But you are saying THEY should drop it and move on. One has already done that, the other has not, yet Kobe is still getting lumped in with Shaq's bitterness and immaturity without having done or said anything negative about the guy in four years. And yes the world DOES work that way, people have short attention spans and move on at a blistering pace. I am willing to bet that all the examples I have cited for Shaq in this thread were forgotten by the majority of posters and fans. Why? Because people tend to forgive and forget. But not for Kobe (and some others as well). In fact, Kobe gets blamed for things he isn't even participating in. It is unreal No it was towards you in that I was pointing out that a lot of people (the majority of them in fact) continue to say THEY need to drop it when in fact only one person at this point needs to drop it. The point being that people contnue to blame Kobe for Shaq's transgressions. Granted, Kobe is a part of it, but I don't buy and never will, that he deserves the criticism that really should be reserved for Shaq in this instance. Just because Kobe's name spills out of Shaq's mouth doesn't mean that Kobe should be admonished as well. He is, at this point an innocent bystander when it comes to Shaq. Shaq blaming Kobe for him cheating on his wife is pathetic and another example of how selfish and terrible human being he is. I can name a bunch of selfish athletes too. But none, in my opinion touches Shaq. In that department, Shaq truly is the greatest of all time. Okay, Kobe isn't that bad. But if I leave it at that, I will get nailed for being a homer and someone will demand some proof and blah blah blah. I never said Kobe is a victim of circumstance either. Kobe has done plenty of things that I don't agree with and actually make me want to denounce my fandom of him. Martyrdom is is voluntarily suffering for the sake of your beliefs or principle. My point is that Kobe shouldn't be as hard hit as he has. If anyone is making him a martyr, it would be Kobe who refuses to lash out against the people who continue to berate him because he knows it would do nothing but add more fuel to their BS fire. edit: I really need to get to work and listen to Howard Stern rip on Imus for being stupid again...
No I am saying that Kobe,nor you, nor anyone else, should not be surprised that one side of the argument has not dropped it given that kobe helped to also perpetuate the situation. Again just because Kobe decides to move on, Kobe nor you, should try to make it seem like Kobe is innocent in all this. I am not saying shaq is innocent which is what you seem to want to imply I am saying. In fact what started all this was me saying they both should stop going public with their disagreement. I did not say Kobe is still doing it, I just implied that they both have done it, and if they decide to do it in the future should stop. You are reading or trying to read to far into it. I didn't say they need to drop it, again. I said they both need to stop putting their beef on the streets. And I said that you trying to make it seem like shaq is a bad human being for still being pissed off is wrong as well given the history and that kobe has helped perpetuate the situation in the past as well. Well by all means then continue to over state his so called atrocities then. Awww geez he should be up there with Ghandi then. Again Kobe gets alot of this anger because of what Kobe has said/done.
Ugh, enough already. To defend either one of those clowns, to me, its just irrational. Theyre both going to the Hall of Fame, so theres no point in discussing whos right or wrong in their stupid, trivial affairs.
You don't like it stop reading the thread. We are debating, like when you debate people in pofo. I don't always see the point to your debate but I don't tell you to stop either.
Its all good Finsane. Ultimately, you are right and this is trivial. But this is a message board about primarly sports and if we decided not to discuss the trivial stuff, this forum would be pretty dead. Lucky and I do this type of stuff a lot. It ends up with us slapping and yelling at each other. But then we go to the Just To Talk thread, make fun of Griddles and MajPain and everything is hunky dory again.
Of course its trivial and inaccurate. Everybody except for Sam knows his boytoy is an egotistical condicending A-HOLE, but then again, so is the aggressor (Shaq).
I am not reading too far into it, I was pointing out that psychology, people still blame Kobe for things that are beyond his control. you putting both of them in the same category at this point is wrong seeing as how one has really continued this fued while the other has distanced himself from it. Besides, you say both should drop it, but Kobe should expect to get his fiar share of criticism becase he made ONE comment about a fat Shaq four years ago? So the players should shut up but the media and fans are okay to bring up old stuff over and over again without being called on the carpet? But that is the point. Kobe HASN'T put the beef on the streets. So why does he have to be admonished again for something he hasn't done? And Shaq is a bad human being for many things, INCLUDING being petty to the point of rapping about a seemingly dead situation weeks after publicly coming out and "supporting" Kobe in the playoffs. Any chance to get on my soapbox and tell the people of Shaq's misbehavior and horrible attitude, I will take it. Remember, I have YOUR permission. Ghandi was a baller but Ghandi couldn't dunk.
