Free Republic

United States coach Jurgen Klinsmann criticized what he sees as an American custom of sports teams catering to star players, in quotes released on Wednesday. Klinsmann, who left star midfielder Landon Donovan off the U.S. World Cup squad last month, singled out the NBA as ignoring his philosophy of favoring a player's future potential over past accomplishments.

Two years ago, Barack Obama infamously emphasized skin color above all other factors in his remarks about a boiling controversy, saying, “…my main message is to the parents of Trayvon Martin. You know, if I had a son, he’d look like Trayvon.” Obama did the same thing again over a year later, immediately after the jury found George Zimmerman not guilty in that case–barging in front of the cameras for the explicit purpose of emphasizing skin color (instead of character and conduct) regarding issues of crime, justice, and public safety, Obama self-righteously prattled on for over 17 minutes in a...

Like the rest of the world, I was stunned to hear Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant argue that it was somehow an unecessary burden for a black man to stand in support of the late Trayvon Martin. If anything, the Trayvon Martin case brought black people together in ways that we haven’t seen since the death of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The case was clear cut: Trayvon had no weapon. He wasn’t bothering anybody. He was stalked out and murdered for appearing to look like a “thug.” George Zimmerman is a free man and later showed that he...

LA Lakers star Kobe Bryant has been heavily criticized after saying that he didn't think he should necessarily have an opinion on Trayvon Martin's shooting just because he is African American. During an interview for a profile piece in the New Yorker, which will be published on April 4, the 35-year-old said also took the opportunity to pour scorn on Lebron James and the Miami Heat for posting a photo of them wearing hoodies in the aftermath of Martin's death at the hands of George Zimmerman. Asked about that, Bryant said he took exception to any idea that Africa-Americans should...

Kobe Bryant, the world-renowned shooting guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, admitted a position that is sure to irk liberals at a time when race relations in America remain incredibly low. At a time when black celebrities and political figures are routinely targeted by the left for any perceived lack of solidarity with leftist causes, Bryant recently sat down with The New Yorker to discuss a wide range of topics and admitted that he refuses to support Trayvon Martin simply because he’s black. According to News One: In the March 31 issue of the New Yorker, Kobe Bryant discussed life,...

*Civil rights activist Najee Ali, director of Project Islamic H.O.P.E., is calling for a boycott of all products that NBA All-star Kobe Bryant endorses. This includes his jerseys, and signature gym shoes. The call for the national boycott is in response to Bryant’s negative comments concerning the Miami Heat’s support of the Trayvon Martin family. In the March 31 issue of the New Yorker. Bryant discussed life and race with Ben McGrath. When McGrath asked Bryant’s opinion on the Miami Heat’s show of solidarity with Martin in the now iconic “hoodie” photo, the LA Lakers star stated: “I won’t react...

Actually, my headline’s not right. It’s hard to be sure since the New Yorker piece that contains the money quote is behind a reg wall, but I don’t think he’s taking a position on the case. He’s taking a position on people who took a position on the case without having heard both sides. The reporter apparently asked him about this photo specifically: #WeAreTrayvonMartin #Hoodies #Stereotyped #WeWantJustice http://t.co/tH6baAVo— LeBron James (@KingJames) March 23, 2012 To which Bryant replied: “I won’t react to something just because I’m supposed to, because I’m an African-American,” he said. “That argument doesn’t make any sense...

The office of the Colorado Governor’s office, headed by Democrat John Hickenlooper, may be on the brink of a major scandal involving attempts to release a Saudi prisoner. Homaidan al-Turki was convicted in 2006 for keeping a sex slave locked up in his residence. He repeatedly molested her over a period of years. You might remember that earlier this year, the Executive Director for Colorado’s prisons, Tom Clements, denied a request to release al-Turki and have him sent back to Saudi Arabia. Eight days later, Clements was shot dead shortly after opening his front door on March 19, 2013. ......

Stephen A. Smith’s motor mouth placed him in the eye of controversy Thursday, but the ESPN yakker denied dropping the N-word while discussing Kobe Bryant on “First Take.” On the show, Smith sarcastically pooh-poohed the idea that Bryant would miss the Lakers’ opener because of a foot injury. Listening to a replay of SAS’ commentary provides evidence that he voiced the slur. “Opening night, Kobe Bryant is going to miss it because my foot is sprained? Are you crazy? (N-word) please,” Smith said.

Turkey's leaders have called Israel the "West's spoiled child," and the "bully" of the eastern Mediterranean. When a Tel Aviv soccer team showed up in Istanbul recently for a match, the welcome was less than warm. In September, Turkey kicked out the Israeli ambassador, suspended military and trade deals and threatened legal and naval action to challenge Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip. As roars of approval went up around the Arab world, few noticed another announcement quietly slipped in by Ankara: Turkey had signed off on a plan to host an American X-band radar system as part of a...

Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant ...grabbed a man’s wrist and cell phone at St. Therese of Carmel in San Diego Sunday. The man claims Bryant thought he had taken pictures of him and his family on his cell phone, but returned the phone after discovering there were no pictures. The alleged victim claims he had to go to the hospital to treat a wrist injury.

We’ve seen a lot of rumors about NBA players going to play in Europe if the lockout continues into the fall. But this one beats them all. The Turkish team, Besiktas, that reportedly signed Deron Williams now has its eyes on Kobe Bryant. Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports has the story: [Beskitas coach Ergin] Ataman will travel to the United States with Besiktas management officials next week to trumpet the signing of Williams, and wants to arrange a meeting with Bryant and Bryant’s agent, Rob Pelinka, he told Yahoo! Sports on Thursday afternoon. “After we signed Deron, we started to...

Dominique Strauss-Kahn will admit he had sexual contact with the hotel chambermaid who alleges he attacked her, but insist it was consensual, his lawyers have indicated. The International Monetary Fund chief allegedly locked the maid in his suite at Manhattan's Sofitel on Saturday and forced her to give him oral sex. He was denied $1m bail and is being held at Rikers Island jail. However in a hint at what may become his main line of defence, his attorney, Benjamin Brafman, said at New York criminal court: "The evidence, we believe, will not be consistent with a forcible encounter". It...

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 by the NBA on Wednesday and criticized by numerous gay-rights groups for directing an anti-gay slur at referee Bennie Adams during a game Tuesday against San Antonio. Bryant was irritated after he was called for an offensive foul and received his 15th technical of the season during the game. He punched a chair on the Lakers' bench before he sat, threw down a towel and yelled "Bennie!" before muttering a curse word followed by the word "faggot." His outburst was captured on TV and prompted TNT analyst Steve Kerr to immediately say, "You...

The NBA fined Kobe Bryant $100,000 on Wednesday for using a derogatory gay term in frustration over a referee's call. NBA Commissioner David Stern issued a swift disciplinary ruling after the Los Angeles Lakers' five-time NBA champion guard cursed and used the homophobic slur when referee Bennie Adams called a technical foul on him Tuesday night in the third quarter of a victory over the San Antonio Spurs. ''Kobe Bryant's comment during last night's game was offensive and inexcusable,'' Stern said. ''While I'm fully aware that basketball is an emotional game, such a distasteful term should never be tolerated. ......

"Turkish Deal Will Make Kobe the Face of Oppression and Injustice" and "Kobe Bryant's Direct Flight to Inhumanity," announced the website of the Armenian Youth Federation. WHAT ABOUT THE GENOCIDE? TURKS MURDERED ARMENIANS AND TRIED TO WIPE THEM OFF THE FACE OF THE PLANET?

Armenian Americans -- many right here in the Los Angeles area -- are calling Kobe Bryant's endorsement deal with Turkish Airlines "Kobe's direct flight to inhumanity." The Armenian Youth Federation says it's considering protests at Staples Center if Bryant doesn't back down or at least issue some type of statement recognizing the Armenian Genocide, when approximately 1.5 million Armenians in the Ottoman Empire were killed. Bryant has talked about the endorsement deal, telling CNBC, "I've never been to Turkey, but all the guys on the team who have been keep saying (that) it's one of the hottest places to go....

[...] And then last week, he went home and was watching a game when a new commercial for "Call of Duty: Black Ops" came on his television. Seen through Walker's eyes, the content was bad enough. A woman in high heels, a hotel concierge, a guy in a fast-food worker's outfit -- they're all shooting automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades in an urban warfare setting. He was already disgusted, but about halfway through the spot, Walker did a double take: Wait! Wasn't that Kobe Bryant? Seriously, is that really Kobe Bryant carrying an assault weapon with the word "MAMBA" on...

We will never know if Kobe Bryant's wife, Vanessa, really did order the maid to pull the price tag from a blouse out of a trash bag filled with dog feces -- because the case has settled. TMZ broke the story that Kobe and Vanessa were sued by Maria Jimenez, who claimed Vanessa was beyond abusive, calling her "lazy, slow, dumb, a f***ing liar, and f***ing sh-t." Kobe and Vanessa denied the allegations by their former maid, but now the case has settled out of court.

Noted Chicagoan and basketballophile Barack Obama appears to be writing off the California vote in 2012, at least the basketball fans around Los Angeles. In a pre-holiday interview with the Associated Press, Obama was asked who was the better player -- six-time NBA champion Michael Jordan or four-time champion Kobe Bryant? Without even a moment's hesitation, the ex-senator from Illinois blurted out, "Oh, Michael!" Then, apparently realizing what he'd just said and the profound impact on any 2012 election, the new president hastened to add: "I mean, Kobe's terrific. Don't get me wrong. But I haven't seen anybody match up...