Consider the following hypothetical situation. Let's say you are playing for your high school basketball team and have persuaded one of the team's benchwarmers to stay afterward to play one-on-one. Let's also stipulate that you are much, much better than this benchwarmer, who, for our purposes, we shall call Rob.

Now let's say the two of you are playing a game to 100 points, with each basket worth one point, winner's outs after a made shot, and you are having your way with poor Rob, backing him down and driving by him and pulling up for jumpers. Pretty soon you've built an almost embarrassing lead — say, 40 baskets to none. Now, in this situation, do you:

a) begin to feel bad for Rob, who is, after all, doing you a favor by staying late, and perhaps ease up a bit so he can at least score a few baskets?

b) continue playing hard but maybe start taking only outside jumpers, so that Rob might have a fighting chance, thus making it more competitive?

c) never let up for a second, hounding Rob on defense and punishing him on offense, because the only way to win is to do so absolutely and completely, and only the weak relent, even for a moment?

If you answered "c," congratulations. You share a mind-set with Kobe Bryant, the most competitive life-form on the planet.

Bryant, in fact, lived the above scenario while at Lower Merion High in Pennsylvania — and did so more than once. Only Bryant didn't just get up 40–0. Sometimes he would take an 80–0 lead on Rob Schwartz, a good-natured, if undersized, junior guard. Think about that: 80 baskets to none. Can you imagine the focus, the ruthlessness, required to score 80 times on someone before they score once? Kobe can. To Kobe, this is just what you do. It is how you play.

"You'd think he'd have a tendency to ease back, but he doesn't have that in him," remembers Schwartz, who now works as a strength-and-conditioning coach near Philadelphia. "I think the best I ever did was to lose 100–12." Naturally, Bryant doesn't want to concede that Schwartz had even that much success. "I think he's lying about that," Bryant says when I tell him of Schwartz's recollection. "I told Rob that too. We were talking about it, and I said, ‘You never got 12. I never let you get double digits. Most you got was five.'" Bryant is smiling when he says this, but it's a forced grin. He really does want to set the record straight. Because God forbid any of us think for a moment that this Schwartz kid got double digits on Kobe Bryant.

Call it what you will: killer instinct, competitive fire, hatred of losing or, as Sam Cassell once said, "that Jordan thing." No one in the NBA embodies it like Bryant. It is at once one of the most valuable skills and the hardest to teach. Sports psychologist Jim McGee, quoted in Michael Clarkson's book Competitive Fire, describes elite athletes such as Bryant as "neurological freaks," positing that they have a different hormonal and neurological makeup than the rest of us.

It manifests itself in various ways. Some, like Magic Johnson, competed with an ever-present grin. Others, like Larry Bird, would rather cut off a finger than be congenial to an opponent. When Bird first met Michael Jordan, the two men were warming up for an exhibition game — NBA stars versus collegiate Olympians — on opposite ends of the court. When Jordan's ball rolled to where Bird was shooting, Bird picked it up, looked at Jordan and proceeded to punt the ball over Jordan's head. Welcome to the show, kid.

Jordan, of course, was himself famous for berating teammates in practice and for befriending opponents only to crush them later (once prompting coach Jeff Van Gundy to call him a "con man," whereupon, the next night, Jordan scored 51 points against Van Gundy's Knicks). Jordan so loathed losing that when he once dropped three consecutive games of pool to then-assistant Roy Williams while at North Carolina, Jordan refused to talk to him the next day. Asked to provide a one-word summation of Jordan, former Bulls center Luc Longley chose "predator." Yet, during his pro career, Jordan somehow managed to come off as lovable — just your friendly neighborhood athletic superhero who stars in underwear commercials and cartoons.

Because Kobe is Kobe, however, he cannot conceal his mentality the way Jordan did, behind a who-would-have-thunk-it smirk or an endorsariffic smile. With Bryant, his competitive fire manifests itself during practice, during games, during summer workouts, during conversation. When he dreams, Bryant is probably kicking someone's ass at something, perhaps swatting Bill Russell's hook into the third row. "He can't turn it off, even if he tried," says veteran swingman Devean George, one of a handful of NBA players who are relatively close to Bryant. And for that Kobe has often been pilloried — by fans, by the media, even by fellow players. But is that really fair? "Kobe wants it so badly that he rubs an awful lot of people the wrong way," says Lakers basketball consultant Tex Winter, guru of the triangle offense, who has known Bryant since 1999. "But they're not willing to understand what's inside the guy."

