The Brittney Griner Thing

[Ben]

I was very surprised to read the comments at the video link. Responses by far were in favor of her facing the repercussions of her actions. I don't know more about her than what I have read, but she seems to be a combination of the worst elements of entitled celebrity and entitled millennial, with the real world ignorance that accompanies both.

I mean, what kind of a moron sneaks drugs into a country like Russia? She (or "he" from the sound of her voice?) claims the hash "accidently" got in her luggage.

https://youtu.be/LKTmrlI5PwE

[MechAg94]

I am generally not sympathetic to people who break the law in other countries.  Especially when what they did would be illegal in much of the US. 

At the present time, what would Biden have to do to get Putin to release her?  Would he lift sanctions from the Ukraine War to get her released?  About the only thing Biden could do to punish Russia now is to remove all the oil and gas restrictions in the US and try to reduce the world market price.  That would hurt Russia, but not quickly. 
Does the US have any Russian citizens in jail here that they would want back?

[Perd Hapley]

I was very surprised to read the comments at the video link. Responses by far were in favor of her facing the repercussions of her actions.

Intersectionality. If she(?) were a white man, you'd be all for sending in SEAL team 6. You bigot. 

[Ben]

Intersectionality. If she(?) were a white man, you'd be all for sending in SEAL team 6. You bigot. 

I recognize the comedy, but in all seriousness, I have zero sympathy for anyone who goes to another country completely ignorant of at least the prevalent and well-known laws. Haven't there been enough B-movies about Americans and drugs in other countries?

I'm certainly sympathetic to someone who is arrested for some obscure law abroad. Drugs aren't it. In fact I think drugs are pretty much the poster children for stuff not to be lackadaisical about abroad.

[HankB]

Intersectionality. If she(?) were a white man, you'd be all for sending in SEAL team 6. You bigot. 

We have to do whatever it takes to protect our Black lesbian druggies, whether home or abroad.

[K Frame]

Griner then: I don't think we should be playing the National Anthem before games.

Griner now: SAVE ME, UNCLE SAM! SAVE ME!

[MechAg94]

Griner then: I don't think we should be playing the National Anthem before games.

Griner now: SAVE ME, UNCLE SAM! SAVE ME!

I was just about to mention that.  You said it better than I would have.   

[MillCreek]

I have read some stories suggesting that Russia will be offering to swap her for Viktor Bout, the Russian arms merchant currently in the Marion Federal Penitentiary, or some Russians being held in the US on espionage charges.  The Soviets/Russians have a long-standing tradition of capturing Westerners to use for spy swaps.

Ms. Griner is still an idiot, though.

[RoadKingLarry]

Let her rot.

[Perd Hapley]

I'm in favor of a swap. They give her back (is she a she or a he?), and we give them Bowe Berghdal.

[MillCreek]

I'm in favor of a swap. They give her back (is she a she or a he?), and we give them Bowe Berghdal.

I like the way you think!

[Hawkmoon]

I recognize the comedy, but in all seriousness, I have zero sympathy for anyone who goes to another country completely ignorant of at least the prevalent and well-known laws. Haven't there been enough B-movies about Americans and drugs in other countries?

I'm certainly sympathetic to someone who is arrested for some obscure law abroad. Drugs aren't it. In fact I think drugs are pretty much the poster children for stuff not to be lackadaisical about abroad.

This wasn't her first trip to Russia. She wasn't happy with earning more in the WNBA than 98% of black Americans can ever hope to earn, she was moonlighting during the WNBA off season playing for a team in Russia and being paid millions of dollars for doing so. She knew the cannabis was in her luggage and she knew it was illegal, but she assumed her star status made her immune to the laws.

I have zero sympathy.

First time I've seen her arms with all tha tats. What's the saying? "You can take the gangsta out of the 'hood, but you can't take the 'hood out of the gangsta."

[Perd Hapley]

Do we expect a drug-abuser to make reasonable, non-self-destructive decisions about drugs?

[BobR]

If we are going to do prisoner swaps we need to start with the ones who have been there the longest. Kind of a first in, first out policy. We may get to her eventually. She should not be considered more important than any other American citizens held in Russian prisons.
 
bob

[Ben]

Do we expect a drug-abuser to make reasonable, non-self-destructive decisions about drugs?

I firmly believe that besides "drug abuser" she was filled with hubris that comes from celebrity and failure of the world to have knocked her down a peg before now. As mentioned above, she might be pondering her past thoughts on what a terrible place the United States is. Probably not though. In fact she'll probably find a way to blame America for her Russian arrest.

