The Patriot Post® · Women's Soccer Bullies: It Takes One to Know One
It’s no secret that U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) soccer player Megan Rapinoe has been the ringleader when it comes to kneeling during the national anthem. Her activism dates back to September 4, 2016, when she knelt in solidarity with Colin Kaepernick. The loathsome ex-quarterback is infamous for taking a knee for the Marxist Black Lives Matter cause in response to Michael Brown’s death.
In 2016, even U.S. Soccer agreed with the now controversial viewpoint that “representing your country is a privilege and honor.” The organization at the time decreed: “As part of the privilege to represent your country, we have an expectation that our players and coaches will stand and honor our flag while the national anthem is played.” Despicably, this policy was removed in February of this year.
Rapinoe continued to kneel and pitch fits every time she was denied the opportunity to showboat, even calling her coach at the time “homophobic” when the anthem was played while the team was in the locker room. Since then, our nation has had to endure this disgrace as player after player succumbed to this display and knelt before our anthem and flag. Unfortunately, it’s been the women’s national team that has led the charge.
That’s why it’s so interesting that former USWNT goalkeeper Hope Solo, of all people, is now calling out Rapinoe for “almost bullying” the team into kneeling for the national anthem at all their games. Solo said, “I’ve seen Megan Rapinoe almost bully players into kneeling because she really wants to stand up for something in her particular way.”
But is it wise to fully trust Solo’s take? She was lauded as the best female goalie in the world. Unfortunately, she lost her position on the national team for unsportsmanlike comments, a pattern of poor behavior, bullying, and committing domestic abuse off the field. At the time, Rapinoe was vocal in support of the national team’s decision to terminate Solo. One could speculate that Solo is taking the opportunity to fire back at Rapinoe while the national contempt against the USWNT is especially high after kneeling at the Tokyo Summer Olympic Games.
Even if that is Solo’s motive, we know her claim is almost certainly correct. We have seen over and over the power of bullying and cancel culture over these athletes and sports organizations. Among the instances of cancel culture, newly retired NFL quarterback Drew Brees had to apologize for saying he didn’t agree with players disrespecting the flag or our country, and MLB moved its All-Star Game out of Atlanta to punish the Georgia legislature for passing a voting law that was erroneously labeled “racist.”
At the end of the day, activists like Rapinoe may claim her motives are pure, but it’s really all about validation for herself and pressuring others to do likewise regardless of their actual opinions.
Solo herself may not be the most saintly of sources, but in this case, it may take a bully to call out a bully. Hopefully this will start to change the tide of anti-American and unpatriotic behavior that is destroying sports and, more specifically, the USWNT.