Kobe Bryant Gives GQ Mag 'The Finger'

By A. Scott Walton
What’s the point of doing a nine-page cover story on a mega-celebrity who’s not willing or able to provide three Tweets worth of words worth printing?
That's the question you'll likely ask after reading the awe-inspired feature on L.A. Lakers guard Kobe Bryant in the March '10 issue of GQ.
Penned by the superb, formerly Atlanta-based scribe J.R. Moehringer, the article sheds as little light on the first ballot Hall of Famer's sense of style as it does on his sense of purpose.
Aside from the cover shot of Kobe outfitted (sharply) in a peak-lapeled Dolce & Gabbana suit, the only other clothes shown in the spread are a Jockey tank top and a pair of J. Crew jeans.
And rather than give any clues about the genesis of his win-at-all-costs mindframe on the court, Bryant merely smirks that he and his wife Vanessa typically engage in war-like games of Cranium.
The article pays scant reference to Bryant's lasting animosity toward former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, and wastes too many words explaining why Kobe can't discuss that incident with a hotel clerk seven years ago in Colorado.
Instead, it fixates _ at the beginning and end _ on a nagging injury to Kobe's "shooting" finger. And it diverts our focus to Kobe's penchant for shuttling from his mansion to "work" on a private helicopter.
Did GQ get taken for a ride on this high-budget cover project? Or, as the most poignant and monosyllabic quote that Kobe offered up about that precious finger the sum of the man?
Maybe he's "sore", and nothing else.
Feel free to offer YOUR COMMENTS below...

Playgirl Bids For A Pound of Vick's Flesh

By A. Scott Walton
Michael Vick should dodge PLAYGIRL as if the magazine was Giants defensive end Justin Tuck launching a ferocious bull-rush from his blind side.
And if anyone in what’s left of the resurrected NFL star’s entourage has Vick’s best interests in mind, they’ll shield him from the reported $1 million offer to pose nude in PLAYGIRL with the swift, unyielding effort of an All-Pro right tackle.
Vick’s an unconventional player whose “unconventional” lifestyle off the field earned him a long stretch in federal confinement and cost him a fortune in salary and endorsements.
The last thing he should ever do as he seeks to salvage his career is to take the bait (a big donation to the group also-known-as peopleformediaexploitationofanimals) and fumble his dignity any further than he already has.
If wide-spreading reports* are correct, a lowly spokesman (not even a chief executive) for PLAYGIRL issued a statement that read: “I figured he paid back society for dog fighting, but what about the animals?
"This way he could donate a large sum to PETA and all he'd have to do is pose for the magazine! It's kind of a win-win situation!"
That’s more trash than OchoCinco and T.O. together could spew on Twitter on their worst days!
In truth, it’s a lose-lose proposition if Team Vick even dignifies PLAYGIRL’s ploy with a response at all.
This is a man who spent many months subject to naked scrutiny (to say the least) by scores of strangers in the penal system as punishment for funding a dogfight operation.
Allowing PLAYGIRL any piece of his ass would sabotage an attempted comeback that has precious little time left on the clock.

Baby Got Back? Doctors Approve!

By A. Scott Walton
Eureka! Finally there's scientific proof that there's a tremendous (read: healthy) upside to having a bodacious backside!
According to a report issued by BlackDoctor.org, British researchers at the University of Oxford recently reached the conclusion that "fat in the butt and thighs of women may help them live longer".
In layman's terms: junk in the trunk stores the healthy sort of fatty acids women need to help avoid diseases of the heart and other organs. As Sir Mix-A-Lot put it so sagely: "You can do side bends or sit-ups, but please don't lose that butt"
Scientists now believe that it's belly fat that can cause women the most long-term harm.
As a cautionary note, the study's lead researcher Konstantinos Manolopoulos echoed a caution most often attributed to America's First Lady Michelle Obama lately: Everything's best enjoyed in moderation.
Said Manolopoulos: ‘Control of body weight is still the best way to stay healthy, and the advice remains the same: it is important to eat less and exercise more.’
In an odd way, the Oxford study validates the ploy for attention that V magazine waged with its February issue devoted to "Size" (left) and the undeniable beauty of bigger women.
The question remains: Will the fashion world sit up (to the dining table) and take notice?
Just click in the COMMENT BOX below if you care to (ahem) weigh in on the matter...

Atlanta bartender "spanks" foes in GQ contest

By A. Scott Walton
If "unique" is what you seek when it comes to cocktails, look no further than the DRINKSHOP bar inside the W Atlanta Hotel.
That's where Eric Simpkins (left) _ who was recently declared the city's "Most Inspired Bartender" by GQ Magazine and Bombay Sapphire gin _ holds court. Thanks to his stiff, refreshing "Sapphire Cup" recipe, Simpkins was dubbed one of the 42 best mixologists in the entire country. As EyeSeeStyle observed and recorded for your enjoyment, there's a good amount of pleasurable "spanking" (of mint leaves) involved in the process of mixing one.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 8-MINUTE VIDEO
Yours truly may have sworn off gin (which makes you sin) years ago. But one sip of Simpkins' "Sapphire Cup" is enough to induce a relapse.
Just be sure to drink responsibly.
DRINKSHOP at the W Atlanta Downtown, 45 Ivan Allen Jr. Blvd., 404-582-5800

Aurum Lounge: Atlanta's New Gold Standard?

By A. Scott Walton
How many A- and B-List Atlanta personalities can be crammed between more gold leather sofas, amber lamps and glass fixtures than Liberace could horde?
That question came to mind during a recent preview party prior to the official grand opening of the Aurum (Au) Lounge at the corner of Peachtree and Eighth in Midtown. Most remarkable was how "at home" everyone seemed to feel as they meandered around the gilded room. It probably helped that virtually everyone there could have looked up at the massive projector screen hanging over the main bar and eventually caught a flattering glimpse of themselves courtesy of Ben Rose Photography.
Aurum has an undeniable glow about it. That's what prompted EyeSeeStyle's follow-up visit to the space for a brief dialogue with the visionaries (managing partner Mike Hsu and interior designer Michael Habachy) behind the prodigious project.
Click the COMMENT BOX (below) if you like what you see...