Kobe Bryant is dead, Thread 2

Bajour!

Because I didn’t get to finish the first thread with that.

R601 A 2 time Olympic Gold Medalist*

9 people were on board.

Thread 1

Points -33,643 (25.0 ppg)

Isn’t this wall to wall coverage a little over the top? It’s not like there is nothing else going on in the world!

No pun intended, but the MSM likes to beat a dead horse to death R6.

Julia Roberts is heartbroken

Please! I want minute to minute updates on every channel! The impeachment trial has been done to death!

Trump must be loving that the focus isn’t on him now

R6, but everything else is so terrible, depressing and ominous that a good "let's all grieve this for dead celebrity almost none of us knew in person" story is as welcome as a glass of iced tea on a hot summer afternoon.

Also, Bryant's death is genuinely shocking, unlike the fake-shock generated by the deaths of such Celebrity Deathwatch regulars as Whitney Houston, Michael Jackson and Amy Winehouse.

When Whitney died that was a very big story that shocked a lot of people R11.

Well, be happy, R11, because Wolf Blitzer just announced that CNN will have much more coverage.

Michael shocked most of us. That Broke My heart.

It's surprising that helicopters are not required by the FAA to have black boxes.

I wonder if they'll ever know what happened.

Have the conspiracy theory nutbags begun to weigh in?

I haven't seen it posted in the other threads, but John Altobelli, basketball coach for Orange Coast College, was one of the other victims.

People die tragically everyday.

That’s disgusting r14

R12 and R14, many people loved these stars and mourned their death, but anyone who was surprised by their deaths must not have paid any attention to entertainment news, ever. Whitney was a basket case of drug abuse for decades. Why would the fact that she died be surprising? Sad, but not surprising. And MJ was just a general basket case; nothing that happened to him should have been shocking to anyone.

What r16 posted plus Altobelli’s wife and daughter were on the chopper and died

MSNBC: "I've seen people spasming with sobs..."

MARY!!!

Even if you hate Trump, don’t you hope he doesn’t say his helicopter 🚁 is better?

Like he did within hours of the Twin Towers falling, when he had to brag that he now had the tallest building downtown!!!

The death was a shock to a lot of people R19. I remember when I heard it and posted it on HP. You can be shocked by someone's death, but not surprised. Before you jump on me, I think there is a subtle difference between shocked and surprised.

It’s too bad we have tragedies like these when parasites like Donald Trump, his family and associates are still alive.

Why couldn’t they all go down in a helicopter crash?

I won’t be surprised if MJ suddenly reappears at his mother’s funeral.

For the first time in four years the American family is united, though it be in grief. Thank you, Kobe Bryant.

Rest in peace.

Rest in pieces.

I know most of you are gay and don’t get it, but most straight Millennial men grew up watching Kobe. He was a part of their childhood. They are the ones taking it hardest it seems.

[quote] I know most of you are gay and don’t get it

You’re right. Us gays have never experienced a shocking sudden loss. Uh uh.

[quote]Why couldn’t they all go down in a helicopter crash?

I no go down anymore. Not unless BEEG pay.

[QUOTE] I know most of you are gay and don’t get it, but most straight Millennial men grew up watching Kobe.

No one has feelings like straight men. If you did, you'd understand why we have to shoot everyone now and then.

[quote]His wife Vanessa is a beautiful and wealthy woman, and will re-marry, I would bet. And she has three more daughters.

I'd consider switching teams for her.

[quote] Us gays have never experienced

Oh, [italic]dear.[/italic]

Kobe’s death has overtaken all media coverage..... at this rate a certain Orange anus will have to commit suicide to get media attention back on him

The Grammys are bravely pressing on.

Meghan is about to have a public meltdown to get attention back on her.

R19, fair enough. "Shocked but not surprised" is a reasonable reaction to the death of those two stars.

In this situation, though, Bryant's death is both shocking and surprising. It came out of the blue. I think that explains the tone of much of the media coverage.

This was literally their backyard. No way would I stay there and see that mountain everyday.

[quote] This was [bold]literally[/bold] their backyard.

Oh, [italic]dear.[/italic]

R38 I thought it was Kourtney’s back yard?

[R34] - from your mouth to God's ears.....

r38, you realize the crash was not the mountain's fault.

R23 - strangely, "shocked but not surprised" is exactly the phrase I remember using when Michael Jackson died. You can know, rationally, that something is likely to happen but still be taken aback when it does. Jackson was such a train wreck that, if anything, it's surprising he made it to fifty, but he was such a significant cultural figure that reading the words "Michael Jackson has died" was still a shock.

Trump's amateurish plagiarizing of Obama's condolence Tweet is both hilarious and angrymaking to 6th-graders dinged for copying from Wikipedia.

Oh go to Twitter and search for "Kobe and Cancel"!!!

The shreaking reaction from spoiled, self-absorbed Twitter posters - including Keith Olbermann and film critic Bilge Ebiri - transforms the tragedy into the absurd.

Basketball is way too powerful and important to these ridiculous people and while I am sorry about the victims, I am NOT unhappy the world's "fans" are so impacted.

Every innocent person's death is tragic, but this tragedy shows that many people are way too emotionally invested in sports and players. Being able to play basketball well is not a great accomplishment in life.

Is this as big as Judy Garland's death was at the time, or is it bigger?

This was his helicopter. I wonder how well it was maintained. The place they were going to was 70miles away. Is that very far? too far to drive?

You know there might be wrongful death lawsuits (coz this is america) There were 7 other people involved...

RIP.

Any pics of the mangled bodies?

Just a horrible feeling in my stomach over this. I’ve teared up today. It still doesn’t seem Real. Forever the G.O.A.T.

R45:

"...shreaking reaction from spoiled..."

Drumroll, please; Oh Dear!

I’m English and had never heard of this man. I’m actually quite surprised that his death is having this kind of affect on the American public at large. I had no idea basketball stars were national heros and cannot find anything in his obit (playing ball and “giving back” to the same degree that most successful people) that justifies holding him in such high regard. 🤷‍♂️

That being said what a tragic accident and I feel for the families of all on board. It must be tough to be feeling the same pain but having it overshadowed because one of the victims was a good basketball player.

Close casket funeral. Burnt bodies...

[quote]This was his helicopter. I wonder how well it was maintained.

Really? That's your question?

[quote] Just a horrible feeling in my stomach over this. I’ve teared up today. It still doesn’t seem Real. Forever the G.O.A.T.

MARY!

[quote]This was his helicopter. I wonder how well it was maintained. The place they were going to was 70miles away. Is that very far? too far to drive?

A 70 mile drive in that area could be 2 hours or more due to traffic.

He was famous worldwide.

He worked very, very hard. He didn't hang out with other players. He was in the gym practicing. He was a ball hog.

"Being able to play basketball well is not a great accomplishment in life."

What would you consider a great accomplishment?

Rapist

So sad to see tributes pouring in tonight from athletes

This reminds us that no matter how famous you are or how much money you have, this life is only temporary. It can all end for anyone at anytime. What truly matters is eternal life with the Lord.

He didn't just play basketball...he was an Oscar winner!

Also represented USA and won 2 gold Olympic medals...among other awards.

He’s perhaps one of the biggest international celebrities on the planet. Huge in Asia

True r62. We are all leaving this planet.

[quote] What would you consider a great accomplishment?

Really, you have to ask this?

Yes, I'm asking.

He was one of the greatest ever who played the game, won 5 championships with the Lakers. He was loyal to the team, not like players today who changed teams like underwear for more money etc.

His winning mentality, his work ethic...he worked harder than everyone...according to all who knew him.

He wore 24. MJ was 23. coz 24 is more than 23. He looked up to MJ.

Heard his dad didn't like the wife (coz she ain't black), didn't attend the wedding.

Something must be wrong with me.

I'm thinking about that woman who claimed Kobe raped her.

I am wondering what she's feeling now.

I wasn't really affected by his death but everyone was online and on TV paying tributes to him, emotional messages etc...I was more affected by the outpouring of sadness from the public, very touching.

He made an impact on so many lives...

One of the worst days in Sports history

I’m remember seeing him at the Olympics rooting for the US male swim competition. He was enthusiastic and engaged in the event and not jaded or bored. It made me like him more.

Kobe’s impact is shown by the wall-to-wall international coverage of his death

[quote] What truly matters is eternal life with the Lord.

I hope you get to spend it with him soon, Churchy.

I always feel horrible for the mechanics who inspect before flights and then they crash. The guilt must be unbearable even if it wasn't their fault.

Mark Cuban and the Dallas Mavericks announce they will permanently retire number 24. Incredible.

Fuck off with your fundie bullshit r62

R69 He never denied raping her. Whatever happened that night, it was not pleasant and he knew it as he admitted he could see why she though she was raped. As the father of many daughters I’m sure he’d never want his girls to be treated the way he treated that woman. I’d like to think that incident was a huge wake up call for him and he learned some lessons and was able to develop healthy relationships with the women in his life. When men continue treating women badly into middle aged you get fathers like T.I who are so terrified their daughter will meet a man like him that they make awful parenting choices.

I’m sure she has mixed feelings. I did when my rapist was killed in a car accident. I wasn’t happy he died tragically but I also had zero regrets about pressing charges and coming forward.

[quote] He’s perhaps one of the biggest international celebrities on the planet. Huge in Asia

Asia is not a monolith, R64. Unlike Far East Asia, most regular people in Central Asia and West Asia don’t follow basketball and have only a vague recollection of who “Kobe” is.

If you say “Kobe”, they might think you mean “Kobe” beef.

CNN on twitter: Kobe Bryant's legacy extends beyond his time on the basketball court. He was also known to the business world as a brand-builder, an investor and a coach to other athletes and company founders.

Millions of Black Men lost their representation of Superman ..

Make sure to check on your brothers this upcoming week.

You know he cheated on his wife with other women...once a cheater, always a cheater.

.@DwyaneWade is brought to tears reflecting on Kobe's impact:

"Thank you for being my friend, I love you"

[quote]What truly matters is eternal life with the Lord.

Tim Tebow is among us

[quote] I’m English and had never heard of this man. I’m actually quite surprised that his death is having this kind of affect on the American public at large.

I am always skeptical when Americans claim American stars are "world famous," but Kobe actually is very well known in many places. His death is front page news in Italy (his dad was a pro in Italy). It's also front-page news in Japan, which isn't a big basketball market.

How could anyone not know how internationally huge Kobe is? Some people really live obliviously

You guys realize he is just a guy who and dribble a ball right?

Did he ever enter a burning building and save someones life? Did he cure cancer? Did he get the law changed for civil rights, No. He's just a guy who was good at bouncing a ball on a court and made tones of money on that simple skill. Good for him, but some of you people are way over the top putting him on some kind of pedestal.

No thecoverage is not excessive. It is a shocking thing to lose someone of his stature in a crash like this. My mother who is a baseball fanatic in her late 70's says it reminds her of Roberto Clementi, some popular baseball player who died in a plane crash. it's the shock of it, and he was only 41, and then his oldest daughter dying in the crash, too. This is very sad, and he was a really really amazing athlete.

It's also front page news in South Korea.

[quote] You guys realize he is just a guy who and dribble a ball right?

Everyone realizes that. When someone well-known dies young and suddenly, it is shocking.

He is huge in Asia

Rick Wright drove nearly 2 hours from Fontana to Mamba Academy near Thousand Oaks to pay his respects. He made a similar drive to the Staples Center when #Kobe retired. “Today, his close family lost a loved one and we wanted to show support for them.” @NBCNews

Kobe was huge all over the world! Mega, mega star...he's almost as famous as Michael Jordan.

Don't forget Nike promoted the hell outta him too...thus he was well known all over the world, he did tours in asia off season...

He also loved soccer, having lived in Italy. When International soccer teams visit LA for preseason matches, Kobe would go and visit them...

It was very, very foggy and overcast in that area today. Unusually so. I have no idea if helicopters, like airplanes, fly with instruments when it's dark or hard to see. It was very hard to see at the time. Very sad.

@CodyAlan @tanyatucker “We all think we got the time, until we don’t ...” Dang, even more poignant on a day like today.

[quote]That being said what a tragic accident and I feel for the families of all on board. It must be tough to be feeling the same pain but having it overshadowed because one of the victims was a good basketball player.

I seriously doubt the other victims' family members are stressing out over whether or not their loved ones get top billing.

His wife spent literally her entire adulthood with him.

[quote] How could anyone not know how internationally huge Kobe is? Some people really live obliviously

Some (well, many actually) DON’T follow or even care about “Basketball”, R86. There are over 6 billion people on this planet and many haven’t seen even one game. People follow different sports around the world.

R94, eye witnesses said the chopper was in distress before crashing...

Taylor Swift: My heart is in pieces hearing the news of this unimaginable tragedy. I can’t fathom what the families are going through. Kobe meant so much to me and to us all. Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight.

R82 The Frau has spoken

There is video on social media of the crash

Basketball is not really a thing in England. I’m trying to remember if I’ve ever heard anyone talk about the NBA and I’m coming up blank. NFL is also not a very niche interest but in the past few years the Super Bowl is getting more press and a few guys at work have put bets on it. Tbh, I’d never thought about what sports are popular in Asia or wherever so that’s why I didn’t know who he was or that he was internationally famous. Some of our footballers are famous in S America but I wouldn’t expect most Americans to know them and I certainly would t expect Americans to know rugby players.

