A hero’s welcome — the world champion U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team got that and more last week as they floated down the New York City streets literally known as Heroes Canyon. Following the same route that presidents, astronauts, and other American heroes have traveled, the team members were enthusiastically cheered by the typically jaded New Yorkers lining the streets. And equally thrilling for those of us remote witnesses enjoying the confetti celebration from afar.
Oh, how the narrative changes once you are in the winner’s circle! It was just a couple of weeks ago that America’s soccer team was dragged — in the parlance of web slang — for demonstrating their post-game victories. A lot of tsk tsking after their first game victory in the World Cup competition against Thailand. You’ll recall they won that game 13-0, earning a FIFA record for the largest margin of victory in FIFA history. But nevertheless, the American women got chastised for their triumphant exuberance because some Thailand team members were understandably and visibly upset about their loss.
Later, star player Alex Morgan was criticized for pretending to drink a cup of tea following the win over England. The social critics said these winningest soccer players were full of themselves, over the top, arrogant. There’s that word — the one reserved for women who know who they are, are proud of their talent and confident in their abilities.
And I am confident that whenever I hear the word arrogant, I know it is likely not being used to describe men’s behavior. So, the American male athletes whose arm waving, finger pointing, gesturing, and dancing after big wins are well-documented, get a pass. No public shaming — those players are instead lauded as talented, not arrogant. And that’s even if — as in this case — the women’s’ record of achievement is worthy of outright boasting. When women are the stars, apparently, they are expected to dim their light so as not to offend others. I found this particularly offensive at a soccer tournament whose theme was "dare to shine."
The first dictionary definition of arrogant is “having or revealing an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance or abilities.” Doesn’t apply if you’ve got the goods. And if you’ve got the goods, you should get the money.
I’m delighted that the team’s supporters both in the stands at their final match and at the New York parade took up shouts of “equal pay!” This public support will push their pending lawsuit and exponentially put pressure on FIFA to make their pay equal to the millions more earned by the men. Budweiser's recently announced 4-year sponsorship of women’s soccer and ESPN’s plan to broadcast the women’s games should go a long way to boosting their pay. Just crowned the best team at the recent ESPY awards, the U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team has proven — again — that equal is actually not commensurate with their skill and talent. I think they deserve more than their non-winning male peers. For the record, that’s not arrogance, that’s confidence.
