{"id":880,"date":"2022-10-31T15:39:53","date_gmt":"2022-10-31T19:39:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportspoll\/?p=880"},"modified":"2022-10-31T15:39:53","modified_gmt":"2022-10-31T19:39:53","slug":"43-percent-of-americans-say-britney-griner-punishment-unfair-62-percent-say-shes-a-russian-political-pawn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.shu.edu\/sportspoll\/2022\/10\/31\/43-percent-of-americans-say-britney-griner-punishment-unfair-62-percent-say-shes-a-russian-political-pawn\/","title":{"rendered":"43 Percent of Americans Say Britney Griner Punishment \u2018Unfair,\u2019 62 Percent Say She\u2019s a Russian \u2018Political Pawn\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"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.<\/p>\n

Who is Brittney Griner?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
N=1,579<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

General<\/p>\n

Population<\/td>\n

Sports<\/p>\n

Fan*<\/td>\n

Non Fan<\/td>\nAvid<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n

Casual<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

A social media influencer<\/strong><\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n4%<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n5%<\/td>\n4%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A Hollywood actor <\/strong><\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n0%<\/td>\n5%<\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
A politician<\/strong><\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n4%<\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
An entrepreneur<\/strong><\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n3%<\/td>\n1%<\/td>\n4%<\/td>\n2%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
An athlete<\/strong><\/td>\n65%<\/td>\n69%<\/td>\n59%<\/td>\n69%<\/td>\n70%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Don\u2019t know\/No opinion<\/strong><\/td>\n26%<\/td>\n18%<\/td>\n38%<\/td>\n13%<\/td>\n20%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 \u201cdon\u2019t know\/no opinion.\u201d<\/p>\n

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? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
N=1,579<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

General<\/p>\n

Population<\/td>\n

Sports<\/p>\n

Fan*<\/td>\n

Non Fan<\/td>\nAvid<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n

Casual<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Yes<\/strong><\/td>\n62%<\/td>\n64%<\/td>\n59%<\/td>\n65%<\/td>\n64%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No<\/strong><\/td>\n24%<\/td>\n24%<\/td>\n23%<\/td>\n26%<\/td>\n23%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Don\u2019t know\/No opinion<\/strong><\/td>\n14%<\/td>\n12%<\/td>\n18%<\/td>\n9%<\/td>\n13%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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.<\/p>\n

Fair?<\/strong>
\nPerhaps 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 \u2013 41 percent \u2013 called it a fair punishment, with 16 percent at \u201cdon\u2019t know\/no opinion.\u201d\u00a0 Those identifying themselves as sports fans closely matched the general population.<\/p>\n

Is Brittney Griner Russian imprisonment fair given the current Russian law?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
N=1,579<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

General<\/p>\n

Population<\/td>\n

Sports<\/p>\n

Fan*<\/td>\n

Non Fan<\/td>\nAvid<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n

Casual<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Yes<\/strong><\/td>\n41%<\/td>\n44%<\/td>\n38%<\/td>\n47%<\/td>\n42%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No<\/strong><\/td>\n43%<\/td>\n43%<\/td>\n44%<\/td>\n41%<\/td>\n44%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Don\u2019t know\/No opinion<\/strong><\/td>\n16%<\/td>\n13%<\/td>\n18%<\/td>\n12%<\/td>\n14%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Has the U.S. Done Enough?<\/strong>
\nAsked 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.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Based on what has been reported in the news, has the United States government done enough to get Brittney Griner released from Russian imprisonment? <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
N=1,579<\/p>\n

 <\/td>\n

General<\/p>\n

Population<\/td>\n

Sports<\/p>\n

Fan*<\/td>\n

Non Fan<\/td>\nAvid<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n

Casual<\/p>\n

Fan<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

Yes<\/strong><\/td>\n36%<\/td>\n40%<\/td>\n30%<\/td>\n45%<\/td>\n38%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
No<\/strong><\/td>\n31%<\/td>\n33%<\/td>\n29%<\/td>\n33%<\/td>\n32%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
Don\u2019t know\/No opinion<\/strong><\/td>\n33%<\/td>\n27%<\/td>\n41%<\/td>\n22%<\/td>\n30%<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

*Sports Fan = Avid + Casual fans<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cThis is high stakes politics,\u201d said Professor Charles Grantham, Director of the Center for Sport Management within Seton Hall\u2019s Stillman School of Business, which sponsors the Poll. \u201cMs. 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.\u201d<\/p>\n

#\u00a0 #\u00a0 #<\/p>\n

Complete questions along with more charts below.<\/p>\n

ABOUT THE POLL<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u2019s opt-in panel to be representative of all U.S residents.\u00a0This 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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n

Media:<\/em>\u00a0 Michael Ricciardelli, Associate Director of Media Relations, Seton Hall University
\nmichael.ricciardelli@shu.edu<\/a>,\u00a0908-447-3034; Marty Appel,\u00a0AppelPR@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

October 2022 Poll Results<\/strong><\/p>\n

This SHSP was conducted October 7th<\/sup> through October 11th<\/sup> 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. <\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Q1.<\/strong> Which of the following statements best describes you?<\/p>\n