Up Next

What Had Happened Was

What Had Happened Was: 8/25/16

Oh, you don’t know? We got you.

Up Next From Sports

    USA v Sweden Quarterfinal: Women’s Football – Olympics: Day 7
    BRASILIA, BRAZIL – AUGUST 12: Hope Solo #1 of United States warms up before playing against Sweden during the Women’s Football Quarterfinal match at Mane Garrincha Stadium on Day 7 of the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 12, 2016 in Brasilia, Brazil. Celso Junior/Getty Images
    By Ryan Cortes Rhiannon Walker

    GAME. BLOUSES.

    How’s this for selective and interesting? After her U.S. women’s soccer team was eliminated earlier this month at the Rio Olympics, goalkeeper Hope Solo criticized the winning Sweden team by calling it a “bunch of cowards.” Now, Solo has been suspended for six months by U.S. Soccer for said statement. Peep the comments below explaining the suspension, though:

    “The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our national team players,” U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati said in a statement Wednesday. “Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions. Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. national team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”

    Key sentence there: “Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope.” Now, that’s certainly one (heavy-handed) way to view the suspension. Here’s another:

    BLESSINGS!

    Comedian Martin Lawrence will be doing his first standup performance in almost 14 years. The Showtime special is titled Martin Lawrence Doin’ Time: Uncut. He last performed in 2003 when he did Runteldat.

    SOCIAL STATUS

    Make this stop. Now.

    But also … never stop. Ever.

    FOR THE CULTURE

     

    A “Black Wall Street” TV series is headed to WGN from musical artist John Legend and actress Tika Sumpter.

    A white cop grapples with the reality of having a black son: “You wouldn’t have to explain that to a white child.”

    Eleven black-led TV shows and specials premiering this fall.

    Black women can perpetuate toxic masculinity.

    A cyberbullying researcher says that what happened to comedian/actress Leslie Jones is part of a “serious anti-black woman problem in the U.S.”

    TOP THREE TWEETS

    Every morning we’ll hit you here with the best of what we saw on social media the previous night. Why? Why not?

    1. GOTCHA!

    2. A1 SHADE

    3. IT’S A SHOE MONOPOLY

    #ICYMI

    Read more from our brother Jerry Bembry’s important story on Chicago’s struggle to find hope.

    PICTURE PERFECT

    Ryan Cortes is a staff writer for The Undefeated. Lemon pepper his wings.

    Rhiannon Walker is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a drinker of Sassy Cow Creamery chocolate milk, an owner of an extensive Disney VHS collection, and she might have a heart attack if Frank Ocean doesn't drop his second album.

    This Story Tagged: What Had Happened Was Hope Solo Katie Ledecky