Kobe case creating divisiveness along racial, gender lines in Colorado town

The Kansan City Star ^ | MARCIA C. SMITH

[Michael2001]

EAGLE, Colo. - Saturday editions of the Vail Daily newspaper ran his mug shot, a 1-by-1-inch grainy souvenir of a small town's notorious brush with NBA stardom.

In the photo released Friday, Los Angeles Lakers All-Star Kobe Bryant stares without expression into an Eagle County Sheriff's Department camera during his July 4 booking on suspicion of felony sexual assault of a 19-year-old woman.

The world might have come to know this man as "Kobe," the overtly charming, megawatt-smiling, product-endorsing, NBA championship-winning basketball hero.

But in this resort-area town 127 miles west of Denver, Bryant, 24, of Newport Coast, Calif., is the celebrity suspect whose impending legal fate has triggered a debate divisive along racial and gender lines.

While authorities continue their investigation of the purported June 30 attack at the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera and decide whether to charge Bryant, the townspeople are taking sides in what has become the biggest news story since a sinkhole took out a chunk of Interstate 70 a few months ago.

"Eagle is a small town that's maybe a little bit backward. People take sides and might be quicker to assume things about race or athletes or women," said Katie Ryan, 32, who works in Eagle.

"Nobody knows what really happened but that hasn't stopped people here from rushing to judgment."

The woman's name is being withheld by The Orange County Register because of the nature of the allegations. Bryant and his attorneys maintain his innocence.

Many men try to relate to Bryant, defending him. Many women sympathize with the former Eagle Valley High school cheerleader and aspiring singer who once tried out for "American Idol."

But most locals - men and women - have rallied around the hometown victim, showing an allegiance that some contend is a reflection the community's racial makeup.

According to the U.S. Census 2000, 13 of Eagle's 3,032 residents identify themselves as African American, while 2,437 as white. About 52 percent are male.

"Look around. All this is happening because they (the police) are just trying to keep another young brother down," said Mike Bonner, 36, an Eagle resident who is black.

"This town isn't easy on outsiders, especially the ones that stand out. I believe Kobe is getting set up because he's so different and has got so much more than anybody in this town."

While most townspeople quickly acknowledge that blacks are a minority, only a few are willing to say race had any factor in their judgment, however premature.

"He's a black basketball player like all those others who thinks he can do anything because he's got all this money," said Mike Shiplet of Vail. "That's what people are thinking even though a lot of people won't admit it."

Pastor Winsor Stough of the Eagle Valley Community Church, who leads a 100-person congregation that meets in the library of the Brush Creek Elementary School in Eagle, moved from Arcadia to Eagle three years ago.

"I make it my business to study people, and I think most people, not just in Eagle but all over, know the lifestyle of a pro athlete," said Stough, who is also a sports fan.

"We know about Wilt Chamberlain with all the women, Michael Jordan with the gambling, but with Kobe, we just wanted it to be, `Say it ain't so.' But maybe he's just like the others."

In his seven-year NBA career, Bryant had masterfully controlled his mass-appeal image, staying out of the legal troubles that brought bad-boy infamy to Philadelphia guard Allen Iverson (guns), Portland forward Rasheed Wallace (drugs) and New Jersey guard Jason Kidd (domestic abuse). Until now.

"I think people are comfortable here with multiculturalism because of all the tourists," Stough said. "I just think there's a rush to judgment because we're used to hearing certain things in general about athletes and the law."

In the days since Bryant's arrest, several male residents have been quick to speculate that the woman sought to get rich by inventing the story.

"I'll try to put myself in the place of the woman and believe that if Kobe were around, I'd be all over him and his money," said Jake Vanken, 16, who attended the Eagle Valley Senior High School along with the Eagle woman who filed the complaint against Bryant.

At the same time, female residents have jumped to the woman's defense:

"Nobody would come forward in this town with that kind of story if it weren't true," said Sharon Smith, 17, of Eagle. "No one would want that kind of rap, especially a woman."

"So often, the woman gets blamed because men always want to keep them down," said Daysi Spath, 34, a Latina who co-owns a bakery in Eagle.

"Differences stand out in this town. We just hope that they don't make a difference in how the law treats us," she said, turning the page in the Vail Daily to look at what else in happening in her hometown.

[Michael2001]

"Look around. All this is happening because they (the police) are just trying to keep another young brother down," said Mike Bonner, 36, an Eagle resident who is black.

And I nominate this guy "idiot of the day"

[bcoffey]

The title says the Kobe Bryant story is creating racial devisiveness...

... but how can that be when only 1% of the Eagle County population is black? What's there to divide?

[kstewskis]

"Look around. All this is happening because they (the police) are just trying to keep another young brother down," said Mike Bonner, 36, an Eagle resident who is black.

