RIP Kobe Bryant

All depends on what you mean by value. Probably 10,000 people die every day and chances are very good I don't KNOW any of them. Why should just because someone is famous for this or that change anything? I get the tragedy thing, just can't too emotionally vested in it. Days and days of TV news coverage seems like pandering to me.

 

I think it's "coming out" as indifferent.

 

It isn't just about you.

 

So you weren't inspired or otherwise impacted by his time on this earth, we get it. For those who were, it is part of the grieving process. To give you an understanding of the scale of impact he had, if this had happened to Lionel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo (and Kobe was every bit as dominant in his sport as they are in theirs), Europe and South America would SHUT DOWN for a week.

 

+1. I met him and his dad one weekend practicing at Jennings during the off season. That kid could rail on a bike. Bothered me, still does, to this day...

RIP Kobe. Heck of a baller and he seemed to have turned his life around so much respect for that. Sad for not just his family but all of the others on the helo.

 

Was that the weekend with the nasty cold, wet weather?

 

Obviously when you don't KNOW someone, the effect isn't the same. But when someone is on TV everyday for 20+ years and is an international superstar, people FEEL like you know them. And do a degree, you do. That's what makes this so difficult. Because of the loss as a whole to society. Think of how many NBA players or even just lovers of the game grew up watching Kobe be great on the court and connected to that. If you don't feel that same connection, I can respect that. But let's not pretend that everyone else is beneath you and it's "pandering" to have people mourn for any length of time over a loss like this.

 

Why does it even matter to you who others are mourning? Would it have made your day measurably worse to just ignore the thread? That's what I do every time I see a RIP thread about some musician I've never heard of and so far, it hasn't bothered me that no one has cared or even noticed. If I may make a suggestion, you should try it.

 

Yeah...Peter's dad said he needed to practice in the rain and he rode all day.

 

I don’t think anyone is bitching about this thread, it’s the saturation across all media of the relentless one-upmanship of who can be more bereaved and who can post the most Sarah MacLachlan cringeworthy tribute.

My post in the NFL thread was a sidearmed poke at the complete lack of ANYTHING about the Pro Bowl because every sports and news channel was in mourn-o-matic mode.

 

To be fair, even baseball is more exciting than the Pro Bowl...

 

There’s a solid chance that I have more experience day to day with people dying than you do. But by all means, take your opportunity here to let everyone know you’re super tough and have your eyes on what should be the real focus of people’s concern.

 

Kind of the way I feel about it. The real tragedy for me is the kids who lost their lives, and the healing the family members will have to endure. Kobe, to me is secondary...meh, I guess. Jerry West was my all time favorite NBA player. When he goes by by, it’ll be meh as well.

 

You shut your whore mouth!

Nothing is less exciting than baseball. Fuck, I’ll watch the seniors league curling championship before I deign to pass a glance at ball scratching clay kickers.

 

Soccer.

 

There's a travel documentary on my TV set right now that hasn't mentioned Kobe Bryant yet. You have choices.

I didn't even like Kobe Bryant but I find the people complaining about the excessive coverage more annoying than the coverage itself. Let people mourn, it will pass.

 

Because a larger amount of people know them or know of them. He had a lot of fans. It has nothing to do with one life supposedly being of higher value than another. It has everything to do with popularity. People feel a connection.

 

This is what makes me puke. It’s like they all want attention and have to try and out do the prior “me and my awesome Kobe story”. Some people are mental. The late night talk shows were nothing but this.

 

They interrupted mother f@ckin' Sponge Bob to make the announcement of his death. Didn't bother me all that much but it was the Krusty Krab pizza episode and that's my favorite sponge bob episode.

 

We must all make sacrifices.