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What did he say?

That was my question after Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was fined $100,000 for uttering what some reporters have called an “anti-gay slur.”

That is redundant, of course. I mean have you ever heard of a pro-gay slur?

Newspapers, talk shows and NBA announcers have all reported on the incident extensively without mentioning the word that Bryant used on the bench after getting a technical foul in a game with the San Antonio Spurs.

ESPN’s excellent “Outside the Lines” with Bob Ley did a show about it, with the host directing viewers to YouTube if they wanted to know what word Bryant used. 

Sending viewers to YouTube seemed a little silly.

A decent journalistic debate could be had over whether the word should be reported or not to help readers and viewers fully understand the story and the reason for the fine.

I would have reported what Bryant said. In the present media world, mainstream media had to know the word would surface someway. So why not enter the 21^st century and deal with it?

You got the sense that mainstream journalists feared that using the word would further its use.

Ley’s program seemed to have the praiseworthy goal of eliminating the offensive word.

But how do you eliminate a word if you don’t know what it is?

Heaven knows, there have been plenty of clues. One guy on Ley’s show referred to it as “the other F word.”

Move down a few paragraphs if you don’t want to know what offensive word Bryant used or are offended by seeing it written.

As the more than 2 million people who have watched the YouTube clip know, Bryant said the more common F-word and then added “faggot.”

There. I said it. I mean I wrote it. I would never say it. No one should say it.

However, it should be noted that it is not unusual to hear it in movie comedy scripts, perhaps most notably in the popular comedy film “The Hangover.”

I only wrote it to so people understand what should be a forbidden word.

Bryant has apologized extensively for directing the word at an official from the bench after he received a technical foul. Undoubtedly, he didn’t realize anyone would hear it. It is barely audible on the YouTube clip of the TNT broadcast.

If a TNT director had been as smart as analyst Steve Kerr – who suggested the cameras get off Bryant a second or so after he said the word – no one would have heard what the star had said.

Of course, that doesn’t make it any less offensive. It probably would be even more offensive if the official that Bryant directed it at is gay. But that is another topic of interest that I haven’t seen or heard addressed and probably won’t be unless the official wants to get involved in the story.  

A little perspective about the use of the word is needed. A sideline reporter on Ley’s program mentioned he had heard the word used several times this season by several players. They were fortunate the cameras didn’t catch them saying it or mouthing it.

In other words, it is in the NBA’s vocabulary. And it has to stop there, as well as in movies and in TV. But it won’t be easy to stop.

ABC’s announcers addressed the issue Sunday during the Lakers playoff opener with New Orleans Sunday. They were soft on Bryant, with Mark Jackson noting the $100,000 fine was a significant piece of change. Earlier, Ley tried to put the fine in perspective with Bryant’s multi-million dollar salary. Ley said it was equivalent to somebody making $100,000 being fined $400.

Of course, that is a silly comparison. People making millions like Bryant can more easily afford a $100,000 fine than somebody making $100,000 can afford $400.

This isn’t about money. One’s reputation is priceless. And Bryant’s has taken another deserved hit.

ABC’s announcers talked about the incident being a teachable moment that could end in something good coming from a bad situation. I wish I could be confident that was true and the other F-word would be eradicated.

The cynic in me suspects that the incident will just mean that players will be more aware of the importance of controlling their mouths and their emotions when the cameras are focused on them.

pergament@msn.com

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