Allegations of racism and misogyny within the Phoenix Suns: Inside Robert Sarver's 17-year tenure as owner

[specialsauce]

She was incredibly dumb to break the law especially in Russia of all places. She had to understand the risk she was taking. Sucks for her but it is what it is

[wpmiller42]

This probably belongs more in the politics thread, but Griner "breaking the law" in Russia has nothing to do with why she is detained. She's a black gay American celebrity; that's why she's being detained.

[virtual9mm]

This probably belongs more in the politics thread, but Griner "breaking the law" in Russia has nothing to do with why she is detained. She's a black gay American celebrity; that's why she's being detained.

Yeah you should look at the fake pedophile rumors they stuck on Mike McFaul. Shot a bullet through his window, too.

Back to basketball...

[SunsRIt]

She was incredibly dumb to break the law especially in Russia of all places. She had to understand the risk she was taking. Sucks for her but it is what it is

I said basically the same thing in another thread and got lambasted for it. She broke the law.

[Indy]

She was incredibly dumb to break the law especially in Russia of all places. She had to understand the risk she was taking. Sucks for her but it is what it is

I said basically the same thing in another thread and got lambasted for it. She broke the law.

This probably belongs more in the politics thread, but Griner "breaking the law" in Russia has nothing to do with why she is detained. She's a black gay American celebrity; that's why she's being detained.

[Wally_West]

I also don’t believe shit what Russia says.

[The Bobster]

The thing is this - they're a sovereign country. So if you're uncomfortable with the situation there you probably try to avoid going there, or at the very least don't give then any reason to detain you.

"My doctor prescribed it" or "It's legal where I'm from" doesn't cut it. The Russian government is just looking for anything to use for bargaining for the release of Russians held prisoner here, and she gave them a high profile one.

[Flagrant Fowl]

The Russian government is just looking for anything to use for bargaining for the release of Russians held prisoner here, and she gave them a high profile one.

This is the key point. I refuse to believe the local people around Griner in Russia didn't know about her cannabis usage. They would have never arrested her because it would've discouraged other international players form joining their league.

The fact that it happened right when Russia invaded Ukraine made it plainly obvious she's a political pawn, and it's a joke to think she's a criminal on the same level as Viktor Bout.

[Indy]

Exactly. And as miller pointed out, her being a person in multiple marginalized communities lets them do this with most Americans not caring.

[Flagrant Fowl]

I don't think her identity and background have a whole lot to do with the greater public opinion about her in the USA in this situation. Bigots would've ignored or trashed her regardless.

I think it's likely that most Americans care about her but feel helpless because Vladimir Putin is ultimately deciding her fate.

[specialsauce]

The thing is this - they're a sovereign country. So if you're uncomfortable with the situation there you probably try to avoid going there, or at the very least don't give then any reason to detain you.

"My doctor prescribed it" or "It's legal where I'm from" doesn't cut it. The Russian government is just looking for anything to use for bargaining for the release of Russians held prisoner here, and she gave them a high profile one.

I agree.

You know what kind of a country you’re in. Don’t give them any reason to be unreasonable. Don’t speed. Don’t carry illegal drugs. If you can’t tread lightly, probably shouldn’t be there. Russia sucks, but shes foolish

[Mori Chu]

I think it's easy to underestimate how easily an oppressive country can imprison people for the most minor of offenses if it really wants to. Almost everyone is guilty of some sort of minor offense, anything from jaywalking to filing their taxes improperly to speeding to minor possession of a recreational drug to being gay (illegal in some countries), on and on. If they want you, they can probably find a reason to grab you and throw you in a prison on a questionable charge. Overly harsh laws with selective enforcement make it so that almost everyone has committed SOME crime, so if the government wants to, they can grab them and prosecute them.

Should Griner have brought a vape pen or weed gummy or whatever to Russia? Maybe not. But if she hadn't done that, they likely would have found some other reason to grab her. "Don't do the crime if you can't do the time" is bullshit in this context.

[Nodack]

Well she did bring a pot vape pen into Russia and was busted. Put me in the group that thinks that was a very foolish move. Of course Russia is going to milk it for all it’s worth. It sucks to be her. Now she is a pawn in a much larger political game.

