Offside Chat Archives (2014-2021)

Elizabeth Mendoza said:Look, I get that you're special, but if I actually have to explain the difference between some random nobody passing away and a legend who spent decades making life better for millions of sports fans, smashing records, winning championships, elevating the entire game, and being a massive role model and inspiration to thousands of athletes globally... then we've got a problem.

Seriously though... you're so unique that you don't even need to pay attention.

Edit: It’s not like I’m overly devastated by the loss of people I don't know—I feel for anyone who passes away—but obviously, when someone famous on a global scale dies, it hits harder. So many of us grew up following these icons, reading about them every day, watching them on TV, playing games about them, or seeing them in movies.

Oh sure, man, nothing in reality is ever going to be as valuable or as close to the heart as all that treasure we're surrounded by in video games and on TV, in 👍. Kobe Bryant's dunks, Space Jam—that's the stuff. We grew up with those things; they shaped who we are. I totally get you, buddy👍

To you, an old woman dying in a nursing home is just some nameless grandma, but to me, my mind goes to how that could have been my own grandmother (even though she isn't in a home, you just make those instinctive connections). And even if it wasn't mine, it was someone's, and likely someone close. Honestly, when those reckless kids crashed their car recently, you commented on it stone-cold, calling it "natural selection." That just shows me that you, my little Arsenal FC fan, are a cold individual without empathy, living in some sort of personal simulation.

It's a given that news of a tragedy involving a famous name will echo through the media while an anonymous tragedy won't, but that doesn't mean it should resonate more deeply with us.
People ought to care more about their neighbors, their colleagues, or even a potential neighbor or colleague, than some celebrity entertainer they have zero actual connection to, aside from some imagined bond. Nobody I know died in a private helicopter, but theoretically, someone could burn up in a nursing home.
Setting Kobe aside, or setting aside those retirees who were news for exactly two days before vanishing, there are people today where you can only squeeze out a human reaction when a semi-famous person meets a bad end, yet they remain completely indifferent to the fates of ordinary people just like themselves.

Look, when someone basically dances their way straight into a grave because they were being arrogant and incredibly stupid, I’m not going to sit here and feel bad for them. I really don't see what part of that is confusing. 🤷

The other people mentioned didn't die because of their own recklessness. Their deaths were caused by actual accidents—mechanical failures and things out of anyone's control. You can't compare a helicopter crash or a fire to a drunk driver speeding down an icy highway, causing a wreck that kills themselves and everyone else in the car. It's just not the same thing.

RIP Kobe Bryant; you were a legend, truly one of the all-time greats.

It’s strange to look back and realize how much we all complained about that excessive grace he showed during his final season. Was it perhaps an intuition, as if he already knew?

There are so few athletes of his caliber who could achieve such greatness at such an early stage of their journey.

Man, when I think of Kobe Bryant, I’m honestly just gonna remember those Nike commercials where they try to recreate a Ronaldinho-style celebration.

He was easily the greatest soccer player to ever pick up a basketball.

Does anyone actually believe his passing is a bigger tragedy than dealing with those miserable folks back in Appalachia? Honestly, I’ve spent more time arguing with them in real life than I ever will about Kobe Bryant, for goodness' sake. If this were just some static PDF document, the retirees on here would probably feel the exact opposite.

It hits you differently when someone who seemed larger than life passes away before their time, especially if you truly loved watching them work. What is life, really? I suspect Kobe would have traded every single trophy, every bit of fame, and every achievement just to have five more years—even if he had to spend them as just another anonymous Barcelona fan on an internet forum.

brightpilot6 said:Does anyone actually believe his passing is a bigger tragedy than dealing with those miserable folks back in Appalachia? Honestly, I’ve spent more time arguing with them in real life than I ever will about Kobe Bryant, for goodness' sake. If this were just some static PDF document, the retirees on here would probably feel the exact opposite.

It hits you differently when someone who seemed larger than life passes away before their time, especially if you truly loved watching them work. What is life, really? I suspect Kobe would have traded every single trophy, every bit of fame, and every achievement just to have five more years—even if he had to spend them as just another anonymous Barcelona fan on an internet forum.

Maybe he already did?



hint : mister Yellow? ☕

Just kidding. I just spit over my shoulder three times—fingers crossed Yellow is doing alright and we actually get to see Barcelona back on top in Europe before I end up in an American nursing home.

