Kobe extended…

Thursday, I put together a quickie on Kobe Bryant for ESPN. I put it together to meet a deadline, but that meant I had to comment on the case before seeing his “apology.” I stand by what I said, but I’ve got more…

In the beginning, I did not find his case any more compelling than any other rape case. I was no more shocked that he was charged with rape than I am by any other accusation of sexual assault. The shock of a rape charge to me is that someone could do such a thing. I know that anyone is capable of anything, but it’s frightening to me that anyone could be capable of such a thing. It has nothing to do with image, whether dealing with someone wholesome or wholly repugnant.
That anyone would strong arm sex from another is disturbing intrinsically.
So no, I wasn’t that surprised Kobe was charged with sexual assault, but that’s because “that” is a relative term.
And now, he’s off the hook for good.
Did he do it? I have no idea. Were I left with the physical evidence, I’d be inclined to vote “not guilty.” That doesn’t mean I’m positive that he did not do it, but I wouldn’t be willing to send a man to the pen based on what’s made it into the media.
I didn’t care about his accuser’s previous sexual history. For the most part, I didn’t judge much about her behavior after the act. I have no idea how someone is going to react after being raped, but that she may have gone out and had sex with others did seem a bit suspect. At the same time, I’ve never been raped, so I don’t know how she’s supposed to react. But that seemed a tad suspect.
In legal-ese, “suspect” would probably have translated itself directly to mean “reasonable doubt.”
At the same time, I’m skeptical about white women crying rape against black men. Have black men raped white women? Yes. But is there a whole ‘nother slew of scenarios to consider when that’s the racial dynamic of a sexual assault case? You better believe it.
This doesn’t mean white women are innately more likely to falsely claim they were raped. This means they tend to have more reasons to lie.
Consider the terrible reactions some still have to the idea of a black man sleeping with a white woman and how easy it is to convince many that black men are insatiably thirsty to sleep with white women. Add that bad reaction with those prior beliefs, and the sum could be a lie that’ll easily fly.
And if a lie will fly easy, it’s a lot more likely to be told.
But how would I vote based on his “apology”? I’d put him under the jail.
Surely, that statement was part of a deal he cut with his accuser’s lawyers–probably for a fat sum–but the wording of it screams out “oops, my bad.”
He didn’t realize she didn’t consent? Get outta here, man…
Whether one thinks the woman consented or not, if she did not, she did not. That means that said individual forced the woman to have sex against her will. That’s rape.
Rule for life: if you’re not sure if a woman is down to sleep with you, that means you don’t do anything. That rule applies all the way across the board.
But when the woman’s white, you treat that rule with special care. That bad judgment doesn’t make him guilty, but it surely makes him foolish.
Perhaps he’s listened to a few too many stories and thinks women like to be thrown over chairs and taken. That strategy is only safe in movies…and not the kind you see at the octoplex.
The one amazing thing is that a black man is beating the rap for raping a white woman in a small town. I still find it hard to believe such a thing could happen. Yes, it’s 2004, but that means we’re not that far removed from 1954. It’s noteworthy to me that Kobe’s got the benefit of the doubt from so many.
This could mean one of two things–that race relations have come along way, or that a mean hoop game affords one leeway that regular cats will never receive.
In the end, we know little more than we knew before. His statement leads me to question his guilt, but such guilt is irrelevant in the eyes of the law. Therein lies an interesting dichotomy, one I don’t ever recall having to consider under such circumstances.
Will he get his endorsements back? It’s possible, but it isn’t likely. That has little to do with the perception people will take from the dismissal or “apology.” The endorsements will likely evaporate because the Lakers are going to be mediocre this year.
Nobody likes a loser…no matter where he loses.
Sadly, that’s gonna be the most important thing in the end. Wins and losses on the court.
In the win/loss column that really matters–not the one in the sports section–there’s no telling who’s coming out on top. It’s unlikely we’ll ever really see the recap of that.
That would be compelling. But for those of us on the outside, the story has ended with an ellipse instead of a period.
All we can do is guess how things will end. My money’s on L’s all around.
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Check back later this week…thoughts on the Chappelle special, this month’s BSN piece, and a new column entry.