I also can’t think of an individual sportsman here who would bring the country to national mourning like this. I think I’ve figured it though, people projected what they wanted into this man as some of you are saying he was superman to young kids. There’s plenty of successful businessmen who came from nothing. Plenty of men doing selfless hard jobs like providing hospice care to children while also being good husbands but there’s not visible and not “glamorous”. Maybe it’s easier to take a public figure and project all your hope and wishes onto him. Probably why people can’t accept hearing anything bad about their “idol” then.

R79 you know that for a fact?

[quote]Some (well, many actually) DON’T follow or even care about “Basketball”, [R86]. There are over 6 billion people on this planet and many haven’t seen even one game. People follow different sports around the world.

Kobe Bryant was a household name. If if you never watched one game, you knew the name Kobe Bryant. Some of you are just too much.

R97 It’s losing her daughter that will shatter her in a million pieces.

True

One of the victims was confirmed as Christina Mauser who was coaching Gianna and the other girl.

[quote] Some of our footballers are famous in S America but I wouldn’t expect most Americans to know them and I certainly would t expect Americans to know rugby players.

We know David Beckham and to a lesser extent, Wayne Rooney. I don't like soccer at all but I know who they are (plus the other foreign superstars like Cristiano, Neymar, Lionel Messi, etc)

R91 and R105, read R79.

Asia is NOT just East Asia.

Yes, I know it for a fact, R104. I worked in Central Asia and many there don’t follow the NFL or the NBA. The ONLY basketball player they know is Michael Jordan.

[quote] I also can’t think of an individual sportsman here who would bring the country to national mourning like this.

David Beckham.

Didn't read the entire first thread, so sorry if this has been posted.

NBA teams today are starting their games by intentionally getting shot-clock violations in honor of Kobe; 24 seconds and 8 seconds, in honor of his jersey numbers.

This broke me.

People keep talking about Megan Markle in these threads. Was she a Laker Girl, did they date, what is the connection?

I follow a lot of foreign athletes on Instagram (not basketball) and I've seen lots of tributes to him from France, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, etc. He was a world star, no doubt about it.

Gosh no. Beckham is a bit of a joke and is not nearly as respected as Mr Bryant clearly was. People would not be sobbing on the BBC over Mr Beckham and the British forums I post on would not be posting the kinds of messages I’m seeing here.

[quote]There is video on social media of the crash

That one's fake. Well, it's not "fake", it's a real crash, but it was somewhere in the Middle East maybe 10 years ago.

Basketball and the NBA became very popular around the world in the late 1990s and 2000s, when Kobe's star was beginning to peak. The game is very popular in continental Europe, South America and East Asia. In China its the most popular sport. One place it didn't take off was the UK - that's why our UK posters seem so bewildered.

R87 has a very narrow-minded view of life. It says a lot about you.

[quote]This was his helicopter. I wonder how well it was maintained. The place they were going to was 70miles away. Is that very far? too far to drive?

Bryant was known to use his helicopter to fly everywhere, in a completely unwarranted display of ostentatious wealth and an outright fuck you to the planet. It almost makes me believe in karma.

R113 The people who talk about her seem to be a little bit unmedicated

Let me just leave this here.

He was a rapist and celebrity worship is gross - During the preliminary hearing, Detective Winters testified that the accuser had been examined the day after the alleged assault by Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) at the Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

“[The nurse] stated that there were several lacerations to the victim’s posterior fourchette or vaginal area, and two of those lacerations were approximately one centimeter in length,” testified Det. Winters. “And there were many, I believe, 2 millimeter lacerations. Too many to count… [The nurse] stated that the injuries were consistent with penetrating genital trauma. That it’s not consistent with consensual sex.”

Detective Winters further stated that the nurse told him the vaginal injuries had most likely occurred within “24 hours,” and that the accuser had “a small bruise on her left jaw line.” Also, that examiners had found “blood excretions” on Bryant’s T-shirt “to about the waistline.” The blood, testified Det. Winters, had “the same DNA profile as the victim in this case.”

I knew someone who was young and famous would die this weekend in an air disaster but I never thought of Kobe.

R122 I’ve bled and had tears due to consensual sex.

I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, my family was never into watching sports growing up and I was really the only person who played them. There weren't any pro players I admired except for maybe Ron Cey or Steve Garvey...maybe Sandy Koufax. I have two younger brothers and neither of them played sports. My grandmother loved the Dodgers but that was it.

So I never understood the people who worshiped sports players. We were all mostly musicians in my family. I also don't understand the culture around sports except that I found them fun to play. I think Kobe was a great ball player, but as an individual he was flawed. I do think he raped the woman who accused him but I also think he evolved over time and grew up. I feel for his kid who died with him as I remember being 13 and I'm sure she was excited about getting to play today with her friends. I feel for his remaining family and friends. I find it tragic he was only 41 but mostly, I see this as just a reminder that we are all going to go some day. It freaks me out to think his kid got up this morning, ate her breakfast, got her gear together and hopped in that helicopter not knowing it was her last day on this earth. But we are all going to go and it will likely be unexpectedly, like this. We will get up, take showers, go to work and then some of us will die. It's freaky to think about.

[quote].@DwyaneWade is brought to tears reflecting on Kobe's impact: "Thank you for being my friend, I love you"

Dwayne Wade - closet "Golden Girls" fan!

[quote] I knew someone who was young and famous would die this weekend in an air disaster

Tossing the chicken bones again?

[quote] I follow a lot of foreign athletes on Instagram (not basketball) and I've seen lots of tributes to him from France, Brazil, Canada, Russia, Ukraine, etc. He was a world star, no doubt about it.

You follow “lots” of Russian & Ukrainian athletes on Instagram, R114? Why, are you self-loathing?

And please. The vast majority of developing countries can’t even spell “Kobe Bryant”. And who cares about foreign “professional athletes” - we’re taking about the general population (the average Joe on the village street).

R128 has issues.

[quote]He is huge in Asia

We are all huge in Asia.

KARMA - I told you to take the car today.

R110 just because you worked in Central Asia does not make your claims factual.

R129 has issues that many people across the developing world don’t know the name of some guy they’ve barely seen on a Nike ad.

Did they run into a mountain?

Burbank here. When I woke up this morning, around 9:30, one of the first things I noticed was how foggy it was. Who the hell thought it was a good idea to fly???

R132, just because you want "Kobe Bryant" to be a 'household name all over the planet' doesn't mean that an average Joe in Kyrgyzstan or Papua New Guinea even knows who the heck he is.

[quote] Who the hell thought it was a good idea to fly???

Carolyn Bessette.

Oh, well if average Joe from Kyrgyzstan or Papua New Guinea doesn't know him, he's nobody at all!

R138, I know it might shock you, but the "world" is bigger than you think - and the name "Bryant" doesn't mean much in a big part of it.

He spoke fluent Italian and was loved there. That's why his daughters have Italian names.

He did have issues when younger. Not just the alleged rape - there was a lot of gossip that he got together with Vanessa when she was still underage. Her parents held it over his head and somewhat forced him to marry her. There was no pre-nup signed, supposedly another sign that some coercion was involved in the marriage.

He did supposedly cheat heavily on her, she had filed for divorce back in 2011, but called it off. One can believe though, that they both calmed down, grew to care about each other, doted heavily on their kids and went on to have two more children after their reconciliation. He seemed to be totally into his kids esp post-retirement, it's telling he died taking his daughter and a bunch of people to one of her practices.

A shame they didn't heed weather advice today. The LAPD supposedly grounded their flight team this morning due to the heavy fog. I'm sure we'll hear more details in the coming days.

R138, you have issues, dude.

LOL R130

Guys please don’t take it so personally that he was not a household name in every country on Earth. Does that even matter? If you’re grieving over this man, If he was a hero and idol to you does it matter that people in some foreign countries don’t know him? I can’t see how it matters at all. By the way. I also think Nike ads are personalised for each country. We’ve not had Bryant in Nike ads over here. We don’t get the NFL stars promoting Under Armour either. So even though an athlete may have a contract with a certain company that doesn’t mean their image is used everywhere, only in certain markets.

R141 another fool killed by his own recklessness just like Paul Walker

[quote] [R128] has issues.

No.

What he has is good questions that you clearly can't answer.

Where’s Hillary

Burbank guy, North Hollywood here. I remember looking out the window this morning thinking how strange it was that it was so foggy. You know it's going to come out that someone warned him not to take the chopper and he did anyway.

Seeing as it was so foggy and the LAPD had grounded their fleet, why would Bryant and co have taken off? Do you think it’s a case of too many yes men around a powerful person - people who want to make everything happen for them or maybe the wealthy powerful person lets it go to their head and they feel invincible? I take the train when the roads are too icy and frankly I’ve nothing but a heap of debt. I think if I had millions of dollars and a bunch of kids I’d be so cautious and want to live to be 100 to enjoy it all.

I don’t know much about helicopter safety stats but I do remember when my sister was going on honeymoon the concierge at their NYC hotel advised against helicopter tours as he felt they had a poor safety record. Not long after they got home a British family perished in an accident abroad. Another family were wiped out near my ex’s hometown in Wales and a football player here was killed in one not long ago. When I was in Spain this summer there was a crash on our Island Majorca and again it was a whole family. There was an American Vietnam vet staying in our hotel and he said he never trusted helicopters and never set foot in one after ‘Nam and never would. I’m inclined to agree.

R147, Los Angeles, here.

I slept in, but notice last night there was a LOT of fog around 10 pm.

JFK Jr, Paul Walker, Kobe, Jon-Erik Hexum...all gone too young. All avoidable.

Uber Copter is scheduled to roll out here in LA this year.

This doesn't bode well for them.

The online flight route showed that the actually hovered over Burbank for several minutes and circled around, at a low elevation, several times there, before then moving on westward toward their destination (Thousand Oaks). Read online (TMZ?) that the pilot circled low to see if the fog would clear, before heading back out. So there's evidence they knew it was dangerous and iffy to proceed.

R151 people are stupid. God forbid they land at Bob Hope and drive. I can't imagine thinking "Hey, the LAPD doesn't feel safe to fly today, but let's go for it!"

From TMZ:

[quote]L.A. weather was extremely foggy Sunday morning, and law enforcement sources tell us even LAPD air support was grounded because of it. Flight tracker data shows Kobe's chopper appeared to first encounter weather issues as it was above the L.A. Zoo. It circled that area at least 6 times at a very low altitude -- around 875 feet -- perhaps waiting for the fog to clear.

[quote]We know the pilot contacted the control tower at Burbank Airport around 9:30 AM PT, and the tower was aware the pilot had been circling for about 15 minutes. The pilot eventually headed north along the 118 freeway before turning to the west, and started following above the 101 freeway around Woodland Hills, CA.

[quote]At around 9:40 AM they encounter more weather -- as in seriously heavy fog -- and the chopper turned south. This was critical, because they turned toward a mountainous area. The pilot suddenly and rapidly climbed from about 1200 feet up to 2000 feet.

[quote]However, moments later -- around 9:45 AM -- they flew into a mountain at 1700 feet. Flight tracker data shows they were flying at about 161 knots.

How much is Kobe worth? He's gonna be paying out $$$ to family of victims...

Jesus Christ R153. So they stopped moving twice because of severe weather...and the third time they crashed. It's a tragedy but this is beyond stupidity. Land the damn chopper and call a fucking limo.

I can't believe Family Guy got this joke on the air.

Wait. It's Family Guy. Of course, it did.

For those who think Kobe wasn’t known throughout the world, basketball and the NBA is huge around the world, the most popular sport that the US has exported. Many US players end up playing overseas, and we bring some overseas to play here. it has gained in popularity because, much like soccer, it’s cheap to play.

Has Trump wiped his ass on this tragedy yet?

NBA has come a long, long way...Just google the number of foreign players in the league now. It's a huge sport overseas, huge viewership overseas. They just had a NBA game in Paris a few days ago...

Just check youtube for videos of Kobe on tour in China...he's mobbed like the beatles, the street outside the Nike store has to be closed due to crowds...

[quote]He's gonna be paying out $$$ to family of victims...

He's not gonna be paying out anything--he's dead.

Do helicopters have a terrain warning? It’s possible the pilot got disorientated in the fog but I’m just wondering what instruments he’d have available to him to know where he was and what was beneath him or in front of him in this case. Also I guess they’re not monitored by air traffic control? If it was a passenger plane that was on course for a mountain I believe air traffic would see that and try to communicate with the flight deck.

Which Kardashian is Kathy Griffins neighbor? I assume it’s not this one or Kathy would have a video up by now.

R52 it would be like if David Beckham had died. A lot of people in England would be upset!

R159, not in central asia i worked there. I know the people. Why don't you believe me?

R164 when did you work there? The NBA boom has happened the last five years.

[quote]He has repeatedly stated in interviews that he flew in a helicopter due to his inability to endure long car rides because of his injuries.

Yeah, how'd that work out for you? FYI helicopters are a lot more uncomfortable than cars, just saying.