O.K. then, let's try, starting at the beginning, moment by basketball moment.

It's 1985, and Bryant is 7 years old, living in Italy, where his father, Joe Bryant, is playing professional basketball. He keeps bugging Brian Shaw, then a star player in Europe, to play him one-on-one. Eventually Shaw relents, and the two play H-O-R-S-E. "To this day, Kobe claims he beat me," says Shaw. "I'm like, right, an 11-year-old kid, but he's serious." Even back then, Shaw saw something different. "His dad was a good player, but he was the opposite of Kobe, real laid-back," says Shaw. "Kobe was out there challenging grown men to play one-on-one, and he really thought he could win."

Now it's 1995. Kobe is the senior leader on the Lower Merion team, and he is obsessed with winning a state championship. He comes to the gym at 5 a.m. to work out before school, stays until 7 p.m. afterward. It's all part of the plan; when Lower Merion lost in the playoffs the previous spring, Kobe stood up in the locker room, interrupting the seniors as they hugged each other in an attempt at closure, and guaranteed a state title, adding, "The work starts now." (To this day, Bryant remains so amped about his old high school league that when he taped a video message for the Lower Merion team a few years ago, it contained none of the usual platitudes; instead it was Bryant reeling off a string of expletives and exhorting the boys to "take care of fucking business!")

During the Kobe era at Lower Merion no moment was inconsequential, no drill unworthy of ultimate concentration. During one practice, "just a random Tuesday," as Coach Gregg Downer recalls, Bryant was engaged in a three-on-three drill in a game to 10. One of his teammates was Schwartz, then a 5' 7" junior bench warmer. With the game tied 9–9, Schwartz had an opening and drove to the basket but missed, allowing the other team to grab the rebound, after which they scored to win the game. "Now, most kids go to the water fountain and move on," says Downer. Not Kobe. "What do you think you're doing taking the last shot?" he demanded of Schwartz. The younger player looked at Bryant, amazed. "Dude," Schwartz said, "It's a three-on-three drill. It doesn't matter that much."

It was, Schwartz should have known, the wrong thing to say. He headed into the hallway to get a drink of water, but Kobe raced after him and berated him, and they nearly came to blows. It didn't stop with a reprimand either. "Ever get the feeling someone is staring at you — you don't have to look at them, but you know it?" says Schwartz. "I felt his eyes on me for the next 20 minutes. It was like by losing that drill, I'd lost us the state championship."

Now it's 1996 and the Lakers call in Bryant, fresh off his senior prom — he took the singer Brandy as you may recall — for a predraft workout. He flies in to Los Angeles and heads to the Inglewood High gym. In attendance are Lakers G.M. Jerry West and two members of the L.A. media-relations team, John Black and Raymond Ridder. Bryant, now 17, is to play one-on-one against Michael Cooper, the former Lakers guard and one of the premier defenders in NBA history. Cooper is 40 years old but still in great shape, wiry and long and much stronger than the teenage Bryant. The game is not even close. "It was like Cooper was mesmerized by him," says Ridder, now the Warriors' director of media relations. After 10 minutes, West stands up. "That's it, I've seen enough," he says. "He's better than anyone we've got on the team right now. Let's go."

Now it's early in his career. Just as he once did with Schwartz, Bryant keeps NBA teammates after practice as guinea pigs. "He was notorious for asking me to stay late to work on a move," says George, who played for L.A. from 1999 to 2006. "He'd say, ‘Stand there for a minute. I want to try something.' " And then Bryant would unveil a spin move, or a cross-over, or something else he'd picked up watching tape, and do it over and over and over. "The crazy thing about it is, he has the ability to put new elements in his game overnight," says George. "Like, for example, he might say, ‘Stay after and guard this move. Let me try it on you,' and he'll do it the next day in the game." George pauses to let this sink in. "Most of us, we'll try it alone, then we'll try it in practice, then in a scrimmage, and only then will we bring it out for a seven o'clock game. He'd do it the next day — and it would work."

