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NBC’s Collinsworth Questions Kobe’s Patriotism (VIDEO)

August 15th, 2008 at 11:35 by MsUnderestimated

Typical anti-American tool at NBC. Chris Collinsworth had a brief segment with Kobe Bryant of Team U.S.A. about what the Olympic games mean to him this year. Chris asked him about what it felt like when he first got his U.S.A. uniform, and Kobe begins to talk about what an honor it was for him to get it. Here’s part of the conversation:

Collinsworth: Where does the patriotism come from inside of you? Historically, what is it?

Kobe: Well, you know it’s just our country, it’s… we believe is the greatest country in the world. It has given us so many great opportunities, and it’s just a sense of pride that you have; that you say ‘You know what? Our country is the best!’

Kobe Bryant

Collinsworth: Is that a ‘cool’ thing to say, in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you’re fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by.

Kobe: No, it’s a cool thing for me to say. I feel great about it, and I’m not ashamed to say it. I mean, this is a tremendous honor.

Collinsworth actually seemed a bit surprised at Kobe’s pride in his country.

You can watch Kobe pwn Collinsworth here.

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Posted in Are You Kidding Me?, Patriotism, Video | | TrackBack | | | View blog reactions

Viewing 20 Comments

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    I agree, you are what you eat
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    I am fed up, as our the majority of people I speak to, about the liberal mainstream press across the country as well as some of the big-mouth talk show hosts (I get a thrill down my leg - does that sound familiar). I am totally fed up with Costas and Collingsworth - especially with the questions Collingsworth asked Kobe Bryant. I was pleasantly surprised and happy with the answers Kobe gave. I lost a 19 year old brother in World War 2 as well as my other brother serving and many of my cousins and friends. My husband served in the Korean War. Yes, we display flags and shout our patriotism. We LOVE America and are proud of it. SHAME on Costas and Collingsworth - where would they like to relocate?????? tHE SOONER THE BETTER.
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    I THINK MR. COLLINSWORTH SHOULD GO LIVE IN THE COUNTRY HE FEELS PROUD OF.
    A DISGRACE TO HAVE HIM IN SUCH A HIGH PROFILE ARENA, DAILY, WEEKLY ETC..

    MR. NATI AMERICAN, SHOULD WE BE PAYING HIM IN AMERICAN DOLLARS OR RUSSIAN RUBLES,
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    MS U

    I have to disagree with your assessment here... I didnt think he was challenging Kobe..just drawing out the point... for clarity. He (Collingsworth) is correct to a disappointing point... it HAS become somewhat "uncool" to make patriotic noises in public... more trendy to trash our country and what we stand for... CODE PINK etc gets alot more mileage for an "activity" or event than does the AMERICAN LEGION or VETS FOR FREEDOM.
    I think Chris Collingsworth was allowing Kobe a chance to place emphasis on his feelings and to state it twice, clearly.

    GO USA. GOLD/SILVER/BRONZE. GO RUN/SWIM/ROW/SAIL for the pure fun of sport. And if you beat an athlete from a country that has come into conflict with the US.. but has their athletes TRAIN in the US before competing against the US.... GO HARDER/FASTER/LONGER!!!

    Max, out.
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    Good try nobigdeal but it seems impossible to spin this one. Way out of line for a sports correspondent to even lead an athelete down that road. What you see in this interview is Chris Collinsworth view of America, and his political slant. Completely moronic of Collinsworth to try and politically charge the interview. I'm glad Bryant stuck it to him and held his ground, like a real American should. Collinsworth needs to go back to his former job at the all-night video store.
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    don't know why the person who made the video edited it the way he did but he cut out an important part. Collinsworth did a nice job of serving up the soft pitch as well.

    It's in the first 5:00 minutes into the interview and it's pretty good. (see link below)

    Collinsworth: Is that a ‘cool' thing to say, in this day and age? That you love your country, and that you're fighting for the red, white and blue? It seems sort of like a day gone by(?)

    Kobe: No, it's a cool thing for me to say. I feel great about it, and I'm not ashamed to say it. I mean, this is a tremendous honor. You look at our troops overseas who are fighting for our country...that's what they do...and this is what we do...I'm a basketball player, obviously it's extremely minimal in comparison to what they do for our country."
    www.nbcolympics.com/video/share.html?videoid=08...
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    Hi, Alan. I edited the video. And I only edited out the last part: "You look at our troops overseas who are fighting for our country...that's what they do...and this is what we do...I'm a basketball player, obviously it's extremely minimal in comparison to what they do for our country."

