"What If's" that would Transform the Sports World | The Ramblings of a Crazed Louisianian

I've had strep throat the last few days (right before I was supposed to going to Omaha, go figure). Well as I was laying in bed yesterday with my throat feeling like it was on fire watching the same sportscenter crew that was kissing Lebron's feet just a month ago turn a complete 180 and praise Kobe like he was the 2nd coming, it got me to thinking, what if Kobe would have been convicted of rape all those years ago. This sparked a huge internal discussion with the voices in my head of how so many small, miniscule things could completely change today's sports culture. So today I decided to make a list of the top 5 things that believe would completely transform the world of sports. The rules are simply that it had to take place in the 21st century. Here's my first of 5 "What If's"

1. Kobe is sentenced 20 years in prison for rape.

This is an obvious one to me, imagine a sports world where Kobe Bryant is in the same class as O.J. Simpson and Michael Vick. Sorry if I was off on the years that he would be in prison, it's been a while since I've been convicted of rape lol.

The Effect- Shaq is seen as a border line hero for seeing what kind of a person Kobe was before anyone else. Shaq will embrace this role saying "Man, I saw this coming but nobody would listen to me". Without the Black Mamba to make coaching easier Phil Jackson moves on to the Knicks and attempts to turn that franchise around, but much like Larry Brown crumbles under the hot spot light with no superstar to work with. This Tarnishes his coaching legacy and Red Aurbach is still considered the best coach of all-time. Lebron James is the undisputed best player in basketball. Lebron is on the cover of sports illustrated on average 7 times a year and crowned as the second coming. Kobe is the most hated figure in sports meanwhile, the young lady he attempted to rape becomes a major celeb and pursues a modeling career. Whenever Kobe get's out he has nowhere to turn, no wife, no basketball, no friends, and he had to get involved with the Bloods in order to survive all those years in prison. When he attmpts to take what little remaining money he has and flee to Brazil in order to escape the gang violence he is shot in an airport while waiting on his plane. The murder is seen in the public eye as "what Kobe had coming to him" and it solidifies Kobe's place as the most hated figure in the history of sports while Lebron James passes Michael Jordan as the best player of all time.

Comments (3) Add A Comment

June 16, 2009 05:03 PM ET

Report Abuse | QUOTE

What if Bledsoe never got injured in the 2001 season?

Effect: Brady would never get his shot with the Pats, he probably goes from team to team as a back-up, rarely plays, then ends up retiring and becoming a model. Belichick would be fired by the '03 season after 4 consecutive losing seasons and end up as the D coordinator for some other team. Adam Vinatieri would have a worse chance than Ryan Leaf at making the Hall of Fame. The Colts and Steelers would become the fiercest rivalry in sports, as they would go on to win 6 of the past 8 Super Bowls