This is how Bryant sees it — the game as laboratory. I first witnessed it in 2002, while I was interviewing him for a Sports Illustrated story. We were in an empty room at the Lakers practice facility and, when the conversation turned to dribble-drive moves, Bryant started getting worked up. He described to me a variation on a traditional move: a jab step-and-pause, where you sink deep, hesitate to let the defender relax and, instead of bringing the jab foot back, push off it. Soon enough, Bryant was out of his chair and positioning me as a "defender" on the carpeted floor.

"O.K., when I go here," he said, lunging forward, "now I just hesitate for a second and then" — and here Bryant pretended to exhale deeply — "Bam! I'm by you."

He stepped aside and, not content with the lesson, motioned for me to catch the imaginary ball he was holding. "You try it."

I jabbed, hesitantly.

Kobe shook his head. "Sell it man, really sell it!"

And so I did. And as we jabbed and relaxed and jabbed, it occurred to me that, deep down, Kobe Bryant is a total nerd. It's just that, while some people are Star Wars nerds, Bryant is a basketball nerd. "I think Kobe's actually a little bit embarrassed by his love of basketball," says Downer, his high school coach. "People called him a loner, but it's just that basketball is all he wants to focus on. I think he's part of a dying breed that loves the game that way."

It is this affection for the game that gets Bryant so excited about meeting kindred souls. Asked about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich during the 2008 playoffs, Kobe's face lit up as he recalled his chance to play for him in an All-Star Game. "I was really hoping he'd run us through one of those rigorous practices he does," said Bryant. When he got his wish, he deemed it "fun."

Now it's the summer of 2008, and Bryant is an Olympian on a team that will go on to win the gold medal. When around U.S. teammates, he refers to himself as "the old dog," as in, when Magic center Dwight Howard is being called to the bus as the team departs from a practice, "Don't worry, those motherfuckers aren't going anywhere without me. Stick with the old dog, and you'll be fine." (Howard does, and he is). It's a role Kobe's been waiting to play his whole career. Now, finally, he can be the alpha dog — all the time.

It is not easy to coach an alpha dog, of course. Especially one like Bryant, who not only knows the game chapter and verse but also understands both his own limitations and those of his teammates. As such, he is at times given to making, shall we say, executive decisions. "He's sure got a grasp of the game," says Tex Winter, the Lakers' coach. "He understands the game. But — and don't misinterpret this — he understands it a lot better than he plays it."

O.K., Tex, so as not to misinterpret: Are you saying that he knows the right thing to do but sometimes chooses not to do it?

"Yup, that's it," says Tex.

I know I'm not the first to point this out about mid-October, but this has to be one the best weekends of the year for sports. Two baseball playoff series, a full slate of college and NFL football, there's got to be an NHL game on somewhere and tonight is Midnight Madness. Even fake NBA can be had for the right price! There is literally something for everyone. Unless you like golf. That's why Zeus invented the Wii.

* * * * *

Anyway, this week is #over. How are those hash tags working out for everyone? Not using them at all, you say? Fair enough. Most of the kinks should be worked out by early next week, so do try to play around with it this weekend. Remember, use the big box on the front page to start new threads and yammer about whatever the hell you want. May I suggest #prayforfrog to get you started?

I have no idea who your weekend hosts are. Raise your hand if it's you! Otherwise just trust in the internet to provide you with one. It always does.

•Don't cry, Canes fans, The U looks like it's back after a blowout win over Georgia Tech. Next up: ranked Virginia Tech, higher ranked Oklahoma, and the very highly ranked "avoiding off-the-field controversies." That last one may prove unwinnable.

•The umpires claim that they were verbally abused by Angels coaches after two abominable questionable calls Wednesday night. You know what, Angels? Nick Green's OPS is .669. He deserves five-strikes-and-you're out, to make it fair.

•Roger Federer was fined $1,500 for this little remark at the US Open: "Don't tell me to be quiet, OK? When I want to talk, I talk. I don't give a shit what he said." Thanks to Roger and Serena, we know know that "fuck" is precisely seven times more offensive than "shit" in tennis. I don't even want to know what "mecrob" would cost you.

•A lockout of NBA refs is "imminent and unavoidable" after talks with the league broke down yesterday. The refs turned down an extra million dollars in concessions, which leads me to believe they haven't looked at the poll on this page that says only 24% of fans care if they come back. Leverage indeed.

•A judge has ruled that Kobe Bryant's former housekeeper can sue him for being wrongfully fired, but can't claim emotional distress. Honey, you got off lucky. I don't know if you've heard about Kobe's last court case, but consider yourself lucky if the distress was just emotional.

