Live Mics: NFL Network Accidentally Addresses Brittney Griner Sentencing in Russia
In the wake of WNBA star Brittney Griner's nine-year prison sentence in Russia, NFL Network's James Palmer and Ian Rapoport remarked on the situation. ... without knowing their microphones were on.
Reporting live from Denver Broncos training camp, the hosts make mention of the fact Griner was found guilty in a Russian court Thursday of smuggling drugs into the country with criminal intent, per multiple reports.
NFL Network anchor Andrew Siciliano, the third party on the show, said, "Just pull back the curtain on the conversation we had off the air during the commercial."
But obviously, that was not the intent.
There is not necessarily any need to skewer the personalities for comments they surely regret. The bigger lesson, of course - and believe us, we've been there - is the realization of how a camera might always be on, a microphone might always be on, the "send'' button might always be mistakenly hit.
Griner had been detained in the country since February for allegedly possessing cannabis oil at the Moscow airport. The offense can net her up to 10 years in a Russian federal prison.
Griner issued a guilty plea to a Russian court on July 7 and also included an ask for mercy from the judge. Griner claimed that, while she did commit the crime, she did so inadvertently.
She made another statement Thursday ahead of her verdict.
"I never meant to hurt anybody, I never meant to put in jeopardy the Russian population, I never meant to break any laws here," Griner said, via CNN. "I made an honest mistake and I hope that in your ruling that it doesn't end my life here. I know everybody keeps talking about political pawn and politics, but I hope that that is far from this courtroom.
"I want to say again that I had no intent on breaking any Russian laws," she said. "I had no intent. I did not conspire or plan to commit this crime."
More than 150 days into her Russian detention, the United States Government offered a deal with the Kremlin in exchange for Griner on July 27, as well as fellow American detainee Paul Whelan, per U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The news came on the heels of Griner testifying at her trial on Wednesday, where, while she re-confirmed her guilty plea.
Earlier this summer, Griner sent a letter to President Joe Biden, received at the White House on Monday’s July 4 holiday.
"Please do all you can to bring us home,” she wrote.
It remains to be seen if the U.S government will follow through with potential prisoner swap in order to get Griner released.