Between 2005 and 2009, there was an annual average of 1.44 fatalities (PDF) per 100,000 flying hours in nonmilitary helicopters. Over the same period, there were 13.2 traffic fatalities per 100,000 population in the United States annually. Since the average American spends around 780 hours per year (PDF) in the car, that means the fatality rate per 100,000 hours of driving time is just 0.017. Based on hours alone, helicopters are 85 times more dangerous than driving.

Good riddance, homophobic rapist. God gives us all what we deserve at the end of the day.

For those that don't know, Bryant came from the era of high school NBA recruits. Anyone that watched the Aaron Hernandez story, and dozens of pro-sports stories, knows that being young, rich, and worshiped brings its challenges. Imagine, being 18 with an NBA career. I will never defend the rape charges, but I can commend him for growing as a man. He paid her out in the 8 figures, she accepted the money, the rape crap is over, especially now that he's dead. This was a really sad day for sports in general, it would be like Tom Brady dying in a helicopter crash.

For those calling him just a basketball player, please remember that he is a 2x Olympic gold medalist, and won an Emmy and an Academy Award in the Short Film Category, beyond his record breaking basketball achievements. That alone places him head and shoulders above many actors that are revered on this site (based on awards only). We honor outdated singers on this site that die from natural causes, morning a 41 year old top athlete, CEO, household name, and hero for many young men and woman is not that crazy.

What does it mean when the helicopter is spinning, is that a rudder issue?

Yes he's dead, but if the families of the other victims feel that he was at fault for the accident - by pushing on with the flight despite weather warnings, etc - his estate could be in for a bit hit and payouts. There will be lawsuits.

It was his personal private helicopter. He either owned it outright or held the lease on it.

MARY!!!!!!

Kobe Bryant is gone.

I’m screaming right now, cursing into the sky, crying into my keyboard, and I don’t care who knows it.

Kobe Bryant is gone, and those are the hardest words I’ve ever had to write for this newspaper, and I still don’t believe them as I’m writing them. I’m still crying, and go ahead, let it out. Don’t be embarrassed, cry with me, weep and wail and shout into the streets, fill a suddenly empty Los Angeles with your pain.

No. No. No, damn it, no!

Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, were among nine people who died in a helicopter crash Sunday in Calabasas and how does that happen? Kobe is stronger than any helicopter. He didn’t even need a helicopter. For 20 years he flew into greatness while carrying a breathless city with him.

This can’t be true.

Kobe does not die. Not now. Kobe lives into his golden years, lives long enough to see his statues erected outside Staples Center and his jerseys inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He lives long enough to sit courtside at Staples when he’s stooped and gray, keeping alive the memories of two decades of greatness with a wink, maybe even fooling everyone one last time by retiring in a community next to Shaq.

During the Colorado trial, were there any graphic descriptions of the assault, including penis size?

Kobe shared that Oscar with me!

I remember the girl getting death threats from Kobe fans.

Actually r173 yes there were, but you'd have to google for these.

I recall reading some pretty hairy details at the time, from the police reports.

If he died alone then I wouldn’t mind people saying KARMA if that’s what they felt. But remember his innocent daughter has been killed, the pilot has been killed and another family have been devastated so it’s neither correct nor fair to say karma took all of those innocent lives to get one guy.

Some times I love DL and other times I hate DL. Tonight is a night I hate DL.

The other family in the chopper: John Altobelli was married to Keri Altobelli, with whom he had a son, Boston Red Sox scout J. J. Altobelli who briefly played for the Johnson City Cardinals (born 1990), and two daughters, Alexis Altobelli and Alyssa Altobelli (2006/2007 - 2020)

Mother, father and baby sister all in one.

R177, exactly, and even if he died alone and it was his karma, his four kids, who probably don't view their dad as a rapist, are without him.

what did THEY do to deserve this.

Karma's so subjective and fickle.

I love it when people say: I"M not going to do anything to get even with this person who wronged me. I'll let KARMA handle it. And then when something horrible happens to the person who's evil, people say: well, I'm happy now. HUH?

If a good lawyer can get Kobe's reps who handle his estate on the witness stand, they can make him look like he insisted they fly.

They'll probably do buyouts.

So sad when convicted rapists die. I'm crying.

R135 Exactly, Pasadena here and the very first thing I noticed when I got up this morning, and remarked upon, was the fog. It was striking.

I’m with the poster who reflected on the daughter getting up, getting ready, with no idea of what was to come. Think of the other families who must’ve been so excited to get on Kobe’s helicopter. I hope none of them saw it coming.

I too also wonder about his accuser, the whole thing must stir some upsetting memories.

People here in LA are taking Kobe’s death very hard.

I think it's weird how people think death is some sort of karma. We all die. Karma would have been Kobe surviving with like 3rd-degree burns or something.

R182 anyone who gets brutally raped is usually glad when their raper dies.

I remember when Kobe was just starting out he would ride a motorcycle to the Staples Center from Newport Beach! When the Lakers found out they put a stop to it. If I recall correctly that’s when he started taking a helicopter to and from Orange County Airport (JWA) to downtown LA for practice and games.

The news reports saying he crashed in the Kardashians' backyard were correct. The crash spot is literally several hundred feet over the ridge from The Oaks, the gated development where they and other celebs like Justin Bieber have (had) homes.

Was the pilot trying to land, perhaps on a helipad nearby? There appears to be one on the ridge just west of The Oaks, although I can't tell from google maps it that's what it is. They went down a few 100 feet below it.

their raper

Oh, dear, R184.

r186 Weren't they going to Thousand Oaks?

My guess is mechanical trouble, a witness says it wasn't particularly foggy at the time of the accident.

Yes that was the final destination and apparently they were following the 101 there. They went down on the hillside just above the Las Virgenes Municipal Water district office/treatment facility, on Las Virgenes. You can see it on the maps.

I guess the Grammys happened after all.

This was the dumbest, most pointless accident since JFK, Jr, that's for sure--stupid and utterly avoidable.

Is he still dead? From the way all media is acting, I'm pretty sure he's gonna' rise up in about 72 hours from now.

"a witness says it wasn't particularly foggy at the time of the accident"

R189, it's been reported repeatedly it was super foggy. Who was the witness--Stevie Wonder?

He's not, R193.

R187 Stick your O dear up your cunt. Cunt. You can refer to someone as "their raper". Stupid fuck.

For all of you grief porn fanatics insisting they needed to cancel the Grammys and that everyone would be a total mess, there was barely a mention after the first five minutes of the show.

Can you grow up now? I wonder how many people froze to death across the country today because they were homeless and/or mentally ill and ignored by all you assholes?

[quote] For those who think Kobe wasn’t known throughout the world, basketball and the NBA is huge around the world … it has gained in popularity because, much like soccer, it’s cheap to play.

There are ca. 200 (!) countries in the world, R157. How many is Bryant “huge” in, eh?

No, people like Brad Pitt or Will Smith are “known throughout the world” - because Hollywood reaches almost every country (thanks to the accessible, universal platform of FREE-view TV films).

Whereas the NBA does NOT have that ‘universal, whole-planet’ reach - because there’s no basketball culture in many countries, and because there’s often no easy way to watch it for free. It might be cheap to play, but it’s not always cheap to watch abroad (being subscription-based).

[quote] Just check youtube for videos of Kobe on tour in China...he's mobbed like the beatles, the street outside the Nike store has to be closed due to crowds...

So? There are videos of mass HORDES of Chinese fans literally overtaking an entire airport to greet and mob FC Bayern Münich and screaming their heads off like they’re “the Beatles”, R159. Based on such insane popularity, you’re going to tell me that an average Joe in e.g. the US can name Bayern’s football captain? Lol, come on.

It’s funny that people just can’t accept that “Bryant” is not a ‘household name’ everywhere. He is known among some limited-niche supporters, but not among the world’s average population.

The Beatles were known world-wide because their songs were FREE on the radio. Whereas watching the NBA is generally often pay-per-view, so it has limited accessibility.

Pointless bitchery has no place in a a persons tragic death

Kobe's death is receiving JFK, Jr./Diana media coverage.

[quote] Pointless bitchery has no place in a a persons tragic death

Then you'd better get off Datalounge this week, shouldn't you?

Oh, dear, R196. You're terribly triggered. I recommend a thorough cleaning of all that sand in your vadge.

To follow up on my post at r190: not sure about the heliport on the ridge just east of the crash site, but there is a noted heliport just 2000 feet directly west, at the Lost Hills Sheriff's station. Most seasoned pilots would know it was there - were they trying to find this?

Flight data showed they elevated quickly and suddenly just before they came down, to near 2000 ft - to clear the ridge as they flew west? Then crashed at 1700 ft. Witnesses in the neighborhood below said they heard the stalling sounds - were they attempting to come down, looking for a spot in the fog, and stalled?

R202 go pollute somewhere else with your revolting diseased cunt. Nobody needs your stupid cunty opinions.

R204, don't worry--we're calling Bellevue for you. They'll provide the meds you desperately need.

Not I shouldn't R201. I can't imagine living the sad life you surround yourself in. Go fuck yourself you little bitch R201.

[quote]I do think he raped the woman who accused him but I also think he evolved over time and grew up.

I remember a time when Kobe was so objectionable, he was nasty and rude on the court. I remember telling friends I couldn't stand watching him play. I think he was resentful that he'd been the the public eye since he was a teen. At some point he really grew into a man and became one of the most beloved athletes in sports. He really turned his life and relationship with Vanessa around.

Kobe transcended sports when it came to black culture. He was incredibly young and handled himself with such discipline and professionalism. That is what he was praised for in the black community, just as much as his physical ability. He was a role model to millions of boys in America, especially black boys, before the rape incident brought his career to a halt. He will forever be a icon of 90s/00s culture.

Brandy was his prom date in 1996. I hope she gets to sing at his memorial service, it would only be fitting.

R206, don't go on the first Kobe is dead thread--you won't be able to handle it. It was much meaner and much funnier than this thread.

Has Susan Dey sent her condolences yet?

Arguing cunts at r203 to r206: take it outside. We've got a celebrity death to dissect here and you're underfoot.

[quote] morning a 41 year old top athlete, CEO, household name, and hero for many young men and woman is not that crazy.

Yes, it is. Feeling somewhat sad about a celeb dying is one thing, R169. But "Mourning" someone you've only seen on TV or far from a distance is bordering on mass hysteria = "crazy".

R210 doesn't seem to understand how DL works, the stupid cunt.

I've been on DL longer than your cunt's bled out, whore @ r212.

Fuck you R210. Who made you Queen of DL?

Is it normal for daddy to kiss daughter on the lips when they are10 yrs old? I think this pic was taken 3 years ago. She's the one who died with him.

R213's pussy is stinking up DL--again.

[quote]But "Mourning" someone you've only seen on TV or far from a distance is bordering on mass hysteria = "crazy".

I bet if Madonna, Cher or Janet died this tragically there would be MASS HYSTERIA from you queens on this site!

It's perfectly fine for a world famous athlete to kiss his pre-teen full on the lips. On camera.

Oh, what a circus! Oh, what a show! America has gone to town Over the death of an athlete called Kobe Bean Bryant We've all gone crazy, mourning all day and mourning all night Falling over ourselves to get all of the misery right!

Yes it is normal and it is normal for the mother to kiss their children on the lips. Not everything is sexualized like some of your bitches here. For s site that claims they are liberal there are a bunch of cons posting here.

R183 Death in general isn't karma, dying prematurely in a terrifying and awful way while being forced to watch your daughter die alongside you is karma.

Karma isn't a homophobic rapist dying of a heart attack at 92, karma is a homophobic racist dying in a violent and fiery plane crash at 41.

[quote]If he died alone then I wouldn’t mind people saying KARMA if that’s what they felt. But remember his innocent daughter has been killed, the pilot has been killed and another family have been devastated so it’s neither correct nor fair to say karma took all of those innocent lives to get one guy.

Bitch Please, You dont know those other people, kids are not always that innocent, some of them are pretty damn evil. Just that fact that they are hanging with a Rapist sports celeb flying in his private helicopters makes them privileged and kind of suspect spoiled brats or social climbers to be.

R222 needs some anger management. Calm down, Hunty.

I know all you miscreats will cheer........but two teenagers died on that helicopter.

Maybe it was Vanessa’s bad karma at work. She stood by him during the rape saga and made some obnoxious comments if I recall.

R222 accuses someone else of not knowing these people, then proceeds to judge all of them, none of whom R222 knows, either. What an idiot.

Agree R223

[quote]Yes it is normal and it is normal for the mother to kiss their children on the lips.

Yes, I agree, perfectly normal.

Little ghetto bitch got what she deserved.

Trump is not normal R 228. He is a deviant that sexually fantasizes fucking his own daughter.

R230 That's the joke, sweetheart.

[quote]r222accuses someone else of not knowing these people, then proceeds to judge all of them, none of whom knows, either. What an idiot.

That's not what I said, you have a reading comprehension issue. Did you finish high school? All I did was through out a counter argument to your assumption that all kids are innocent angels. I did not say I knew them or that they were in fact evil. All I sated was facts. Kids flying in a private helicopter with a known rapist. Poor and middle class kids don't have parents with helicopters so that dose in fact also make them privileged.

I'll never forget when Sen. Ted Stevens was killed in a plane, I told daddy never to get on an airplane ever again. Now Kobe Bryant is dead after a helicopter crash and all I can think of is how my daddy is no longer here. I miss him everyday.

