Are you surprised by the story of how the mother of Detroit Tigers pitcher Ugeth Urbina has been kidnapped? You shouldn't be, as it isn't anything new, especially for Russian athletes. As we noted back in 2002, Russia's descent into lawlessness left a gaping hole for organized crime to exploit, with Russian stars in the NHL finding themselves, their families and friends the regular targets of extortion attempts.
High-stakes kidnapping: it isn't just for American executives travelling in the Third World anymore.
And as professional sports casts its net further and further in its endless search for new sources of talent, the more often those nets trawl in socieites where the rule of law is nothing more than a cruel joke -- something Robert Kaplan wrote about 10 years ago for the Atlantic.
Bottom line: while I hope Urbina is reunited with his mother, I have the sinking feeling that he won't be the last athlete victimized by such a crime. In fact, I'm afraid we'll be seeing it a lot more often.
I read that Kaplan article last year and thought it was an eye-opener.
familial provision need to be added to contracts, because it is said contracts that put the family in danger.