Really BBC ? Really ???

King85

johnl said:

Are man you beat me to it.

WiresDreamDisasters

p90fool said:

crunchman said:

UnclePsychosis said:

Being bizarrely proud of not having heard of Kobe Bryant is like being bizarrely proud of not having heard of Maradona, Boris Becker, Usain Bolt or Venus Williams.

The man was an absolute superstar of sport whether you like it or not. 

Don't know if it's quite the same as the other sports you mentioned.  Tennis and athletics are sports that have always had widespread TV coverage in the UK.  Basketball hasn't ever had that coverage.

I also suspect it's partly a generational thing.  For guys in their 50s, like Emp and a lot of others on here, Basketball was never likely to be a big thing.  For younger generations, they are probably far more aware of it.

Bollocks, Meadowlark Lemon died fairly recently and he was on TV in the UK most Saturday afternoons on one of only three available channels, but to non-Sky subscribers Bryant is just a rapey kind of OJ Simpson character that you're not 100% sure what he does for a living. 

Maradona, Boris Becker, Usain Bolt and Venus Williams are/were all international superstars, competing on foreign soil against British contemporaries.

Being proud of not knowing who someone is is silly, but affecting a spurious interest in and paying to view domestic-only US sports is even sillier. 

"Every Lakers shirt you see in the summer" my absolute arse. 

This is so hilariously and stupidly wide of the mark it demeans even you. 

fields5069

Obviously football has to get in on the action. Neymar has done a tribute after scoring, apparently.

I generally think they look like arses whenever they do the "look at me, I'm looking to heaven, I knew someone" poses.

I wonder how far down in football's pecking order you can go and still pull off the look?

I can't imagine Daz from Sunday League shooting an imaginary hoop after back-heeling the ball into his own net.

Dopesick

Emp_Fab said:

Yeah, but seriously.... an American athlete ???  How many people here have even heard of Kobe Bryant ?

Seriously?

RaymondLin

Of all the things people argue about -

Whether a dead person is famous enough to be headlines on the BBC.

Seriously? 

CHRISB50

Emp_Fab said:

The lead story is about an American basketball player that has died.

The second story is the Chinese virus that could potentially become a global pandemic is discovered to be infectious even during its incubation period, making it even harder to control...

Fuck.  Me.

Dude, as someone with history of a dodgy ticker, do yourself a favour and don’t get so pissed about stuff that doesn’t effect you. 

BigBearKris

I actually spend most of my teenage years watching and playing basketball and apart from UK, NBA and their stars were (and are) HUGE. He was a great person, even greater athlete, he had a massive influence on so many young people, community and also players that he played with and against. Don't forget that one of his four daughters died in that crash too, so it's not ''only'' about his death.

Basketball is so unpopular in Britain but don't make a mistake thinking that's the case everywhere else in the World.

Kobe was one of the greatest that ever played any sport. He even won an Oscar for best animated shot film in 2018.

Last night and today I care for his departure much more than virus, royal family or whatever else happened in last 48hrs. 

But you wouldn't understand as you take pride in ''not knowing who he was'' and assuming that you're in majority. 


Seize the day, show some respect, hug your daughter tight today - don't be an ass. 

fields5069

RaymondLin said:

Of all the things people argue about -

Whether a dead person is famous enough to be headlines on the BBC.

Seriously? 

I'd actually question whether this is even important enough news to be anywhere near the front page. Put it in the obituary or the sport section.

dazzajl

fields5069 said:

RaymondLin said:

Of all the things people argue about -

Whether a dead person is famous enough to be headlines on the BBC.

Seriously? 

I'd actually question whether this is even important enough news to be anywhere near the front page. Put it in the obituary or the sport section.

That ranks right alongside the people that question why folks get upset when artists like Bowie or Freddie die. 

These rare giants have huge impact and bring change and value to the lives of millions. Losing Kobie is no more tragic than the other 8 souls on board but it’s very much a major global news story

octatonic

dazzajl said:

fields5069 said:

RaymondLin said:

Of all the things people argue about -

Whether a dead person is famous enough to be headlines on the BBC.

Seriously? 

I'd actually question whether this is even important enough news to be anywhere near the front page. Put it in the obituary or the sport section.

That ranks right alongside the people that question why folks get upset when artists like Bowie or Freddie die. 