[quote] Yes it is normal and it is normal for the mother to kiss their children on the lips ... For s site that claims they are liberal there are a bunch of cons posting here.

No, it’s not normal, it’s reckless, R220. A grown guy who hooked up with random females (and even got blood strains on his shirt during rough sex with them) kissing his young daughter is a recipe for passing on e.g. Genital Herpes to a kid.

There’s a reason why most parents don’t kiss their kids on the lips. It’s not just the visual-image factor - it’s also because it’s not safe medically, especially if the parent led a reckless sex life.

"I did not say I knew them"

No shit, R232. That was my point. Who exactly has problems with reading comprehension? You type asshole.

There’s a reason why most parents don’t kiss their kids on the lips. It’s not just the visual-image factor - it’s also because it’s not safe medically, especially if the parent led a reckless sex life.

MARY!!!

*kissing his young daughter on the lips

R172, wow. I thought that was a satirical post, like something from The Onion.

[quote]Even if you hate Trump, don’t you hope he doesn’t say his helicopter 🚁 is better?

Nope.

Kobe and Trump have/had the same helicopters. It's a top of the line Bently of all choppers. However, Trump had to return his back to the airport due to a mechanical failure.

R234 It's called Listerine, which makes it okay to kiss the babies.

My bum is on your lips, my bum is on your lips"

And if I'm lucky, you might just give it a little kiss

And that's the message that we deliver to little kids

And expect them not to know what a woman's clitoris is

R240 is dumb as a rock. Listerine doesn't cure herpes...

When did this thread turn into a discussion on incest herpes?

[quote]There’s a reason why most parents don’t kiss their kids on the lips. It’s not just the visual-image factor - it’s also because it’s not safe medically, especially if the parent led a reckless sex life.

That's not just a joke, my hag friend did that to her daughter. She went through a divorce after cheating on her husband, then played the field like a drunken sailor. She got herpes and always trying to wet kiss people, friends, kids on the lips. Long story short, daughter suddenly get a big ugly herpe on the lips. Even the father said she is the one who gave it to her daughter.

[quote]it’s not safe medically, especially if the parent led a reckless sex life

Datalounge is a weird and unnerving place sometimes.

R242 There's no cure for genital herpes.

Christ, R172, I’ve never seen such histrionics. I work in sports media and columnists can be a little much sometimes but that’s next-level MARY!-dom.

Exactly R247. I'm embarrassed for him, but...he said he doesn't care.

Yeah, that @ R172 is mortifyingly embarrassing.

I’ve never heard of the man before today. Can’t think of any sports star here dying who would have this massive outpouring of grief which seems to be happening.

I'm sure Kobe bought life insurance. I wonder how much?

All those other people in the helicopter are going to sue his ass. His estate is going to be worth jack shit by the time they all settle.

Bullshit, R252. Plenty of money to go around.

I don't care at all that he's dead.

Sorry.

R252 why would they sue him it looks like it was the pilot that is to blame.

[quote]All those other people in the helicopter are going to sue his ass.

I think they died, too.

[quote]why would they sue him it looks like it was the pilot that is to blame.

He hired the pilot, maybe even his employee. That makes him responsible. I am sure he has all sorts of cooperation set up and stuff. All that will do though is draw out the process. With the kind of money he has, lawyers will be working overtime. Plus it looks like the local police said it was too foggy to fly, and in fact grounded their own helicopters before the incident.

r19 It wasn’t multiple decades, it was one decade and she been sober and well leading up to her death.

MJ wasn’t known for drug abuse just being a weirdo.

It’s no reason to doubt people were surprised.

There is a recording out there of the ground traffic control and the pilot of the helicopter. There was an exchange about fog, closed airports, altitude. I think the air traffic controller said something to the effect that the fog layer was at 1700 feet, and the pilot reported being at 1400 feet at that time, but the hill he needed to get over was 2300 feet. There may have been a misunderstanding and maybe the pilot thought he didn't need to climb as steeply as he needed to to clear the hill. I can't understand a lot of it because of the squawking, but it seems evident that the pilot didn't realize he wasn't high enough.

Maybe someone on DL (although I somewhat doubt it) has enough piloting experience to make sense of this conversation.

[quote]MJ wasn’t known for drug abuse just being a weirdo.

BS, Anyone got some Propofol? I know its illegal to get it outside of the hospital, but since I am rich, all I have to do is hire a private doctor to monitor my drug use. What could go wrong?

[quote]It wasn’t multiple decades, it was one decade and she been sober and well leading up to her death.

Um, sure Jan, this vid was made more than a decade ago. And from the looks of it, been doing it for a long time before that.

This is a pretty good thread with some educated guessing on what must have happened:

What possessed the pilot to take the chopper up in that fog? It was so foggy from Friday night. It was nothing but fog for the following mornings and nights.

Now, I'm no pilot, but even I know you can't take a chopper up in those conditions. Even the police helicopters were grounded, what made this guy think he could fly in those conditions.

Plus, listening to the air traffic controller on R259, the air traffic controller asked the pilot was he paying attention, when the controller told him he was flying too low.

Maybe the pilot was employed by a boss who said just make it happen r263. When you are under that kind of pressure, and you know what you are doing, I am sure he though he could just fly under the radar like he probably did many times.

R264

Kobe used many pilots for over 15 years. I don't think this would have been the first time a pilot refused to fly due to weather conditions.

Good riddance to bad rubbish.

"You may not believe in me, R119, but I believe in you and I will remind you of your unkind words at the appropriate time. See ya."

R267 Bryant was a bad guy. If karma comes for us for not mourning the death of a bad person then karma isn't karma.

I vowed never to ride in a helicopter after a Brazilian bride died on her wedding day while trying to make a grand entrance instead of walking down the aisle. Then, a year later, Texan newlyweds died when their chopper crashed after take-off after the ceremony.

I've never liked gimmicks at weddings.

That being said, helicopters are like those tiny 4-person private planes that people fly. Death traps.

R269 a week before the wedding

[quote]I’ve never heard of the man before today. Can’t think of any sports star here dying who would have this massive outpouring of grief which seems to be happening.

This dick lives on the moon and must be some ancient white fag who cried his way through gym class. A lot of old grannies like that on this site.

I've never been a sports fan in my life and even I know who Kobe was.

Why are people bringing up the rape case, no one gives a fuck.

R274 The girl who's permanently a mess downstairs as a result of that rape and has to live with that physical and psychological trauma for the rest of her life gives a fuck.

Celebrity worship is how you guys ended up with Reagan and Trump.

I feel for the oldest daughter. The other two are babies so she has basically lost her only sister.

[quote]Why are people bringing up the rape case, no one gives a fuck.

That BernieBro cretin Respectable Lawyer on Twitter spent the whole fucking day screaming about how the deaths of Kobe and everyone else on board didn't matter because Kobe was a rapist rich guy. And then when some troll said "I wish you'd been on that helicopter" he cried about it for fucking HOURS because people are so mean.

The Sanders leftist discourse has been absolutely shitting all over the Kobe thing and excusing it by saying "he's an admitted rapist."

I was wondering how long it would take before this thread would be poisoned by American politics.

The media grief porn is unrelenting.

R276 at least Kobe was a celebrity for world class elite talent and those two ?

[quote]The girl who's permanently a mess downstairs as a result of that rape and has to live with that physical and psychological trauma for the rest of her life gives a fuck.

My ass!

That trick had other men sperm up in her when she went BACK TO THE JOB SITE to go fuck Kobe. When the rape kit was done, Kobe's sperm and four others were inside of her.

That woman was looking for a come up and Kobe just wanted to end the case. So, he settled. She took the money and disappeared.

Carry on with your celebrity worship, R281. Realize most only care about your money and don't give a fuck about you, kind of like Reagan and Trump actually.

"This is why we have Trump" is the weakest of trolls and you should be embarrassed for even trying it.

Reread my post, R284. The US is the only country to twice elect celebrities as president. You really don't think celebrity culture has something to do with that??

Can we, for once, shut the fuck up about Trump? What in God's name does he have to do with the death of Kobe?

Well, R286, he DID Tweet about it.

When will people realize that karma does not exist? If it did then war criminals and other truly terrible people wouldn’t live long privileged lives before dying peacefully in their sleep while innocent children and truly good people die of cancer, or burn in fires, or die in other horrible ways long before their time.

[quote]Can we, for once, shut the fuck up about Trump? What in God's name does he have to do with the death of Kobe?

I agree, but. . .

Dump does have the same helicopter that Kobe had, but he hasn't died in his yet.

(Why am I participating in bringing Dump into the conversation? I guess I couldn't resist, but I wasn't one of the original posters who mentioned him.)

Well, Trump doesn't fly in foggy conditions.

The evil cunts are always very careful...

R282, so she was a hooker? It’s still not ok to rough up hookers. They found blood on his clothes and internal injuries inside the female which the hospital report said were consistent with her police statement.

It's a random world. The sooner you realize it, the sooner you are free. Loss and tragedy are just as painful, but what happens to you no longer has to have reason. It's random. Of course Karma doesn't exist. Our whole criminal justice system and one could argue political swings depend on the belief that it does. But there is no rhyme or reason why some are safe while others fall from the sky. As many who are saved, that many drown. This doesn't take away a widows devastation or children's loss. But it's better than what preachers say. God doesn't need another angel and no one is waiting for you on the other side. But their spirit does linger here for a brief time after death. Do your talking soon.

R269, And there was this . . .

October 11, 1989

LACEY TOWNSHIP -- Three of Donald Trump's top casino executives were killed when their helicopter plummeted into a wooded median of the Garden State Parkway in Ocean County Tuesday afternoon.

Stephen F. Hyde, 43, who bore responsibility for Trump's three Atlantic City casino properties, Taj Mahal top executive Mark G. Etess, 38, and Jonathan Benanav, 33, executive vice president of Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino, were killed along with the craft's two pilots.

"I'm sick, just sick; it's unbelievable," repeated Trump several times, his voice cracking with emotion during an interview Tuesday.

Interesting flight path. Are they not supposed to fly over the water or is there too much LAX traffic?

Looks like if I'd been awake and looking, I could've seen them pass.

God I can't wait for 2024 so that the DL will finally stop finding a way to interject Trump into every single conversation and thread on this site. Even threads about Velvetta aren't safe.

Everyone in LA saw the fog this morning. I'm sure there was at least a discussion of "should we drive instead?"

I had no idea that helicopters could transport 9 people. I thought maybe 5 or 6 at most...

I'm surprised this has even got to a second thread. I never knew DL was invested in Kobe Bryant.

R295 I recall an EVITA review that called the film "yesterday's EVITA is today's Velveeta." Trump has stated that his favorite musical is EVITA.

The helicopter carrying Kobe Bryant and eight others that crashed into a rugged hillside outside Los Angeles was flying in foggy conditions considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers.

The cause of the crash was unknown, but conditions at the time were such that the Los Angeles Police Department and the county sheriff’s department grounded their helicopters.

Bryant’s helicopter left Santa Ana in Orange County, south of Los Angeles, shortly after 9 a.m. and circled for a time just east of Interstate 5, near Glendale. Air traffic controllers noted poor visibility around Burbank, just to the north, and Van Nuys, to the northwest.

Colin Storm was in his living room in Calabasas when he heard what sounded to him like a low-flying airplane or helicopter.

“It was very foggy so we couldn’t see anything,” he said. “But then we heard some sputtering and then a boom.”

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

R301 is a nutjob and racist, looking to demonize Kobe Bryant in dozens of insane posts, such as this:

[quote]No, it’s not normal, it’s reckless, R220. A grown guy who hooked up with random females (and even got blood strains on his shirt during rough sex with them) kissing his young daughter is a recipe for passing on e.g. Genital Herpes to a kid. There’s a reason why most parents don’t kiss their kids on the lips. It’s not just the visual-image factor - it’s also because it’s not safe medically, especially if the parent led a reckless sex life.

There are worse things to call someone than FAGGOT. Y'all don't live in the real world do you R301? I've read your many posts. You want to paint Bryant as a violent rapist who kissed his children in an unnatural way? Queerdo.

Couldn’t give a fuck. One less multimillionaire rapist.

The helicopter that crashed in California Sunday, killing Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others, had a strong safety record and was like “a limousine,” the NBA legend’s former pilot said.

Kurt Deetz — who flew Bryant, 41, between 2014 and 2016 — told The Los Angeles Times it’s more likely the crash was The helicopter that crashed in California Sunday, killing Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others, had a strong safety record and was like “a limousine,” the NBA legend’s former pilot said.

Kurt Deetz — who flew Bryant, 41, between 2014 and 2016 — told The Los Angeles Times it’s more likely the crash was caused by bad weather than engine or mechanical issues.

“The likelihood of a catastrophic twin engine failure on that aircraft — it just doesn’t happen,” said Deetz, who logged more than 1,000 hours with the Sikorsky S-76B.

Deetz, a former pilot for Island Express Helicopters, said the chopper was in “fantastic” condition and compared it to “a Cadillac, a limousine — it’s limo-esque.”

Built in 1991, the aircraft was owned by Island Express Helicopters, and the company follows a “very good maintenance program,” Deetz said.