So tell me, is Csonka a good kisser? You know that guy failed to get the proper permits while filming his show? And that he gave the finger on the cover os Sports Illustrated? Not to mention that fact that he comes off lke a smug a-hole anytime anyone brings up the sport of football. See, I can make ******ed gay jokes as well and call people an a-hole as well.
By baller I certainly hope you dont mean "Free Baller". Could produce VERY bad images under that robe...
And I am not saying Kobe is innocent either. You are putting words in my mouth if you infer that. My main point in all of this is how laughable it is that Kobe is getting nailed for this when Shaq is the guilty party here, and has been more of the culprit in their fued than Kobe has.
Only if you're uptight. Us Californians are much more compassionate and caring to folks. Nevermind that I am from Oregon...
But he had Barkley and Olajuwon. Fine, they were at the back half of their careers too, but that's still Barkley and Olajuwon.
I know you and Sam debate stuff like this and I know that these forums exist to talk about meaningless stuff because we all have too much time on our hands. I certainly wouldnt want to "poison" the other forums with a POFO attitude and demeanor. Carry on.
sorry missed your linkage...its not funny though. IMO. He has done alot for the community, he says some ish about Kobe shouldn't reflect this.
I never understood Laker fans. They rip on the guy responsible for their last 3 championships...and kiss the *** of their choking dog superstar who also happens to be an *******.
yeah shaq was the ONLY one responsible for the 3 rings. We/I rip him because he rips the organization and the city. He was a great Laker but he talks to much ****. And If it was the other way around and it was Kobe id feel the same way.
Well, when a former player rips a current player, it'd make sense that we support the current player over a former player who left with not so much grace. If Shaq started "free-styling" against Wade, I'm pretty sure Heat fans won't like it.
Shaq was kicked out of LA, he didnt leave on his own free will. It was him or Kobe, per Kobe's request remember? Miami did not kick him out he wanted out, and he's never had anything bad to say about Wade, because even when Wade overtook him as the number one man on the team, he still had respect for Shaq, and his other teammates.
That was still in question when it happened and few outside of the organization knew for certain until much later. By then the publicity damage was done from the beginning and bridges were severed, deserved or not. All I'm saying is, if he started badmouthing Wade, Heat fans would have the same reaction Laker fans are having right now. Did I say Shaq had anything bad to say about Wade? I didn't say he badmouthed Wade, I'm saying if he did in the manner that he did to Kobe, Heat fans certainly have a right to be in an uproar just as Laker fans are about this. I really could care less about his relations to the Heat (or the Heat in general but that's another story), I'm just saying if some former player dissed a current player (and fan favorite), the fans have a right to not be happy about it.
Somebody made a good point on the radio yesterday. While it's true that Kobe hasn't won anything without him, Shaq hasn't won anything without Kobe and D-Wade. He got to another final with Kobe, and one with Penny Hardaway giving him 22 and 7. While Shaq was the dominating player on every one of those teams except D-Wade's, he shouldn't act as if he was the only reason they won, which....freestyle or not.....he always seems to do.
Well look at the teams Shaq has played for and what they've done after he left. It took the Lakers a few years to get a contender on the court and Miami fell apart once he got hurt and left. Orlando hasn't been a serious contender since he left like 80 years ago. Look Shaq has an ego and he's a douchebag no doubt about it, but he is one of the best centers of all time and he is one of the if not the main reason the teams he was on won titles. You could argue that Shaq wouldn't have won without DWade or Kobe and I think you'd be right but I don't either of those guys would have won squat without Shaq either. I think we just need to acknowledge that Kobe is a douchebag and so is Shaq and call it a day.
Shaq gets slapped by sheriff for rap about Bryant PHOENIX (AP)—Shaquille O’Neal will lose his special deputy’s badge in Maricopa County because of language he used in a rap video that mocks former teammate Kobe Bryant. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio said the Phoenix Suns center’s use of a racially derogatory word and other foul language left him no choice. Arpaio made Shaq a special deputy in 2006 and promoted him to colonel of his largely ceremonial posse later that year. “I want his two badges back,” Arpaio told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “Because if any one of my deputies did something like this, they’re fired. I don’t condone this type of racial conduct.” http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-shaq-kobe-rap&prov=ap&type=lgns
