No celebrations here for the U.S. Women's Soccer Team

The United States women’s soccer team captured the World Cup Sunday, winning the world title for the second straight time and the fourth time since the inception of the tourney for women in 1991.

For that achievement, the team will be treated to a ticker tape parade down the Canyon of Heroes in lower Manhattan Wednesday morning.

It will be the second time that New York has welcomed the conquering heroes with the ultimate of celebrations, an event not only reserved for New York’s championship teams like the Yankees (last time in 2009), the Rangers in 1994 and the Mets in 1986, but also for Olympic gold medal winners, returning NASA astronauts and the hostages that were held in Iran for over a year and returned to freedom.

All of that is wonderful and it’s an absolute just reward for the achievement of the team. And it’s safe to say that there will be hundreds of thousands of young impressionable girls who will line the streets of New York, cheering and waving to the team on their statuesque floats.

But in this corner, there’s a dark cloud that hovers about this team. I know that I’m probably In the strong minority over this feeling I have. I know that it probably reeks of a lack of patriotism, which is the furthest thing from the truth.

I’m a proud product of a World War II veteran, a recipient of two Purple Hearts and a Silver Star for his service to the United States Army. The Stars and Stripes are proudly flown outside my home most days. 

Only on certain days (usually involving my favorite sports teams or a distinctive holiday) does the American flag come down. I bleed red, white and blue. My sentiments have nothing to do with my feelings for the United States of America.

But I have a strong disdain for this particular team. It borders on downright hatred.

And there are several reasons for my feelings. Again, I could be raising high holy hell against me by expressing the opinion, but I feel obligated to do so, especially when so many people have asked me my thoughts about the U.S. Women’s soccer team.

For one, let’s start with the so-called captain of the team, Megan Rapinoe. Sure, she is an excellent player and expresses herself with her multitude of ravishing hair colors, like pink and purple. She’s certainly allowed to express herself anyway she seems fit, even with her hair color.

But I for one cannot fathom the idea of someone representing our country either not standing for the National Anthem, which she did on several occasions this year, or not putting her hand on her heart at the playing of the National Anthem before the U.S. faced the Netherlands in the championship game on Sunday.

Here she is, playing in the most important soccer game of her life and she cannot even respect the country she is playing for, with USA on the front of her jersey? Rapinoe can’t stand with her hand on her heart for two minutes like the rest of her teammates?

Rapinoe said previously that she cannot respect the National Anthem because it was written by Francis Scott Key, who was a slave owner during the Civil War when the song was written.

“I’ll probably never put my hand over my heart,” Rapinoe said in an interview before the World Cup began. “I’ll probably never sing the National Anthem ever again. “

When Rapinoe was asked if her protestations were a contradiction to her captaincy of the United States team, she said, “Not really. Because I feel like I’m a walking protest. Colin Kaepernick very much inspired me and inspired an entire nation and still does, to actually think about these things. The way he spoke about them so clearly, so a matter-of-fact, wasn’t trying to convince anyone. I found it extremely inspiring and convicting. Like, how can you not support it? This is what it’s going to take for things to change, norms to change, conventions to change, to try to break down white supremacy and break down racial bias. Using this blanketed patriotism as a defense against what the protest actually is for is actually pretty cowardly.”

Rapinoe continued, “We can actually have a conversation, instead of just telling me that it’s a privilege to put on the jersey. Of course, it’s a privilege for me to pull on the jersey, but part of that privilege is representing America and representing America is representing all of America. So I feel like there was a major miss on that part, which is unfortunate.”

Now, if Rapinoe believes that there is a racial inequality in America – which unfortunately there is – then speak out in other forums. But don’t dare use the World Cup when you are representing the United States as that forum. It’s actually quite bogus and disgraceful to every single member of the United States military, many of whom have given their lives in order so Rapinoe can speak her mind freely and wear whatever color hair she chooses.

I’m all for freedom of speech and I know that’s what our great country is based on. But just like I didn’t like Kaepernick taking a knee before 49er games, I despised Rapinoe using the World Cup for her stage to express her feelings. It was the wrong place, the wrong time, the wrong venue. It sent a hideous message to everyone involved. Especially as the team captain, Rapinoe had the responsibility to represent her team in a true patriotic manner. Not by protesting.

My negative feelings about this team grow further. In their opening round win against Thailand, the United States won by the ungodly score of 13-0. Say what? They scored 13 goals? That’s just insane. And the players celebrated each and every one of those goals like they were World Cup winners, sliding across the field, pumping their fists, the entire team running onto the field to express their joy.