•I hope Dash didn't think his Mets Season Of Failure gallery was finished. Elias says the Mets have three game-ending errors this season. That's three times as many as any other team.

•Finally, did you like the Commodore 64? Do you think it would have been better if only they put out a version of Guitar Hero for it? You're not alone:

Kobe said that after the Lakers lost game six of the '08 NBA Finals in Boston by 39 points, he was alone in the shower, just fuming. He heard somebody walk in and assumed it was one of his teammates, or maybe a staff member. Instead, he looked up, and it was Ron Artest (to this day, Kobe has no idea how Artest got into the locker room).

"I want to come help you," Artest said. "If I can, I'm going to find a way to come to LA and give you the help you need to win a title."

It's always been my experience that any job interview that ends with your future employer needing to put on a towel, is not one that leads to a healthy work environment. At that point, being "hoodalized" is the least of your problems.

Ireland: Artest Told Kobe He Was Coming To L.A. [CBS 2]
Signing Ron Artest is a smart move by Lakers [Los Angeles Times]

July 4, 2003
Kobe Bryant Arrested For Sexual Assault?

Reports have surfaced today that a woman in Colorado has accused Lakers guard Kobe Bryant of sexual assaulting her. He will fly back there today and turn himself into police. Now I'm not a lawyer, but ... that can't be good.

Supposedly, the woman filed a complaint with the sheriff's office in Eagle, Colorado, on July 1 and police interviewed Bryant about the incident that allegedly took place at resort hotel where he was staying. After further investigation, they decided to issue an arrest warrant and he voluntarily fly back from Los Angeles to answer it. Developing, as they say....

Kobe had surgery on his ailing knee in Vail this week, which explains why he was staying at the Lodge and Spa at Cordillera, but doesn't explain why he may or may not be attacking young women there.

Off Wing Opinion: Kobe Bryant Charged In Sexual Assault [Off Wing Option]
Kobe Bryant Is Arrested on a Charge of Felony Sexual Assault [The New York Times]

July 18, 2003
Charges Filed Against Kobe Bryant

It's official. Kobe Bryant has been formally charged with one count of felony sexual assault. Bryant released a statement re-affirming his innocence. I hope your ready for the biggest trial since O.J. Maybe we can Marcia Clark and Judge Ito and the whole gang back together again! (Ugh.)

July 24, 2003
The Trashing Of Kobe's Accuser Is In Full Force

Here we go. Fox News is reporting that the woman accusing Kobe Bryant of rape was hospitalized as a "danger to herself" and may have tried to commit suicide four months before the incident with Bryant took place. Nope, this isn't going to get ugly at all.

This news comes just a couple of days after reports that the woman may have overdosed on sleeping pills just a month ago. This is, of course, the reason they never release the names of rape victims, because the defense strategy often tries to paint the person as an unstable loon to undermine their credibility. They don't seem to be having as much trouble with it this time.

Speaking of credibility, are people actually serious when they say that Kobe Bryant now has street cred? It has been said before that growing up in the suburbs of Philadelphia (and Rome) didn't exactly make Bryant a hero to the urban youth, but I'm not sure that rape is the solution to that particular P.R. problem. Aren't there better ways for a privileged millionaire to join the thug life, like slapping your butler or crashing your Bentley into the side of a McDonalds?

Kobe's Accuser Hospitalized Last Winter as a 'Danger to Herself' [Fox News]
Kobe Bryant's Wholesome Image Takes a Hit [Fox News]

September 2, 2004
All Kobe Bryant Charges Dropped

In a surprising move from Eagle County prosecutors, the felony sexual assault charge against Kobe Bryant has been dropped after it was announced that the victim was no longer willing to testify. I guess we won't get that trial of the century after all.

There had quite a bit of shade cast on the prosecution's case over the last year and after having her identity outed and her honesty attacked, it seems the accuser is not up to a long and very public trial. Frankly, I'm not sure any of us were. Our heads were already starting to hurt and we never even got to the opening arguments.

So that's it? A year later, Kobe's home free and we'll never really know what happened in that hotel room. Ok, we can still guess. But will we ever get a decent "ripped from the headlines" Law & Order episode out of it?

Rape case against Bryant dismissed [NBC Sports]
Kobe Rebounds [Time Magazine]

May 7, 2008
Kobe Bryant Is (Finally) Your MVP

Hey, remember that thing in Colorado? That was something, wasn't it?

