Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – Middlesbrough & WNBA
Every week we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.
HIT - MIDDLESBROUGH FC
The FA Cup is famous throughout the world as the oldest cup competition with a rich history of minnows beating giants against all odds.
But Middlesbrough showed last week that smaller clubs can win against even the Club World Cup and Champions League holders by standing their ground in the face of adversity.
Chelsea, remember, are banned from selling new tickets after owner Roman Abramovich was sanctioned by the UK Government following accusations of having links to Vladimir Putin and the Russian state after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Chelsea have become frustrated in attempts to amend the restrictive operating licence they are under as a result of the sanctions, and had sold just 500 tickets for the game.
There were reports that the club issued assurances that the money from tickets would not go to Abramovich and tried to give away tickets for the Middlesbrough FA Cup tie for free.
When that did not work, Chelsea issued a statement asking for the game to be played behind closed doors.
The statement said: “It is important for the competition that the match against Middlesbrough goes ahead, however it is with extreme reluctance that we are asking the FA board to direct that the game be played behind closed doors for matters of sporting integrity.
“Chelsea FC recognises that such an outcome would have a huge impact on Middlesbrough and its supporters, as well as our own fans who have already bought the limited number of tickets that were sold before the licence was imposed, but we believe this is the fairest way of proceeding in the current circumstances.”
The request has done little to warm the wider football community to Chelsea’s plight.
Former Chelsea defender Graeme Le Saux was shocked and tweeted: “I can’t think of a more embarrassing statement to come out of the club that I played for for 12yrs. Either ignorant or arrogant. I am confident it doesn’t represent the feelings of the coaching and playing staff.”
Even the Chelsea Supporters' Trust disagreed with the club and said: “The CST has made it clear to the Govt & the Sports Minister that supporters must be able to watch their team. We strongly urge the Government to amend the license & allow supporters to obtain tickets.
“Playing behind closed doors does not benefit supporters. The CST has asked Chelsea to withdraw the request for the Middlesbrough game to be played behind closed doors.”
According to The Times, a government source said: “This statement threatening Middlesbrough and the rest of the Football League shows they do not seem to understand the seriousness of the situation they are in, being owned by an entity who has been sanctioned because of links responsible for appalling acts in Ukraine.”
Middlesbrough, who Chelsea famously beat in the 1997 FA Cup Final, released a dignified but firm statement which underlined their refusal to be bullied by a bigger team.
Boro said: “All concerned are well aware of the reasons Chelsea have been sanctioned and that this has nothing to do with Middlesbrough Football Club.
“To suggest as result that MFC and our fans should be penalised is not only grossly unfair but without any foundation.
“Given the reasons for these sanctions, for Chelsea to seek to invoke sporting "integrity" as reason for the game being played behind closed doors is ironic in the extreme.”
Boro Chairman Steve Gibson was even firmer, telling the Telegraph that: “The words 'sporting integrity' and Chelsea don't belong in the same sentence. For 19 years, money has fuelled the success of Chelsea Football Club.
“Our fans, our club, our players and our manager have done nothing wrong. If Chelsea were to succeed, and the game be played behind closed doors, does that mean all the Premier League games have to be played behind closed doors? And all the Champions League games? And for what reason? Because of their owner, all the rest of us have to suffer.
“This has to be kicked out and [Chelsea chairman] Bruce Buck should be kicked out. This rotten football club, Chelsea. We pick up the newspapers and read about Abramovich and the way he conducted his life, and we see what's going on in Ukraine, and it's beyond comprehension. It really is.”
The Football Association (FA) did not take long to respond to Chelsea’s request, unsurprisingly rejecting it out of hand and backing Boro’s stance.
An FA Statement read: “After constructive talks between the FA and Chelsea, the club has agreed to remove their request for the Emirates FA Cup Quarter Final tie against Middlesbrough to be played behind closed doors.
“The FA remains in ongoing discussions with Chelsea, the Premier League and the Government to find a solution that would enable both Chelsea fans to attend games and away fans to attend Stamford Bridge, whilst ensuring sanctions are respected.”
Boro announced on the eve of the game that the proceeds of the additional 3200 tickets they had sold would help the plight of Ukraine: "On behalf of the people of Middlesbrough and Teesside, Middlesbrough Football Club will donate its share of the gate receipts from the Emirates FA Cup sixth round tie against Chelsea to humanitarian aid in Ukraine. The club’s Member of Parliament Andy McDonald will assist with due diligence to ensure best delivery and maximum impact."
