Homepage, News, Sports - Written by The Source on Thursday, July 23, 2009 15:19 - 4 Comments
What’s The Difference : Kobe and Ben
In the summer of 2003, NBA superstar Kobe Bryant was arrested for allegedly sexually assaulting 19-year-old Katelyn Faber in Eagle, Colorodo. Before this entire thing happened, Kobe Bryant was the golden boy of the NBA. The dynamic heir apparent to Michael Jordan, Kobe could do no wrong before that point. As the face of the NBA and a three-time champion, Kobe Bryant was marketing dream. A once-in-a-generation talent with a billion dollar smile who put butts in seats across every NBA arena. After this accusation (which was eventually settled out of court), Kobe Bryant was found guilty in the court of public opinion, lost the majority of his endorsements, and was always the first and last story in most media outlets. Kobe Bryant was the story of 2003 and the entire 2004 season. Fast-forward to now and Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Two time Super Bowl winning Quarterback Roethlisberger has recently been accused of sexual assault on a woman named Andrea McNulty.
This is America, and according to our justice system you are innocent until proven guilty. However, the media coverage that happened between Kobe and Ben are strikingly different. Today on Sportscenter, the lead story was a tape of LeBron James being dunked on at his own camp. Newsworthy? Yes. Top story worthy? I think not. Even today, on most top websites like Yahoo, AOL and others there are absoultely no mention of this.
McNulty has filed a civil lawsuit against Roethlisberger in Nevada alleging the quarterback raped her at a casino following a golf tournament last year. She has not filed a criminal complaint, and Nevada police have not investigated the claims as a result. While the difference between Kobe’s accuser and Roethlisberger’s accuser are quite different, it’s a shame on plenty of the media outlets who demolished his clean cut and well crafted image before the details came to light. It is quite possible that Kobe’s incident is being used as a precursor to why this case is covered differently.
Is it possible that the reason this is covered differently is skin deep? The star black athlete vs. the star white athlete? Who knows? But consider this, Michael Vick is still the top story two years later.
- Kazeem Famuyide
4 Comments
TREY MILLER
benjamin
Does the coverage even matter. They are not going to go to jail because they will probably settle out of court or the charges will be dropped. It just to ruin reputations so if someone really wants a problem to stop knock them off the high horse they ride thinking they the shyt and things will shape up.
I dont want to sound old but why when the black athlete does something the media kills the guy, but when the white athlete does something the media mentions it just to say they said something about it but they down play it. the white guy gets an easier ride than the black guy does. the white guy comes back like nothing happend but the black man has to try to repair his image and set things wright with the fans. i guess we still live in the ways of 60s. BOY YOU CAN PLAY BUT YOU STILL A BOY WHO SHOULD FEEL HAPPY WE LET YOU PLAY. NOW SIT DOWN AND PLAY YOUR PART. THIS IS A WHITE MANS WORLD
Daddy
yeah it looks racist, but its just a civil case, the boys aint pressed charges on him, she just got a lawyer and filed a lawsuit. she wants that payoff money not a court case. all these hoes tryan to get paid.
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THE TRUTH IS PLAIN TO SEE NIGGAZ WITH MONEY ARE STILL NIGGAZ POINT BLANK PERIOD,MICHAEL VICK WAS ARRESTED FOR DOG FIGHTING AND TO THIS DAY PETA STILL CONSIDERS HIM SATAN, BUT LETS NOT TALK ABOUT UNCLE EARL FUCKING CHICKENS IN THE SHEAD OUT BACK, LAST TIME I HEARD THAT WAS ANIAML ABUSE TOO. THE LIST GOES ON MICHAEL JACKSON, JAMES BROWN SUCCESSFUL BLACK MEN IN THIS COUNTRY ARE HELD TO A DIFFERENT STANDARD THE OUR WHITE COUNTER PARTS.