Social media is very upset this week.
The Arizona Republic kicked off 2023 by naming WNBA star Brittney Griner the “Arizonan of the Year.” That doesn’t really seem like that big of a deal until you realize who else has been given that award.
Griner spent 10 months in Russia due to drug-related charges. She was sentenced to nine years in prison, but the U.S. government secured Griner’s release in a one-for-one prisoner swap involving Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout.
That was enough for the Arizona Republic to give her that award and explain why they did so.
“Today we name Brittney Griner ‘Arizonan of the Year’ because no other Arizona newsmaker in 2022 captured the public eye as intensely as she did,” the publication wrote. “Nor has anyone’s story in this state aroused the kind of fear and foreboding that hers had for nearly 300 days.”
The “Arizonan of the Year” award was once given to the late Pat Tillman.
Once social media found out about this, heads started to roll:
Tillman was just 27 years old when he was tragically gunned down by friendly fire. He chose to fight for his country instead of continuing his NFL career. He has forever been known as a hero for his actions.