Needless to say, Chelsea’s team buss was met with a chorus of boos when it arrived at the Riverside Stadium but the game ended in a comfortable away win and sets up an all-London FA Cup semi-final against Crystal Palace.
MISS – WNBA
In mid February, Brittney Griner, possibly the greatest female basketball player of all time, was detained at Sheremetyevo airport on the outskirts of Moscow amid the Ukraine war.
Over four weeks later, little more is known about her circumstances and wellbeing.
Griner, a star centre for the Phoenix Mercury, had just landed in Russia to play another season for UMMC Ekaterinburg in the Russian league, when she is believed to have been arrested on drugs charges.
The uncertainty around her fate has fuelled an outpouring of support and concern. Yet it has also generated a feeling of indignation among some, with the response and public communications regarding her detainment being strangely muted.
The attention she's been given has drawn comparison to male players and exposes the longstanding gender inequality in professional sports. If this was an NBA player of her calibre, it would be headlining not only every sports page but every news media page in the world.
Griner, a nine-year veteran of the league is regarded as one of the best female athletes in the world, having won a college championship, WNBA and Euroleague titles and an Olympic gold medal.
In addition to this, Griner, alongside roughly half of WNBA players, competes overseas in the off-season to augment her domestic income, leading her to Russia, where WNBA players earn roughly five times more than they do in the US.
The Russian Federal Customs Service said that a sniffer dog had led authorities to search the carry-on luggage of an American basketball player – who state-owned Russian news agency Tass identified as Griner – and that it had found vape cartridges containing hashish oil.
Russian authorities publicly confirmed her detention. However, where she is being held, and under what circumstances, is not publicly known.
US authorities and representatives for Griner have stayed mostly silent except to say they are working to bring her home.
Griner’s WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury, said in a statement: “We are aware of and are closely monitoring the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia.
“We remain in constant contact with her family, her representation, the WNBA and NBA. We love and support Brittney and at this time our main concern is her safety, physical and mental health, and her safe return home.”
The WNBA itself, said: “Brittney Griner has the WNBA’s full support and our main priority is her swift and safe return to the United States.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said: “There's only so much I can say given the privacy considerations at this point. Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world, we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance, and that includes in Russia.
“We have an embassy team that's working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia. We're doing everything we can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected."
Griner's agent, Lindsay Colas, said: “We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA.
“As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern.”
While there is no indication that Griner's arrest was connected to the invasion of Ukraine, some have stressed that tense relations between the US and Russia may jeopardise her safe return.
As she nears a month in Russian detention without much public furore, some have suggested that the silence may be a deliberate effort to avoid aggravating an already precarious situation amid negotiations with Russia.
But others believe the muted coverage and public support lays bare the clear inequalities faced by female athletes.
Much more ink has been devoted to male players – whether it is Novak Djokovic's Covid-19 saga in Australia or Aaron Rodger's vaccination status – than has been to Griner.
Over 60,000 fans have signed an online petition demanding the US government treat her like any other sports icon and prioritise her safe return.
There is a danger that Griner becomes a pawn in the political conflict that is being waged by Russia, with severed diplomatic ties to the west having the potential to exacerbate her plight.
Nevertheless, the WNBA taking a back seat and refusing to step up to secure the safety and security of its player, represents an absence of leadership when one of their star players needs it most.
One only needs to look towards the WTA standing up to China after tennis star Peng Shuai went missing last year – not long after making an allegation of sexual assault against a top Chinese government official – to see how a governing body can be proactive with their communications in such a crisis.
On one hand, if the WNBA had taken a firmer stance on equal pay in the first instance, maybe Griner wouldn’t have had to travel halfway around the world to earn a salary in line with her talent.
On the other, if more prominent voices had spoken up about the dangers of Russia’s military aspirations, maybe she wouldn’t have got on the plane to Moscow this time around either.
However, the real failure lies in the lack of a co-ordinated show of support and solidarity, with the WNBA and basketball authorities staying almost silent.
Although there may be value to a rational, measured, and thoughtful approach to protecting Griner’s wellbeing, simply releasing a few short sentences to the public certainly doesn’t serve the greatest female basketball player on the planet well, who is essentially being held as a prisoner of war.