Be careful not to burn yourselves out in your own enthusiasm ☕

I feel like there’s a bit too much spectacle surrounding his passing. Even the biggest news outlets seem to just be curating whatever people are posting on Twitter. It feels a little morbid, I guess, but I suppose that’s just how things work nowadays. Deaths of celebrities always trigger huge reactions, but this whole social media frenzy seems to be on a whole different level.

Honestly, accidents and sudden deaths happen all the time. No one is immune, whether they're struggling on the streets or living as a multi-millionaire. Tragedies like this can strike anyone, so maybe we should just try to enjoy life while we can.

RIP Kobe Bryant.

I'm not even a huge basketball fan, but everyone knew him.

As for elderly people in nursing homes, this just speeds up the inevitable.
People live way too long these days anyway. Those final years are often just suffering and an unnecessary burden on everyone, both financially and mentally.
I support euthanasia. Sometimes, it's just the right time.

People tend to gloss over the fact that Kobe Bryant assaulted a 19-year-old girl. Of course, the mainstream media is going to conveniently scrub that from the narrative, along with all those people who just want to play the emotional forgiveness card, but whatever. Bottom line? The guy was a rapist.

wiredfalcon2 said:People tend to gloss over the fact that Kobe Bryant assaulted a 19-year-old girl. Of course, the mainstream media is going to conveniently scrub that from the narrative, along with all those people who just want to play the emotional forgiveness card, but whatever. Bottom line? The guy was a rapist.

hahahaha maybe he's just a player

wiredfalcon2 said:People tend to gloss over the fact that Kobe Bryant assaulted a 19-year-old girl. Of course, the mainstream media is going to conveniently scrub that from the narrative, along with all those people who just want to play the emotional forgiveness card, but whatever. Bottom line? The guy was a rapist.

Fair point, I actually slipped up there. I've been reading that things were never truly cleared up, but even just the way they dragged her through the press—and how Bryant's legal defense basically argued she was "sleeping with someone else" a day later—is just pathetic. But honestly, isn't that just a symptom of a larger societal issue? You've got these massive superstars who act like the world revolves around them and they can do whatever they want to whoever they want, you've got young women caught in these impossible situations, and then you have the media and the public who instinctively take the celebrity's side because, frankly, they don't give a damn. Not to mention the lawyers who will tear anyone apart just to settle a lawsuit. It’s the exact same dynamic we’re seeing with Ronaldo right now. It's pretty disgusting when you think about it. That said, it doesn't change the fact that it's tragic how Bryant and his daughter passed away, nor does it erase the fact that he was a legend on the court.

Btw, not all the media outlets forgot, but The Washington Post suspended their reporter just because she posted about it on Twitter after Bryant died.

Honestly, it’s hard to even find the right words when you're faced with situations like this.

People tend to focus on him as an individual, but isn't it more accurate to say we didn't just lose a great person, but one of the greatest athletes to ever step onto a court?

ruggedjackal46 said:Fair point, I actually slipped up there. I've been reading that things were never truly cleared up, but even just the way they dragged her through the press—and how Bryant's legal defense basically argued she was "sleeping with someone else" a day later—is just pathetic. But honestly, isn't that just a symptom of a larger societal issue? You've got these massive superstars who act like the world revolves around them and they can do whatever they want to whoever they want, you've got young women caught in these impossible situations, and then you have the media and the public who instinctively take the celebrity's side because, frankly, they don't give a damn. Not to mention the lawyers who will tear anyone apart just to settle a lawsuit. It’s the exact same dynamic we’re seeing with Ronaldo right now. It's pretty disgusting when you think about it. That said, it doesn't change the fact that it's tragic how Bryant and his daughter passed away, nor does it erase the fact that he was a legend on the court.

Btw, not all the media outlets forgot, but The Washington Post suspended their reporter just because she posted about it on Twitter after Bryant died.

ended up getting an alleged $2.5m in the civil suit.
and as a woman, she had some other guy's sperm-stained underwear and pubic hair on her the very next day.
I highly doubt anyone was raped if she was back in the mood for sex by the next morning.

Nineteen years old 🤷

driftingstag6 said:ended up getting an alleged $2.5m in the civil suit.
and as a woman, she had some other guy's sperm-stained underwear and pubic hair on her the very next day.
I highly doubt anyone was raped if she was back in the mood for sex by the next morning.

