legend said this in post #20 : I have a feeling that Kobe is guilty, but will not be convicted because he is a professional athlete. He will most likely be aquitted just because he can afford the best attorneys and because he is a superstar in the NBA.
It'll be a classic tale of superstardom saving a guilty man from being convicted. Also known as the O.J. Simpson effect.
Of course, this is only my opinion, as I do not have the proof to back up my statements. I just have a hunch that he might actually be guilty of the sexual assault.
I also think he is guilty, and will not do time. He does have the money to buy, in more ways than one. There are people who can always be bought, that's the sad part. I'm not sure prison time was be good in any case, he also has enough money to buy the best help, if he really wants help. I hope he has wisen up from the charge, and doesn't do a repeat if he is aquitted. Just by his actions since this has taken place, I think he does have problems, lets hope he finds the doc to talk all his problems out with before it happens again.
Sierradaddy said this in post #31 : I haven't read all of this thread. Haven't even read through the entire article posted here. I've heard enough about this on the news, and I don't believe my opinion is going to change after reading anyone else's posts, so I'll voice my opinion.
Kobe isn't the only one. In fact, Kobe's probably one of the lesser offenders. Anyone remember R. Kelly and his garbage? I haven't seen any video, but hell, he married Aaliyah when she was like 15...
The thing is that when you are a public figure; a sports superstar, or an actor/singer, President; whatever, people THROW themselves at you CONSTANTLY. Even the most introverted person would find all the attention not only flattering, but EMPOWERING. Eventually, that type of adoration wreaks havoc on the mind's ego, and you get to thinking that the people throwing themselves at you are there for your utilization, at your leisure.
I'm not condoning what was done, but I do want to put it into an understandable perspective. I'm also not trying to change anyone's opinions on the matter; just presenting my own.
When you think about all the money, freedom that wealth can sometimes bring, the constant moving all over the country (whether in-season or off-season...), social engagements, contractually mandatory appearances, expensive toys, high-powered people clamoring at your heels wanting a piece of your empire, groupies following you from city to city, your name in the headlines, etc... How would you think all of that power would affect you? I think that after I came to grips with everything and accepted it as how life is for people in the public eye (which is the process that seems to happen to so many celebrities, and I think is used waaay too much...), I would eventually start picking out some of the groupies to come up to my palatial hotel room, that I'm not paying for (perk for being famous), to spend a quiet evening (or noisy night, depending on my mood...) with me. Where I would differ from some of them, is if I was famous BEFORE I was married, then I probably would remain single. Why marry when I can enjoy the life of a powerful girl-magnet bachelor? Because I would feel that the girls are only using me? Hell, I would be using THEM right back!
Life is a two-way street. I don't condone what Kobe did, and as I am not a public figure, I also don't think that having groupie orgies is the best thing either. Now, if I were to aks myself how I'd be if I WAS as popular as Kobe, and if I gained much of that popularity and power at as young an age as he did? If I'm to be honest with myself, I'd say I don't see how I'd be much different from what I feel to be the majority of celebrities, male or female.
I agree with your post to a certain degree. Yes he's young. Yes, he's very very rich, but if he actually forced a female when he has plenty probably on speed dial in every state he visits, then the man needs to be stopped. Whether it's from a doctor, or from doing time. Boredom can make you do crazy things.
comsoo said this in post #34 : Why do some women really want to make us believe that "a real man" is the one that they themselves can define? Myself, a man, sees Kobe as a really man in many ways. HE works hard in what he does, he supports his family, is loving, and ohh yeah, he makes ****ed up mistakes at times, shows he is "just a man".
How about his wife? Well the likes of Hillary Clinton, you name the rest including some of your neighbors deal with this kind of a predicament on daily basis. This are married people with children, and a lot at stake for that matter, for them to just file divorce, and increase the startistics and scream women power.....
How the wife is dealing with the adulterous husband at this juncture won't make none of us ****, and hoping he apologizes to her infront of the cameras is just one way to make him look dumber, who knows how many times he begged his wife for forgiveness when it was just the two of them. I submit that the hardest apology is the one he endured when it was him and his wife,...and people are just soooooo perveted to demand that he apologizes to his wife infront of the masses like he married all women on earth.........
