I feel that this article provides a good summary of the situation and the correct attitude we should have towards it.
[url=http://espn.go.com/page2/s/jackson/030721.html]Who's the victim here?
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For the sake of discussion, I'll quote some points that stood out when I read it.
When you first hear that some woman has accused Kobe of sexual assault, your first thought is obviously that this must be some gold-digger or some woman who tried to "entrap" an NBA star. After all, we know Kobe, and this is totally out of character for him. These women are out there, and it's a dangerous world for these guys.
I'm sorry, but I must be living on a different planet here. Maybe I've just read too many tales of athletes' late-night activities off the police blotter, or maybe I'm too in touch with the "divine secrets" of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.
Either way, when I hear that a professional athlete is being charged with rape, my first thought isn't that he's the victim. Nor do I immediately envision some sort of vexing vixen preying on poor unsuspecting millionaire athletes in a hotel lobby.
No, my first thought is to fear that a horrible crime has occurred ... and to hope that I'm wrong.
This is pretty much what I've been trying to say, though my posts are probably coming off as fairly anti-Kobe. Hopefully Kobe is not guilty. It's a terrible thing to have done, a terrible mistake for someone who has never before had a run-in with the law to make. But we shouldn't be labelling the alleged victim a gold digging, lying drug addict either.
And, yes, that's my first thought no matter how well I "know" the athlete -- whether that athlete is a "thug" like (fill-in-the-blank with your NBA bad boy of choice), or a "solid citizen" like Ray Allen or Kobe Bryant.
I certainly "know" Kobe Bryant better than most people on the street. I've interviewed him several times, including a brief one-on-one at last year's ESPY Awards. I've watched hundreds of his games and countless press conferences. I've seen more of his TV commercials than I care to count.
(I've also covered enough pro sporting events -- from the Super Bowl to the NBA Finals -- to know plenty about groupies and the world of temptations that confront professional athletes.)
And after all that, this is what I "know" about Kobe Bryant: He's eloquent and thoughtful. He gives good sound bites. He speaks Italian. He carries himself with class on and off the basketball court. And he's one of the best basketball players to ever lace up a pair of sneakers.
This is all true. Kobe is a good citizen. There are plenty of temptations that can lead sports stars into trouble. But...
After last Friday's mesmerizing news conference at the Staples Center, I also now "know" that Kobe cheated on his wife of two years, a woman who bore his first child a mere seven months ago.
And this is the point that I mention in pretty much every post. It gives merit to the alleged victim's claims - Kobe has admitted to adultery. Innocent people do not admit to things they did not do, we can pretty much take it as a fact that Kobe had sex with the alleged victim. No two ways about it, he has admitted to it. He claims it was consensual, she claims it was against her will.
The latter is yet to be proven, but the former is fact. And based upon that fact, it can be said that Kobe has done something wrong. It hasn't been proven that he has committed a crime, but he has done something that society considers to be morally wrong. And because that part of the story is true, the possibility exists that an act of sexual assault was committed.
Reading on:
Here's what I don't "know" about Kobe Bryant: I don't know how he treats his family when they're behind closed doors. I don't know what his sexual habits are. I don't know if he has a raging temper. I don't know what he might be capable of when no one is around.
I'll interject here with snippets of an article I read in the latest issue of Pro Basketball Today. The title sums it up: "Is it the person or the persona?" The premise of the article is that we don't really know professional athletes. We see their persona, but we don't know the person. We can't see everything in their private lives, so we shouldn't be quick to rush to any conclusions - including claiming their innocence. The final paragraph offers this conclusion:
PBT wrote:We usually make two crucial mistakes of our own when judging athletes. We're too quick to crucify - and deify. Just remember this next time you catch yourself looking up to an athlete: You don't really know the person; you only know the persona"
The emphasis on the final sentence is mine. Just because the image conflicts with the allegations, it doesn't necessarily point to innocence.
Returning to the Page2 article:
Look around your office or your school. No matter how much you think know some of the people that you come in contact with every single day, you probably don't know the answers to any of the questions above.
Again, the idea that Kobe might have skeletons of his own. Just because we've never seen him lose his temper doesn't mean he never loses his temper or exhibits a different kind of behaviour away from the cameras and reporters. He may not - the suggestion may be laughable. But we don't know either way.