These rare giants have huge impact and bring change and value to the lives of millions. Losing Kobie is no more tragic than the other 8 souls on board but it’s very much a major global news story

This.

If a member of the royal family died would people expect it to not be run on US TV stations?
I mean, they are ONLY PEOPLE, and the US don't have a royal family- why should they even care?
It is silly.

Certainly though the Coronavirus story will be in the papers much longer than the Bryant story.

Shall we file this thread under "Emp's time of the month" and move along?

fields5069

dazzajl said:

fields5069 said:

RaymondLin said:

Of all the things people argue about -

Whether a dead person is famous enough to be headlines on the BBC.

Seriously? 

I'd actually question whether this is even important enough news to be anywhere near the front page. Put it in the obituary or the sport section.

That ranks right alongside the people that question why folks get upset when artists like Bowie or Freddie die. 

These rare giants have huge impact and bring change and value to the lives of millions. Losing Kobie is no more tragic than the other 8 souls on board but it’s very much a major global news story

I guess what I'm trying to say is - his impact when he was alive was apparently huge, but I personally don't see how his death affects that. That said, I have no idea what he was doing after retirement. Bowie and Mercury were still active in the fields they became famous for. It's not really up for argument, it's my point of view. I would prefer to read a measured, skilfully written obituary on Mr Bryant's attributes and life. 

robgilmo

I wonder if the 19 year old girl he raped at her place of work is mourning him right now?
Hand bruises round her throat and blood on her clothes, but hey, my hero!

crunchman

I'm not a basketball fan, but he was an important figure.  Just saw this in a Guardian article on him:

His international popularity may have even dwarfed his national celebrity, as he was routinely met by mobs of fans – he once had to escape a reported 15,000 adoring supporters when landing in China for an appearance in the late 2000s – wherever he travelled.

Basketball is not big in the UK - especially in the slightly older demographic that makes up most Fretboard members - but he is an important figure.

If I ever get rich, I think I'll steer clear of helicopters.  Stevie Ray, Colin McRae, Matthew Harding, the owner of Leicester City.  It's a long list.

King85

BigBearKris said:

But you wouldn't understand as you take pride in ''not knowing who he was'' and assuming that you're in majority. 

The most cringe part of this all is that he probably does know who he is though...

And people bringing up the rape case, dear God...

Danielsguitars

I've no idea who he is but to die that young and I believe his daughter I feel it's tragic, I'd rather hear about this than a pair of royal cunts fucking off to Canada and I know who they are, good ridence I say, hopefully we hear less from them 

Danielsguitars

crunchman said:

If I ever get rich, I think I'll steer clear of helicopters.  Stevie Ray, Colin McRae, Matthew Harding, the owner of Leicester City.  It's a long list.

Don't forget Steve hislop, one of the best TT riders ever imo, it was a stupid helicopter crash that killed him

robgilmo

King85 said:

BigBearKris said:

But you wouldn't understand as you take pride in ''not knowing who he was'' and assuming that you're in majority. 

The most cringe part of this all is that he probably does know who he is though...

And people bringing up the rape case, dear God...

Sorry, no , your right, forget about him raping a 19 year old girl , lets concentrate on what a great guy he was instead.

prowla

Well, I take no joy in sad news, but I'd never heard of him before.

On today's BBC headlines, the 3rd story is about a cat in a supermarket...

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-norfolk-51264786

...and the 6th one is about Paltrow's Netflix series.

crunchman

Was in Sainsburys yesterday and saw the Sun headline was about Harry/Meg/Thomas Markle.  Wonder if that will make Emp's blood pressure so high he will explode?

dazzajl

robgilmo said:

King85 said:

BigBearKris said:

But you wouldn't understand as you take pride in ''not knowing who he was'' and assuming that you're in majority. 

The most cringe part of this all is that he probably does know who he is though...

And people bringing up the rape case, dear God...

Sorry, no , your right, forget about him raping a 19 year old girl , lets concentrate on what a great guy he was instead.

Kobe was in that circle of people who’s achievements and influence are impossible to ignore. As was his extraordinary talent but I never warmed to him as person. I only point all this out to set the scene that I’m not defending him on the basis of personal feeling. 

His rape accusation was exactly that. It’s a very complicated story with a lot of documented reason to question almost everything, on either side. So unless you were there, you can’t possibly know the truth and it’s for this reason that the US adopts a legal system like ours, where the burden is in on the proof. Innocent until proven guilty.