<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The criminal charges against Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant were dropped, and he settled a civil complaint against him with no public admission of guilt. But, according to a marketing expert, that won't help him regain his status as one of pro sports' most sought after pitchmen, at least in the short term. "I think the damages are done, and I don't expect him to have an immediate transformation as an endorsement person," said Steve Sander, president of Sander/GBSM, a Denver sports marketing firm. "His popularity has fallen quite dramatically in terms of how people regard him. So I don't think just because the suit has been settled that he's going to restore his image." Bryant, 26, reached a settlement with the 20-year-old woman who accused him of rape after a June 2003 incident in Edwards. Criminal charges were filed and later dropped. Bryant admitted to a sexual encounter with the woman but said it was consensual.</div> Source
you see that's what i hate about the media, they think kobe will never regain his status or getting love from the fans again. i think they are completley wrong, i see alot of people still wear kobe's jersey and still like watching him play. He's still popular and people still love him and will love him more if he turn the corner and start winning basketball games again, and make alot a people eat their words like vince carter did. im a big vince carter fan, but i admit kobe is the most talented player in the nba today, he's the only player that play similar to Jordan,no one else is even close to him in that catagory maybe vince at the begining of his carrer. But if kobe uses his talent to help his team more. i swear he'll go down on the nba history book as one if not the greates player to ever play the game. i think that girl just want money, kobe didn't rape her he just did what at least any man would do in that situation. To all the haters kobe will will will restore his image back and reclaim all the hype lebron has now
Kobe's jersey is not even in the top 20 in sales anymore last I heard and usually only guilty people settle civil suits (Michael Jackson?). There are exceptions but I don't think so in this case. Kobe's image is forever tarnished like OJ's and Artest's although maybe not quite as bad. I think the only way he'll help his team win is by getting a serious attitude transplant or kissing up to Phil and Shaq. I don't see any of those happening.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MUman:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe's jersey is not even in the top 20 in sales anymore last I heard and usually only guilty people settle civil suits (Michael Jackson?). There are exceptions but I don't think so in this case. Kobe's image is forever tarnished like OJ's and Artest's although maybe not quite as bad. I think the only way he'll help his team win is by getting a serious attitude transplant or kissing up to Phil and Shaq. I don't see any of those happening.</div> His jersey sale figure was reported incorrectly. Also keep in mind Kobe has been on the Lakers for 8 seasons now. Most of his fans already have his jersey. The only way Kobe can change his image is by winning. His image is tarnished, but a lot of great players before him have had extra marital affairs, including Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. Also this was the first time Kobe has ever had a run in with the law. He made a mistake, he paid a huge price for it and he has to answer to his family. Do you not believe in people getting a second chance, if so why doesn't Kobe deserve one? <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Usually only guilty people settle civil suits?</div> What is your basis for that conclusion? Do you even know the details of the Kobe case? Do you even know why there was a civil case? The reason why he chose to settle was to keep his private life private and to make sure the accuser didn't get to write a book, make a movie, do the talk show circuit, or ever mention it again.
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">His image is tarnished, but a lot of great players before him have had extra marital affairs, including Magic Johnson and Michael Jordan. </div> True, but then again which is worse: fooling around, or raping someone even if that someone has a shady past? Both are pretty bad in my opinion but, come on. And I never said he didn't deserve a second chance. <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">What is your basis for that conclusion? Do you even know the details of the Kobe case? Do you even know why there was a civil case? The reason why he chose to settle was to keep his private life private and to make sure the accuser didn't get to write a book, make a movie, do the talk show circuit, or ever mention it again.</div> Yes, my conclusion is rather bold, but there are plenty of facts about the case that make you stop and seriously question Kobe's innocence. Like how his sleazy lawyer mentioned the accuser's name (which is supposed to be protected by law) in court not once, not twice, but thrice despite being instructed not to do so by the judge. Kobe can afford bodyguards and heavy security for his house. The accuser can't. She's lucky she didn't end up like that poor kid who Michael Jackson settled his suit with. That guy had to move to some little country in Europe to try and escape all the death threats he got. Then there's the fact that the girl didn't want the civil suit first, but after her anonymity and reputation were threatened several times at the start of the civil case, she finally came to the conclusion that he was probably going to get off just like OJ did (only he got off for a much worse crime) and decided that she had the best chance of seeking justice with a civil suit. The civil suit was filed way after the criminal trial and only after the judge backed down on the shield law. If anything, Kobe chose to settle to keep even more horrible details about him from coming out, and the accuser wants to preserve her anonymity so writing a book or going on TV would not have been things on her "to-do" list.
Lately, i have been under the impression that things might be good for Kobe in a couple years. Some people will never forget obviously, but it will fade away once things heat up on the court and especially if kobe adds a couple more rings. You have to remember just how spotless this kid was before all of this.... only MJ could look cleaner to the public. But 1 mistake usually costs you a lifetime if the media eats it up...as for MJ, they protected him through his extortion case with the woman he cheated on his wife with and now its being brought back up, but anyways point is... kobe wasnt lucky enough to pull a jordan of the court so it will take time for th cloud to blow over, but i believe it will.
eventually he will shake this whole thing because most people's memories are not very long. But just take this for what you want... ...had he not done what he had done, he wouldnt be in the situation to begin with so really he has got nobody but himself to blame. You cant really compaire this with Jordan or Magic because they didnt do something that lead to the type of publicity that Bryant has been saddled with. I dont care whether he forced her or she forced him or the bell boy was holding a gun to both of their heads... one night stands with those who you have no idea of who they are is not a good idea if you are trying to cultivate the clean cut ideals that the american mass marketing media prefers to present. and if you have to ask "why?" on that last statement... you will never understand it. as far as the slump in jersey sales goes... I dont think that it has as much to do with this whole thing as it does the fact that the Lakers arent really doing as good as their fans had expected them to at the beginning of the year (along with the fact that while I dont know what the numbers are exactly, Im sure that the numbers are probably not as bad as have been reported).