Oh, wonderful. If someone assaulted your sister or your mother, and then stood up in court and claimed she was just some slut anyway, only to end up handing you a $2.5 million settlement? I’m pretty sure you’d be saying "Thank you very much!" right along with them.

the next day, she allegedly had underwear covered in two different guys' semen and pubic hair.
i doubt anyone was actually raped if she was already looking for sex again the very next morning.

That was a pathetic attempt at a defense. There’s zero proof those were even the same pair of underwear, nor is there any confirmation that she had sex with someone else after the incident with Kobe Bryant. Besides, the woman was in an ambulance where doctors found physical injuries consistent with sexual assault.

brightpilot6 said:Honestly, it’s hard to even find the right words when you're faced with situations like this.

People tend to focus on him as an individual, but isn't it more accurate to say we didn't just lose a great person, but one of the greatest athletes to ever step onto a court?

Kobe Bryant basically admitted to the assault, so there’s really nothing left to debate. After months of reviewing discovery, listening to her attorney, and even her testimony in person, I now understand how she feels that she did not consent to this encounter. Plus, he settled with her for 2.5 million bucks. He wasn't exactly great at explaining why she had those strangulation marks on her neck either.

This whole thing—just like so much other garbage in sports, business, and politics—really exposes the dark side of human nature. Nobody actually gives a damn about how you got there as long as you're winning. Corruption only becomes an issue when it stops benefiting the people you're rooting for, and then suddenly "let's play fair, if we have to". Silvio Berlusconi, Eric Adams, Jerry Maguire, Roman Abramovich, Luka Modrić... money from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, whatever. No one cares about any of it as long as everything looks shiny on the surface and we're all too drunk on the illusion of success.

So, this guy actually admitted he was choking her because he just loves that kind of intense sex, thrusting into her and didn't even realize that she wasn't into it. Then the defense tries to pull the classic move of bringing up her past mental health struggles and pointing out that they found someone else's DNA on her underwear.

Based on everything I've read and all the testimonies, I’m leaning heavily toward believing her.

That's just how it works—good lawyers will try every dirty trick in the book to discredit you as a witness, basically digging up some old drunk driving incident just to paint you as an alcoholic or something similar.

He even went on record saying he should have done it, comparing himself to Shaquille O'Neal, who has famously dropped millions on hush money, cars, and apartments for women just to keep them quiet. To me, that statement screams "spoiled brat" who thinks the world owes him everything and hasn't got a clue about respecting anyone else's feelings.

Unlike that massive pile of #MeToo cases where people stepped forward claiming victimhood just because they were bitter about their own sex lives—only to later admit they were lying—this is, technically speaking, rape.

Not every rapist is some predator lurking in the bushes waiting to jump someone on a dark street; if you force yourself on someone and choke them so they can't fight back, that is rape.

I wasn't even going to bring up that assault case because I don't know enough about the specifics, and honestly, if you aren't fully informed, it’s usually better to just stay quiet. But apparently, a few people on Reddit are now confirming that the guy is a total scumbag on top of everything else.

Of course his death is going to hit people harder. When someone spends their life pulling off those signature free throws and actually inspiring people, they leave a mark. It's not like some random nobody. You can bet the media will be dragging this story out for weeks.

There was this wild story blowing up in the news over in the States about two women who basically trapped some guy in his car, handcuffed him, wouldn't let him out, and then went all in on him.

The comment section was a total circus; you had the guys acting like lucky bastards, wondering why they haven't had that kind of luck yet, while the women were busy chirping about how it’s physically impossible to rape a man—clearly making some snide little jab about an erection, I guess—and just giggling about it.
On the flip side, if you dared to point out that there are plenty of women who have experienced orgasms during sexual assaults, they’d probably lose their minds.

But honestly, nothing beats those infuriating cases where some teacher assaults a sixteen-year-old student, and everyone acts completely shocked that it's considered a criminal offense. That’s when you really see how twisted people can be.
The men are practically cheering because they’ve all fantasized about hooking up with their teachers, and the women act totally bewildered, claiming he got what he wanted, that he wasn't forced, or that he's old enough to know better.

That’s the moment you truly lose faith in humanity; they just don't seem to grasp that when you send your kid off to school—even if they're a senior in high school—you aren't sending them there to be screwed by someone in a position of authority.

It doesn't matter what any teenager might think they want in the heat of the moment. A school is meant for learning, not some freaking nightclub.