Thinking about all the vitriol in the past few pages of this thread, and of Kobe's tragic passing. I was really stunned by it, and in addition to talking with friends, thought that the Paceline would be a good place to get some perspective.
Flash's opinions caught me off guard. They were (obviously) devoid of any sentimentality. But they weren't inflammatory per say. And they were civil (which is more than I can say for a few of the responses).
Say what you will about sanctimony and snark, but I think Flash's comment took a certain amount of guts. Not "rushing into a burning building to save someone" guts, but guts nonetheless. You had a hagiographic narrative, and then someone posted a different perspective.
A reporter lost her job (at least temporarily) for this:
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...ashington-post
I don't really care about extramarital affairs. That was between Kobe and his wife. But the evidence of the assault was pretty damning. More so than I knew. I think, in the discussion of his legacy, that it's fair to bring up. More to the point, in a forum devoted to the free exchange of ideas, should we allow for the possibility of contrasting (or unpopular) opinions?
I think we should.