Part of an interview with Matt Mauser, the husband of one of the victims:

Mauser — who had also taught Bryant’s kids both Spanish and some hoops — said he had a slumber party with his kids where they watched the endless tributes on TV to the nine who died, including Bryant, 41, and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna.

Breaking down, he recalled his daughter telling him “it was nice to know that everyone was hurting along with us.”

“I know that that sounds odd, but it does kind of help,” he said on the morning show about the outpouring of “mourning and hurting.”

+1

I also hate helicopters.... Fixed wing only for me.

I don't get it either. Some people seem to get really annoyed that some people admire and respect some celebrities... Personally, I admire anyone who can put in the work to be the best at whatever it is they choose to do. I love watching masters at their craft. I'm a Rossi fan, but how can you not admire Marc Marquez.....

In Kobe's case, MILLIONS of people have watched the man go from a high school phenom to one of the best to ever play the game as well as a loving, doting father...As a basketball fan and Laker fans in particular, he provided a tremendous amount of joy to my family and I over the last 20 years. As a father of two daughters, the situation is just heartbreaking.

I was at an oyster bar(about 20 min from the crash site) when I received a call about his death, about 30 seconds later the coverage came on the TV screen. The restaurant literally went silent. You could see and feel the change in the room.

As a first responder and former military guy, I'm not offended in the slightest that people are so effected by his death. Heck so am I.

RIP to all those aboard that helicopter. My thoughts and prayers are with all of their families.

That's the part I don't understand ... why didn't the pilot just stop in midair and descend ?

Thanks for these. The guy is a terrible speaker but I learned a lot and he makes a ton of sense on the technical detail especially with the limited information available.

There's pictures on TMZ that were taken by a mountain biker that came upon the scene 6-8 minutes after the crash. Huge fireball that burned for awhile. It's going to be a tough investigation much less recovery situation.

Kobe spent his whole career in L.A. They call Staples Center "The house that Kobe built". Saw him play there numerous times, he is/was an L.A. Icon.

Well I think everyone here is entitled to their opinion.

And everyone here is entitled to challenge that position.

But what everyone here is not entitled to do is attack someone else because their opinions differ.

Talk forums can be fantastic, except when members launch personal attacks. Then they become the worst part of our society.

Just my 2 cents.

500 parts flying in loose formation wishing they were elsewhere. What's not to like?

I am sorry for all loss of life, but I am a little surprised at the amount outpouring and coverage it's getting, I don't think Robin Williams had this much. Not that there's anything wrong with it, just surprised.

Pretty much sums up my sentiments.

I understand the coverage here in LA but I really don’t know what it’s like elsewhere. One thing to consider is that he is a huge international celebrity; extremely famous in China and the rest of Asia, Europe, Africa, almost everywhere.

The loss of Kobe et. al. has been unifying in a lot of ways. I'm finding that it has touched people across socioeconomic, gender, age, and geographical sectors.

I was talking to an on duty police officer last night. We could not have more different backgrounds, life stories, experiences, etc. I gave him some cookies to snack on and wished him a safe night. Out of the blue he looks at me and says "really sad about Kobe". I agreed, and we both started crying. I was talking to my 26 year old day shift manager, and we both are hurting. Kobe inspired young people because he was driven to be the best. Body Armor water was our "Kobe Bryant water". I admired how he was driven to be the best in the packaged drink business. And then he died being the best dad.

I don't admire him or respect him one way or the other. I don't know anything about him. But I do know he was a fellow man and has a family that is now hurting in an unimaginable way. Prayers for Kobe, Gianna, and their family.

Exactly. Mourn for the family and friends who lost someone they love. Remember what a great athlete he was but dying doesn't make him a hero. He didn't do something noble like putting his life on the line to protect his country or save someone from a burning building. I bet he even did some good things in life. So do millions of people.
He was paid for a skill he possessed. That doesn't make him bad because he cashed in but he is NOT a hero. He was a sports celebrity.

Now for the part that always makes me wonder. The hypocrisy.

Kobe is recognised for his accomplishments on the court but at a point in his life was also charged with rape and later acquitted after a huge settlement and charges dropped.

Now Margaret Court - a legendary tennis player from Australia is being attacked on the 50th anniversary of her Grand Slam year merely because of her position on same-sex marriage.

Quote:
Martina Navratilova talked about why she felt the association should rename the arena.
“She was celebrated yesterday for winning the Grand Slam 50 years ago – absolutely. But when buildings are named after you, or airports, or streets, it’s the body of work, it’s not just one part of your life and then ignore the rest.”

Australian Open not Happy with Martina Navratilova and John McEnroe Over On-court Protests

WTF?

Here’s a shot of Downtown LA near the Staples Center I took tonight. The Marquee at the Staples Center Said “Rest in Peace” and listed the names of all the victims.

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1580275709.jpg

Well worded my man. And God Bless all involved.

I hear you, and that's a perfectly valid statement.
Way too many folks get uppity with " ugh, you don't love him? You're a loser!"

But take a look at his worldwide notoriety. He's massively famous in China. That's comfortably 600 million people that know precisely who he is.

A lot of people are feeling this loss, and some of them are on this board. Kobe was someone that many people looked up to, and perhaps idealized, but he also inspired and entertained us. He represented, and still represents living life to the fullest to many people.
Life isn't ever about being perfect. No one ever is. Sometimes it is about being the best you can be, and learning from your mistakes while still trying to do good in the world beyond self aggrandizement. I think Kobe made an effort to look beyond himself and do that. He didn't have to, but he had empathy for others, and it showed.

Many people are going to have to process this, and they could be feeling shock, denial, anger, sadness or whatever. For those people I have great sympathy, and I am sorry for their loss. You might not have known him personally, but none of us was expecting this. It's tough, and we have all been there. My condolences.

For the rest of you, consider a friend you know. Would you walk up to that person on the day his dog died, and say, ''Yeah, but he was just a dog.'' Maybe, but does it really need to be said today? Is this really the day your feelings and opinions need attention more than the people suffering the sadness of loss?

It would be generous of us to extend our sympathy to anyone here feeling this loss. I personally hope people will soon see a day where they can remember Kobe and smile at how he enriched their lives. He will always be in his prime to me. He was a star in his own life. I hope You are a star in your life too, and an inspiration to those around you. That is a life well spent in my book.

Hmmmm, I thought Kobe owned the Sikorsky that crashed. Not so according to news reports. It was a charter and the company that owned it has suspended operations.

NTMB states that the company pilot WAS certified for instrument use due to inclement weather but NOT the company. Kind of a moot point as the chopper did not have the equipment......anyways, the company has been around a awhile and has a record of numerous crashes that included fatalities. Four since 1985, I believe....looks like there will be some litigation at warp factor nine.

Also there was a recommendation by a few non-governmental safety organizations that any helicopter that carried charter passengers to be retrofitted with terrain avoidance equipment at the tune of about $25K and up. This was a few years back. The FAA did not follow up to make it mandatory or make it a recommendation.

Stay tuned.

The pilot was most likely instrument rated but probably not current and proficient.

When you punch into the soup as the pilot most likely did, coming to a complete stop in the clouds and hovering down and out is not impossible but it’s just not the way commercial helicopter pilots are trained when inadvertently venturing into Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC).

If he was not instrument proficient at that moment, he’s relying on rusty skills or hoping he can either turn around back to where he came from or descend out of the bottom of the clouds (both risky options). If his skills are rusty while he’s in the clouds, it can get ugly very fast (he’s having a hard time keeping the aircraft straight and level) which is why there are reports of the aircraft diving out of the bottom of the clouds at high speed.

This, of course, is all speculation at this point.