Athletes face full fury of the law

The past several days have seen news about two talented basketball players, different in many ways, tangled up in problems with women and getting more bad press than they could have possibly conceived.

The first is University of Missouri's Ricky Clemons, who pleaded guilty in April to holding a woman against her will in his apartment in January and possibly choking her. He was sentenced to 60 days in a halfway house so he could go to school during the day -- a reasonable offer most folks would jump at.

Instead, he begged an invitation to the university president's house for July 4 from the president's wife, apparently lying about the curfew at the halfway house.

While at the party, Clemons wrecked an all-terrain vehicle, was hospitalized and had his deal revoked by a judge.

He's in jail. And now he's permanently kicked off the team.

And then there's Kobe Bryant.

The L.A. Laker is a giant in the sport and is accused of sexually assaulting a hotel clerk in Colorado. He's saying it was consensual. She's saying it wasn't. It's unclear whether he'll be able to play next season.

One hopes that, in this case, Bryant is right, although his reputation will forever tarnished for his admitted adultery.

But both cases show talented athletes aren't exempt from the laws of the land, and their actions will face police scrutiny. History would indicate some of them don't believe that.