Team turns its back on Megan Rapinoe
Washington Spirit moves up national anthem to prevent her protest
12:19 PMAs far as athletes go, Megan Rapinoe is about as much an American hero as anyone who’s ever competed for the United States. And the league she plays for, of which she is arguably the most recognizable player, decided that her protest of the national anthem in solidarity with San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick was not appropriate for game day. So instead of allowing a player to exercise her constitutional rights, the Washington Spirit got sneaky.
Rapinoe wasn’t allowed the opportunity to kneel during The Star-Spangled Banner because, at the venue, the Washington Spirit became the first team to take an actual stand against self-expression. Many athletes, loudmouth coaches and others have but this is the first time we’ve seen an actual sports franchise take such a stand. “To willingly allow anyone to hijack this tradition that means so much to millions of Americans and so many of our own fans for any cause would effectively be just as disrespectful as doing it ourselves,” the team said in a statement.
Statement from Washington Spirit owner Bill Lynch on decision to play national anthem with teams not on field. #NWSL pic.twitter.com/RKgkIyvHUb
— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) September 7, 2016
We’re just going to ignore the fact that this letter is double-spaced, but that alone should clue you into just how out of touch whomever wrote it is. Let’s analyze the word choices here. This statement uses the word “hijack,” specifically, more than once. There is also a reference to “overseas conflicts,” which we’re just going to presume is a veiled reference to the Iraq War and its fallout. That war happened because this country started it following the 9/11 attacks.
Yet, the Washington Spirit seem to think that Rapinoe taking a knee during a song is aptly described as “hijacking.”
Rapinoe is a gay American who’s been on the forefront of the fight for equality as long as she’s been in the public eye. Her identity as a woman who has not been afraid to stand up for her rights is well-documented. Her own team, the Seattle Reign, had her back.
Back in 2013, Spirit owner Bill Lynch — a U.S. military veteran — wrote a public letter to the fans of his franchise, titled “Why I’m Doing This.” In it, he explained his reasons for why he supported women’s soccer and was getting back into another iteration of a professional league.
“I don’t know of a better environment where this level of role models exists for our kids today,” he wrote. “By the way, there are a few things that most of us adults can also learn from the players.”
You don’t say.
NBA
Karl-Anthony Towns wants you to get out and vote
Timberwolves team up with Minnesota secretary of state for public service announcements
5:15 PMWhen it comes to professional basketball, Minnesota is officially the wokest state in America. On Wednesday, in conjunction with Secretary of State Steve Simon, the NBA’s Timberwolves launched a series of voter registration public service announcements designed to educate state residents ahead of the polls opening this fall. Of course, they don’t endorse any particular candidates, but they’re important nonetheless.
Featuring second-year star Karl-Anthony Towns, the first one is short and to the point. These ads are currently running on FOX Sports North in the state. As a friend put it to me, “Can you imagine a top 10 NBA player from a decade ago doing a sincere importance of voting PSA?”
My answer was simple: Absolutely not. Which is the most basic way to explain how far this league has come in terms of what social activism means to its players. Not everyone can get on an ESPYS stage and tell America that enough is enough. All players don’t necessarily feel empowered enough to wear an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt during warmups.
For younger guys such as Jabari Parker of the Milwaukee Bucks, who’s written eloquently about his hometown of Chicago for The Players’ Tribune on a couple of occasions, the activism isn’t necessarily as bold or as brazen, but for the impressionable kids watching at home, it can be equally effective. The softer diplomacy of community involvement on a level larger than just giving food to the homeless or basketball clinics (which are important in their own right) can work, too. Setting an example for young people that civic involvement is a necessary part of change is as good a reason to use the spotlight of the league as any.
Mind you, this is also the franchise that on the WNBA side players wore T-shirts in protest of gun violence and the community where Philando Castile was killed in front of a 4-year-old while riding with his girlfriend in a car. For a state with a population that’s 75 percent white, their hoopsters are as progressive as it gets.
Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 9/7/16
Bill Cosby gets a court date
10:45 AMAnother podcast under the belt. This week, we talked about the return of football, the South by South Lawn Festival and Miss Karin makes her second appearance. Have a listen.
We’ve finally got a date for Bill Cosby’s trial. June 2017 is when we’ll see the well-known comedian finally face his accusers in a court of law. If you watched any of the footage Tuesday, you know that he’s not doing particularly well, health-wise. But the critical question here comes in whether or not a judge will allow other women who’ve accused him of drugging and raping them on the witness stand. If so, this trial takes on a totally different identity. ABC News reports on the latest developments.
