

Sorry I took so long to respond...been on vacation from work and FR. Yes, I think this case is going to be all about "pigmentation" before its over. You probably believe that OJ was railroaded by the LA cops and his trial had nothing to do with "pigmentation"....just an innocent guy (and loving husband) saved by twelve civic minded citizens (and certainly a jury of his peers!) doing their lawful duty. The simple matter is that if a white athelete/coach/commentator steps the least little bit out of line nobody in the organization stands up for him, but the reverse is true when the athelete/coach/commentator is "of color". Look at how gingerly Dusty Baker's comments were treated recently as opposed to Jimmy the Greek's back in the 80s. Look at how John Rocker was practically thrown out of baseball for saying he didn't want to ride on a train in New York because the passengers made him uncomfortable. No fellow Brave (player, coach, management) came to his defense even though the Braves had just been through an emotional playoff series with the Mets. A series in which projectiles were thrown at him from the stands and his fiancee was doused with beer by Met's fans. Meanwhile, a few years later here in Atlanta, Ray Lewis participates in a double homocide and the whole Ravens organization goes bananas defending him. Allan Iverson, does a rap video slammin' hoes and queers, then throws his spouse out of the house naked...the fans adore him. Latrell Sprewell chokes a white coach and he's welcomed as a hero in New York. Roberto Alomar spits in a white umpire's face and its no big deal...he gets elected to the All Star team the next two years,etc...but I digress. You're right, race was not a component in any of these stories...couldn't be...and certainly won't be in the Kobe case.

Now, now, calm down...my what a thoughtful and probing response. Having read your thorough retort to my many examples on the "pigmentation" issue we can now both sit back and pretend that race plays no part in the way that Kobe and his alleged victim are treated over the next few months. Just remember that John Rocker never assaulted anyone, raped anyone, spit on anyone and yet, out of all those examples, he was the only one required to undergo sensitivity and diverstity training by the league office...curious isn't it? In fact, during his minor league years in Macon, GA several of the Braves players, who happened to be black, lived with Rocker and his parents. Did any one of those players adamantly come to his defense? Enjoy the double standard over the next few months...it should be fun to watch. I'm sure that Nike and Coke will be fully participating.

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