I don't remember anyone saying Kobe needed to apologize on TV. I don't remember anyone saying Kobe needed to bring his wife along as he did this, I'm sorry deal on TV BS. If all he did was cheat, I'm really not sure why he decided to broadcast it. That should have been done at home with his wife only. When its all said and done, Vanessa has nothing to do with what Kobe did that night in that room. She is a victim, as well as his baby girl.
ann 227 said this in post #44 : what's up all you Kobe HATERS, did you catch the news this morning where Kobe's very brilliant attorney made it known that there was another guys semen and pubic hair in little Ms. Innocent's panties, see this for what it is another star struck so and so looking for some quick money. I'm sure her family and friends put her up to this, she's not bright enough to think this all up on her own. See you all in court
Sorry but Mackey made another suggestion. When she can bring forth this so called man and label the pubic hair as such, then the ball can start rolling. Right now its totally stuck in one place.
pretty said this in post #51 : Clay can sing but he did not win the AI contest so stop parading him arund like he did and give Rueben his just rewards
No one done this to Ruben except his so called fans. Get real, if you voted 200 times for the man, and don't buy 200 of his CD's, where does that leave him. I think he was labeled a star but his fans and Simon are what? Now where are you devoted fans when he needs you? And Clay will do just fine. I see him all over the place. I actually feel sorry for Ruben, the so called fans let him down.
As the old saying goes: If your white your're alright, if your brown stick around, if your black!(and i stress this point) if, you are black then stay back! I mean way, way back. If a black person chooses to operate in the white mainstream, then they must be very careful to watch their backs at all times. Because, all it takes is one mistake and before you know it, the whole white mainstream will throw the book at you. And that will be the end of your career. All you need to do is ask OJ Simpson! But then he couldn't care less anyway!
Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution.
To be honest i look at suituations from all point of views yes Kobe' was nasty for raw dogging her but also she is a slut that was looking for a way out of her sorry life style sure she wants to live like the Jones' so she looked for an easy way in. Didn't know she was going to have to go through all of this now did she. What Kobe did was doing what any man would do if any thing is free of course men are going to take it but raw dogging it was nasty. I simply think what Kobe did was human nature for the simply fact that everybody isn't perfect and cheating is part of our society human nature. ( #1 :[/i] EAGLE, Colo. - Basketball star Kobe Bryant yesterday was charged with one count of felony sexual assault in an alleged attack on a 19-year-old hotel attendant at a Rocky Mountain resort on June 30.
Bryant, a 24-year-old all-star guard for the Los Angeles Lakers and a Lower Merion native known for his clean-cut public persona, could face four years to life in prison or 20 years to life on probation. He also could be fined $3,000 to $750,000.
"Basically, it is alleged that he [caused] sexual penetration or intrusion and that he caused submission of the victim through actual physical force," said Eagle County District Attorney Mark D. Hurlbert, announcing the charge at a news conference outside his office yesterday afternoon.
Hours later, Bryant answered back, making his first public statements on the case at a news conference in Los Angeles. He admitted adultery but said it was consensual.
"I'm innocent," he said into a microphone after a long moment spent choking back tears. "I didn't force her to do anything against her will. I'm innocent... . I sit here in front of you guys, furious at myself, disgusted at myself for making a mistake of adultery."
Bryant's wife, Vanessa, sat beside him as he made several apologies to her and vowed that "shoulder to shoulder, we're going to fight this thing through all the way to the end."
NBA commissioner David Stern said only that the league would "await the outcome of a judicial proceeding before taking any action."
Yesterday's developments ended two weeks of speculation after Bryant's July 4 arrest and set the stage for a legal battle. Prosecutors and Bryant agree that sexual activity occurred inside his hotel room that night. The issue is whether it was consensual.
Hurlbert, the first-year district attorney for Colorado's Fifth Judicial District, told reporters yesterday that his office had evidence to prove the anonymous victim's allegations beyond a reasonable doubt.
"As in any sexual assault case, ladies and gentlemen, this did not come easily," Hurlbert said. He said he spent the last two weeks reviewing testimony, physical evidence - presumably the long-awaited DNA tests from the Colorado Bureau of Investigation - studying case law, and consulting with other Colorado prosecutors.
"Then and only then did I make my decision," he said.
Bryant's attorneys, Pamela Mackey and Harold Haddon, described the arrest of Bryant as a "rush to judgment" made by a county sheriff who may have been biased from a prior friendship with the victim when he was a Drug Abuse Resistance Education officer at the local high school.
"We will explore his bias," said Haddon, who did not elaborate on the bias accusation. "... We will look into their motives. The course of the trial will determine that."
