Tom Jolly

One reason I find sports fascinating is that so many of our cultural issues are personified through them and promote discussion in a way they otherwise wouldn’t. Race, gender, religion, style and health are all subjects that have been brought into our homes because sports made them matter to us. 

That was apparent again at the end of this week when the Web was alive with discussion about the gay slur Kobe Bryant yelled at a referee. A former NBA player, John Amaechie, had the most poignant and pointed response in an article in The New York Times, writing, “This controversy is not a storm in a teacup turned into a vendetta by loony liberals, as many in the sports world seem to think.”  

Brad Vipperman of The Bleacher Report sees it from an entirely different point of view, writing that he has been “borderline livid” by the size of Bryant’s fine. Vipperman says Bryant was singled out because he’s a star and contends that the slur is simply “a casual word used to insult someone who did something he didn’t agree with.”

Bryant wasn’t buying Vipperman’s argument. During an appearance on the Dan Patrick Show, Bryant said it was “stupid and ignorant” to use the slur and it’s time to “kill that word.”

Concussions also returned to the news this week. I’ve been especially close to this because of my work with Alan Schwarz of the Times, who has been singularly responsible for elevating the conversation about concussions. As someone who grew up cheering the Steelers, it has been sad to see so many of those players afflicted by post-concussion problems. The latest is Terry Bradshaw, as reported by the Los Angeles Times.

But the news wasn’t all a downer: With the Knicks back in the playoffs for the first time in seven years, another longtime favorite is strutting back onto the stage - Walt “Clyde” Frazier. The flamboyant Frazier took Richard Sandomir on a tour of his wardrobe and gave him some insight into what he’ll be wearing while announcing the Knicks-Celtics series. As always, he’ll be easy to spot. 

Today’s Web findings focus on efforts at creativity. The clear highlight: The artfully crafted winning entries in the fifth annual Peeps Show (as in marshmallow peeps) organized by the Washington Post.

Creativity was also in evidence elsewhere in Washington, when a New York congressman took to the floor to critique the Republicans’ first 100 days in charge of the House, as described by Politico.

In Britain, it was the lack of creativity in “William and Kate: The Movie” that prompted a brilliant trashing by Stephen Bates of the Guardian.

At the U.S. Postal Service someone who thought they were being creative was instead embarrassed by the news that the Statue of Liberty pictured on a new stamp was the one at a Las Vegas casino, as The New York Times reports.

Finally, this isn’t creative at all and you’ve probably heard about it, but if you haven’t seen the case of brain lock that afflicted a young PGA Tour player as he set a record with a 16 on a par 4 hole, it’s worth a look.

As a part of my job as night news editor, I keep an eye on many Web sites and, in that process, I come across a lot of unusual stories. It struck me that others may be interested in at least some of those findings, so I’ll pass them along and you can look or not. 

First, though, a bit of sports trivia: What do the Bonds case and the NFL labor case have in common, aside from sports in the legal system? 

The answer is at the end, but now, those links:

An especially odd one to start: The last two people who speak an ancient language no longer speak to each other, as the Guardian reports. 

Yes, there are the burning budget questions in Washington, but there’s also this: Did Vice President Biden nod off during President Obama’s speech on Wednesday? Politico probes.

His company is near bankruptcy and he’s facing harassment lawsuits, but American Apparel’s owner tells The New York Times, “I refuse to allow society to define me at this time.” 

What’s the longest distance a goal has been scored from in soccer? This one must be close, as the Huffington Post notes. 

Finally, for all you royal wedding aficionados - you know you’re out there! - a quiz on who’s in and who’s out invitation-wise, courtesy of the BBC. 

Trivia answer: They both share the same given name and their surnames aren’t far apart either: Susan Nelson is the judge in the NFL case and Susan Illston is the judge in the Bonds case.