NFL
By: Zachary Draves
Brittney Griner is one of the most resilient athletes ever.
Ever since enduring a horrific ten month ordeal in a Russian prison for alleged drug smuggling, Griner’s endearing vibrancy has come back around. Almost ten games into the WNBA season and Griner has been on a tear. Even though the Phoenix Mercury are struggling with a 1-5 record, she has managed to put up some solid numbers averaging 22.7 PPG and 7.1 REB.
(Courtesy: AP Photo/LM Otero)
She has been overwhelmingly welcomed with open arms everywhere she goes, except by a singular attention seeking far right-wing social media personality at the Dallas Airport.
On Saturday, the Mercury were traveling from Dallas to Indianapolis after their 90-77 loss to the Wings when according to Mercury forward Brianna Turner, they were followed by people with cameras who were shouting “wild remarks”.
A video later posted on Twitter by far right-wing provocateur and Dallas native Alex Stein, host of Prime Time with Alex Stein on the conservative network Blaze Media, showed him confronting Griner with the question “Do you still wanna boycott America, Brittney?” A man in the video intervened to try to get him away from Griner and the team.
(Courtesy: Christian Peterson/Getty Images)
Stein later said “I just met my favorite WNBA player. Video coming soon.” It turns out that he is notorious for being a self-described troll who has confronted politicians in the past.
In response to the incident, Turner later tweeted “Our team nervously huddled in a corner unsure how to move about. We demand better.”
The incident has once again shined a spotlight on the issue of charter flights in the WNBA. Teams generally fly commercial and therefore are denied the safety and convenience that typically is afforded to professional athletes flying charter.
In their statement, the WNBPA said “What BG and all of her PHX teammates experiences today was a calculated confrontation that left them feeling very unsafe. Everyone who was paying attention knew this would happen. We could have and should have been more proactive. We implore the league and the teams to not wait another day to change the rule regarding travel.”
The league said “The safety of Brittney Griner and all WNBA players is our top priority. Prior to the season, the WNBA worked together with the Phoenix Mercury and BG’s team to ensure her safety during her travel, which included charter flights for WNBA games and assigned security personnel with her at all times. We remain steadfastly committed to the highest standards of security for players.”
It remains unclear as to why the Mercury was flying commercial on Saturday.
But there is something else revealing here.
This incident has exposed the very essence of those who have been harshly critical of not only the deal that secured the release of Griner in December in exchange for notorious Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, but of Griner herself. Over the course of her ordeal, Griner has been the subject of routine attacks from the far right-wing because she is an openly queer black woman playing in the WNBA who speaks out.
During the COVID confined 2020 season in Orlando, Griner was one of the players that was instrumental in shining a spotlight on the issues of racial justice and voting, especially Breonna Taylor and other black women killed by police. Griner was influential in players walking off the court during the playing of the national anthem.
(Courtesy: Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
That alone was enough to trigger the far-right who have used that against her and to say that she is not to be welcomed back to a country that she supposedly hates, even though since her return she said she will be standing for the anthem before every game.
The truth is Griner is more patriotic than them in three ways.
First, she has represented her country on the world stage in 2016 and 2021 Olympics and won two gold medals.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
Second, her father Raymond served this country in the Vietnam War and is a retired deputy sheriff.
Third, she along with the Mercury have partnered with the Bring Our Families Home Campaign which advocates for other Americans held captive overseas.
(Courtesy: Colton Krolak/KTAR News)
Emphasis on the word American.
The BOFH campaign issued their own statement after the incident that read “Accosting a recently returned hostage like this is unacceptable, and we urge social media companies to prohibit the monetization of any resulting content. Our Campaign stands with Brittney, her teammates, and the Phoenix Mercury.”
The questions to ask people like Stein are what are they doing to fight for other Americans held abroad? What have they done to serve this country? How does putting a flag on the back of your vehicle or wearing USA paraphernalia routinely make you more patriotic?
The truth is they engage in performative patriotism where they say they love the country more than anyone, but don’t do anything of real substance. Brittney Griner is as tough as they come and after all she has been through the idea that some internet troll will take her down is beyond preposterous.
She is what they aren’t, American exceptionalism and exceptionally American.