The incident occurred late June 30 at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, a mountainside resort about 130 miles west of Denver, when the woman was reportedly summoned to Bryant's room, possibly for room service.
The woman, home in Eagle and working a summer job after her freshman year at the University of Northern Colorado, claims Bryant held her against her will and sexually assaulted her.
Reports of the aftermath vary. Some claim a ruckus in the room attracted hotel security and the woman left in hysterics. Others suggest that she returned downstairs on her own, in a shocked stupor. Hurlbert would not say whether anyone witnessed the alleged assault.
While Bryant underwent knee surgery the following day - his reason for coming to Colorado - police investigated the victim's complaint. Bryant was taken to Valley View Hospital to provide DNA samples, and later flew back to Los Angeles.
On July 4, Eagle County Sheriff Joseph D. Hoy issued an arrest warrant for Bryant, who flew back that night to surrender and post $25,000 bail.
Two days later, Hoy announced the arrest, beginning a guessing game that has occupied countless hours on television and marred the reputations of Bryant, his accuser, and even Hoy, who was widely criticized for "jumping the gun" in arresting Bryant before the district attorney had decided to press charges.
Yesterday Hoy stood silently behind the lectern as Hurlbert announced the charges Hoy had pushed for. Later, Hoy released a statement suggesting that reporters go home.
The alleged victim is a former cheerleader and choir singer at Eagle Valley High School. Invariably described as a "good girl" by acquaintances, she is tall, blond, friendly and ambitious enough to have made the trip to Texas last fall to sing in auditions for the television program American Idol.
Her family's hillside home on the edge of town has become a pilgrimage site for visiting reporters, who are politely turned away at the door. For now, she will maintain her anonymity, housebound for the summer. Prosecutors said she had been consulted before the decision to file charges was made.
"It's been very difficult for her," Hurlbert said, "more difficult with all the media attention. But I ask you to respect her privacy in this."
Under Colorado law, the charge of "Sexual Assault-Overcome Victim's Will" is a third-degree felony carrying a prison term of four years to life or a probation period of 20 years to life.
Bryant was 18 when he entered the NBA four months after graduating from Lower Merion High in 1996. He was 22 when he married 19-year-old Vanessa Laine in 2001. The couple have a daughter, Natalia, born in January.
Considered an heir to Michael Jordan's basketball legacy, Bryant has won three NBA titles in his seven years with the Lakers. Last season, he averaged a career-high 30 points a game. He is a member of the U.S. men's senior national basketball team, expected to compete at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece.
In addition to his $70.9 million Lakers contract and a three-year, $55 million extension signable after this season, Bryant holds endorsement contracts with Sprite and McDonald's, and in June signed a $45 million sneaker deal with Nike.
"I have a lot at stake," Bryant said last night. "And that has nothing to do with the game of basketball, nothing to do with endorsements. This is about us. This is about our family.
"I am falsely accused of something," he continued, exhaling. "I'm innocent... . I appreciate everybody out there for your support. We're going to need your support and prayers now more than ever."
In her own statement released beforehand, Vanessa Bryant said: "I will not let him face these accusations alone. I know Kobe better than anyone. The great person you see on the court and in the public is a far greater person off the court."
Lakers fan Joel Mendoza, 26, visiting Colorado from Los Angeles, attended the news conference yesterday wearing a yellow and purple Lakers jersey and hat, hoping to hear Bryant be exonerated. Afterward his support was muted. "I was shocked by how serious the allegations were," he said.
Bryant's next court appearance will be a hearing on Aug. 6 in Eagle, where he will be advised of the charges against him and of his rights. Mackey said he would plead not guilty.
Hurlbert would not speculate whether the trial would occupy Bryant during the coming basketball season.
Hurlbert promised to treat this celebrity case like any other case. He expected any trial would be held in Eagle. "This is a crime that occurred in Eagle, and I think the people of Eagle should hear it," he said.
"Really, the overriding goal in all of this is justice for the victim and for the people of Eagle County."
Bryant's attorneys said they, too, hoped to try the case before a Colorado jury, unless Hoy "continues to make statements and express his opinion."
"We will not try this case in the press," Mackey said. "We will try it before a Colorado jury, and we are confident that a Colorado jury will find Mr. Kobe Bryant innocent."
In the Philadelphia area, reactions ranged from the cynical to the sympathetic.