7/01/2003 - Bryant rape allegations surface [In Historic]
Kobe Bryant Case Archives
Previous: Deadspin Classic: The O.J. Chase

L.A. somehow scraped together enough cash for a victory parade this week, but it started an hour late. Whence the delay? A catfight between Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (best known for nailing not one, but two local reporters) and Kobe over who would receive the undiluted hosannas of Angelenos:

The cause of the hold-up was occurring adjacent to the locker room, where Kobe was refusing to ride on the City Council bus because the mayor was to ride on it. At the same time, the mayor, the consummate spotlight thief, was refusing to get on the City Council bus unless he got on with Kobe. Kobe loudly denounced the mayor in phrases that started with "I don't like the …" and ended with "I'm not going to let him pimp my popularity!"

A compromise was reached when...well, a compromised was never reached. Kobe boarded the bus, and his teammates sneaked the mayor on behind his back. That's him above, the tiny little man in the fuschia tie.

But wait, there's more!

As the team bus approached Georgia Street, it was greeted by about 100 city workers who had labored throughout the previous day and night preparing the Coliseum for the rally. The bus stopped in front of them and the hard-working crew went ballistic for the team and shouted and cheered like they'd lost their minds. Then the mayor popped up from among the players and waved to the group, which suddenly turned silent, as if a spigot had been turned off.

...

Then, people in the Coliseum who knew nothing about the outside bus dust-up and the Georgia Street snub, had their own tale to tell: They say the mayor introduced the members of the team and after he introduced Kobe, he extended his hand for the customary shake and Kobe strode right past him ignoring the outstretched hand.

Now, all this info is coming from something called the Los Angeles Wave, so, grain of salt and all that. But does this sound particularly out of character for either of them?

Yes, that's a puppet hand with four rings on it. (Nice catch by the boys at Waiting For Next Year on this one.) This is like the guy who wears a Metallica t-shirt while attending a Metallica concert, only Kobe Bryant and LeBron James are the type of guys who wear a Metallica t-shirt while attending a Metallica concert when they are actually in Metallica.

And great anti-prediction by TMZ. Did you really think LBJ could out-ego the master?

Eat It TMZ: Kobe Rocks His Own T-Shirt [Waiting For Next Year]
LeBron James — Most Valuable Loser [TMZ]

Thank you for your continued support of Deadspin, even when others don't. Tomorrow: back to basics.

Turns out, all of that did, in fact, happen. Which Kobe readily admits a few pages later. Not a good start.

This Detective Loya is not going to stand for someone who doesn't remember the syllabus from middle school health.

To be fair, Vail, Colorado is a great place. Who wouldn't love it?

The NBA: Where quick happens.

Enter: guns. Where did they come from?

Because in the middle of asking a man if he sexually assaulted a hotel worker, it's important to get priorities straight. Detective Winters is just trying to get a heads-up for his fantasy basketball squad.

All the money in the world, and just one shirt to show for it.

Just another example of the absurdity of athlete autographs.

The highlight of the transcript. The pacing, the character development, the kicker — it's almost like this is a bad documentary about Kobe that will replay on ESPN for months.

"...in my opinion [inaudible] pants [inaudible]." Have fun with that.

First, sex-ed. Then Murphy's Law. Detectives doing work.

Leading the charge today is the only writer Jason Whitlock hates more than Will Leitch, Page 2's hypnotic Scoop Jackson who gifts us with "Kobe Thrives On All Our Hate":

Hello, my name is Hate. I've been around for a long time. Thanks for creating me.

I'm here today to talk about Kobe Bryant. Yeah, you know, that dude. The one who keeps me alive, simply because of the way so many of you feel about him. You see, there's hate, and then there's the way millions feel about him. There's animosity, jealousy, anger … and then there's the way so many of you..."

Yeah, yeah, yeah, we get it. Scoop Jackson's hollerin' at The Haters or whatever it is Scoop Jackson does. Fist-jab for Scoop. But he's not the only one who's come to pay early respects to Kobe prior to him winning this title. Here comes ornery Oregonian writer Geoffrey C. Arnold who does his own version of hollerin' at The Haters by letting everyone know well in advance that Kobe's already great — but he's going to be one of The Greatest after this victory because it's the first title he's going to win by HIMSELF:

Jordan played with Scottie Pippen, likely a Hall of Fame selectee. Chamberlain had Billy Cunningham (Philadelphia) and Jerry West (Lakers). Russell played with a bunch of Hall of Fame players, including John Havlicek and Bob Cousy. Johnson enjoyed the talents of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy. Bird teamed with Kevin McHale and Robert Parish, both in the Hall of Fame.

