Forgetting is the Enemy: The NBA Edition
June 14, 2009
We are participating in the campaign called “Silence is the Enemy” spearheaded by Sheril Kirshenbaum of The Intersection and Isis the Scientist of On Becoming a Domestic and Laboratory Goddess. Along with raising some donations for Doctors Without Borders/Medicins sans Frontieres the goals is to raise awareness.
Now as it happens I’ve not been following the NBA playoffs closely for years now. I used to but…well, life happens. So I haven’t had my memories erased by the machine of sports PR and hype. Unsurprisingly, this very same machine is very good at creating whatever narrative will help the bottom line of professional sports industry factions.
Luckily we have the critical and penetrating insight of our favorite blogging sports analyst to remind us that Forgetting is the Enemy.
Since the sports establishment can’t stop praising Kobe Bryant as a hungry, strong-willed great champion (or whatever the fuck the adulation-du-jour may be) I thought I should remind people that it is highly likely that Kobe is a goddamn rapist who got away with his crime because he could assemble a multi-million dollar ‘defense’ (a.k.a. character assault and intimidation) team.
Have you Forgotten?
For those who may not be familiar, or for those who may have forgotten, go read the Wiki summary of the case and Kobe’s admission of guilt in exchange for his freedom.
Thanks for the reminder ‘stache.
DrugMonkey 
June 14, 2009 at 2:12 pm
You’re welcome DM, and thanks for the props.
Absolutely perfect way to sum it up with “Forgetting is the enemy”, in light of the recent campaigns—wish I’d thought of it, but am sure glad you did.
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June 15, 2009 at 12:07 pm
And now, with a new championship under his belt Kobe Bryant is back on top of the world. All is forgotten. As I said on Anonymoustache’s blog, money talks and criminals walk.
Just think of how many of our sports stars are unconvicted felons these days who haven’t spent a fucking minute in jail. The Cincinnati Bengals roster over the past five years looks like and episode of America’s Most Wanted. Yet they run out of the tunnel to a stadium full of cheers and and cash a monthly paycheck worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. And not to mention, which is the most tragic of all, these guys are right at the head of the pack in being the people our kids most want to be like. Jesus, years ago, a pro athlete committing a crime was major, major stuff, (Denny McClain’s gambling problem) now it’s just a throwaway line on Sports Center.
Very sad.
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June 15, 2009 at 3:00 pm
Been watching that new show Tosh.0 on Comedy Central – he referenced exactly this point as part of his routine – had a good zinger – but I don’t remember which clip it’s associated with (Miss South Carolina maybe?).
http://www.comedycentral.com/shows/toshpt0/index.jhtml
In the world of professional sports, it would seem we care more about violence/abuse done to dogs (Michael Vick) than we do about that done to women. Thanks for posting this reminder, DrugMonkey (and Anonymoustache)!
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June 15, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Do you really believe that America today is different from the Roman Empire? The only difference is the replacement of gladiators for professional athletes. Both the former and the latter have always received the adulation of the people, especially from those at the top who could afford to pay for the pleasure to watch them doing their thing. In old Rome they were admired for their ability to kill other slaves. Today we are willing to close our eyes to the modern gladiators’ transgressions. We actually have a very sophisticated program disguised as part of our higher education system to continue to produce new gladiators.
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June 16, 2009 at 4:08 pm
Re Kobe Bryant
The Wiki article is incomplete and misleading. It fails to provide the following information.
There was a hearing held in Judge Ruckreigles’ chambers to determine how much, if any, of Kate Fabers’ (the complainant) previous sexual history would be allowed at the trial. Colorado has a rape shield law that generally prevents a complainants’ previous sexual history from being admissible in court. However, there are a few exceptions and that was the purpose of the hearing.
During the hearing, Ms. Faber testified that she had had sex with an unnamed partner (probably Bobby the bellboy) the day preceding the encounter with Mr. Bryant but had not engaged in such activity in between the Bryant encounter and the examination by the SANE nurses at the hospital where she went for a rape kit, some 18 hours later.
Bryants’ lawyer produced an expert witness, Dr. Elizabeth Johnson who was director of a DNA lab in California. Dr. Johnson testified that motile sperm was collected by the SANE nurses which was shown not to be Mr. Bryants. She testified that Sperm can remain motile for some 10 to 16 hours after ejaculation. This opinion was supported in writing by the Colorado Department of Justice DNA expert. According to Ms. Fabers’ testimony, the only other sexual encounter occurred the day before the Bryant encounter. Based on this finding, Dr. Johnson opined that, contrary to Ms. Fabers’ testimony, she had to have had a sexual encounter that resulted in ejaculation by her partner subsequent to the Bryant episode.
It was further testified by a physician at the hospital who examined Ms. Faber that the injuries to her vaginal area could have been inflicted at any time during the preceding 72 hours.
The result of all this was that the judge ruled that evidence for any sexual encounters’ of Ms. Fabers’ within the 72 hour window would be admissible. The District Attorney, Mr. Hurlburt, objected and appealed the decision to an appellant court but was turned down.
The bottom line is that there was solid evidence that Ms. Faber had had sex with at least three different men during that 72 hour window and evidence of such was admissible. Furthermore, the testimony of Elizabeth Johnson strongly implied that Ms. Faber had committed perjury during her testimony at the hearing.
Shortly after the hearing, Ms. Faber obtained the services of an Atlanta, Ga. attorney, Lin Wood, one of the most prominent trial lawyers in that state. This is only speculation but IMHO, Mr. Wood being the very fine lawyer that he is, advised Ms. Faber not to testify at the trial as she could be charged with perjury unless she changed her story about the third sexual encounter. Obviously, such a change of story would greatly impeach her testimony. She very wisely followed her attorneys’ advice.
As for the settlement arrived at for the civil lawsuit which Ms. Faber filed, it was in the best interest of both parties. Obviously, Mr. Bryant didn’t want his previous sexual activities to be made public at such a trial. Also, Ms. Faber, who friends have told news media was what we used to call a well plowed field when I was a teenager, had probably had more sexual partners at 18 then Mr. Bryant had had at age 24. Obviously, this history would have come out at a civil trial (no rape shield law in civil trials) which would not have been in her best interest.
As to the question as to whether the sexual encounter between Ms. Faber and Mr. Bryant was rape, I wasn’t in the room with them. As is usual in such cases, it was a he said she said scenario. I only know that, had District Attorney Hurlburt gone to trial anyway, his chances of winning were slim and none and slim was on the bus headed out of town.
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