[Drewsprocket]

Fairly obvious take: I won’t believe much until Griner is home and able to give her version. And of course the reason she is being held is for leverage. That she is an American celebrity, Black, and LGBTQ only increases the target on her back.

[Furlanfufi]

Guys, let me tell you a story related to this. A brazilian man, Robson Oliveira, was arrested because on Russia because he was carrying 2 boxes of Mytedom, a legal drug here in Brazil, but illegal on Russia.
He was working for a soccer player named Fernando, and the drug was intendend for Fernando's father. Fernando soon left Russia to play for a chinese team, and Robson left in jail for more than 2 years.

Robson was a nobody, who can't move an inch in the political scale, and he was only realeased after Bolsonaro's intervention with Putin after 2 years.
Just to clarify, Bolsonaro and Putin relations are good.

Griner's case will last longer than that because she's an american celebrity, US relations with Russia are what they are, and she was carrying pot.

[specialsauce]

Guys, let me tell you a story related to this. A brazilian man, Robson Oliveira, was arrested because on Russia because he was carrying 2 boxes of Mytedom, a legal drug here in Brazil, but illegal on Russia.
He was working for a soccer player named Fernando, and the drug was intendend for Fernando's father. Fernando soon left Russia to play for a chinese team, and Robson left in jail for more than 2 years.

Robson was a nobody, who can't move an inch in the political scale, and he was only realeased after Bolsonaro's intervention with Putin after 2 years.
Just to clarify, Bolsonaro and Putin relations are good.

Griner's case will last longer than that because she's an american celebrity, US relations with Russia are what they are, and she was carrying pot.

Mytedome is methadone, an opioid. Again, better be careful taking drugs to a foreign country.

[Furlanfufi]

Guys, let me tell you a story related to this. A brazilian man, Robson Oliveira, was arrested because on Russia because he was carrying 2 boxes of Mytedom, a legal drug here in Brazil, but illegal on Russia.
He was working for a soccer player named Fernando, and the drug was intendend for Fernando's father. Fernando soon left Russia to play for a chinese team, and Robson left in jail for more than 2 years.

Robson was a nobody, who can't move an inch in the political scale, and he was only realeased after Bolsonaro's intervention with Putin after 2 years.
Just to clarify, Bolsonaro and Putin relations are good.

Griner's case will last longer than that because she's an american celebrity, US relations with Russia are what they are, and she was carrying pot.

Mytedome is methadone, an opioid. Again, better be careful taking drugs to a foreign country.

Yes, but the guy was just an employee (a kind of do it all for Fernando's family) and barely knew what methadone was. Here we got very upset with the way Fernando and his family just left him there like they had nothing to do with it.

[specialsauce]

Guys, let me tell you a story related to this. A brazilian man, Robson Oliveira, was arrested because on Russia because he was carrying 2 boxes of Mytedom, a legal drug here in Brazil, but illegal on Russia.
He was working for a soccer player named Fernando, and the drug was intendend for Fernando's father. Fernando soon left Russia to play for a chinese team, and Robson left in jail for more than 2 years.

Robson was a nobody, who can't move an inch in the political scale, and he was only realeased after Bolsonaro's intervention with Putin after 2 years.
Just to clarify, Bolsonaro and Putin relations are good.

Griner's case will last longer than that because she's an american celebrity, US relations with Russia are what they are, and she was carrying pot.

Mytedome is methadone, an opioid. Again, better be careful taking drugs to a foreign country.

Yes, but the guy was just an employee (a kind of do it all for Fernando's family) and barely knew what methadone was. Here we got very upset with the way Fernando and his family just left him there like they had nothing to do with it.

I mean it sounds like Fernando left him high and dry.

But it’s like if I carry around cocaine and then tell the police “but it’s my friend’s cocaine!” You’re still in trouble because you’re in possession of an illegal substance. Russias laws may be ridiculous, but it’s not surprising.

[Superbone]

Is this thing ever going to come to a conclusion? It's getting late into the off-season. Come on, already!

[Mori Chu]

It feels like they're trying to bury it at this point, between the long delays and some of the edge-softening minority hires by the Suns org lately. Maybe they're waiting for some bombshell news story to happen so they can announce this in its wake and get swallowed up in the news cycle.