Matthew Booker, 16, an 11th grader at University City High School, one of four youths riding bicycles yesterday at Schuylkill River Park, said: "He's a goody two-shoes, so people won't believe anything. With A.I. [Allen Iverson] they'd believe anything."
Out on busy Montgomery Avenue in Lower Merion, Chuck Sherman, 51, a custom cabinet business owner said: "It would be a shame if [the charge] proves to be true. I'm hoping like most people I know here that it isn't true. Kobe is like a hero around here."
Stephen Cohen of Lower Merion said: "I think he was set up. If anything happened, it was consensual. He may have had a weak moment, but rape? Nah... . He's a smart guy. I just can't see him doing it." [/QUOTE]
Well said mysecrets1979, It does not mean that what Bryant Kobe did was right, you know committing adultry, but if your going to get girls constantly throwing themselves at male stars then what do you expect.
Only this time male stars are going to have to tread very carefully indeed if they want to avoid potential situations like this from occurring. If they want a bit on the side they are going to have to be little more choosey.
Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution.
I disagree the only thing that Kobe is guilty of is one of the
10 commandments. The only difference is that this didn't happen on hooker avenue where she needed to be because that's what she is and then want to scream out rape. He didn't tie her up,
he didn't slap her, as a matter of fact she doesn't have any
bruises on her. If you are in that situation there will be some
kind of struggle if she didn't want it. She was just looking for
an easy way to get paid. Of cousre he is rich he worked hard for it and Im sure she worked hard for her's ......
Manewell, manewell, I think ur right. But i think that u live in ur one world 2.
kobe don't make u puke but people with there own point of vieuw do,something just ain't right. And I think that u are a kobe fan and u don't see things clear.
helen55 said this in post #7 : I was disgusted at him trying explain that "he was just a MAN" as if that would explain his adultery. I'm not even going to talk about the rape charges.
Well I'm sorry but I don't buy that - he is NOT a MAN, he is an womanizing JERK.
Why was he talking with his tongue all over his cheeks and sucking in his mouth??? Can't he speak like a normal MAN? Does he have a speech imparement??? Seems to me like he had a difficult time saying what he had to say.
Also talk about his lawyers NOT wanting to "try this case in the media" -- he, the super-hero announces he is innocent for - what? - 5 minutes in front of the whole nation?? While the victim is under house arrest and cannot speak for herself. Bad publicity move - starting the case in this way in the media. He should have just said he is sorry to his wife and left.
All that money he signed up for in June went to his Head obviously and he could not handle it. He is only 24 years old, with a beautiful wife, he has been married only since 2001, has a baby, basically still newly weds on their honeymoon. And he is already dropping his pants at the hotel door???
"And I love my wife with all my heart. She's my backbone. You're a blessing. You're a piece of my heart, you're the air I breath. You're the strongest person I know and I'm so sorry" Obviously she is far stronger than Kobe. How come he did not think of her in his hotel room when a pretty blond comes to his room to do room service?? A real MAN does not drop his pants AND the memory of his wife and child when he checks into a hotel room.
Even if the blond went aggressively after him --- he has no excuse to commit adultery as soon as a pretty young thing knocks at his door. Don't these guys get any common sense training?? He is going to have a steady stream of women tossing themselves at him, and how is he supposed to cope with that? By having a strong wife with a backbone at home, who forgives him because after all he is so wonderful.
Give me a break, I need to puke.
"And I'm a human being. I'm a man just like everybody else. I mourn, I cry just like everybody else. And I sit here before you guys, embarrassed and ashamed for committing adultery. And you know if I could go through the feeling of what was he going to say here???-- if I could just turn back the hands of time -- and I love my wife so much. She's so special to me.
Sure she is special now. I feel really sorry for both of the women here, but at least one of them gets paid for her pain.
okay that was like the most horrible thing ever said... like you have never made a mistake in your life <REMOVED> and get over it....kobe made a mistake wow he is human... if some dude from your town "allegedly raped" a girl i'm sure u wouldnt even care if it wasnt your friend...or knew her...so damn shut up
12-12-2003 09:58 PM
( 
what was he going to say here???-- if I could just turn back the hands of time -- and I love my wife so much. She's so special to me. 
like you have never made a mistake in your life <REMOVED> and get over it....kobe made a mistake wow he is human... if some dude from your town "allegedly raped" a girl i'm sure u wouldnt even care if it wasnt your friend...or knew her...so damn shut up 
