The Rush: U.S. moves to bring Brittney Griner home, reportedly offers exchange for “Merchant of Death”
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken has made an offer to the Russian government in hopes of securing WNBA star Brittney Griner’s release from prison and CNN reports that infamous arms trafficker Viktor Bout is a part of that deal, the LIV Golf Tour is fielding a controversial lineup of players in Thursday’s pro-am and sports movie legend Sylvester Stallone plays a superhero in his new film Samaritan. Plus, Steph and Ayesha Curry threw out joint first pitches at the Oakland A’s Game and proved there is actually one thing they can’t do… throw strikes.
Video Transcript
ANTONY BLINKEN: I plan to raise an issue that's a top priority for us-- the release of Americans Paul Whelan, and Brittney Griner, who've been wrongfully detained, and must be allowed to come home. We put a substantial proposal on the table weeks ago to facilitate their release.
[SWISHES]
JARED QUAY: Brittney Griner might be one step closer to coming home. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken revealed that he has offered what he calls a substantial proposal to Russia, in exchange for the WNBA star Brittney Griner, and fellow American Paul Whelan, who are wrongfully imprisoned in Russia.
CNN reports that US is offering Russian arms trafficker Viktor Bout in exchange for Griner and Whelan which is a big deal. Bout is currently serving a 25-year prison sentence here in the US, for conspiring to kill Americans and sell weapons to terrorists. Dude's nickname is the Merchant of death.
If that gives you any indication what the US is willing to do to bring Brittney home. The Griner saga isn't the only intersection between sports and international politics these days.
- Oh, boy.
JARED QUAY: LivGolf is trying to take over the world. And it's getting weirder by the day.
- Go on.
JARED QUAY: The Saudi-backed league's Pro-Am Tournament tees off today at the Trump National Golf Club Bedminster. And you'll see some familiar faces.
- Let's say top tier.
JARED QUAY: The lineup includes a guy who is currently under criminal investigation for his role in a deadly attempted coup of the United States government.
- Oh really? Who else?
JARED QUAY: An Olympic gold medalist trans woman who doesn't think that trans women should be allowed to compete in women's sports. Even though she, as a trans woman, has played in a women's golf tournament. A former NFL star who is now a registered sex offender.
- Man, it just keeps getting worse.
JARED QUAY: And Brian Urlacher and Charles Barkley, who have a bad toupee and a gambling problem.
- What is he doing?
JARED QUAY: Golf makes some strange bedfellows, man. I don't like these real-life sports supervillain squads. Save that stuff for the movies.
Speaking of movies, sport movie legend Sylvester Stallone is in a new flick called "Samaritan," where he plays a superhero hiding in plain sight.
- Some say it's only a matter of time before the city implodes.
- Samaritan died 25 years ago.
- That's what they say.
JARED QUAY: Yo! That movie looks fire. "Samaritan" drops on Prime Video on August 26th. But if you can't wait until then to watch the good guys at work, then I got just the thing. Steph Curry is a superhero, on and off the court.
And I don't know about you, but I'd definitely watch him and his wife, Ayesha, used to co-star in a Buddy Cop movie.
- Don't you think that'd be funny?
JARED QUAY: Yeah. But not as funny as the Currys, throwing out the first pitch at the A's game yesterday. It's good to know they aren't perfect at everything. I mean, they're human after all. I mean, Curry can hit a half-court shot like that. But he can't throw a 90-foot pitch over the plate?
It's just weird, how people's brains can be great at something and so bad. Like Charles Barkley's golf swing. Or Brian Urlacher's hair.