Was there any consideration given to the other team? In an international competition, where was fair play? That was totally embarrassing the opponent by running up the score like that. Someone pointed out to me that one of the tiebreakers was goal differential. Well, the U.S. didn’t have to worry about tiebreakers because they won every game. If they won even 8-0, no one would have blinked an eye. But 13-0 in an international soccer match? No one does that. Ever!

When the United States played England in the semifinals, in a very heated contest, Alex Morgan (who scored five of those 13 goals against Thailand) scored what proved to be the game-winner in a 2-1 Team USA win. And what did Ms. Morgan do after scoring her goal? She made a gesture like she was sipping tea to embarrass the English, much like the people in Great Britain do every day. That was just so uncalled for and actually ridiculous.

And it goes one step further. After Team USA defeated the Netherlands, 2-0, to win the championship match, three members of the team (one of which was Rapinoe) grabbed an American flag and traipsed across the pitch with the flag. When it came time to make a hand gesture for a photographer, Allie Long took the flag and disgracefully threw the flag on the ground, which is a complete no-no. Rapinoe actually stepped on the flag. Luckily, team member Kelley O’Hara picked up the flag quickly to properly respect Old Glory. No one is ever supposed to place the American flag on the ground. Ever!

And then there’s the entire team fighting over their thoughts of getting equal pay with the men. Are they kidding? FIFA’s grand take on the tourney didn’t come close to what the men’s tourney brings in, in terms of entry fees and sponsorship rights and television rights. Everyone is pointing to the Neilsen numbers that the championship game produced. Yeah, that’s because a U.S. team was in the finals. Would the women’s tourney draw those numbers if the Team USA wasn’t playing? No way. Sorry, but the women do not deserve the same pay that the men get. There should be no comparison.

I’m sure that’s going to bring about comments about me being a sexist. No, that’s just being someone with common sense. It has nothing to do with gender. It has to do with generating funds. It’s like saying that women golfers deserve the same amount as men. That idea is also silly. If you want to argue Wimbledon and U.S. Open tennis, then that’s a valid point. But not in international soccer. It’s not even close.

So there will be a grand celebration in lower Manhattan Wednesday. I will not be one of those in attendance. I think these women acted deplorably during this World Cup. Sure, they won. All the power to them. They just could have conducted themselves as proud American citizens, not protesting, unsportsmanlike hooligans. Good riddance. Let’s hope for better behavior when the U.S. goes for a “three-peat” in 2023.

I lost my fanatical feelings for the NBA ages ago, but after this free agent frenzy, where players actually dictated the way franchises operate is a bit over the top. Players negotiating with themselves as to where they were going to sign. Kawhi Leonard actually got the Oklahoma City Thunder to trade Paul George to the Clippers after Leonard, the NBA Finals MVP, decided to sign with the Clippers as a free agent. Leonard actually brokered the deal, forcing the Thunder’s hand into making the trade. The whole league is a mess. And the salary structure is out of control. To think, the Brooklyn Nets will pay Kevin Durant $44 million this year to NOT play. How wrong is that?

In closing, if the Mets trade off Zach Wheeler for a bag of balls like what’s rumored, then they shouldn’t be in the business of Major League Baseball. Wheeler is an elite pitcher and the Mets should be looking to lock him up long term, not disposing of him and not getting nearly equal value in return. But the Mets won’t re-sign Wheeler and they’ll get rid of him, like they did with their free agents-to-be in 2017.

However, all of the players that the Mets got in trades that year didn’t exactly turn out well. In fact, of all the players they got for Jay Bruce, Curtis Granderson, Addison Reed and Lucas Duda, only Jacob Rhame remains in the organization. And Rhame will probably never pitch for the Mets ever again.

Simply put, the Mets are a disgrace and it’s never been more embarrassing than this year.

It’s all on the heads of two people. Brodie Van Wagenen, who constructed the useless blob, and Mickey Calladoo, who is simply the worst manager the franchise has ever had. And believe me, the Mets have had their share of winners, like Jeff Torborg, Dallas Green, Willie Randolph, Art Howe, Jerry Manuel and Joe Frazier (not Smokin’ Joe, the other one). But Calladoo (called that because he’s a combination of his real name and Ben McAdoo, the hideous ex-Giants coach) is clearly the worst.

I can find better things to do for the rest of the summer than watching the Mets.

You can read more of my work at www.hudsonreporter.com and www.theobserver.com and follow me on Twitter @ogsmar.