This and that

Kobe goes for 40. A popular topic on sports talk radio today was Kobe Bryant’s 40 points in the Lakers’ Game 1 win over Phoenix Monday night. As is typical, the performance opened a bigger picture of where Kobe is ranked all-time among Lakers. (The consensus opinion was behind Magic and Kareem.) And whether Kobe chose to “answer” critics who have been consumed by LeBron James in the last week. Perhaps Kobe wanted to remind everyone of his playoff trademark. What was most impressive, though, is Kobe did it after missing practice for a week, having his right knee drained of fluid and with a broken finger.

Fredi Gonzalez goes old school on Hanley Ramirez. The Marlins’ manager used his star shortstop’s laziness after booting a dropped fly ball on Monday as a platform for the “old school” manager. Ramirez was benched, and didn’t play in Tuesday’s game against the Phillies. While Gonzalez likely gained a lot of support in the blue hair generation, and gained respect in his clubhouse by not showing favoritism, he might have also started the process of the organization parting ways with Ramirez. It’s a tough line Gonzalez just walked: do you cater to a former batting champion, or take the step to show the rest of the team that everyone will be treated the same?

With Lawrence Taylor’s arrest last week, a lot of chatter centered on the Hall of Fame comparisons between baseball and football. Taylor, arguably the best defensive player in the history of the NFL, is enshrined in Canton. But many argue that steroids, for example, are treated differently between the two sports, especially in fans’ minds. The Hall of Fame, in any sport, should be a reflection of what happened on the field, and not a museum of morality. Because in most sports, what you do between the lines would likely get you arrested or fired in any other walk of life. It’s also important to note that many Hall of Famers, most notably Ty Cobb, were not the kind of people you’d invite to Sunday dinner. But they could play, and that’s why they’re in the Hall of Fame. It’s also dangerous to try to edit the Hall of Fame retroactively.