[HankB]

I firmly believe that besides "drug abuser" she was filled with hubris that comes from celebrity and failure of the world to have knocked her down a peg before now. As mentioned above, she might be pondering her past thoughts on what a terrible place the United States is. Probably not though. In fact she'll probably find a way to blame America for her Russian arrest.

Trump's fault no doubt.

[French G.]

Meh. She's an idiot but she's our idiot. If she was, with the same charges, labeled a veteran instead of a lesbian sportsball person then a lot of people would be wanting to get her home. Anything we can do that doesn't make us look weak, which of course rules out the current admin.

[Northwoods]

Meh. She's an idiot but she's our idiot. If she was, with the same charges, labeled a veteran instead of a lesbian sportsball person then a lot of people would be wanting to get her home. Anything we can do that doesn't make us look weak, which of course rules out the current admin.

I don’t much care if it’s a MOH winner.  Have your own drugs in your own luggage and get busted our goobermint shouldn’t go to any special lengths to get him/her back.

If it’s a frame job that’s different.  But it doesn’t appear that Ms Griner was framed.  She was just felony stupid.

[grampster]

"(is she a she or a he?)"

I think there is some confusion there.  Her wife calls her her wife, so they are both wife?   As for me, she/he made his/her bed, she/he can sleep in it.  I don't seem to understand why she's/he's crying to America to save her/him, as she/he doesn't seem to like America all that much.  The fact he/she plays for a women's basketball team is, nowadays it seems, not much of an indicator of her actual gender.  As the old song goes changed up a bit for the times;  "I don't want her/him, you can have her/him, she's/he's too fat tatted for me...."

[zxcvbob]

"(is she a she or a he?)"

I think there is some confusion there.  Her wife calls her her wife, so they are both wife?   As for me, she/he made his/her bed, she/he can sleep in it.  I don't seem to understand why she's/he's crying to America to save her/him, as she/he doesn't seem to like America all that much.  The fact he/she plays for a women's basketball team is, nowadays it seems, not much of an indicator of her actual gender.  As the old song goes changed up a bit for the times;  "I don't want her/him, you can have her/him, she's/he's too fat tatted for me...."

The Too Tat Polka!    Did Frankie Yankovic record that one?     (seriously, that's a good one)

[RocketMan]

I'm in favor of a swap. They give her back (is she a she or a he?), and we give them Bowe Berghdal.

How about we give the Russians Bowe Berghdal and let them keep Griner?

[Bogie]

Uh... I'm not really all that interested in Brittney Griner's "thing."

[Northwoods]

"(is she a she or a he?)"

I think there is some confusion there.  Her wife calls her her wife, so they are both wife?   As for me, she/he made his/her bed, she/he can sleep in it.  I don't seem to understand why she's/he's crying to America to save her/him, as she/he doesn't seem to like America all that much.  The fact he/she plays for a women's basketball team is, nowadays it seems, not much of an indicator of her actual gender.  As the old song goes changed up a bit for the times;  "I don't want her/him, you can have her/him, she's/he's too fat tatted for me...."

Griner is a biological female.  Fairly masculine for a woman, but a woman.  “Married” to another woman. 

[gunsmith]

 I had never heard of her before this, I am aware that there is a women's basketball league but I am not interested.
  There is some kind of push to have this mean something, I hear a lot about it on the talk radio I listen to at work.
 It's featured on drudge often too.
   I don't wish her any harm, but I really don't care either.
 I bet there are quite a few African American lesbians that are veterans going thru hard times - why can't the media care about them?
 If I was in Russia at the same time and I wanted to leave ( which I would ) I would have traveled to some very rural border crossing into Mongolia and made dang sure I had nothing suspicious on me.
 As someone mentioned earlier, she's entitled and dumb - it was profitable for her to be that way in yesterday's world.
 I have a feeling she is now learning more about the world she lives in.  Harsh lessons to be sure, but I do not care about any sportsball stars at all, really.

[WLJ]

This wasn't her first trip to Russia. She wasn't happy with earning more in the WNBA than 98% of black Americans can ever hope to earn, she was moonlighting during the WNBA off season playing for a team in Russia and being paid millions of dollars for doing so. She knew the cannabis was in her luggage and she knew it was illegal, but she assumed her star status made her immune to the laws.

I have zero sympathy.

This