To him football is what I think of as soccer, and players run around in shorts and knock the ball around with their feet and sometimes their heads...no hands allowed. And whilst I grew up with images of Super Bowls with all the surrounding hoopla that has come to be expected on that super of all Sundays, he follows the games of the World Cup. I have heard many times how the World Series that Americans embrace is not a global event, and how the World Cup truly is, yet I still haven't given much thought or time to following what some have dubbed "The Elegant Game". Just so you know, I don't really care about the World Series either, but I have started to follow the brouhaha swirling around the winning USA Women's World Cup Soccer/Football team more as a social, political and economic conundrum.
First of all, I believe in "equal pay for equal work", an economic dream for most women. In most professions there is still a disparity between what a man makes and what the equally qualified women makes, and that has held throughout my lifetime. The excuses I have heard as to why this happens in the realm of professional soccer starts with the argument that American men don't play professional soccer because the "big boy" sports here are football, baseball and basketball, and end with the argument that soccer is a "girl's" sport in America, so that is why the women's team is better than the men's. I know that neither of those argument hold any water, nor are they credible. But there are people that I know, whom I thought were rational beings, who have stated these and similar arguments since the women's team had such a stunning win.
Much of the swirling uproar is centered on the person of the co-captain of the American team, one Megan Rapinoe, one heck of an athlete. She has lead her team to not one, but two World Cup titles. She has been playing professional soccer for over ten years on three continents for a variety of professional teams. She is the consummate player and inspires her team mates and others to hone their skills. She has become a role model for many young women, and has earned the ire of others.
Ms. Rapinoe, besides being one heck of an athlete who has appeared in the famed Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover, is also an out and proud lesbian in a committed same sex relationship. In addition, she has indicated that she would not be visiting the White House if invited....I did think she jumped the gun on that one, since she announced it before the team won the Women's World Cup, but, hey, I think it was a very "jock" thing to do (no way getting around the sexism inherent in that phrase). If a guy made that statement, I don't think there would be as much flak about it. And then there was the flag drop and the "salute" during the National Anthem.
There has been quite a bit of very nasty and negative noise on social media about the often mis-perceived behavior of this one unabashedly loud and proud woman. I have seen folks refer to her as "Purple Head" as if that would bring her to tears...I think "ya gotta" do better than that! We have photos of her on bended knee at the playing of the national anthem...hey, were I can be found most Sunday mornings, that is an act of reverence and submission. And I don't see anything wrong with anyone taking a knee when the anthem is played, but, alas, I am coming from another viewpoint. Other folks are up in arms because they say she threw the flag on the ground and stomped on it....Stop already! The flag fell and was picked up immediately by another player. And, golly, gee whiz, she did not put her hand over her heart when the national anthem was played at the NYC parade. Well, here goes for those of you who were outraged: the hand over the heart "salute" is optional, not mandated.
So, do you want to know what the real deal is here? Dare I say it? Sexism, misogyny, and big time homophobia. Boys and girls, your prejudices are showing.
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