It took off from John Wayne Airport at 9:06 a.m., and crashed shortly before 10 a.m. in the hills over Calabasas, igniting a brush fire.

Weather conditions on Sunday morning were “not good at all,” Deetz said.

The LAPD said it grounded its fleet on Sunday morning due to heavy fog that didn’t meet its “standard for flying.”

And just like that the homophobic ghettos swoop in to lecture us lowly fags on why it's alright for black people to be violently discriminatory against us because it's their right due to racism or something. Muriel really needs to hurry up and take care of these assholes, she's been slacking heavily lately.

I bet Kobe insisted they take the helicopter since 7 other people were scheduled to go with him. They circled over Glendale for several minutes bc the weather was obviously very bad. But instead of finding the nearest landing spot, they fly into a mountainous area with zero visibility?

Kobe's wife lost a husband and a daughter, but his other 3 daughter's still have a parent left. I feel sorry for the two kids who lost BOTH parents and a sibling in this crash. Kobe, his daughter, pilot and the 3 family members. Who are the otger three victims?

I guess his estate will be facing a few lawsuits. It seems this crash could have been easily avoided by taking a car.

R282 That's some bullshit. She stayed late to make up missing hours and because she was excited to meet Kobe.

She didn't leave and go back. He asked her to come give them a tour of the hotel and then she went back to his room when he asked her.

She did not have semen from multiple men inside her. She had sex with another man 2-3 days prior to the incident with Kobe. She accidentally grabbed dirty underpants on her way to the exam (the underpants she wore during the incident were collected separately), and the dirty underpants were worn after the previous sex. That was the only evidence of sex with another man.

You write as though she had a gang bang before heading off to entrap the poor innocent Saint Kobe.

He initially denied sex with her, then asked if the police could help him "settle" this with her. When told about the bloody shirt and her going for an exam, he admitted to the sex, said it was consensual, that he always strangled his mistress from behind during sex and they could ask her and she'd tell them that he often left neck bruises on her.

The accuser said the kissing was consensual, but when he started to grab at her forcefully she tried to leave. His mistress Michelle was cool with him holding her down from behind and leaving marks on her neck, but this woman was not.

You know, seeing a woman bleed during sex, you'd maybe stop and ask if she was OK, if it was truly consensual.

R124 Did you have tears after anal or vaginal intercourse? Vaginas can take a lot before tearing-they aren't nearly as fragile as an ass. A centimeter long tear is significant. Women give birth without ripping, but this "consensual sex" left her with multiple lacerations.

This crash is very sad. There's no need to mock the woman who accused him. She didn't take the helicopter down.

I wouldn't have said anything about the rape, but seeing people write straight up lies about the accuser as though no powerful man has ever raped a woman is ridiculous. We are capable of seeing a multifaceted portrait of Kobe.

R302 is a self-loathing, celeb-worshipping boot-licker who throws an over-emotional, triggered hissy-fit at ANY mention of any reports that are non-worshipful about his hero Kobe "Fucking Faggots" Bryant.

Newsflash, r302, Bryant wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire.

Where did the rumor that Rick Fox was aboard come from?

Have your psychotic break somewhere else R308. Your posts are nutty.

R307, oh my, "women give birth without ripping..." You are so fucking stupid and uneducated.

R307, The complete 57 page police interview with Kobe is online.

There was much flirting and extended kissing, she massaged and then sucked his cock, but he did not go down on her. She was definitely not unwilling.

Yes, Kobe was a hero and all women that accuse powerful and rich black male celebrities are evil liars. We get it, Shonda.

FF R310. He’s a homophobic moron who wrote on the 1st thread:

[quote] My name ain't Mary you ancient white drunk FAG … You live for this shit don't you lonely old wrinkled up white QUEER bitch???

And homophobic moron @ R310, you’re also the one who is "psychotic" and “nutty” - ranting about the after-life and “Spirits” like a stinky hippie on bad weed:

[quote] It's a random world. The sooner you realize it, the sooner you are FREE … But their SPIRIT does linger here for a brief time after death. Do your TALKING soon.

Queerdo? I guess some Kobe fan googled his name and happened upon DL...

R312 I remember reading that full report on smoking gun or whatever that name was back when it was released and being really shocked about his conduct. I had no doubt he raped that girl. A lot of people don't realize that even if you agree to consensual kissing and oral sex, you can always change your mind and choose not to have sex with someone. Especially if the encounter is violent. She choose not to have sex with him and wanted to leave so he raped her. I don't get why people always say, person x agreed to make out and have oral sex so it wasn't really rape when she/he didn't also agree to fuck with someone. I remember from that report that the girl was very starstruck and admired him and there was a huge power imbalance and he took advantage of it.

Seriously, WHO was this FUGGO ?? And what do we care on a gay board ?? Fug, homophoblc, rapist. GOOD RIDDANCE

she totally wanted to fuck him, she didn't go the direct route to his hotel room, she knew his bodyguard were keeping people away from his room ( like her co-worker) so she took another route where she wouldn't be seen by his bodyguard.

Yes, maybe she changed her mind about fucking him etc. I do not know what happened...maybe she only wanted an autograph...who knows?

You must be new here R314 if you think R310 is a man. It's a shrieking Sharkeisha from LSA. They ALWAYS drag out the "f" bomb when triggered. It doesn't take much either. They have very low impulse control. Like a wig snatcher in a Walmart brawl, they become raging heifers in the blink an eye. LSA loons fantasize that everyone here (except them) is an "old, white FAG".

I don't think it's an LSAer. It's the same poster who goes off in the RPDR threads. LSA has not interest in RuPaul.

[quote] Yes, maybe she changed her mind about fucking him etc.

R318, reportedly, she consented to sex - but not to violent sex and strangulation. This was the first and only time they had sex and he didn't forewarn her that he had a strangulation fetish:

"When asked about bruises on the accuser's neck, Bryant admitted to "strangling" her during the encounter, stating that he held her "from the back" "around her neck", that STRANGLING during sex was his "thing" and that he had a pattern of strangling [another] sex partner (not his wife) during their recurring sexual encounters. When asked how hard he was holding onto her neck, Bryant stated, "My hands are STRONG. I don't know." "

Boo Hoo, another millionaire who feels entitled to polite the planet with private helicopters because he doesn't like sitting in traffic. By Falica.

Wow @ R321. Not sorry he's dead at all after reading that.

This is going to be another Aaliyah thing where everyone is dead because the passengers INSISTED they be somewhere on time despite the pilots objections.

who hasn’t been fucked by a top that loved to choke you.

He was a married man and had a sidepiece he regularly violently fucked and strangled (probably for money) while also fucking around with other women like this hotel employee.

I mean this tells you what kind of man he was. People saying now he was a saint and made some mistakes in his past but probably grew as a man over the years are just plain dumb. His wife filed for divorce in 2011. I doubt he changed much and was still fucking around with lots of women. Hopefully no longer violently raping any other females.

Men can be piggy and like sex, in other news water is wet!

R324 the pilot is still 100 percent at fault. I’d rather lose my job then lose my life and kill all my passengers.

[Quote] Men can be piggy and like sex, in other news water is wet!

And consent is consent and can be withdrawn at any time.

[quote] pilot is still 100 percent at fault. I’d rather lose my job then lose my life.

That's you, not the pilot. Yes, the pilot is at fault, however, he worked for a company. That company is also at fault for hiring someone who is not qualified, reckless or breaks the law or anything else on behalf of them. So he will probably be sued but since he probably dose not have a lot of money, they will mainly go after the company which in this case is the Bryant estate.

It's no different than when a big plane crashes. The families of the people who died don't sue the pilot even if it's his fault, they sue the company for putting him in the driver seat.

r261 Are you an idiot? He said she was known for being an addict multiple decades leading up to her death. It implies she was out of control in 1990 or early.

That video is 5 years from her death not 20. She was only known for being an addict starting in 2000/2001 leading up to her death in early 2012. That’s one decade.

David Bowie raped a 15 year old girl but that didn’t stop Whites from canonizing him

[Quote]Built in 1991, the aircraft was owned by Island Express Helicopters

I'm confused about this. I thought this was his helicopter. Did he just charter it whenever he needed a ride or is Island Express Helicopters his company? Also, the helicopter was 29 years old. Is that a normal age for a helicopter? I thought multi millionaires always get the latest model of everything.

R239 right but just because a man is a sexual freak it does not make him a complet ly bad person or one does not deserve to have the public mourn the loss of his life.

^Rapist = bad person

It’s not like he was drugging hundreds of women he was over aggressive with what he thought was an eager beaver..

^You don't have to violently fuck hundreds of women to be a rapist. Raping one woman is already enough. He was a rapist.

Felling kind of rapey today. - Kobe

I'll begin by being Captain Obvious: Much will be made of Bryant's performance as an athlete, of course. The records, the championships, etc.

I don't know this for sure, but didn't the sexual battery case also change how hotels surveil both guests and staff? And I think the NBA also required, contractually, that every player, no matter if young wealthy star or bencher had to attend training on what behaviors to avoid when traveling.

I'll leave guilt or innocence aside. Bryant was presumed to be innocent of being a sexual batterer and that will never change.

But, I convicted him. I convicted him of gross stupidity.

If you're a famous, wealthy person and you can't resist ordering room service, here's what you do- at the knock on your hotel room door, you, with generous cash tip in hand, step out into the hallway, wave at the surveillance camera, take the tray from the server, set it on the floor, hand the server your tip, thank them, pick up the tray and take it into your room.

How damn hard is that? Or, you tell the server to leave the tray and the floor and you'll bring it into the room and then you go to the lobby and leave an envelope with a tip designated for the server who brought to your room.

Yeah, I know. The young woman who went to Kobe's room probably went there for an interaction, but still, Bryant was beyond stupid to not know better then to interact with her.

Semantics, I know, but the police report indicated that Kobe’s admitted ‘thing’ was coming on a woman’s face. He explicitly says that. The choking from behind was the means to an end.

What shocked me about the report was how friendly and accommodating the cops were to him, almost apologetic. I know I shouldn’t be after that other recent horrific story about the prolific rapist in the UK - the last victim who fought back was initially jailed for 11 hours for beating the rapist and when he said he’d been raped the cops didn’t take himself seriously (to the point of not doing a physical exam for ages).

[quote]police report indicated that Kobe’s admitted ‘thing’ was coming on a woman’s face

Not degrading to woman at all. #MeTooBukakke

What's LSA?

“...The passengers were on their way to a basketball game when the chopper went down.

“The helicopter was flying in foggy conditions considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers.”

I wonder if all of the passengers knew that they were flying in dangerous conditions.

[quote] Semantics, I know, but the police report indicated that Kobe’s admitted ‘thing’ was coming on a woman’s face. He explicitly says that. The choking from behind was the means to an end.

No, he did basically say it was his “thing” with Michelle, R340. From his police interview:

“Bryant: […] the STRANGLING THING you have to go talk to this girl (inaudible) Michelle [a different female, Bryant’s secret mistress]. Detective Loya: She [the 19-y.o. who came forward] has a BRUISE on her neck. Bryant: YEAH I mean that’s you know me and Michelle, that’s what we, we do the SAME THING. Detective Winters: That’s your thing. How many times did you have sex with Michelle? Bryant: A lot. She’ll tell you the same … Detective Loya: Do you have her number? Bryant: Um, not right here. Detective Winters: Do you usually have sex with…? Bryant: (Inaudible) won’t be back in New York… […] Bryant: She’s not gonna be back in New York until after (inaudible) […] Detective Winters: Okay, um, is that, is that do you normally, when you see Michelle in a bar do you hook up with her? Bryant: Well no, I mean she’s not (inaudible) she’s cool but that’s pretty much what we do. Detective Winters: And obviously I think your wife doesnt need to know. Bryant: Oh, no.”

I've had sufficient. Next news story please.

Next breaking news for you, R345, coming straight up:

"Perez Hilton Hasn't Gotten Laid Since 2016 (4 Years)"

HA r346

R332 I must correct you. That would have been a 15 year old super groupie whose name I have forgotten. It wasn’t rape but she did say he (willingly) took her virginity. So it was under age sex. It wouldn’t fly today but he would have been only in his mid 20s himself and it was no Roman Polanski scenario. The was only one allegation of sexual assault against David Bowie that I know of and that was in the eighties and went nowhere. David Bowie had sex with thousands of women but was not a rapist so far as we know.

R6, are you from LA, or perhaps, even a Lakers fan?

To us, he was family. I dunno about the rest of America, or the world, but we lost a brother, or a son. Feel me? And his kid, too?

Yeah. This one cuts deep AF.

[quote] Years ago Kobe was suspended for calling a ref a fucking fag in a heated moment. He didn’t give a weak apology and yell “triggered!” He learned from it. Actually put in work. Worked with GLAAD. Called out his own fan for calling someone gay in his mentions. People can grow.

R349, Bryant was fined for the homophobic remark - but he APPEALED it. He didn't initially want to "put in the work" or even at least pay up the fine - but was forced to because his sponsors would dump him if he didn't.

