[QUOTE=suvh8r,Sep 2 2004, 08:49 AM] What does the sports illustrated article say?

 

Not if you are R Kelly...

 

That whole thing brings new meaning and BAD images to his lyrics...

Now I

 

Ooh baby you make my life complete.....
Wanna treat your face like a toilet seat.....
Gonna pee on you........

Oh sorry that was Dave Chapelle. My bad.

 

You have to realize Kobe is a pretty tall, big guy. Some girls and guys like it rough, of course there might be laserations. You have to watch out how companies such as SI report stories. Those facts you have listed can be valid, but other pieces of evidence were not listed. The accuser reported that she was choked during the alleged rape, but there were no physical signs on the area of her neck during this struggle. Also not to forget the text messages sent from the accuser to her ex-boyfriend possibly bragging about engaging in a sexual activity with Kobe Bryant.

As far as Kobe's wife settling for a divorce, that situation is a rumor.

 

The bottom line is, no one knows what really happened except Kobe and the girl. Period. We can all believe what we want - I personally think he's innocent of rape - but it is ultimately all speculation based on hearsay.

As for athletes being rich and able to do whatever they like, I think that's a double-edged sword. Yes, celebrities do seem to have a peculiar way of shaking criminal cases. But IMO, it's not unreasonable to suggest that because of their very public profile and wealth, they also tend to be the targets of more scams than the typicial person.

Regarding athletes being overpaid, I'd have to agree that getting paid millions for playing basketball is pretty insane. Most of us work harder, more tedious, jobs and aren't ever going to see that much money in our entire lives. But it's part of the business. You have a lucrative, high-demand business like the NBA, and you're going to pay top dollar to recruit popular and talented players. The money that these athletes make is commensurate with what their employers rake in.

 

Let's also remember that part of the reason celebrities tend to get out of criminal cases isn't directly related to their celebrity status. In this case, and many others, the defense team was regarded as vastly superior to the public prosecution. That kind of legal expertise is what money will buy you, and it will pay off in court.

In general, criminal lawyers who work for the government are either cutting their teeth in preparation for private practice, or seeking to eventually become a judge. Public prosecutors are grossly underpaid compared to what a good lawyer can make on his own. Once you become regarded as a very good lawyer, there are few financial reasons to continue working for the government.

 

I like to think that athletes playing basketball or a professional sport for a living is a legitimate mean to make money. They have an extremely rare job skill that owners are willing to employ these men for millions of dollars. In prospective, owners receive a large monetary gain.

 

No doubt about it. It's a marketable skill. And one that is paid very well. But the problem is the way these athletes are brought up and told that they are GODS from the time they can hold a ball. They are treated different. It's not just abot the money either. College players receive this same treatment. It's this treatment that makes them believe that their ability to throw a ball through a hoop makes them better people than everyone else, that the rules do not apply to them, that the world revolves around them.

 

^ No disagreement here... But to be fair, overblown egos aren't specific to professional athletes. Actors, company executives, politicians, and sometimes law enforcement officials also suffer the same narcissism.