EQUAL TIME? — The Weekly Opine

Will WNBA fans in Chicago - or any other city - get to see Phoenix Mercury superstar Brittney Griner play during the upcoming season? (Photo credit The Weekly Opine)

Don’t forget Brittney

With no disrespect meant towards Ukrainians, who bravely and valiantly continue to fend off Russia’s unprovoked, criminal attack on Ukraine, one of the worst places you could be right now is Russia. Particularly if you are American. Especially if you’ve been tucked away in an undisclosed location, at the mercy of Russian authorities.

American basketball star Brittney Griner finds herself in a predicament, possibly of her own making, possibly not, that’s becoming epically scary. By now most of us know that Russian customs authorities claim Griner tried to pass through a Russian airport, near Moscow, with vape cartridges containing hashish oil.

Griner was promptly detained and has not been seen in public or publicly heard from since this incident transpired. The news of Griner’s arrest on drug charges became public only a week or so ago, although Griner has been held since around February 17. Reporting from Russian state news agency Tass says Griner’s detention has been extended to May 19. Tass reports that Griner is sharing a cell with two other inmates charged with drug offenses.

If…IF Griner truly was in possession of illegal drugs, then she made a huge error in judgment. On the other hand, Russia has a habit of making an example out of law-abiding Americans. Consider the two American former Marines visiting Russia as tourists and now imprisoned, without credible evidence, on shoddy charges of being spies.

One of the men, Paul Whelan, is serving a 16-year sentence and the other, Trevor Reed, is serving a 9-year sentence. Both have been imprisoned for a few years and still face years at the mercy of Russian authorities. Both are isolated and receive little in the way of medical care. I don’t even want to guess what kind of mush they are forced to subsist on.

So, we can only imagine how anguished and terrified Griner is, in detention with no access or contact with consular services at the U.S. embassy. Given severely strained relations between the U.S. and Russia, Griner is undoubtedly in jeopardy and may be in for a prolonged stay in Russian detention. If found guilty on drug charges, she could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Brittney Griner twice helped win Olympic gold medals for the United States. Does the media ‘have her back’ right now? (Photo credit NPR)

Why was she there?

Like a number of WNBA stars, Brittney Griner plays basketball overseas during her offseason, to supplement her relatively paltry WNBA salary. Griner has, for nearly a decade, played for a team in Russia, having led them to the European championship on three occasions.

In the U.S. Griner, one of the greatest women players of all time, only makes around $225,000 playing in the WNBA. Whereas commensurate NBA stars easily command eight-figure salaries (that’s right, $10,000,000 or more per year). WNBA stars, same as women in many sports, are unfairly devalued compared to men. A prime example was last year’s NCAA tournaments. The college men were provided with top-tier workout facilities while facilities for collegiate women were substandard. The men were treated like royalty while the women were treated like disposable, third-class citizens.

Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24, a week after Griner was detained as she entered Russia. It is unfortunate the U.S. State Department was not more forceful when warning Americans to leave Russia or not to travel to Russia.

Like Center for Disease Control pandemic missives, which are often vague and non-committal (leaving it up to the common person to figure out what is best), the State Department used phrases like “consider leaving Russia,” or “strongly consider leaving Russia” or “not advised to travel to Russia.” What should have been said was “under no circumstances travel to Russia” and “under no circumstances remain in Russia.”

Media coverage amounted to a smorgasbord of attention for Gabby Petrino, Aaron Rodgers, Novak Djokovic, and Tom Brady. (Photo credit ABC-7 NY, The Guardian, The Sun, The Spun)

Media un-attention

The media is providing lukewarm coverage of the Brittney Griner-Russia saga. This for a woman who helped America win Olympic gold. Twice. Contrast the coverage of Griner being detained in Russia with the incessant, unrelenting coverage of Gabby Petrino, the young woman who left her Florida home with her boyfriend, Brian Laundrie, and ended up dead at the hands of Laundrie. The media had an insatiable appetite for pursuing the Petrino-Laundrie murder mystery.

Also, consider the wall-to-wall coverage afforded Aaron Rodgers and Novak Djokovic over their anti-vax stance, or Tom Brady, regarding his on now off retirement from the NFL. Griner, however, is not being given the same rapt attention from the media.

Maybe it’s because Griner is openly gay. Maybe it’s because Griner is Black. Maybe it’s because Griner, at 6-feet 9 inches, is perceived as a superwoman who someday soon will don a cape, jump out of a window, and fly back to America.

It is possible media coverage of Griner is muted so as not to further irritate the easily irritated Putin. Upsetting Putin, who is visibly unstable, could make things even more dire for Griner.

Nonetheless, there does seem to be a lack of interest on the part of national and local media in covering the Griner story.

Note: Your guess is correct, it’s time for my annual spring break. No opines for the next two weeks. The Weekly Opine returns, fully rested, on April 7.