And I nominate this guy "idiot of the day"

May I add this gal as "co-idiot" of the day?

"So often, the woman gets blamed because men always want to keep them down," said Daysi Spath, 34, a Latina who co-owns a bakery in Eagle.

[AdamSelene235]

The title says the Kobe Bryant story is creating racial devisiveness... ... but how can that be when only 1% of the Eagle County population is black? What's there to divide?

Exactly.

Methinks the author is a Marxist.

[HitmanLV]

This is a remarkable 'news' story - that is, there is no actual news in it, but an opinion piece.

My favorite quote is this:

"Eagle is a small town that's maybe a little bit backward. People take sides and might be quicker to assume things about race or athletes or women," said Katie Ryan, 32, who works in Eagle.

The natural follow up question, which wasn't asked or reported on, is 'what makes you say that? what makes you think that way?'

There really is no answer to the follow up question - Katie Ryan justas likely shot off her mouth without thinking, revealing her biases, hangups, etc, more than speaking for the town.

I suppose it is possible that Katie was too quick to assume things about the folks in Eagle. Nah, can't be!!!

[zarf]

It's the media game of "create controversy where there is none".

Sure enough, by the end of this nonsense, it'll be "the white bitch set him up" and Johnny Cochran giving Kobe high fives as he hits the court next season.

[harpo11]

They won't find a jury of his peers here.

Does anyone know if she could have possibly slipped Bryant an excessive dose of Viagra, or Ecstasy?

This whole story is strange. If this is his first extra-marital affair, why his first time ends up in rape? Unbelieveable!!!

[Cai Della]

I'd like to know whether other women have contacted the authorities about similar attacks they experienced by Kobe. A former girl friend of Kobe's was interviewed tonight and she totally supports him.

[Sonny M]

The media whats this to become a race issue.

They are trying hard, but the thing is, I didn't even know she was white.

[Sonny M]

Sure enough, by the end of this nonsense, it'll be "the white bitch set him up" and Johnny Cochran giving Kobe high fives as he hits the court next season.

This article is already making conlusions. In all honesty, how do we even know she is white?

[livius]

Definitely an idiot. However, I do remember that when the Mike Tyson thing came out, almost all of the black women I knew were defending Tyson! I couldn't believe it.

But then my sister worked (as a teacher) with three young black women in a GED class who all had babies by the same man, who needless to say, had no intention of supporting any of them. One of the girls (they were all teenagers, and he was an adult) took him to court and got a child support order against him. The other two said that somebody should kill her, because she was being disloyal to a "brother."

Of course, they had two of the "brother's" children, and I'd say he was being pretty disloyal to them. But somehow, this never occurred to them.

Ethical behavior is ethical behavior, and has nothing to do with race. Somebody should tell Kobe's supporters this elemental fact.

[LWalk18]

Given the fact that there are only 13 blacks in the entire town, any survey would be poor at best. The gender gap mentioned in the article is real...you can see it on this board.

[Diddle E. Squat]

While most townspeople quickly acknowledge that blacks are a minority, only a few are willing to say race had any factor in their judgment, however premature.

What a load of leading manure. That sentence clearly implies that race is a factor in their judgement, the only question being whether anyone is willing to admit it. Talk about premature judgement...

[rvoitier]

"Look around. All this is happening because they (the police) are just trying to keep another young brother down," said Mike Bonner, professional racist and sh!t-stirrer.

[Freedom4US]

Eagle is a small town that's maybe a little bit backward. People take sides and might be quicker to assume things about race or athletes or women," said Katie Ryan, 32, who works in Eagle

It immediately sticks out, no doubt. First of all, lets break the statement down into its component parts. Who is Katie Ryan? Is she from Eagle? Colorado? If not, why did she come there? If so, why does she stay there?

The first implication is that a "small town" is "backward" -given how some of our fine large cities have fared going "forward", perhaps small town America might have something going for it. Surely that isn't what Katie meant, right?

"People take sides"; another gem here, Katie.. What is preferable, that everyone think as you? Eagle residents "Might be quicker to assume things..."

Translation: We've a lot to do here in these rural areas to get everyone on the newspeak way of thinking, they still have these outmoded notions about things like family, women and children, chivalry, God, the American Way... ;)

Katie, who I can only assume fled some liberal hell-hole and took up residence in beautiful rural colorado, laments that the sophists haven't shown up yet to deconstruct her little corner of utopia. And so it goes.

[neutrino]

The media whats this to become a race issue. They are pushing this slant hard

Naturally. They want to use it to get him off the charges - if not in trial, then on appeal.

[Torie]

I think it is less a race issue than a small town issue. This kind of case in a he said-she said situation gives a big leg up to the hometown party. If that is all the DA has, he is a jerk.