Although she was barely known while playing for the Phoenix Mercury in the WNBA, 65 percent of American adults now know who Brittney Griner is.
Who is Brittney Griner?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| A social media influencer | 3% | 4% | 1% | 5% | 4% |
| A Hollywood actor | 2% | 3% | 0% | 5% | 2% |
| A politician | 2% | 3% | 1% | 4% | 2% |
| An entrepreneur | 2% | 3% | 1% | 4% | 2% |
| An athlete | 65% | 69% | 59% | 69% | 70% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 26% | 18% | 38% | 13% | 20% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
When informed of her current legal situation, 62 percent of the general population in the U.S. felt she is being used as a political pawn by the Russian government, with 24 percent saying she was not, and 14 percent saying “don’t know/no opinion.”
Given the war in Ukraine, and the United States support for the Ukrainian government and its citizens, do you feel Brittney Griner is being used as a political pawn by the Russian government?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 62% | 64% | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| No | 24% | 24% | 23% | 26% | 23% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 14% | 12% | 18% | 9% | 13% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
These were among the findings of a Seton Hall Sports Poll conducted earlier this month among 1,579 adults across the country. The poll featured a national representative sample weighted on U.S. Census Bureau figures for gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography and has a margin of error of +/- 2.5 percent.
Fair?
Perhaps surprisingly, although nearly two thirds of Americans surveyed thought that Brittney Griner was being used as a political pawn, the public is still mixed over whether she has been treated fairly throughout this year. When informed that her crime (hashish oil possession of less than two grams) is punishable by up to 15 days in prison (she received nine years), 43 percent of the general population called the imprisonment unfair, but almost an equal number – 41 percent – called it a fair punishment, with 16 percent at “don’t know/no opinion.” Those identifying themselves as sports fans closely matched the general population.
Is Brittney Griner Russian imprisonment fair given the current Russian law?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 41% | 44% | 38% | 47% | 42% |
| No | 43% | 43% | 44% | 41% | 44% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 16% | 13% | 18% | 12% | 14% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Has the U.S. Done Enough?
Asked if the U.S. government had done enough to get her released, 36 percent of the general population said yes, with 31 percent saying no. Sports fans were more divided, with 40 percent saying yes and 33 percent no.
Based on what has been reported in the news, has the United States government done enough to get Brittney Griner released from Russian imprisonment?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 36% | 40% | 30% | 45% | 38% |
| No | 31% | 33% | 29% | 33% | 32% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 33% | 27% | 41% | 22% | 30% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
“This is high stakes politics,” said Professor Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management within Seton Hall’s Stillman School of Business, which sponsors the Poll. “Ms. Griner is caught in the middle of a major moment of contention between superpowers. It is both complicated and delicate at the same time. And the American public is also torn in multiple directions.”
# # #
Complete questions along with more charts below.
ABOUT THE POLL
The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted regularly since 2006, is performed by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. This poll was conducted online by YouGov Plc. using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography, based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S residents. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to CNBC, NPR, Yahoo Finance, Fox News and many points in between.
Media: Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall University
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034; Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com
October 2022 Poll Results
This SHSP was conducted October 7th through October 11th and includes responses from 1,579 US adults with a margin of error of 2.5%. The sample mirrors the US Census percentages on age, gender, income, education, ethnicity, and region.
Q1. Which of the following statements best describes you?
- I am an avid sports fan 17%
- I am a sports fan 39%
- I am not a sports fan 43%
And now a few questions about Brittney Griner
Who is Brittney Griner?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| A social media influencer | 3% | 4% | 1% | 5% | 4% |
| A Hollywood actor | 2% | 3% | 0% | 5% | 2% |
| A politician | 2% | 3% | 1% | 4% | 2% |
| An entrepreneur | 2% | 3% | 1% | 4% | 2% |
| An athlete | 65% | 69% | 59% | 69% | 70% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 26% | 18% | 38% | 13% | 20% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Brittney Griner is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury in the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and is currently imprisoned in Russia.
In February 2022, Griner was detained by Russian customs after cartridges containing less than a gram of hashish oil (a concentrated version of cannabis) were found in her luggage, and later arrested on drug charges. In Russia, cannabis is illegal. An individual possessing less than 6 grams of cannabis, or less than two grams of hash oil can be fined or jailed for up to 15 days. Possessing any more than that becomes a more serious criminal offense.
Q6a. Is Brittney Griner Russian imprisonment fair given the current Russian law?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 41% | 44% | 38% | 47% | 42% |
| No | 43% | 43% | 44% | 41% | 44% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 16% | 13% | 18% | 12% | 14% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Q6b. Given the war in Ukraine, and the United States support for the Ukrainian government and its citizens, do you feel Brittney Griner is being used as a political pawn by the Russian government?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 62% | 64% | 59% | 65% | 64% |
| No | 24% | 24% | 23% | 26% | 23% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 14% | 12% | 18% | 9% | 13% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
Q6c. Based on what has been reported in the news, has the United States government done enough to get Brittney Griner released from Russian imprisonment?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 36% | 40% | 30% | 45% | 38% |
| No | 31% | 33% | 29% | 33% | 32% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 33% | 27% | 41% | 22% | 30% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
In February 2022, Brittney Griner was traveling to Russia to play in the women’s basketball Russian Premier League during the WNBA offseason. This was not her first season playing in the Russian Premier League. In fact, many of the top WNBA athletes play abroad because the WNBA season is too short and the salaries outside of the United States are two to three times higher.
Q7a. Should the WNBA raise salaries for its athletes so they would not need to play abroad?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 49% | 53% | 45% | 59% | 51% |
| No | 28% | 28% | 27% | 26% | 28% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 23% | 19% | 28% | 15% | 21% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
The legal challenges facing Brittney Griner in Russia raises the question of whether United States athletes should play in leagues or competitions in countries that have legal and human rights records which are not on par with the U.S.
Q7b. Should there be a list of restricted nations where U.S. athletes are not permitted to compete?
| N=1,579
|
General
Population |
Sports
Fan* |
Non Fan | Avid
Fan |
Casual
Fan |
| Yes | 50% | 53% | 48% | 57% | 50% |
| No | 28% | 29% | 25% | 29% | 30% |
| Don’t know/No opinion | 22% | 18% | 27% | 14% | 20% |
*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans
ABOUT THE POLL
The Seton Hall Sports Poll, conducted regularly since 2006, is performed by the Sharkey Institute within the Stillman School of Business. This poll was conducted online by YouGov Plc. using a national representative sample weighted according to gender, age, ethnicity, education, income and geography, based on U.S. Census Bureau figures. Respondents were selected from YouGov’s opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S residents. This poll release conforms to the Standards of Disclosure of the National Council on Public Polls. The Seton Hall Sports Poll has been chosen for inclusion in iPoll by Cornell’s Roper Center for Public Opinion Research and its findings have been published everywhere from USA Today, ESPN, The New York Times, Washington Post, AP, and Reuters to CNBC, NPR, Yahoo Finance, Fox News and many points in between.
Media: Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall University
michael.ricciardelli@shu.edu, 908-447-3034; Marty Appel, AppelPR@gmail.com