Bryant's most talented teammate is Pau Gasol. Gasol is a two-time All-Star, but it's questionable if he'll be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. After Gasol it's Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza.

Sweet Google-y moogly, Geoff, you're right. Compared to the other Greatest NBA Players to win titles, Kobe's the only one to do it with such an inferior supporting cast. He's playing with the Filipino transexual team compared to what Jordan, Chamberlain, and Russell had to work with. Fist-jab, chest-bump for Geoff.

And here's NBA.com's Vince Thomas who is letting us all know that, win or lose, Kobe's got nothing to prove to nobody no more so let him holler at The Haters for a bit:

This is a public service announcement for Kobe Bryant. He is two wins away from his FOURTH ring, not two wins away from his FIRST ring. The rhetoric — for the five years since Shaq bounced from Hollywood to Hollywood South — has been revisionist, ignorant and misguided. "Kobe's never won a ring without Shaq." That's what they've said. What they've meant is, "Kobe only won those rings because of Shaq. Those were coattail rings. His rings were Scottie Pippen rings, James Worthy rings." Excuse the juvenile retort, but — shut up!

Jump back! Anyway, fist-jab-chest-bump-elbow-wiggle-bro-hug for Vince. You did Kobe right.

Magic/Lakers Game Three tonight (Skeets?). Oh and hockey. (Dash will update if the Wings win tonight, I am told. Hooray for Dash)

Kobe Bryant Police Interview Courtesy Of The Smoking Gun

*****

Thank you for your continued support of Deadspin, those of you still left to thank in this section. Who's out there? Can't see too well. Oh, hey UkraineNotWeak. Yeah, I see you. You got friends down there? Good. Enjoy the games.

Even the Magic fans watching this game with Orlando Sentinel cheat sheets knew it was over very, very early. Kobe, playing on Black Mamba "stun" setting, went 40/8/8. Look at that expression. That's Kobe's mindset right now. In or out, NBA fans.

PHOTO: Jeff Golden

****

Good morning. Welcome to Friday. Guest Editor intro post in 15 minutes. Now dance.

Once again, Kobe did work, perhaps because he wanted to remind everyone that LeBron isn't the only superstar left in these playoffs. He finished with 41 points, the second time in this series he has dropped more than 40, and, for that matter, did not visibly cry. It was a good night — except not for Carmelo, who went scoreless in the third and all but disappeared after intermission, changing the tenor of this series and giving the momentum right back to Kobe and Co.

And even though Bryant broke out and left all his oxygen on the floor, it was Derek Fisher — he of four points and two assists in 26 minutes — who rallied the team with a fourth-quarter rendition of Win One for the Gipper.

Thus Fisher's speech, which he didn't want to repeat to the media, but was forced to because so many of his teammates were marveling about it.

"I told them, this was a moment in time when you can define yourself," Fisher said. "I told them, this was a moment when you can step into that destiny."

Fisher said he summed up the speech in a sentence.

"I told them, this is your moment," he said.

Must be a Kelly Clarkson fan. Or he prefers Jordin Sparks. Either way, it's pretty clear, at this point, that Fisher is a big American Idol fan.

In other action last night, the Penguins smacked the Hurricanes 6-2 to take a 3-0 series lead. That type of advantage, we're often told, is commanding.

Melo at a loss to explain cold spell [ESPN]
Derek Fisher finds the words and Lakers find a way to win [LA Times]

But don't fear, metropolitan Denver residents. Your local television station is here to tell you how to feel about this unfortunate public crime:

9NEWS doesn't condone the defacing of public property, but we do appreciate the sentiment displayed on stop signs in Denver's Baker neighborhood.

Who doesn't?

'Kobe stop crying' signs pop up on Denver streets [9NEWS]

*****

That's a wrap for today. I'll be back tomorrow, hopefully with some more substance, and we'll do this whole thing again. Thanks for your continued support of Deadspin, and for not hiding when the new guy showcases his ineptitude.