Dateline: recently. When I was 13ish I saw Midnight Express at a drive in with my older cousins. Seen it? True story about American trying to smuggle hash out of Turkey. Gets caught. Gets ugly, very. Pretty sure that flick messed me up permanently it's so gnarly. I should watch it again. Anyhoots.
So the basketball star plays in Russia in the offseason for the fat stacks. Here's the rub: 1) Russia doesn't dig black people. 2) Russia doesn't dig gay people. 3) Russia has a zero-tolerance drug policy. Wait for it: Brittney Griner is both black & gay. As we know, she was busted at the airport for some tiny amount of hash oil or whatever it was. Maybe it was in her suitcase, maybe it wasn't.
She was busted a few days before war broke out there. Maybe you heard about it. I was reading about it for weeks (months?) before it started. So were you. It was in all the papers. Speculation, that I agreed with, was the war would begin shortly after the China Olympics. EXACTLY what happened after the Sochi (Russia) Olympics a few years ago (they annexed something nearby, whatever). Wait til the Olympics end, then fire up the russky war machine. Guess he digs the timing.
So what's the point? Here's a thought: don't go to fucking Russia when war is days from starting. A war the USA would completely oppose. So would Europe for that matter. You're American. Don't fucking go there, to make a buck. Or any reason. Let that bball season commence without you. Moreover, you're a very tall, very visible, American symbol, on their shores. You may be Yankee, but you have fuck all for rights over there. As you're finding out.
I visited Moscow myself once. In 2003. For 1 week. One pretty great week, because I was with a local. I was there when the subway bombing occurred (Feb). That's worthy of another blurb right there, but let's focus. Here I am:
What my local tour guide reminded me daily was: don't fuck around over there. Don't be visible, don't make waves, always blend in, stay off the radar of the gendarme. Basically: don't act American. Fine by me. Americans abroad are a fucking embarrassment, but again, let's focus.
So is Brittney asking herself now after that 9-year sentence: was the paycheck worth it? Maybe you could have driven Uber in the offseason or whatnot if the bucks are tight.
Wanna stay safe? Stay home.