On condemning Kobe prematurely:
Now, I'm not saying Kobe is guilty. I have no idea what really happened on the night of June 30 at the Cordillera Lodge & Spa, and all Americans are innocent until proven guilty.
All Americans except for the alleged female victim in this case, that is.
Again, the emphasis is mine. In denying the possibility of Kobe being in the wrong, we are essentially condemning the alleged victim as the guilty party. Guilty of making a false claim of a serious offense, guilty of trying to exploit a beloved and talented athlete.
Since the news of Bryant's arrest broke two weeks ago, it seems like we've been searching for reasons to discredit this woman. She tried out for "American Idol" ... so she must be seeking fame and fortune. She went up to Bryant's room voluntarily ... so she was asking for it. She was an employee of the hotel ... so she was behaving unprofessionally. She allegedly overdosed on drugs two months ago ... so she must be unstable.
A couple of plausible accusations - she could very well be seeking fame and fortune. But even if she did go to Kobe's room voluntarily and her behaviour was unprofessional, does that excuse what Kobe did? Certainly he had a choice, he didn't have to have sex with her. Guilty or not guilty of rape, he still has to shoulder some responsibility of what happened.
Two final points from the Page2 article:
Rather than look for reasons to doubt her story, I'm going to give her the benefit of the doubt until someone can prove she's lying -- the same benefit of the doubt so many people, men in particular, seem so eager to give Kobe.
I'll get back to that one.
If this case does indeed turn into a he-said, she-said, I'm not going to blindly assume everything he says is true. And I'd at least like to withhold my final judgment until I hear what she has to say.
As already discussed, this is probably what's going to happen. If it comes down to he-said, she said, Kobe will be considered the more credible party and the verdict will thus be in his favour. Consider the claim that she is unstable and has acted in a vindictive matter because she has a history of drug abuse and depression is also unsubstantiated. I think that has to be proven as much as it has to be proven that Kobe actually raped her.
As for the last sentence, it's the idea of a fair trial but from the other perspective. Naturally, Kobe is entitled to a fair trial, but then so is she. If we are to hear Kobe's defense, she must be given time to elaborate on her claim and provide evidence that supports her case, too. Neither deserve to be judged before this matter goes to trial.
Again I refer to an article from PBT, titled "Believe Everyone". As the title implies, the article suggests the best policy is to believe everyone's side of the story. In other words, the alleged victim is making a valid claim. Kobe is telling the truth. Give both parties the benefit of the doubt and await further developments. Consider everyone to be telling the truth and that the matter could go either way.
Two final points that I will quote from "Believe Everyone":
(Emphasis is mine)
PBT wrote:Michael Jordan, in his prime, had a personality that was the smoothest butter in the refrigerator. Every kid in America wanted to be like Mike. Then we learned about Mike's gambling issues and Mike's affair with another woman and Mike's child out of wedlock. This behaviour didn't violate any laws. But it certainly put a few curds in the butter.
The same goes for Kobe Bryant's image no matter whether he's guilty or innocent of rape.
PBT wrote:It should teach us a lesson. No matter how someone comes across on the playing field, or in sound bites, you don't ever really know hem unless you are in their immediate family or their immediate circle of friends
Again, not dismissing the matter due to Kobe's image, while at the same time not condemning him.
I guess the other issue, at least on these boards, is the idea of hating on Kobe. I stress that this is not any form of moderation of the discussion, it's simply my opinion as a member of the forum community. We all know that Kobe and the Lakers are often targets for bashing. It seems it's the way we sports fans are. But I don't think considering the possibility that Kobe may be guilty is necessarily hating.
In an attempt to take an objective view, guys like Shane and myself are often mistaken for bashing. I can't speak for Shane, but it's not my intention to condemn Kobe in any of these discussions. This is a serious matter that could have severe consequences, unprecedented in the history of the NBA.
I don't want Kobe to be sent to prison if he's innocent. But he's a citizen of the United States, so if he's found guilty of a federal offense he should be punished just as any other US citizen would be. The US legal system should not allow anyone to get away with a slap on the wrist just because of their wealth and stature.
I guess we'll just have to wait for more details.
You all act like only sane people can be raped...
