NFL
By: Zachary Draves
In the minds of a portion of the American population, USWNT legend Megan Rapinoe seems to be so repulsive beyond reproach. So transparently inhumane that when the USWNT loses to Sweden in the Round of 16 at the World Cup on Sunday, they take sheer pleasure out of that loss and she becomes somehow emblematic of the supposed demise of the U.S.
Rapinoe missed a crucial penalty kick that could have carried the USWNT forward in the tournament, but ultimately sports happened. The best of the best sometimes don’t come through even in the biggest moments. It is never a guarantee that the best player or team on paper will come out on top. Anyone who knows a thing or two about sports would acknowledge that, but evidently not some of these people.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
The celebratory posts of the U.S. loss, coming from the far right-wing, circulated with unmitigated regularity with them claiming“wokeness” being the sole reason why the USWNT came up short. Also that supposed toxicity was trickled down to the rest of the team by Rapinoe herself, because she is outspoken on social justice issues.
Never mind that there were questionable decisions on the part of head coach Vlako Andonovski in terms of substitutions and minutes, or that the US fielded a younger inexperienced roster, or that some of their best players were injured, or that other countries are starting to catch up competitively to the U.S.
But the culprit is Rapinoe and her “wokeness”?
In actuality, there is something much more nefarious at play here and that is Rapinoe is a vessel for these people to unleash their venom against not just her, but towards the fight for equality.
Much like their vitriol against fellow outspoken athletes such as Colin Kaepernick, LeBron James, or Brittney Griner, Rapinoe has dared to use her voice to address pressing issues that they simply want to ignore.
As far back as 2016, when Kaepernick famously took a knee before the playing of the national anthem in protest of racial injustice, Rapinoe was front and center. She became the first prominent white athlete to join Kaepernick in his form of protest by taking a knee before a couple USWNT games that year.
(Courtesy: Kyle Robertson/AP)
From there, she was unrelenting and uncompromising in her pursuit of social justice.
Rapinoe was one of the leaders for equal pay in women’s soccer, which the USWNT achieved last year in a landmark deal that guaranteed them an equal share of the earnings with the men’s team. She has openly advocated for the rights of the transgender community including in sports, which has evoked the ire of some who claim that “biological men” are infiltrating women’s sports, when the exact opposite is happening.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
It is also transparently ironic that they claim to support women’s sports when transgender athletes are mentioned, but then they turn around and don’t support the women’s team on the world stage.
What happened to supporting women’s sports? Better yet, what happened to America First?
These so-called patriots who claim that they love America more than anyone have shown themselves to be anything but. The truth is Rapinoe is more patriotic than they will ever be.
She represents the best in America with her grit, determination, feistiness, and unapologetic confidence that she has exuded over the course of her career.
It is those tangibles that enabled her along with the USWNT to win two World Cups (2015, 2019).
Her invdivudal accolades are endless. She won 2019 Golden Boot Award for being the top scorer at the World Cup with 6 goals and the 2019 Golden Ball Award for being the best player. In addition, Rapinoe has 63 total goals in 202 USWNT appearances.
The same cannot be said for former USMNT defender and current soccer analyst Alexi Lalas, who felt it was necessary to tweet out that the team was “polarizing” and “unlikable” because of their political and social stances.
However, he has only played in four total World Cup games and didn’t capture any honors, let alone score any goals.
Rapinoe also wants to see America become better when it comes to the treatment of people of color, women, and the LGBTQ+ community. James Baldwin famously said “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually “.
That is what Rapinoe and other athlete activists like her believe. She has never said that she hates her country, she simply wants her country to live up to its promises of equality. While America has come so far, we still have so far to go.
All one needs to do is look at the current legislative assaults on the LGBTQ+ community alone and recognize that.
Megan Rapinoe has solidified her place in history. Her impact on and off the pitch is unmatched and the possibilities for her future are endless.
No matter what she does from here after her soccer career comes to an end at the conclusion of this season, she will continue to be a voice for change and do so while being true to herself.
(Courtesy: Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images)
If she continues to make the blood boil of some who are threatened by social progress, then she is doing something right.
