Brittney Griner Pleads Guilty to Russian Drug Charges

It’s not like she was alone. Russia apparently has the top leagues of womens basketball. 70 WNBA players also play overseas for $$$. Russia has also hosted Olympics, World Cup, Formula 1, among others. Their rule of law was well known to be trash, but they didn’t go around making athletes into hostages or use their perverted justice system against them. Otherwise all this “sportswashing” effort would be pointless. I think we can say it will be a long ass time before any major international sports happen inside Russia.

 

Your best post to date!

 

The trial went away. Not the 10 years.

With the eyes of the world on her trial, I don't think she pleas out for a sentence, for something so patently benign as CBD OIL. She pled, bc Russia needs her to own her criminality--not her actions (which they could easily prove up).

I mean damn...the allegations are patently silly. This is a sham start to finish, and im afraid there's dirt in BG's fingernails.

Yo @BLING and @tjenkins78

Tell me what fairy tale yall subscribe to here.

BG accusendally brought CDB oil INTO Russia, which evaded detection...but somehow gets busted on her way out???

What happened there?

It's easier to score CBD oil in Russia, so she figured shed sneak some INTO the US, where its it's perfectly legal...

What?

Yall c'mond my take, let's hear y'all's.. i could use a good laugh...

 

Why would she be “in” on making herself a hostage? What kind of sick thinking is this?

Obviously the Russians are using her as a pawn. Her cooperation is not required! Seems to me the more likely reason she got caught up was that of timing, she may have been one of the last high profile Americans on the way out of Russia as the war/sanctions started. The FSB also likely had “dirt” on her that she would be found with a substance. Probably wasn’t the first time either.

Before the war for them to take a high profile athlete hostage would have been unthinkable. Russia may have had shit for rule of law (gangster state), but they obviously had some interest in holding up the pretense of welcoming visitors and athletes. Hosting major events like Olympics, World Cup, Formula 1, etc wouldn’t have been possible if they were taking athletes as hostages! Obviously they’ve pulled that lever, gone from “gangster state” to straight up terrorist state.

 

MAGA nutjobs with their usual crackpipe conspiracy theories

 

It's a fools game to have any trace of any drug outside necessary prescriptions when traveling abroad or in the USA. AND one better have solid backup with prescription meds.

A recipe for disaster. She makes big bucks, short of it being planted there is no excuse. I am no fan of Russia but if she was using or muling she's an idiot.

I hope she gets out, I bet she has learned her lesson, foreign jails are hard places and so are ours.

 

If you agree the “allegations are silly”, why do you assume this is the first time she’s had CBD oil, or that she didn’t have a similar trace amount on the way in? Or that she may have frequently had such issues in quantities that are normally ignored (since my understanding there is no substantive quantity here, it’s a “trace” amount)? The Russians likely knew all that but kept it in their back pocket.

Aside from the absurdity of an athlete being “in” on a scam that results in them being detained as a hostage, a rational person would probably look at the timing of all her travels. Griner herself was at that point likely leaving Russia for good. She may have been one of the last “targets of opportunity” for the Russians to nab as a bargaining chip. It’s probably as simple as that timing, they may have also targeted her knowing she would likely have some some small contraband on her (aka kompromat). That’s how those Ruskies are known to operate. Obviously a scam, but trying to give a veneer of legitimacy. I don’t see how that makes Griner “in” on it as a willing accomplice. It’s actually pretty sick of you to suggest that based on nothing but those little gears spinning in your head.

 

I hate that she is dealing with this, but is it right to swap someone who has the goal of killing Americans?

I dont think we can make this swap.

 

Can you say Bergdahl?

 

Briner (and other hostages) probably dont care what is given in trade. I’m quite certain she would have no idea who Viktor Bout is. I had no idea either, though interestingly I had actually just totally randomly seen the movie “Lord of War” a few weeks ago not knowing who this guy was. The real life guy actually sounds far worse than portrayed there.

Obviously it is more up to the President (with Pentagon and State Department) to make those calls. I tend to side more with the “you don’t negotiate with terrorists” line of thinking. But that would mean no hostage would see the light of day, I don’t think that’s pallatable for most (certainly not for those in captivity!).

 

If a swap is made, it won't be just for her. It will be for other Americans too who have been held there for years, and who were forgotten in the last swap for one guy. And Biden has heard plenty about it.

 

Isn't she on record as hating on the US? Seems a bit odd to want our help now she's in a tight spot.

 

I know @BLING
I dislike her too.

 

Her stance on the flag is meaningless. She is an American. My concern is over releasing someone that could ultimately kill other Americans.

Not a fan of BGs politics, but American she is and I hope they manage a reasonable way of release for her.

 

Bad form

 

Zero explanation for how she got INTO Russia with what would have to be a larger amount of the oil (unless she didnt use any at all the whole time she was in Russia), but somehow gets "caught" with less, on the way out...

And if they were going to set her up without her cooperation, you don't think they could or would do any better than these laughable charges????

She got paid $$$....she negotiated charges that wouldn't alienate her Am. following, but would generate public sympathy.

That makes much more sense than this was concocted and perpetrated without her cooperation.

Sorry, but its just too clean.

Laughably so.

 

On one hand, she chose to go over to a corrupt, authoritarian country (one that is unfriendly to gays and lesbians for that matter) and broke the law there (with intent or not) while there was tremendous tension between our countries. I know the money was good, but I can't imagine having done that. Couldn't she have played in some other country to make extra money?

I do wonder whether Russia would have incarcerated Steven Seagal or Roy Jones Jr. (I think both have Russian citizenship) for having some oil or engaging in a little prostitution (which I also think is illegal over there)? Or would they be so harsh with a current mega star? I don't know, but I'm doubtful. If she is going to serve time similar to what others would get there, maybe that's on her to an extent. If she's being singled out for a disproportionately long sentence or being mistreated while in custody, then I think that's a different matter - even if some Americans don't like her politics or the fact that she protested our National Anthem like many others did.

It *is* worth noting that we are fortunate to live in a country where people can mock our presidents, protest our anthem, etc., without being worried about mysterious poisons or accidentally "tripping" out of a high rise window. I imagine she has thought about that while being locked up over there. We have it pretty good relatively speaking and should keep that in mind even when we are badmouthing our own politicians/policies. But it's also sad to see some Americans online who seem to be enjoying her suffering.

 

She would have been convicted anyway. The plea means nothing. This process is political. Don’t presume she had the oil because she plead guilty. This is not an American Court and guilt or innocence is irrelevant

 

So your contention is that she's not actually a hostage, but she is getting paid to pretend to be a hostage, to aid and abet the Russian government in freeing an arms smuggler?

That's... an idea.

I'm not sure why you are so fixated on the oil. She probably did actually have whatever this was. On a technical level she probably did commit some minor crime there. Did you think Trevor Reed's conviction for "assaulting a police officer" was "too clean"? Do you think he also got paid to be a hostage? The story with Reed was that he got drunk off is ass and was wondering around on a road, that is HIS story, he admitted to being drunk. Then they found out he was a former marine. That's when the charges got trumped up. The whole thing with these Russian hostages (and hostages generally) is trumped up charges so they know they'll be there a long time or until they are "traded".