Hope Solo, For The Win

Hope Solo is a badass. I love her.

If you read her life story as told to ESPNW, you would swear it’s a Lifetime movie of the week.

Born on a conjugal visit from a criminal dad who was leading two lives. To an alcoholic mother who had her bounce around from house to house, with man to man living with her. She was sometimes homeless. Her brother would beat the crap out of her.

Her story, is nothing short of amazing.

But yeah, she’s made some mistakes. Three of them, by my count.

1. She ripped coach Greg Ryan’s “gut decision” to bench Solo for a “one more ounce of ’99 glory Brianna Scurry” against Brazil in 2007. 4-Nil later, Brazil, and Solo was right, but she said it the wrong way. She was shunned by her team. But eventually, made amends.

2. She got into a drunken family fight with her half-sister and nephew. You wanna sort it out? Go ahead. Good luck. We know this much. The nephew who claimed he was the “victim” ended up with a torn t-shirt, a bleeding earlobe, and scratch marks. He’s 6-8, 270. Solo is 5-9, 150. So yeah, horrific “domestic violence” and all of that. The case was dismissed.

3. She let her drunken miscreant husband Jeramy Stevens drive the USA soccer van while under the influence. She was suspended 30 days by USA soccer for that.

And yet, the team, the coaches, and USA soccer welcomed her back.

End. Of. Story.

Yet the wailing and the grandstanding by certain elements in the righteous media was as hysterical as ever. It’s almost like they are incapable of saying: “Well…. she’s paid a price. The legal system has run its course. The team wants her. WHO AM I TO JUDGE OTHERWISE?”

Nah.

The righteous have little humility. They want a one-size-fits-all, Roger Goodell-ian death penalty, presumably to make themselves feel better. Keith Olbermann was predictably one of these voices. A guy who has a daily segment declaring somebody, anybody, the “Worst Person in the World.” Talk about insecure, smarmy, and condescending all wrapped up into one segment!

Another predictable voice was from C- writer Christine Brennan, who can hit exactly three notes on her sorry saxophone of a column in USA Today: a) Women’s Sports b) Domestic Violence and c) Some combination of A+B.

Get a load of this tripe she spilled as the World Cup began….

Because the sport’s leaders did nothing at the time, they should do it now. They won’t, of course, because Solo is just too valuable to the team when it matters most, in the vitally important games being played in the highest profile and most prestigious tournament in the world.

What a statement that is: The renowned U.S. women’s national soccer team, which has historically stood for what is best in sports, and the best of us, is now protecting — even promoting — an alleged domestic abuser.

Hey, did it ever occur to you, that HOPE SOLO MIGHT BE INNOCENT!?

Does it occur to some people in the righteous media that not every sport wants to wander down the NFL’s self-dug rabbit hole of making certain low-level crimes a moral crusade, while ignoring others? Hack politicians like Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, wrote a letter demanding USA soccer conduct a “thorough investigation into this incident.”

Oh, really? Like more thorough than what the judicial system has already done? Do you have subpoena power? Is there going to be cross examination of witnesses? What are your standards of evidence?

Utter nonsense.

I’m happy for Hope Solo, and happy for the team. The righteous sports media will have to move on and find somebody new to make into the monster-du-jour.