I feel fine.
It might not read like it when I'm done here complimenting Kobe Bryant, but that's only because I'm kind of out of practice.
I didn't see the disaster Sunday night with Memphis, returning from Dodgers camp and in no rush to be further depressed.
But I picked up the morning newspaper and noticed the headline: "This loss doesn't sit well with Kobe."
So you know what I'm thinking right away: The Big Baby is crying again.
And you just know I'm going to pounce on that.
I read further, even though Mike Bresnahan wrote the story for The Times. He went to the University of Wisconsin and Wisconsin made a whole bunch of my Las Vegas parlay tickets into nothing but scrap paper after winning its first two games in the NCAA tournament.
Shame on Brez.
As for Brez's story, he's telling me Kobe is sitting on the bench in the fourth quarter, so I can only imagine the explosion of ugly faces after the game in the locker room.
Been there, seen that.
But I'm also curious to learn why Coach Mike Brown would do such a thing. He's not going to bench Kobe for taking a bad shot, or he'd be benching the guy every game.
Brown lost his job in Cleveland because he didn't always hit it off with LeBron, so I can't see him going out of his way to irritate Kobe unless he's intent on making a career change.
I continue reading, knowing Wisconsin has been eliminated from the tournament, and Brez must be just miserable.
I'm a little surprised, tough, to not find Kobe quoted early in the story. But then I figure Brez has nothing but obscenities to work with and those can't go in the paper.
There's also no Kobe moaning or groaning; instead I'm getting this guy who sounds like a pro while only stating the obvious.
"It's his decision to make," Bryant says of Brown. "If you guys are looking for a story, I'm not going to contribute to it. I can't sit here and criticize the decision. As leader of this ball club, it's something I can't afford to do. I've got to have his back."
I keep waiting for Brez to tell me Kobe is reading from a statement prepared by Lakers PR whiz John Black.
I go online to see video of the interview. But I notice the headline writers really have it in for Bryant, ESPN's reading: "Kobe upset at being benched."
Maybe he is, but who made the headline writers mind readers?
You watch video of the Kobe interview and he's as classy as any competitor can be after losing a game and failing to get a chance down the stretch to change the outcome.