[quote] "Kobe Bryant Continues to Apologize for Homophobic Slur, But Still Hasn’t Learned a Lesson [...] Why is he APPEALING the fine? It's certainly not because he can't afford to pay it, which would beg the question, does he not think his action was deserving of this fine? Why would he bother to apologize and claim to take responsibility for his actions if he was going to appeal the punishment he received? Doesn't seem to make much sense. Kobe Bryant hasn't learned a lesson about the harm done through using a homophobic slur, which is clearly evidenced by his appeal. This is exactly why a harsher penalty is necessary in this case. A message needs to be sent — that the NBA won't tolerate this kind of behavior. If Bryant can talk about how he wants to "kill the word" he used, then maybe he shouldn't appeal to the NBA for trying to do just that."

[quote] He is the NBA's highest-paid player, and pocketed a cool $24.8 million this season. Considering there are 82 games in the NBA regular season, that means that Bryant makes approximately $302,439 per game. Kobe played 37 minutes on Tuesday, so he was making $8,174 per minute in the game where he directed the homophobic slur at Adams. With this in mind, how will a $100,000 fine make any difference to someone who can pay that off in less than 15 minutes? In the 2013-14 season, Bryant is set to make $30.5 million thanks to a hefty contract extension, making him the first player to earn more than $30 million since Michael Jordan in the 1997-98 season. I hardly think this $100,000 sends a strong enough message. He won't even notice that money is gone. Not to mention, Bryant is appealing the fine. Yes, appealing.

I'm British, and neither professional basketball nor baseball is popular here. It's occurred to me that while I can name quite a few basketball players - Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson - the only baseball players I can think of are Babe Ruth and Joe DiMaggio, both of whom are long dead. Does basketball simply produce more global stars than baseball does?

[Quote] right but just because a man is a sexual freak it does not make him a complet ly bad person or one does not deserve to have the public mourn the loss of his life.

You're using "sexual freak" in the context of rape? The physical damage done to the rape victim goes beyond "kinky."

[quote] The physical damage done to the rape victim goes beyond "kinky."

And Kobe did that? She was with at least 3 other guys before Kobe.

[quote] Does basketball simply produce more global stars than baseball does?

Baseball is even more niche than basketball, r353.

[Quote] And Kobe did that? She was with at least 3 other guys before Kobe.

In a 24 hr period? You refute the findings of the rape kit?

[quote] She was with at least 3 other guys before Kobe.

And Bryant was with at least 2 other females before her, R353 - his wife and his mistress who he liked to strangle.

And I bet they both had plenty of sex partners before that - they weren't virgins. But the question here is about consent to violent sex acts.

^R355, that is

[quote]In a 24 hr period? You refute the findings of the rape kit?

It was the rape kit that found additional sperm in that woman, not just Kobe's.

I thought Americans were mad for baseball, R356. Is it just not as popular anymore?

Many Americans are indeed mad for it, R361. But we're talking globally. Baseball is even more niche globally.

As expected, the outpouring of faux grief here in Philly is off the charts.

Funny thing is, when he did live here in his youth, Kobe wasn't "ghetto" enough for the 'hood, and many ghetto denizens regarded him as an elitist snob and "uppity."

Bowie was accused of rape by a 15 year old girl

Surely you don't have to stoop to whataboutism?

On CNN: "People are trying to understand how something like this could possibly happen?" Visual Flight Rules.

Money/Macho/Fog. aka JFK jr.

To those talking about the Bryant estate being sue, they will be. My uncle was piloting a plane when he ran into bad weather and the plane crashed. All on board died. The lawsuit sucked the life out of my grandparents. From what I heard they were never the same. My grandparents weren't famous and it was headline news. While Vanessa is grieving the loss of Kobe and her daughter she is going to be emotionally wrecked with the lawsuits.

WHY couldn't it have been the Kardashians instead!? I've been hoping and praying that something like this would happen to them!

[quote] To us, he was family. I dunno about the rest of America, or the world, but we lost a brother, or a son. Feel me? And his kid, too?

ROFL! You don't even know this guy. A brother? A son? Get a life, loser.

R358 They both sound like they were walking Petri dishes.

Gasp!

I can't breath!

[quote] Bitch Please, You dont know those other people, kids are not always that innocent, some of them are pretty damn evil.

Sing it, Sister!

[quote] I know it might shock you, but the "world" is bigger than you think - and the name "Bryant" doesn't mean much in a big part of it.

[quote]It’s funny that people just can’t accept that “Bryant” is not a ‘household name’ everywhere.

Bitch!

[quote]That's not what I said, you have a reading comprehension issue. Did you finish high school? All I did was through out a counter argument to your assumption that all kids are innocent angels. All I sated was facts. Poor and middle class kids don't have parents with helicopters so that dose in fact also make them privileged.

Google ‘irony.’

R363, the same could be said of many black women. They hated that he married a Latina. I remember reading some things and they would hate on him solely for that reason. Because he "supported" her Mexican family and not his black one. Which wasn't true, he supported his entire family up until his parents back stabbed him selling his HS memorabilia because they wanted a bigger house than the one he had bought for them.

R369, just because you are callous and lack compassion doesn’t mean everyone else too. Let people mourn.

Names of the 9 people that died.

"Kobe Bryant (41), Gianna Bryant (13), John Altobelli (56), Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Sarah Chester, Payton Chester (13), Christina Mauser and the pilot, Ara Zobayan."

Are the Altobellis a whole family (parents + child)?

[quote] Let people mourn.

Go ahead, R377.

Two remaining kids, R379.

R379, yes. Apparently they have 2 surviving children.

It was insane this helicopter was allowed to take off. How many versions of this story have we seen of flying in bad weather/fog = disaster?

[quote] Does basketball simply produce more global stars than baseball does?

One really good basketball player can carry a team on his back, there are only five guys. In baseball, it’s harder for an individual player to stand out as much.

His death is shocking but all he did was play basketball. He was very arrogant, a rapist, and adulterer. Never liked him. Sad that his daughter and those other people died. Why couldn't it have been Jay Z and Beyonce though?

There is no karma and no god!

You’re born, you struggle and live for no apparent reason and then you die. End of story.

Stop with the superstitions. Karma is BS.

Kobe went directly to the NBA from high school, so he was not particularly educated. He mixed with other athletes and got whatever he wanted because of his stardom and wealth.

I would imagine his use of the faggot word was common and not unexpected, considering his background and his friends.

R385 Who are you yelling to and why are you so mad about it? haha.

Were they all friends/acquaintances? 9 people (and their baggage)...how many people can fit on one of those choppers? I just hope it wasn't an Aaliyah-esque type of situation.

Is there a conspiracy theory yet about Iran being responsible?

Yelling? R387, R385 was neither yelling nor mad but stating simple truth. So haha yourself, clown.

R390 Ummm...no. The clown is clearly you. Look how upset you got. haha. Fool. Nice try though.

[quote] considering his background and his friends.

His dad was an NBA player, he did not grow up poor. I suppose you think all black people come from dire poverty. As for him being “not educated,” he spoke Italian and Spanish. And how much education do you think one-and-done players get in college, anyway?

R391=troll. F&F.

What r392 said.

This thread has devolved into a convention of low-iq hysterical people.

R339, Kobe wasn't there for an NBA game. He was there for surgery.

Go on twitter and search for Kobe, cancel, school....the amount of mentally unstable "fans" is amusing and sad.

People are trying to get a day of school for their kids?

*a day off school

This fool at R393 has posted like 20 times in this thread and told someone they were triggered and to clean the sand out of their vagina. But is also the one calling people clowns and trolls and has to block them and announce it because they can't take the heat. Talk about DELUSIONAL WEIRDO ALERT.

R368 I thought the same thing as well. They are probably the worst ones in the celeb world.

This reminds me of watching Thurman Munson's funeral with my dad when I was like five years old. I remember thinking a few years later that that funeral was more exciting than the actual baseball games he made me watch.

Yes, I know this is so bad but I was wishing it was another celeb instead of kobe.

I usually never wish death or ill heath on others...not even Trump.

R399, you need to wash the sand out of your vagina.

The Altobelli's son, JJ, is a scout for the Red Sox, per Boston media.

I think Vanessa will be more upset about the daughter's death than husband. She probably just puts up with him. She was humiliated in the worst way. Plus the money was pretty good.

He must be insured for millions. She will be fine...even with the wrongful death lawsuits.

[quote]I bet Kobe insisted they take the helicopter since 7 other people were scheduled to go with him. They circled over Glendale for several minutes bc the weather was obviously very bad. But instead of finding the nearest landing spot, they fly into a mountainous area with zero visibility?

Someone mentioned upthread re a local helipad, and there is actually one right next to Las Virgenes Road, right where the helicopter oddly turned offcourse south/SE right before descending and crashing.

The pilot was following the 101 west toward Thousand Oaks then suddenly turned south, over Malibu Creek, following Los Virgenes. Several hundred feet later they went down, flying EAST into the hillside. Were they turning around? or just lost control.

R184, I think the word is 'rapist.'

I wonder if anyone will get her comment. She's probably living the rest of her life in seclusion. Girl got death threats after the ordeal.

I read about it.

I can see being attracted to this guy, thinking, 'well, he's married, but sure. let's fool around.'

And I read the reports where he's got his hands around her and she's saying no and he's holding her so strongly he's leaving marks.

Sometimes the reality doesn't match the fantasy.

R403 haha. But I thought you blocked me. You're even weirder than I thought. Go call Bellevue for yourself and get checked in IMMEDIATELY. Stop projecting and get help freakshow.

[quote]People are trying to get a day of school for their kids?

It could be parents around LA taking their kids out of school to hang around Staples Center today.

Celebrity worship - celebrating a rapist and electing a reality teevee host as President. Great culture.

I just read they were flying under "special visual flight rules" They were following the freeway and were told by the controllers they were flying too low. There is speculation they couldn't be tracked on the radar when flying too low. Seems like the pilot got confused to where he was at. What I don't understand, the police even had their copters grounded, why would they be given a special clearance. Mistakes were made all around.

NOTHING is a mistake.

[quote] Are they not supposed to fly over the water or is there too much LAX traffic?

Would the fog have been worse over the water?

How profound R412. {{{rolling eyes}}}

R411 It's been reported that the pilot was instrument rated and had previously flown through fog and clouds. He probably felt it was safe to go through with the flight.

[quote] Seems like the pilot got confused to where he was at.

Oh, dear!

Even if instrument rated, he should have been grounded. All non-essential flight should be during low-visibility weather.

He had to be cleared to fly R415. He was under visual flight rules. Even the police were not using their helicopters.

R408, I never said I blocked you. Poor dumb cunt. LMFAO.

R416 Take your "Oh, dear!" and shove it up your ass.

R419 Get help and then maybe you can get a life.

I thought Kobe’s Italiano thing was kinda cool. Ugh so incredibly fucking sad.

Mary!

R421, why don't you get a life? You're the one quoting back every thread I wrote. You seem to be quite obsessed and triggered, even though you pretend otherwise. LMFAO!!!

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Oh boy. Here come the computer animated reenactments. I was waiting for the first one.

I was surprised to learn the helicopter was going 160 miles an hour. You would think under the visibility conditions the pilot would have flown it at a safer speed. The minimum conditions to fly for the LAPD were 2 miles of visibility and since they didn't have that visibility they wouldn't let the helicopters fly. I would imagine the fog would cause spacial disorientation.

Too good to sit in traffic with the rest of us?

Was it as foggy in Orange County as it was here in LA? I look forward to hearing "X person asked if it was safe to fly but they went away"

The thick fog was the first thing I noticed when I looked out my window yesterday morning. And of course it had totally cleared by 1 pm.

R429 I'd rather have a speedboat. Go from OC to Malibu over the water, drive the rest of the way.

Someone mentioned up thread that he was on a tight schedule that day. Daughter's basketball game, attending a charity basketball event and the Grammys. Bet he pressured the heli pilot.

Why didn't he find an airport or landing spot when they had zero visibility? Why did they fly into a mountainous area and not stay close to a highway or some other landmark. Looks like the pilot flew that chopper directly into a mountain. These passengers must have been scared.

How about get a fucking 2nd/3rd/4th property that's closer to where you typically go? He had the money. You're bound to run into scares if you fly in a chopper that much.

[quote] I was surprised to learn the helicopter was going 160 miles an hour.

It wasn’t. It was doing 161 [bold]knots[/bold], which is actually about 185 mph.

Airspeed is measured in knots.

he traveled to laker games via chopper too.

Live by the chopper, die by the chopper.

R433 I was thinking, It was a multiday game conference, surely there's nice hotels in the area. Why would you want to spend 2 hours+ traveling multiple days in a row

So is the rumor true that Trump and the RNC had Kobe killed so they could distract from the Impeachment hearings and Bolton's book?

why couldn't he have built the Academy closer to his home?

This was no ordinary circumstance R433. I'm sure the person that OKed them flying which they hadn't.

R434 I was only quoting what an article said, which was 160 miles an hour.

[quote]R28 most straight Millennial men grew up watching Kobe. He was a part of their childhood. They are the ones taking it hardest it seems.

They also make up the largest demographic group amongst rapists.

He was one of them.

Someone argued you're more likely to die in a car accident before a helicopter accident. That may be true UNLESS you're using a helicopter daily to get around...in fucking CALIFORNIA. It's hard to die in a car in LA's stand-still traffic (unless Kobe's helicopter rotor or Harrison Ford's plane fall from the sky).

