Kobe Bryant's Slam Dunk

I've been trying to avoid writing about the Kobe Bryant rape case, but since it's about to crumble, I might as well weigh in. I know my throngs of readers are just dying to know my thoughts on the case. In cases like this, I tend to side with the woman filing the charges - and even moreso when the accused is a star athlete at any level. My reaction to this case has been different from the start, however.

Sports stars play by different rules as soon as they are cherry-picked for greatness in high-school -- or even middle-school, for that matter. More often than not, they are passed through academic courses so that they may be kept on the playing field. They are treated with kid gloves at every turn, and their transgressions are often swept under the rug - unless their crimes are so egregious that they can't be hidden and potential jail time comes into play.

With this in mind, the Bryant case, superficially at least, seems like a slam-dunk for the prosecution.

However, for some reason, this case jumped out at me as a money-grab from the very beginning. An opportunistic (and hot) young blonde predator - yes, I said predator - saw a chance for some quick cash and a romp in the sack with a superstar and went for it. Neither party denies that they got it on, but the question is - was it consentual - and as more of the young lady's sexual history has come out, it looks more and more like it probably was.

Therefore, as more news comes out about the case falling apart, my money is riding on the case being tossed out. Once that happens, it will be interesting to see how much money she can make via the civil courts.

If it turns out that some unexpected evidence turns up and Kobe is proven guilty in criminal court, someone remind me to eat crow.