You've hear about the hooplah surrounding Kobe Bryant by now, I'd wager.

I knew from the first he had slept with the accuser (there are way to many NBA players with illegitimate kids in every city). But did he force himself on her?

I highly doubt it. He's so rich and so famous that he can walk into the middle of any mall in America, point at a girl, and have his way. Women like celebrity, and Bryant's got plenty of it.

I figure one of two things happened. Either this girl made a mistake and feels horrible about it (she was overwhelmed at being the same room as a superstar, or the psychological evidence brought up against her is true and she was a bit imbalanced) or she's a vicious gold-digger doing this for the money. This sort of this does, unfortunately, happen way too often. Women can easily use their siren-like powers to lure a man into bed and then take advantage of the situation (case in point: a friend has told me about how women will frequent bars where military men hang out, sleep with the guy and get pregnant, and then get pressure the guy into marriage; the idea is that military men are stable and relatively affluent, and thus a good catch).

Of course, I can't say for sure. But the odds are that Bryant's innocent.

He's no angel, but I doubt he's a rapist.

If it turns out that I'm wrong, though, my opinion of the guy will plummet. To not only cheat on his beautiful wife, but to do so by forcing a teenager, is absolutely vile.