When you place yourself above others (in a chopper), sometimes you fall.

and you bitches think money protects you....

R440, didn’t mean it the way it came out. Was just pointing out that they were actually traveling faster than what you thought.

Amateurs!

Imagine you’re an excited guest about to fly with Kobe Bryant in his top-of-the-line helicopter, and you overhear talk of fog and poor visibility. Do you still get in the chopper, figuring he’s Kobe Bryant and nothing bad can happen? I think you probably do. As humans we tend to be delusional when it comes to fame and invincibility.

In a 2018 interview with Alex Rodriguez for The Corp With A-Rod and Big Cat, Kobe explained how much family time meant to him, and why he started taking helicopters from his home in Orange County up to the Los Angeles area for basketball.

"Traffic started getting really, really bad," Kobe said during the interview. "I was sitting in traffic and I wound up missing like a school play because I was sitting in traffic."

"This thing just kept mounting, and I had to figure out a way that I could still train and focus on the craft but still not compromise family time," Kobe explained. "So that's when I looked into helicopters and being able to get down and back in 15 minutes."

Kobe went on to share his former schedule before his retirement. As Lakers fans will know, the team plays in the Staples Center in LA, so Kobe would take a helicopter to the area in order to train.

As he explained, "Weights early in the morning, kids to school, fly down, practice like crazy, do my extra work, media, everything I needed to do, fly back, get back in carpool line, pick the kids up."

While Kobe's wife Vanessa offered to pick the kids up, Kobe told her he wanted to do it because being on the road for basketball often kept him away from home.

Kobe added, "Every chance I get to see them and spend time with them, even if it's 20 minutes in the car, I want that."

" top-of-the-line helicopter"

Well, it was almost 30 years old. Is that young for a chopper? But I bet the passengers never thought something like this could happen. I wonder if they got nervous or scared after the helicopter was circling for several minutes. Their death was probably quick if he flew in a mountain.

[quote] His dad was an NBA player, he did not grow up poor. I suppose you think all black people come from dire poverty. As for him being “not educated,” he spoke Italian and Spanish.

No one said he was poor. Lots of people speak different languages and aren't particularly education. He seems to be one of them

[Quote] aren't particularly education. He seems to be one of them

You too.

At the end of the day this was the inevitable result of some one who had become accustomed to a life built around daily and frequent helicopter travel and who could not accept that legitimate safety concerns should override a sprawling and packed itinerary.

15 mins from OC to downtown L.A.? How long does this normally take? Would also be interesting to know the cost of a OC-LA helicopter tour. Probably a couple of thousands?

Slow your train down R452, I'm jumping on board.

[quote]Their death was probably quick if he flew in a mountain.

There’s a video of the helicopter falling and crashing on Twitter. Looks like cellphone footage and it matches the crash site shown on television—same brown hills so it’s genuine. The helicopter spirals and tumbles downward for several seconds before crashing and exploding into a fireball.

This was not a ‘quick’ death. Those final seconds must have seemed like an eternity to the passengers.

I love people, like R452, who make stupid pronouncements about things they could not possibly know. Just go somewhere and sit down before we vote to take away your WiFi.

Link, r455?

R456 I don't get why you think R452 is so wrong. It seems like the most plausible explanation to me. CNN is reporting "special clearance" was given to Bryant's helicopter pilot to fly in bad conditions. That, combined with a "tight, packed itinerary" for the day...it makes sense to me. It's JFK, Jr. all over again.

He knew the risks...

He knew the risks...

R457 It was posted on LSA yesterday afternoon. It’s buried in hundreds of posts and I have no idea which page. I should have bookmarked it at the time but didn’t think to.

Only reason I ask is because I read somewhere earlier about a different crash that was posted that people were claiming was Bryant’s crash when it wasn’t.

I think it's plausible by now that Kobe was so angry at being told he'd have to sit in LA traffic that hs pulled a gun on the pilot and forced him to fly or he would shoot up everybody. During the flight one of the passengers tried to knock the gun out of Kobe's hand and it went off, killing the pilot instantly and sending them plunging into the hill. It's the only logical explanation.

I don't get why we're so upset over the onslaught of mourning. People did the exact same shit when X and JuiceWrld died. Do you think these people "mourning" had even thought about Kobe all month before yesterday? I doubt it.

And just like all other dead, asshole celebrities he'll be mourned heavily for about a week and then forgotten about by the world. Just as he should be.

any mention of his parents or siblings?

R424 You are an IDIOT. Get help. Fast. Everytime you respond, it exposes you for the clown you really are. Everyone can see. The receipts are in the thread. Get help first and then maybe you can make something of your life. It's never too late. 💋

New Yorkers honor NBA legend by renaming a subway stop ‘Kobe Bryant Park’

This is why I come here. R463 has the insider’s knowledge. Why aren’t the media running with this?

Poor R466! Every time you respond you show how triggered you are! Just let it go, hunty! LMFAO!!!

I still think it's the REAL retaliation from Iran for us killing Soleimani. One national treasure for another.

I wonder if his parents will attend the funeral, he was estranged from them....since 2013, they tried to sell his stuff behind his back.

His parents and sisters did not attend his wedding, they thought they were too young. But after the birth of his first child, his mom and kobe repaired the relationship.

His parents did not attend his laker retirement ceremony either, he didn't even mention them in his speech...

I wonder if his parents will attend the funeral, he was estranged from them....since 2013, they tried to sell his stuff behind his back.

His parents and sisters did not attend his wedding, they thought they were too young. But after the birth of his first child, his mom and kobe repaired the relationship.

His parents did not attend his laker retirement ceremony either, he didn't even mention them in his speech...

I wonder if you'll stop repeating yourself.

Can someone explain why a pilot would be allowed to fly under visual flight rules only? I would think that an instrument rated pilot wouldn’t be allowed to fly under visual flight rules, but rather instrumentation, when it’s foggy. Or do I have it wrong? (Wouldn’t be the first time.)

R469 Nice try. GET HELP. Then maybe you can make something of your life.

This is America's Diana. I can't imagine how his family is trying to deal with their own grief on top of the world's MARY-ing!

Prediction of Kobe’s death

Kobe and his wife were sued by a former housekeeper who claimed that she was abused by Vanessa. The housekeeper said that Kobe would witness the abuse and not step in.

Great people, huh?

Pretty sure Kobe didn’t want to be bothered with his wife’s issues with the maid.

As far as that startling predictive tweet, I often have that thought about famous people who fly around a lot. I even remember having it about Diana a few months before her death. Not a premonition per se but just a subconscious thought like, gee these people are constantly getting on and off airplanes, I guess it’s safe?

Kobe likely flew under similar weather conditions many times in the past without problem

Kobe won an Academy Award for a vanity project about himself and his life. And it was a short film. Chances are he payed for it.

America's Diana? Seriously not. Only sports people and celebrities give a shit and maybe some of the black public. You forget he's old to the phone generation.

I suspect there will be some 2020 Kobe Bryant Law passed that addresses helicopter commuting safety.

R482 The phone generation remember him as a nostalgic thing from their childhood, but you are right. The only people that really care are sports fans, celebrities who knew him, and black people mourning an "upstanding role model" of the black community.

R475: Nice try. GET HELP. Then maybe you can make something of your life.

R485 You are an idiot.

R445 I didn't take any offense to your comment. I had heard it was 185 previously, but the article I was reading said differently and that is why I used the lower number.

R486 You are an idiot.

Jesus, you guys are obviously both idiots. So stop now.

Has Uber's helicopter service commented?

R489 Nobody asked you cunt.

The level of hysterics I've seen are at a Diana-level. You'd think it was 9/11.

Let's see if it holds. I hope not.

Block the squabbling trolls.

R492 Diana didn't perish in 9/11. She had been dead for four years by then.

R493 Announce it again so the people in the back can hear you.

R494 I was comparing the responses, genius.

The pilot could have refused to fly in the foggy conditions. But I'm sure there was a lot of pressure to fly and to not disappoint famous & rich passengers.

I'm sure Kobe's funeral will be televised, at least on ESPN.

Kind of a stupid question, but what were the passengers' last moments like? Was death instantaneous or did they actually realize they were about to die?

R499 they probably were more worried about the gunfight between Kobe and the pilot.

Who are you asking?

I don’t trust helicopters at all. A friend was going to book one to take his stag party from JFK to midtown. In the end he didn’t because they don’t allow much luggage but I remember thinking when he showed me the website that the company would be under pressure to please customers by always leaving on time and always getting them to the city in the advertised time. If they became too risk averse and cancelled flights or redirected to safer landing spots assholes would leave them bad reviews and destroy their rep online. Tough to balance safety with customer satisfaction.

R502 I hate people so I believe it but just imagine being like "We were 30 minutes late because the pilot put his and our survival over my need to be there! 1 Star!"

They would have been aware imo. Like the Ukraine airlines disaster they were at a low altitude so they weren’t losing consciousness and the helicopter seems to have dived and spluttered before crashing so they would have known they were in trouble but a high speed impact would be a quick way to go and I doubt that you feel pain or anything because of how quick it would happen.

Will there be a double funeral? Wonder if daddy and daughter will be buried together

I would think so.

I would say it’s LA’s Diana maybe. He was so synonymous with the city.

[quote]Kind of a stupid question, but what were the passengers' last moments like? Was death instantaneous or did they actually realize they were about to die?

You mean right after someone said, "Hey -- I wonder what this button does?"

Tracy McGrady was in tears recalling young Kobe's words: "I thought he was crazy. He used to say, 'I wanna die young. I wanna be immortalized.'"

Brad Pitt, Renée Zellweger, Al Pacino and other Academy Award nominees have convened for the annual #OscarsLunch, which opened with a moment of silence for 2018 Oscar winner Kobe Bryant.

The fact that he won an Oscar proves the awards aren't worth shit anymore and are just payed for by the highest bidder.

R482 is wrong. Everyone I know is shocked over this. I'm talking non sports fans, non blacks, non Californians. He was only 41 and only retired a few years ago, he was pretty fresh in people's minds.

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

I think that's why Kobe transcended the sport, R513. He might not have been formally educated, but he was well spoken, from a good family, intelligent and spoke several languages. Those were some of the first things my white female friend, who is a non sports fan, mentioned. Lebron and even Shaq weren't as relatable as Kobe to the masses.

R513 the wrongful death suits against his estate by the other victims’ families are going to be massive

I'm honestly surprised he doesn't have scores of illegitimate kids, giving his penchant for unprotected pussyhounding

Love this

[quote] Bryant had two investment firms; Kobe Inc. and Byrant-Stibel, a VC firm

Did he actually have any input in the investment decisions, or was it all simply run by LA's top financial moguls (like Jessica Alba's "billion-dollar" company).

[quote] He might not have been formally educated, but he was ... intelligent

An "intelligent" person doesn't put his 13-y.o. kid in a chopper to fly in dangerous, foggy conditions, R514. It's like deciding to set sail in a storm.

An "intelligent" person also doesn't hook up with a 19-y.o. total stranger and try out surprise-strangulation on such strangers.

An "intelligent" person doesn't call a referee a "fucking faggot" on camera, while being the face of huge brands like Nike for lucrative $$$.

Granted, he may have been "intelligent" in some respects, but he was severely lacking in intelligence in many others.

[quote] and are just payed for by the highest bidder.

Oh, dear!

Two words...irrevocable trust

[quote] the wrongful death suits against his estate by the other victims’ families are going to be massive

Did he own the helicopter company? He's not the one who flew the helicopter. I'm not understanding how he is to blame.

R455, apparently there's a hoax video circulating that actually features a crash in the United Arab Emirates in 2018. I don't know if it's the same video you saw, though.

The more I think about it, the more I think he probably did assault that hotel worker. I just can't picture an innocent man making that public statement about how he considered it consensual but understood why she didn't. Maybe I'm just too cynical, though.

R514 NBA players, particularly the superstars are actually the most interesting and intelligent of American team sport athletes. I've followed the NBA since I was a little kid in the '80s. From basically the mid- to late- '90s onward, the players have gotten more that way. Many think it's due to NBA implementing a policy that weeded out the "bad" elements, as well as the fact that their contracts are guaranteed unlike the NFL whose players are the least powerful of the major sports. NBA players are allowed to show us their humanity, give opinions, and yes even show their idiocy on occasions. That is why players are so beloved to fans. You should check out Charles Barkley who was a superstar in the 80s-90s and now works as on-air as one of the members of Inside the NBA on TNT. He pisses off both conservatives and liberals because he gives opinions that don't fit into either ideologies. NBA players tend to be more politically and culturally astute.

Apparently Kobe and his wife had an agreement that they would never both be on a helicopter at the same time (so if disaster struck, then at least one of them would be still there to take care of the children).

So does that mean they realized how dangerous it was??

Police and other agencies weren’t flying yesterday. The weather/fog was really bad

The pilot was flying way too low and slammed into a hill

Oh and by the way, R488 is a piece of garbage.

Really a first plus world accident. Flying with a helicopter in an obviously bad weather. Would he have used a car or just staying home, they both would still life.

So he and his daughter died. Sorry for the young girl. But she lived a life that was absolut outstanding to the other 99.9 % of her age.

It’s been stated by several Angelenos, myself included, that we all noticed the crazy fog yesterday morning. Flying was basically a death wish.

