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NHL Star Artemi Panarin Becomes 1st High Profile Russian Athlete to Criticize Putin
Deadspin ^ | Jul 2019 | L. Thiessen

Posted on 07/26/2019 12:55:11 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege

The New York Rangers’ free-agent signing of the summer, Artemi Panarin, gave an interview where he did something unprecedented for a Russian athlete of his caliber: criticize President Vladimir Putin.

“I think he no longer understands what’s right and what’s wrong. Psychologically, it’s not easy for him to judge the situation soberly. He has a lot of people who influence his decisions. But if everyone is walking around you for 20 years telling you what a great guy you are and how great a job you are doing, you will never see your mistakes.”

Panarin admits that he used to not be so politically aware, because he was focused on hockey...but a few years of living in America helped him come around to an opposing point of view:

“We have two cities that are developing, Saint Petersburg and Moscow, but the rest of them are a joke. I lived in Columbus, which isn’t even in the top 10 American cities, but look at the pictures and you will see how nice it looks ... American cities are developing thanks to local taxes which stay in the state. But here, a lot of money goes to Moscow, so people everywhere work for Moscow’s benefit.”

Panarin’s interview stands in stark contrast to...Alex Ovechkin, who has openly complimented Putin and called on other Russians to support him...

“There is still this belief in our society that you can’t say bad things about the government or you will be killed or poisoned. This should not be happening. [In America] a star or an athlete can directly badmouth the president, and nothing will happen. They can refuse to go to the White House. But here, it’s impossible.”

“I am coming from a positive place, I want to change something, to have people live better.”

(Excerpt) Read more at deadspin.com ...


TOPICS: Sports
KEYWORDS: artemypanarin; freespeech; hockey; nhl; nyrangers; ovechkin; panarin; putin; rangers; russia
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1 posted on 07/26/2019 12:55:11 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

“There is still this belief in our society that you can’t say bad things about the government or you will be killed or poisoned. This should not be happening. [In America] a star or an athlete can directly badmouth the president, and nothing will happen. They can refuse to go to the White House. But here, it’s impossible.”...

I hope those aren’t prophetic words. Putin’s grasp is far and wide.

i’m mostly joking but I would want to be his enemy and live in Russia.


2 posted on 07/26/2019 12:58:11 PM PDT by dp0622 (Bad, bad company Till the day I die.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
But if everyone is walking around you for 20 years telling you what a great guy you are and how great a job you are doing, you will never see your mistakes.”

Sounds like a certain recent president.

3 posted on 07/26/2019 1:00:29 PM PDT by libertylover (Democrats hated Lincoln too.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

So this Texan is talking to a Russian.

He says, “We got political freedom. I can march into Trump’s office, slam my fist on his desk and say, ‘Mr. Trump, I don’t like the way you are runnin’ this country!’”

The Russian snorts and says, “We have political freedom too. I can march into Mr. Putin’s office, slam my fist on his desk and say, ‘Mr. Putin, I don’t like the way Mr. Trump is running his country!’”


4 posted on 07/26/2019 1:00:52 PM PDT by Gen.Blather
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To: dp0622
He's just a well-meaning, naive, STUPID kid.

He will learn to be more discreet.

I mean that saying what he did was just plain STUPID - unless he never plans on going back home....

5 posted on 07/26/2019 1:00:52 PM PDT by Simon Foxx
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To: Simon Foxx

It was once called brave :)

Brave AND stupid.

And you don’t need to be in Russia for Putin to give you a radiation Popsicle.


6 posted on 07/26/2019 1:02:16 PM PDT by dp0622 (Bad, bad company Till the day I die.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege
But if everyone is walking around you for 20 years telling you what a great guy you are and how great a job you are doing, you will never see your mistakes.”

On this side of the pond we call that the Bill Cosby Syndrome


7 posted on 07/26/2019 1:02:33 PM PDT by Buckeye McFrog (Patrick Henry would have been an anti-vaxxer.)
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To: dp0622
Hopefully (for his and his family's sake) he will get enough feedback from back home to be more careful in the future about what he says.

He's too young to start wearing a "martyr" sign on his back.

8 posted on 07/26/2019 1:13:56 PM PDT by Simon Foxx
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To: dp0622

Correct. Panarin had better hire a tester for his Gatorade and smelling salts.


9 posted on 07/26/2019 1:37:33 PM PDT by rfp1234 (NBC: Putting the TURD in Saturday.)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

is that the dude Ovi knocked out?


10 posted on 07/26/2019 1:42:54 PM PDT by ßuddaßudd ((>> M A G A << "What the hell kind of country is this if I can only hate a man if he's white?")
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To: ßuddaßudd

No, not him.


11 posted on 07/26/2019 1:44:31 PM PDT by crosdaddy
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To: crosdaddy

ok


12 posted on 07/26/2019 1:59:22 PM PDT by ßuddaßudd ((>> M A G A << "What the hell kind of country is this if I can only hate a man if he's white?")
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To: dp0622
And you don’t need to be in Russia for Putin to give you a radiation Popsicle.

Oh BS!

Remember the Russian Five who played for the Red Wings?

Sergei Federov

Slava Fetisov

Slava Kozlov

Igor Larionov

Vladimir Konstatinov...?

Larionov returned home to Russia

All doing well in both the U.S. and Russia..........As are the rest of the Russians hockey players, past and present, who came and played in the NHL then ultimately returned to their home country of Russia........

13 posted on 07/26/2019 2:05:09 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (I'm in the cleaning business.......I launder money)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege

Panarin did right by Columbus in letting them know a year in advance he wasn’t coming back. He seems like an honest hardworking guy without the off ice issues unlike some other Russians.


14 posted on 07/26/2019 2:06:50 PM PDT by Varda
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To: ßuddaßudd

It was the second or third overall draft pick last year, name stats with a “V”, can’t remember at the moment.


15 posted on 07/26/2019 2:08:48 PM PDT by crosdaddy
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To: Hot Tabasco

The Soviet generation is a bit complex in their relationship and loyalty to the State and how they measure their country’s progress. All of them though, including those openly critical of Putin and disapproving of Russia’s political direction (like the younger Panarin) are still ultimately loyal to their country and people, regardless of any pain they’ve endured at the hands of the State. That’s a given. And it’s easier to be that way of course after attaining such a high level of success and comfortable living.

It’s the younger generation that’s fleeing.


16 posted on 07/26/2019 2:40:51 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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To: Hot Tabasco

Thanks for the reminder. I’ve got to see that movie !


17 posted on 07/26/2019 2:46:15 PM PDT by onona (Mexico is a parasite)
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To: CondoleezzaProtege; shove_it; Hat-Trick; SZonian; retrokitten; hollywood; Alberta's Child; ...

Hockey Ping!

(let me know if you want on or off the ping list)

18 posted on 07/26/2019 2:51:25 PM PDT by airborne (I don't always scream at the TV but when I do it's hockey season!)
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To: onona
I’ve got to see that movie !

What movie? I never mentioned any movie......

19 posted on 07/26/2019 3:01:16 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (I'm in the cleaning business.......I launder money)
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To: Hot Tabasco; onona

Trailer: “The Russian Five” (2019) so good!!!
https://youtu.be/yS2mV3bhqZ0

Trailer: “Red Army” (2015) also good!
https://youtu.be/ItfesHOjpwE


20 posted on 07/26/2019 4:01:29 PM PDT by CondoleezzaProtege
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