USA Today's Christine Brennan, a respected veteran sports columnist, has felt the ire of not only the WNBA Players Association, but also outspoken former women's soccer star Megan Rapinoe.
What is Brennan's crime? Ask the question you don't like about the Indiana fever sensation – and it's almost unanimous WNBA Rookie of the Year — Caitlin Clark.
“When I first heard that, my gut reaction was, 'Honestly, that's not good, that doesn't feel good, it feels racist.'”
You see, Rapinoe and the union are plagued by a specific set of questions Brennan recently directed at another player who turned a blind eye to Clark. Rapinoe called Brennan's questions “racist.” The players' union said Brennan's questions “incite racist, homophobic and misogynistic abuse on social media.”
It may be hard to believe, but Players Association calls for Brennan's press privileges to be revoked. to her question.
What was the question?
Dijonai Carrington, security guard for the Connecticut Sun; punched Clark in the eye During a recent playoff game, Clark got a black eye. Brennan asks Carrington if he punched Clark in the eye. Deliberately; Carrington answered no.
Brennan then asked Carrington late in the game if he was laughing about it. The Washington Post reported. “I just said I didn't even know I hit her,” Carrington replied.
The newspaper added that The Sun's DeWanna Bonner immediately called Brennan directly and asked him to treat his teammates like people.
Details from the post:
Brennan, who is writing a book about Clark and appears regularly on television, approached other reporters and said something like that wouldn't happen in the NFL. She asked why the WNBA was so sensitive and told multiple reporters that if they had questions about her awareness of the impact of racial issues, she would answer dozens of questions about former NFL quarterback and activist Colin Kaepernick. He said people should read her coverage over the years. (Brennan is white, Carrington is black.)
Three days later, the National Women's Basketball Players Association issued a statement calling on the league to disbar Brennan, one of the nation's most prominent sports journalists.
The statement reads: “To non-professional media people like Christine Brennan: You are not fooling anyone. That so-called interview in the name of journalism has led to racist, homophobic, and racist comments on social media. It was a blatant attempt to co-opt a professional athlete into a false narrative aimed at fueling a misogynistic rant. You can't hide your tenure. You're abusing your privilege and getting published. “You are not eligible to receive credentials.”
Megan Rapinoe also rips Brennan
during Wednesday's episode her podcast “More on Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe.'' The former soccer star said Brennan's questions about Carrington were “heavy'' and “I feel like they're racist.'' Fox News reported.
“When I first heard that, my gut reaction was, 'That's not good, it doesn't make me feel good, it's racist, and honestly, it's like putting Dijonais in an impossible situation. I feel it,'” Rapinoe said. cable network.
She added: “I think it's very disingenuous for Christine Brennan and other members of the media to say, 'I'm just asking a question,' but what's actually happening is to protect white players. , it's a natural human instinct to go after black players and talk about them, rather than talk about them.” Players, that's what really matters to me. ”
Rapinoe rejected the idea that Carrington could have intentionally punched Clark in the eye, saying, “The premise of the question is the belief that Mr. Dijonay is targeting Caitlin.” First of all, we know how difficult it is to poke someone in the eye because their eyeballs are so small. mosquito?”
“The WNBA and its players continue to fumble for golden opportunities, with a series of rash decisions and PR gaffes proving unprepared for prime time.”
Bird and Rapinoe also said it would be “disingenuous” to claim that opposing players are targeting Clark this season.
More from Fox News:
Many of Clark's fans expressed anger over instances in which she was physically treated by opposing players during her rookie year.
Clark received an illegal hip check from Chicago Sky forward Chennedy Carter on June 1, when a Sky player lunged at the Fever rookie and knocked her down during a stoppage in play. Clark said after the game that Carter's hit “wasn't a basketball play.”
Angel Reese, a Sky rookie and Clark's longtime rival, rammed his arm into Clark's head while trying to block a layup during a June 16 game between the teams. And in August, Sky player Diamond DeShields blew past Clark before skidding over a hardwood forest. Regarding the play that was later upgraded to an aggravated -1 foul.
What else?
Brennan called her questions “Journalism 101” in the interview, the newspaper reported.
“This is what I’ve been doing my whole career,” she said. “I think all the other journalists have done it throughout their careers.”
Roxana Scott, USA Today's sports editor, said in a statement regarding Brennan's question, “We reject the idea that this interview perpetuated any narrative other than to get the athlete's perspective firsthand.” .
Boston Globe columnist Tara Sullivan wrote, “The WNBA and its players have missed a golden opportunity after a series of rash decisions and PR gaffes have exposed them as unprepared for prime time.'' “I keep fumbling,” he wrote, the newspaper reported.
Sports Illustrated columnist Michael Rosenberg, who covers the WNBA, said in an interview that “refusing to answer someone's questions, complaining about them in private, criticizing them in public… Please stop doing that,” he added. It's all fair. However, I think credentials should only be revoked if there is a clear violation of professional ethics. ”
The paper also said that anger over Brennan's questions was largely rooted in the atmosphere in which they were asked.
Paper details:
Carrington has been the subject of intense harassment on social media. She posted a screenshot of an email she received in which she was called racial slurs and threatened with sexual violence. Another posted a photo of a police officer kneeling on George Floyd's neck, with Carrington's photo superimposed on Floyd's face and Clark's photo superimposed on the officer's face. It was superimposed on
The Connecticut crowd during the playoff series also engaged in racist trash talk, Andscape reported. One fan's shirt read “Ban Nails,” and one fan yelled when Carrington fell, “What, you tripped on an eyelash?”
“In my 11-year career, I have never experienced racist comments like those from the Indiana Fever fan base,” Sun forward Alyssa Thomas said after the series, according to the newspaper. he said.
“I'm sure there are a lot of racists who attack black people on Twitter,” Brennan said, according to the newspaper. “That's true. That's terrible. …If I asked for a follow-up, it would have given DeJonai Carrington an opportunity to address an issue that was already being discussed on Twitter.” What? Hundreds of thousands?
Brennan said USA Today plans to request certification so it can cover the WNBA Finals, the Post added.
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