Anthem boycotter Griner now asks for America's help

FPI / July 10, 2022

Brittney Griner, who advocated for the removal of the National Anthem from WNBA games, is now asking for America's help as she faces 10 years in a Russian prison for drug possession.

Griner on Thursday pleaded guilty in a Russian courtroom to possessing less than a gram of cannabis oil in her luggage when she landed at a Moscow airport in February.

Griner has written to Joe Biden and asked for his help in securing her release. A senior U.S. diplomat on Thursday reportedly hand-delivered a personal note from Biden to Griner, a move that followed a phone call from Biden and Kamala Harris to Griner's partner.

Why should America help Griner?

Griner "was one of 4 athletes profiled by Glory on February 15 for insulting our national anthem," blogger Don Surber noted on July 5.

The Glory story said, "In many ways, Brittney Griner’s (and many other players in the WNBA) protest was built off of what (Colin) Kaepernick started. On the opening night of the WNBA season in July 2020, the Phoenix Mercury and Los Angeles Sparks walked off the court before the playing of the national anthem.

"Once the anthem had finished, the players returned to the floor to observe a 26-second moment of silence for Breonna Taylor, who was shot and killed by police in her home in March 2020.

"After a 99-76 loss to the Sparks, Griner spoke to reporters and explained that she would not be present on the court during the national anthem for the rest of the season. The seven-time all-star also suggested that the league could forgo the national anthem before each contest."

She said, "I’m going to protest regardless. I’m not going to be out there for the national anthem. If the league wants to play it, that’s fine. It will be all season long; I [won’t] be out there."

Two days after the story was published, Griner was caught in a drug bust in Russia.

"The dirty little secret is the WNBA is a summer league because the gals can make more money overseas playing in Europe in the winter," Surber noted. "The WNBA did not make her a millionaire. Russia did. She didn't follow their rules. Now she is learning that the Russian police are not as nice as those American police officers she maligned. She wants to come back to the land of the free and the home of the brave."

Surber concluded: "Maybe Kaepernick could use some of that extra Nike money he got for kneeling to hire her a good Russian lawyer. They have so much in common. They are both ingrates who show zero love of their native country."

Free Press International