Kobe, Please Stop

First there was Jordan. He coined the tongue out of the mouth. He was Mr. Cool. A smooth pump of his fist when he nailed a game winning jumper was all he needed. There was no question of whether it was a genuine reaction. Jordan was all natural.

Next came Tiger. In a sport where serenity and calmness were of the utmost importance, he let emotion run free. Woods perfected the fist-pump and it became an instinct for him everytime an improbable putt fell in the cup. Tiger is all natural.

Now, in the 2009 playoffs, the cameras seem to always find Kobe's scowl. His baracuda like jaw juts forward and a somewhat awkward and painful expression is created. There is a difference in the intensity of an athlete and an athlete looking mad. Kobe looks mad. Kobe is artificial.

Please tell me I am not the only one who is not buying what Kobe is trying to sell. The difference between Jordan and Woods, and what Kobe is doing now, is the authenticity of it. Cameras simply always found M.J. and T.W., Kobe is seeking the camera out. He holds the grimace as long as possible so that every possible spectator, photographer, and cameraman can admire his tenacity and determination. What a joke.

As good as Kobe Bryant has been in the playoffs, his acting definitely could use some work. The problem Bryant has, is that no matter how talented he is, he will never be Michael Jordan. Even with my belief that Jordan was the better overall talent, it was the aura of Michael that set him apart from every player before or since. Kobe's attempt to create an image for himself is so apparent that no one can endear his or herself to Bryant. Jordan and Woods sucked people in with the ideal they represented. Perhaps its not too late for Kobe. Maybe the original Joker that sits courtside could give him a lesson or two in acting.