There are sports figures who are coming out of the Ukraine-Russia conflict. Maurice Creek, an American basketball player trying to make a career overseas, and Paulo Fonseca, a former soccer player turned manager, escaped the war-torn country many times.
Creek, a former Indiana and George Washington standout, is safely in Bucharest, Romania, awaiting a flight home, according to ESPN. And Fonseca, a Portuguese football manager, is back in his home country, per Sky Sports. Both escapes are terrifying tales, and it’s a huge relief they made it out alive.
The stories that are worth reading, especially the one by Aishwarya Kumar, feature similarities: Fear, the sounds of sirens and missiles exploding, stays in bomb shelters, worried family members, excruciatingly slow drives, a deep gratitude.
There were differences that stood out as far as an angle worth writing about.
He came back to the country to help his in-laws leave the country. Creek was playing professionally for MBC Mykolaiv and stayed because he hadn't been paid yet as team officials downplayed the conflict, and refused to let him out of his contract, saying the league would not be suspended.
It took 30 hours for Fonseca to leave Ukraine. Creek's trip out of the country took four days, and he isn't home yet. After speaking with the Portuguese embassy, they sent a car to pick up his family and drive them across the border.
Creek was dropped off at the border by his assistant coach's wife and mother, who waited in a line for nine hours before he could cross. There was no mention of a line at the border in the story.
If you are thinking, "Good lord, is this guy really going to lecture us on race again?", it's important to remember that race and socio-economic. Rich people were able to move to isolated nature havens while poor people were left in urban areas where the virus spread.
It took a journeyman basketball player more time to get out of a warring country than the ex-manager of the team.
Creek couldn't leave the country because he hadn't been paid and the wait for a family member to wire money was too long. Creek heard reports of Black emigrants having issues at the border and it was lucky that he was an American.
Here is a portion from Kumar's piece.
“[Creek] had made it to the border, but he knows he isn’t safe yet. He had heard reports that Black emigrants, like himself, were being sent back, made to wait for days before being allowed into neighboring countries. He grabs his American passport tight and tells himself that he will beg them to let him enter, if it comes to that.
When he reaches the front of the line, he’s asked to move to the side. The border officials let people behind him in. Then, they ask him for his passport. They see it’s American, and they ask him to wait, leaving with his passport. The 10 minutes he waits feels like another nine hours.
They come back, hand him his passport. And wave him in.
He calls his mom.
‘Mom, I am a free man!’ he yells into the phone.
He hears a wail in response.”
Not all phone calls have had a happy sound on the other line. Even if they are joyful, there is still concern for those who aren't as fortunate.
She said she was crying tears of joy because Maurice was out. I am praying for people who have lost a loved one. The lady and her daughter had to leave their son and husband behind.
Fonseca was also left shaken.
Europe is trying to help everyone. I understand the political situation, but it's not enough. I don't know what else we can do, but we have to do more.
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