I wonder what the other passengers thought of the weather that morning?

r518. Kudos. Well said. Much better than me..

The sky was so gray that morning....

Barely knew he existed. Remember the sexual assault case from years ago but can't say I heard anything about him since. All the sturm und drang is bewildering.

As I see it a star-struck official gave them clearance and Kobe's hubris got them all killed. I'd love to hear a tape of the phone call of the clearance and read the texts of all the passengers. You know they were all on their phones during the flight.

That’s some talent at R517! Wow!

"An "intelligent" person also doesn't hook up with a 19-y.o. total stranger and try out surprise-strangulation on such strangers."

Was the hotel employee's identity ever made public?

Yes, his defense team managed to get her name released and then dragged her through the mud. Oh well, karma got him. Sorry it had to take out the kids though. I guess if you can get away with violent rape, you can dodge bad weather in a helicopter?

Oh and by the way, R527 is a pathetic, triggered cunt. LMFAO!!!

[quote]As I see it a star-struck official gave them clearance and Kobe's hubris got them all killed

You know nothing of the sort. Maybe all the adults on board discussed their options and decided to go anyway. To say it was Kobe’s fault and “a star-struck official” without any evidence at all makes you a complete asshole.

R538 you tell 'em!

R538 you tell 'em!

R138 You strike me as a star-struck naif.

The city grounds all other craft but somehow Kobe's craft gets clearance because his oh so important schedule is so tight? Or maybe some money crossed palms. It's not like Kobe was carrying an organ for transplant. And certainly, no one else on that helicopter had his kind of pull. Yeah, hubris is a good word for this situation.

It’s “paid”, dear. Paid. You’ve said “payed” several times now.

That’s all.

I'm actually starting to feel better now, after being bummed out all day. What a horrible loss. He had so much more to give. All of the tributes have been really well done. Will definitely head out to LA for the funeral.

[quote][R513] the wrongful death suits against his estate by the other victims’ families are going to be massive

I highly doubt there is any evidence that he forced any of these people, especially with their own children, on the aircraft. No one is putting their own kids in danger.

Kobe rode this thing like it was a car. Most people who drive do so in less than safe weather conditions, occasionally, because they are used to doing it. We've seen tons fatal accidents this winter. People die this way every single day, but this is amplified because he's a sports figurehead and he was in a fancy helicopter. He probably thought very little about a commute that he's done thousands of times before, and he would've made other arrangements if realized his own daughter's safety was at risk. Sometimes you are blind to risks because you do something out of habit.

What will be more interesting is how the pilot came to this fatal error.

I would imagine the kids really, really wanted to make the game and the parents didn't want to disappoint them. I'm sure Kobe's flown in this kind of weather before. That said, I still wouldn't take the risk based on how many times these crashes happen. I know an extremely wealthy Mexican family who came to the states to attend an engagement party. They flew back to Mexico the same night, then I think boarded a helicopter in bad weather. It crashed killing the mother, father, son and pregnant daughter in law. The grandparents had younger children and the young couple had a baby they left at home. To me getting home or attending a basketball game isn't worth the risk.

only 3 bodies have been recovered so far...

It wasn't even a game. It was a practice session. 9 dead over a practice session for kids.

R546 what happened to the rest?

I very reluctantly took a helicopter tour in Maui once. Everybody else in my group was psyched, so I steeled myself. I was very nervous, didn't enjoy it. Nothing happened. But it could have. I probably would have easily followed confident Kobe and his confident pilot right onto that plush craft. Because we tell ourselves"what are the odds?" It would have taken real strength to refuse to go, disappoint the kids etc.

They rest of the bodies are still on the mountain side. the terrain is difficult for them. They are burnt beyond recognition (my guess).

[quote]He was a married man and had a sidepiece he regularly violently fucked and strangled (probably for money) while also fucking around with other women like this hotel employee.

I find it interesting how judgmental some people are, when I've read several times here over the years how some of you yearn to be violently fucked by pro athletes! And how many of you are sidepieces for married men! And how many of you have gotten paid or paid for sex!

It's steep terrain in brush and through hills, and the debris field apparently extends in a 600 foot radius from the crash site. The bodies are probably not easy to find, especially if they're not entirely intact.

R525 Probably not, I've heard of other celebrity parents doing this. I remember something about Kate Winslet and Sam Mendes (when they were together) not travelling together for this very reason. I have NO IDEA why this has stuck in my brain, or if it's even true.

R553, When their two children were young, Ronald and Nancy Reagan never flew together on the same plane.

"We are on a brief pilgrimage here, reconciling life and death."

R550, When Carole Lombard's plane crashed into that mountain in 1942, she was identified by some of her blonde hair and a mangled ruby earring that Gable had given her.

R551, false equivalence. DLers don’t try to make lucrative sponsorship money off a fake PR image of being “wholesome, quintessential family men”:

“Remembering Kobe Bryant, the Family Man. Many big names took to social media to remember Bryant as the quintessential family man”

Kobe was a family man. He wasn't 22 years old anymore.

I don't understand why the mourning, especially by NBA friends, has to be on social media. Well, I get the simple tweet or post on instagram, but uploading a video of yourself crying? That's too much and seems like a grasp for attention. But then also, there's a cultural element too, black people tend to grieve more publicly than white people.

Tears? He was a rapist.

Should have drove instead

You are more likely to die in carcrash apparently..

R560 she was a slut that willingly sought and went to a married man’s hotel room!! No one feels sorry for nasty whores with money signs in their eyes. If she wanted to stop a rapist from doing it to other women she would have put him in jail and not taken the money and ran!!!

[Quote] she was a slut that willingly sought and went to a married man’s hotel room!! No one feels sorry for nasty whores with money signs in their eyes. If she wanted to stop a rapist from doing it to other women she would have put him in jail and not taken the money and ran!!!

The justice system is no friend to rape victims.

R563, even if he were guilty, she couldn't put him in jail because the Court kept betraying the accuser by leaking confidential anti-accuser documents to the press, in violation of its own court rules. Any person trying to pursue charges in such a corrupt or incompetent Court is screwed.

[quote] Kobe was a family man. He wasn't 22 years old anymore.

R558, Vanessa almost divorced him in 2011-2012 (when he was in his mid-30s) over the fact that he continued fucking around even after the criminal case in 2003 (when he was 25).

Bryant was a "family man" just like he claimed to be a "practising (!) Catholic". Oh, my sides.

Married men fuck around, no shit.

Do married men who choke fuck women (oh, but not his wife) to the point of bruising ever think about their daughters receiving the same treatment once they become sexually active?

That's not what society means by "family man", R567. Otherwise Charlie Sheen would also have been celebrated as a "family man" :)

"Should have drove instead"

Oh, dear, R561.

What if they don't recover Kobe's and Gigi's bodies for weeks, given the dangerous terrain?

Will they proceed with a memorial service for both?

It's laughable that someone types out "married man's hotel room" to make the rape victim look bad. Mission not accomplished.

What dangerous terrain? The chopper crashed in Calabasas not the Rocky Mountains. You could see roads near the crash site and the chopper crashed on a hiking trail or path. The problem is probably that not much is left of the passengers.

Daily Fail has the best pics of the crash site. In one, you can see workers holding a blue tarp up over an exceptionally long body, that must have been Kobe. There is another, smaller body covered by a tarp on the right side.

Nike shut down sales of all Kobe merchandise. My business-save neighbor bought $2500 worth of merchandise from the Nike site as soon as news broke over the weekend. He has sold some of them on ebay, with 75-100% mark up.

"savvy"

R574, there's another pic of a pink blanket covering a body. Maybe Vanessa demanded pink body bags for Gigi and the other women?

[quote]The justice system is no friend to rape victims.

This will not be popular, but... no matter how many times people shout rapist, no one cares. Most women don't even care. Nothing has really changed all that much around this subject. You go to a hotel room with a guy, everyone knows why you're going. Everyone talks about female empowerment. Women are strong. And most of them own their choices. Both good and bad.

you seek out a bbc and say you like it rough then cry when your asshole is torn inside out. Plus that bitch made a cool million plus. Lol

[Quote] You go to a hotel room with a guy, everyone knows why you're going. Everyone talks about female empowerment. Women are strong. And most of them own their choices. Both good and bad.

That man went to a hotel room where he wanted to hook up with the (unbeknownst to him) soft butch sous chef. No one who consents to sex deserves when a predator decides to take it in a different direction, whether that's rape or murder. Own your choices. Fuck. I bet you haven't written anything about Kobe owning his choices.

r578 and r579 are just very ignorant and stupid people. Even if you go to someone's hotel room and agree to have sex, strangling and violently raping someone with bruises and lacerations and normal intercourse are two very different things. She DID NOT agree to violent sex.

Picture from a Calabasas back yard the morning of showing how foggy it was.

Another

[quote]She DID NOT agree to violent sex.

Unless you were in the room with them, you don't know what she agreed to. Idiot.

R428, it’s “spatial”, not “spacial”.

Promise u I’m not trying to be a “Oh dear!” bitch. I’m just giving u an FYI.

R584 Did you read his "confession"? Idiot.

R369, I don’t give a flying fuck that Grindr’s algorithm had enough sense to finally ban you, hence why you’re trolling here, but just in case no one has told you this, which I HIGHLY doubt, you’re a profoundly angry and unhappy person. You need to seek help, because life’s too short to be this fucked up.

I hope you get help, R369. I sincerely mean that, because honestly, you don’t have to live like this. It can get better, and you can be happy, but you’ve gotta do the work.

BTW, a bitchy reply isn’t going to make my response to you any less accurate.

Have a nice day, sincerely.

Comforting to know he had faith in Christ.

Kobe Bryant and daughter Gianna spent some of their final moments together in church. The former professional basketball player, who was raised Catholic, and his 13-year-old daughter attended a 7 a.m. mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of the Angels in Newport Beach, PEOPLE confirms. Father Steve Sallot of the Cathedral of Our Lady Queen of the Angels told local news outlet ABC7 that Bryant was in attendance on Sunday morning. “He was here before the 7 a.m mass and that’s our first mass of the day. He would’ve obviously been in prayer chapel before that and he was leaving 10 [minutes] after 7,” Sallot said.

For all the good going to church did them, R588.

She went back to work right after she was raped. Her co-worker said she looked normal.

If she was that distraught...why didn't she go to the cops right away? She said she kept trying to leave the room etc. Her story is not very solid.

Also, she didn't go the direct way to his room, she used the route where she would not be seen by his bodyguard who had been keeping people away from him...

She didn't tell him she didn't want to fuck him. She was very eager to meet him and talk to him and even kissed him, perhaps he took that all as positive signs, that she wanted to fuck him, they start fucking...she didn't say no until he asked to come on her face and she said no. and then he stopped.

I think it was just miscommunication...she got money out of it, she has been compensated. win, win.

[Quote] She went back to work right after she was raped. Her co-worker said she looked normal.

[Quote] If she was that distraught...why didn't she go to the cops right away? She said she kept trying to leave the room etc. Her story is not very solid.

[Quote] Also, she didn't go the direct way to his room, she used the route where she would not be seen by his bodyguard who had been keeping people away from him...

[Quote] She didn't tell him she didn't want to fuck him. She was very eager to meet him and talk to him and even kissed him,

What has any of that to with consent, which can be withdrawn at any time?

And did she not get the rape kit done within a 24 hour period? You're acting like she took a two week vacation and then made the accusation via postcard.

R589, you Realize the goal is to be in heaven with God? No one is staying here for very long. The question is the next destination.

R587, as rude as R369 was (deliberately so, obviously) they have a point. You know what else isn't a good look? Condescension and preachiness.

Unless you don't believe in that nonsense, R592. Then all you have to do is enjoy your life while you're here and don't hurt people. You don't need God at all to get pleasure and satisfaction from life. Stop assuming people believe what you do. That's the problem with religious people. They feel the need to dump their beliefs on others.

Ands no, the question isn't the next destination. If you're living a fulfilling life here, you don't need a "next destination." Thanks, and have a good day.

R594, nope I was talking about Kobe, an apparent and self-avowed believer, and my beliefs with no reference to your beliefs until you made a statement about them.

She didn't scream NO when he was banging her was she? how was he to know she didn't want it? She had tears in her cunt. She also banged at least another man...how do we know that the damage wasn't done by another man? yes, maybe she changed her mind...she got lots of $$$ for her traumatic encounter.

That is all ancient history..

R596, if you're also R592 (maybe you're not), there's an assumption one must have religious beliefs and a belief in the afterlife to have a satisfying life. If that wasn't you, fine. But I still maintain his going to church did little to prepare him and his daughter for the horror they encountered a couple hours later.

R597 Fuck off already you ignorant cunt. Are you a fucking rapist also that you defend one so vigorously?

I don’t know. It’s common for people in such circumstances to pray to God, which apparently gives them comfort. There is no way of knowing what these passengers were doing or thinking.

[Quote] That is all ancient history..

Leave Kobe to Heaven? I guess.

I think the fun has gone from this thread.

R599 and are you a cheap whore that sleeps around and can be paid off with lots of cash , since you defend one so vigorously?

R600, in the circumstances he found himself in, he didn't have time to pray. And even if he did, when you see an oncoming mountain, it's over.