There are no rational debates. Kobe Bryant haters love statistical analysis. They also, more fundamentally, hate Kobe Bryant. For years, critics of the Los Angeles Lakers guard have argued that he can’t be counted among the all-time greats until ... (Continue reading)
Pity the victim of his own imagination. Kobe Bryant fans are fiercely loyal. They’re also mildly paranoid. Whenever an anti-Kobe article is published anywhere on the Web, supporters of the Los Angeles Lakers guard rush to his defense crying “Media conspiracy!”—which ... (Continue reading)
Pity the prima donna who loses her voice. Manny Ramirez is a prolific hitter. He’s also a perennial headache. In 17 big league seasons, the Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder has justified his shenanigans in the clubhouse with his statistics on ... (Continue reading)
We are the sins we leave behind. Kobe Bryant is a flawed legend. He’s also a faultless mortal. When the Los Angeles Lakers guard finally hangs up his Nikes, he’ll be remembered as much for his vices as for his virtues—which ... (Continue reading)
The most authentic Pilgrim is the one who never stops sailing. Kobe Bryant is a hopeless perfectionist. He should also be an honorary Puritan. When our forefathers came ashore at Plymouth Rock, they sowed the seeds of history’s mightiest civilization—which would ... (Continue reading)
It’s never easy to get the one thing you ever asked for. Kobe Bryant fans are obsessively loyal. They were also, until very recently, habitually disappointed. After half a decade of frustration, Kobe finally won an NBA title without Shaquille O’Neal ... (Continue reading)
Everybody wins under blue skies. Los Angeles baseball fans are notoriously apathetic. They’re also blissfully tolerant. As the regular season winds down, Joe Torre and the Dodgers are widely expected to make a run at the World Series—which might entail some ... (Continue reading)
Old pariahs never quit—they just fade away. Barry Bonds is a living legend. He’s also a dead issue. As MLB contenders tweak their rosters for the stretch drive, the still-not-retired Home Run King is a conspicuously undesired commodity—which wouldn’t be ... (Continue reading)
Sometimes you really do reap what you sow. Manny Ramirez is a blissful idiot. He’s also no one’s fool. After serving a 50-game drug suspension, Manny still maintains that he didn’t mean any harm—which would be less plausible if it weren’t ... (Continue reading)
Enough is never enough. Kobe Bryant has everything a guy could ask for. He also lacks the one thing he really wants. After a triumphant march through the NBA Finals, Bryant is still hunting for the final piece of the puzzle—which ... (Continue reading)