    The reason being is the gyst of the post was about Chris' asking Kobe if it was "cool" to say that you love your country in this day and age. If I would have left in the rest, it would have just looked worse for Chris, kinda like Kobe was schooling him. By the way... does anybody besides me notice Chris' face when he first hears Kobe's statement about America being great? I think he looked taken aback. But maybe that's just me.
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    I'm on Chris' side here. That was obviously a softball given for the benefit of Kobe. The "flippant" nature of the remark was done as a slap in the face of the people who truly hold that attitude (that patriotism is from a day gone by...).
    I actually watched this interview on t.v. when it came out, and my first reaction was: "That was a cool thing for Chris to do, setting him up for nice home-run answer."
    I will agree that, in general, the media portrayal of patriotism is abysmal. Perhaps we've all gotten too accustomed to it...
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    Okay, nobigdeal. I'll bite. Let's say that you are correct and Chris (as a Republican supporter) lobbed a tacit soft-ball Kobe's way to elicit his adamant affirmation of his patriotism and pride in America. And let's also say that the majority of Americans knew/know Chris Collingsworth is a conservative Republican.

    If all of the above factors are true, wouldn't you expect the lefty media to go into fits of hysteria over a Republican sports commentator lobbing a Pro-America softball question to Kobe? After all, that would be WHOLLY inappropriate when they are in a foreign country, and it could possibly be construed as an insult to the host country of China and their team to basically chest-thump about America's greatness?

    Just sayin'...
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    Hold on a second folks. I think you're seeing this in the wrong light. I think we owe Mr. Collingsworth a big thanks. I saw the interview, the entire interview and I heard Chris ask Kobe the question. My heart was filled with pride at Kobe's answer. Chris made a good point...there is a large group of folks out there that are American citizens who hate this country...I call them the "America Haters". By asking the question the way Chris did, it allowed one of the top athletes in America to say, "Yes, it's cool to be an American, it's cool to be patriotic". We need folks to hear that. Though I don't consider Kobe one of the great role models in sports today, it doesn't hurt at all to have someone that kids look up to saying that. So I think we owe Chris a big thanks for asking the question and following up and letting it be heard that "YES!" "I am an American and I'm proud of it". I put this on the same level as when Rick Monday, playing for the Chicago Cubs went and took the American Flag away from the clowns that had jumped into the middle of the field and were going to burn it.
    By the way, I served 25 years in the US Military and currently teach high school. I require my students to recite the Pledge of Allegiance each class period...and yes, I too am a Proud American.
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    Bill, thank you for your service to this country. It's only because of men & women like you that I can sit here and write whatever I want. So many other countries (including the host country of the Olympics) do not allow free speech, so we are lucky. And again, it's because of people like you.

    I truly admire and respect you, sir.
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    I'm sorry, but think that the attacks on Collinsworth about this are ridiculous. It looks to me like he was simply handing Bryant a softball, setting him up with a perfect opportunity to make a very patriotic statement (which he took full advantage of). That kind of "Devil's Advocate" technique to draw an interviewee out isn't exactly uncommon in journalism.

    This kind of hysterical and paranoid overreaction to an apparently innocent remark gives *genuine* patriotism a bad name. And as a genuine patriot, I can't say that I particularly appreciate that.
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    Hi, Tony:

    Sorry if you don't appreciate the post, but being a conservative Republican, I think Chris could have framed the question in a different way, but it came out as flippant and surprised at Kobe's pride. He may have been told by the bosses at NBC NOT to be overtly patriotic (during their fawning coverage of their benevolent Chinese hosts), and maybe you are right; that this was his way of getting his message out. Regardless, obviously to a lot of folks, it did not come off in that way. The video is posted, with my 2 cents, which aren't actually worth much, but each person must make up their own mind as to what their takeaway was. You know mine, and now I know yours (and Bill's below).

    Thank you both for your input. It's always welcomed here.
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    dont mind the conservatives they think anyone who doesn't get a boner for toby keith, guns, and pickup trucks is a liberal.
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