On Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant was caught on camera using an anti-gay epithet to insult a referee. Bennie Adams had just hit the star with a technical foul, when an incensed Bryant stormed to the sidelines and could be seen mouthing the words ""f**king f*ggot" in Adams's direction. After the game, a social-media uproar led Bryant to issue an apology, in which he said, "My actions were out of frustration during the heat of the game, period. The words expressed do NOT reflect my feelings toward the gay and lesbian communities and were NOT meant to offend anyone." Nonetheless, the NBA slapped Bryant with a $100,000 fine. Is that too much?
The punishment fits the crime: "It's especially important for superstar athletes to understand that people, and especially impressionable kids, will model their behavior on what they see their idols do and say," says Joe Solomonese, the president of the Human Rights Campaign to whom Bryant apologized directly, as quoted by CNN. "We have a responsibility to call that out and say that it’s not an appropriate reaction" — and this fine is a good way to do just that. Still, it's encouraging for an athlete like Kobe to "take ownership for their mistake and say I'm sorry."
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