DETROIT – Brandon Roux: This past Sunday was as crazy for me as it was perhaps for you. I was watching my college basketball team online with my old college roommate from 1-3pm as the Monmouth Hawks visited my alma mater Iona College. During halftime, or the beginning of the second half, my buddy asked me if I was getting headlines, tweets, or information about a helicopter crash with Kobe Bryant. I wasn’t paying any attention to anything but my struggling Iona Gaels, but as soon as I began looking, I discovered the horrific news about Kobe and eight others who perished in that helicopter crash. The first picture I saw was of the smoking wreckage in the foggy California foothills.
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It looked really, really bad. I was never a huge Kobe fan when he played in the NBA, maybe because I am from Chicago and lived through the Michael Jordan era to which I believe not one player in the past or ever in the future will ever stack up. Not Kobe, not Lebron… nobody, ever! It’s very selfish but it is my honest feeling.
I did become a fan of Kobe Bryant and his life after basketball. A man who spent 20 years in the limelight, now retired, and refocused on becoming the best #girldad he could be to his four daughters. Many of you know or have learned that he was also a writer, an Academy Award Winner, and a beaming light of guidance to young athletes and people everywhere.
The next headline that pinged my phone last Sunday morning from ESPN said, “Kobe Bryant was on his way to a travel basketball game with his 13-year-old daughter Gianna when helicopter crashed -Woj.”
This is where the whole thing hit me right in the heart and my already fragile feelings turned to tears. Believe it or not, I have a 13-year-old daughter named Gianna. For real! I can’t stop thinking about that one amazing blessing both Kobe and I had in common. No More. To lose a child must be so heartbreaking, and the three other Bryant daughters not on that helicopter, lost their sister and dad. There was something inside me telling me this wasn’t just a crash, there is more to this story and I felt like this very likely could have or should have been avoided. There was something about how a highly trained pilot and this helicopter were behaving while communicating with several airports in the Los Angeles area. Did they get bad information from air traffic controllers? Was the fog much more intense than the forecast and air traffic control led on? Did something malfunction in the helicopter? Or, did the pilot make bad choices even trying to fly without using instrument controls in the fog? As I like to say, the light always shines on the truth, eventually. The sadness will be with us all, until it isn’t. Hug and love your children, don’t sweat the small stuff, support your children’s talents and hobbies as if they are the greatest in the world. They should always know who their biggest fans are.
Here’s what we’re working on for Monday, February 3rd on Local 4 News Today --
All Morning – Making a Run at 50!
Paul Gross: We’ll have increasing clouds on Monday as another cold front swings through. This front won’t have much moisture to work with, and how high temps get is dependent upon the front’s timing. If the front comes through in the morning, then we’ll probably level off in the mid 40s (7 degrees Celsius). However, if the front holds off just a few hours until afternoon, then we may make a run at 50 degrees (9 to 10 degrees Celsius)! Cloudy Monday night with a chance of rain developing. Lows in the mid 30s (1 to 2 degrees Celsius). We’ll have the updated forecast when you wake up.
All Morning – Super Bowl Recap
From the big game to the top commercials, there’s something for everyone in this weekend’s Super Bowl. If you’re attending a party and can’t pay total attention, or have too much to do this weekend, we’ve got you covered. We’ll recap the game, the reaction from players and the commercials.
6:10 a.m. - Money Monday
For Money Monday, Local 4 Business Editor Rod Meloni will focus on fixed incomes and how they work.
6:40 a.m. – Black History Month Profile
All month long, we’ll be reflecting on Black History Month. We’ll be highlighting incredible local people and amazing places in Metro Detroit that are making their mark in history. On Monday, Evrod Cassimy talks with America’s Got Talent host and Michigan native Terry Crews. He talks about his time on the hit NBC show, moments with the Detroit Youth Choir and a very personal matter.
ICYMI
National Days: February 3rd
- National Carrot Cake Day
- National Day the Music Died Day
- National Football Hangover Day
- National Missing Persons Day
- National Women Physicians Day
History Highlights: February 3rd
- In 1690, the first paper money in America was issued by the Massachusetts Bay Colony to finance a military expedition to Canada.
- In 1913, the 16th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.
- In 1959, rock-and-roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a small plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
- In 1995, Discovery blasted off with a woman, Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Eileen Collins, in the pilot’s seat for the first time in NASA history.
- In 2009, Eric Holder became the first black U.S. attorney general as he was sworn in by Vice President Joe Biden.
Celebrity Birthdays: February 3rd
Celebrating a birthday Monday? Submit a Sunshine Award here and we could say your name on Local 4 News Today during our 6 a.m. show.
Here’s who you’re sharing a birthday with –
- Actress Bridget Hanley is 79.
- Actress Morgan Fairchild is 70.
- Actor Nathan Lane is 64.
- Rapper Sean Kingston is 30.