NFL star Micah Parsons has apologized for his comments about the release of basketball player Brittney Griner from jail in Russia after facing a vicious backlash on social media.
The 23-year-old linebacker for Dallas Cowboys had expressed his upset that retired marine Paul Whelan— who was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment for spying—would not be included in the release deal for Griner.
Parsons was disgusted that only WNBA star Griner would be released in exchange for notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout in a deal that was reportedly mediated by Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the United Arab Emirates' President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed.
Griner was arrested when she arrived in Moscow in February for possession of cannabis oil. A Russian court sentenced her to nine years in prison in August, and President Joe Biden had faced pressure for months to secure her release.
Reporting news of the deal, CBS correspondent Stephen Portnoy tweeted: "The swap to see Griner home for Christmas is 1-for-1 & does not involve Ret. Marine Paul Whelan, who is about to mark his 4th year in Russian custody."
Parsons reacted to this and retweeted it with his own thoughts, in which he shared his anger at Whelan being left behind in Russia.
The football star wrote: "Wait nah!! We left a marine?!! Hell nah,"
Whelan was arrested in Russia on December 28, 2018 and accused of spying. On June 15, 2020, he received a 16-year prison sentence.
Parsons faced an angry backlash on the internet after his tweet, with many saying that it was ill-informed.
One annoyed Twitter user replied: "Know what you're talking about before posting reactions on this very public platform."
Another bluntly suggested: "Shut up and read about it first"
There was some support for Parsons though and one commenter suggested that there was a misalignment with the swap.
"I understand Russia wouldn't trade the marine," they said. "But if we wanted an 'even or fair swap' why did we trade an arms dealer known as the 'Merchant of Death' for a vape pen carrier? It's a bad exchange for the US no matter how you look at it."
Parsons looked to dampen the furor but only seemed to fan the flames by pointing out that he still didn't understand why Whelan was being left behind while Griner was coming home.
The Cowboys star tweeted: "My last tweet was no shot at Brittney Griner. I'm super happy she's back home as she should be. I just have family who have served and it's crazy to me the President wouldn't bring [Whelan] home too. I'm the furthest thing from a Trump supporter but I'm not a fan of Biden either."
It would seem that Parsons was given some information and advice which meant that he wanted to issue an apology as he admitted that he may have not known the facts surrounding the situations of Griner and Whelan.
He took to Twitter again and admitted across a couple of messages: "Just spoke to some people that I respect and trust. I should have been more educated on the topic and not tweeted out of emotion for my family and others who have served. For that I apologize. Also if what I'm told about the attempts to bring Ret Marine Paul Whelan home are true…
"Then the best outcome was accomplished. I pray Mr. Whelan comes home but am extremely happy for Brittney and her family. I am not too prideful to admit when I've made a mistake."
Meanwhile, Whelan has expressed his disappointment at not being involved in the prisoner exchange, speaking to CNN in a phone call from a remote Russian penal colony.
He told them: "I am greatly disappointed that more has not been done to secure my release, especially as the four-year anniversary of my arrest is coming up.
"I was arrested for a crime that never occurred. I don't understand why I'm still sitting here."
Whelan expressed his hopes that Biden and his administration "would do everything they could to get me home, regardless of the price they might have to pay at this point."
He went on to add: "I would say that if a message could go to President Biden, that this is a precarious situation that needs to be resolved quickly.
"My bags are packed. I'm ready to go home. I just need an airplane to come and get me. It's quite obvious that I'm being held hostage."
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