In Tuesday night’s debut episode of Atlanta on FX, the topic of transphobia, among many things. was addressed. If you didn’t see it, there’s a fascinating scene that unfolds in a jail, involving a man seeing an old flame of his from high school. In an added twist that introduces the elements of anti-gay prejudice often so closely intertwined with it, a guy says, when referring to homosexual relationships in prison, “That’s not gay, that’s jail.” Anyway, check out this VICE Sports story about being a girl in the boys’ locker room in high school sports.
Oprah Winfrey’s got a new show out, as well. Queen Sugar is a program on her OWN network that was created in conjunction with director Ava DuVernay. I missed it Tuesday night, but am looking forward to it. Now, in her personal life, there are apparently rumors that Winfrey is possibly going to see wedding bells? I feel like these rumors are as old as I am. She’s responded, once again, but I still have no idea why people care so much about whom the media mogul chooses to spend her life with. Although the Chappelle’s Show skit is still funny.
As a basketball player, Stephen Curry’s appeal is obvious. Great shooter, great dribbler, fun passer and reasonably sized human. Particularly for kids, he’s a lot easier to mimic if you’re a young athlete with little experience. Head to a youth league game sometime soon. Every kid is shooting like Curry. But that’s in this country. How does that everyman appeal translate, in say, China? How about even better than here. The Golden State Warriors guard has been there all week and ESPN’s Darren Rovell tagged along.
Free Food
Coffee Break: Rapper Drake is opening a strip club. Not just any one, though — one that only comes with the care, grace, respect and love that Drizzy could offer. Of course, it’ll be in Houston, but there’s something inherently funny about the Canadian rapper trying to launch a spot for sensitive thugs who want to contribute to college funds.
Snack Time: Details seem to be sparse right now, but Ferguson, Missouri, activist Darren Seals was found shot dead in a burning car on Tuesday in St. Louis County. It’s sad, it’s disturbing and a huge loss for the community.
Dessert: Rapper Anderson .Paak’s got a new live album out. It’s pretty dope.
Also, I’ll be joining SiriusXM FC (Channel 85) from 11 .am. to 2 p.m. for a special on soccer in the black community. Tune in.
All Day Podcast
All Day Podcast: 9/6/16
College football is back and the SXSL Festival is upon us
5:39 PMSummer might be over, but you know what that means? College football season has arrived, and the All Day Podcast crew is here to break down the best moments from Week 1.
Staff writer Justin Tinsley recaps perhaps the most exciting game of the weekend — a Texas upset of No. 10 Notre Dame — while podcast host Clinton Yates tackles the question of why Louisiana State struggles to produce a solid quarterback. With the NFL season starting this week, stay tuned for weekly chats about everything football.
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS | Embed
Also on the pod: A discussion surrounding an exciting upcoming event in the nation’s capital — the South by South Lawn Festival. Last week, it was announced that the White House will host this arts, film and music festival in October. In terms of music, the question is who will be taking their talents to the South Lawn stage. Senior style writer Jill Hudson has the perfect candidate to organize the musical lineup.
Our segment Missed Connections with Miss Karin is also back this week, in which Undefeated copy chief Karin Berry reads entries from the “Missed Connections” section of Craigslist.org and provides her own commentary. Keep a lookout for this segment on future podcasts.
Give it a listen, and if you have any feedback or show ideas, feel free to email us at allday@andscape.com.
Daily Dose
Daily Dose: 9/6/16
Obama is still righting wrongs committed by the U.S. military
12:22 PMAlright, kiddos. Labor Day is done, football has started and all the first days of school are behind us. It’s time to kick things into overdrive.
You know what sucks about school? Homework. The existential dread that exists for all of us who’ve ever sat in a classroom is something that you learn to manage, but never really enjoy. No one likes homework. All across the country, people have been questioning whether or not sending kids home with more tasks is an effective learning tool, so one school in Massachusetts is doing the smartest thing ever. They’re banning homework. I have no words for how genius this is. ABC News’ Morgan Winsor reports.
The Vietnam War was an extremely destructive process. We don’t even need to get into the human capital that were killed, injured or otherwise affected from an American standpoint, while the physical damage to the lands was extensive. On Tuesday, President Barack Obama pledged $90 million to help fix that in Laos, where the United States once held a secret bombing campaign. There are still bombs littered across that nation’s countryside, which is a terrifying thought. The president calls it a moral obligation.
Your boy spent two days stuck in Florida because of Hurricane Hermine. Daytona Beach is not that exciting of a place, but I can tell you that I know a whole lot more about NASCAR than I did when I left. Let’s just say that I spent a lot of time watching old guys smoke 100s while drinking beer out of Styrofoam cups. But the storm itself was interesting. Garden variety stuff for those parts, but I’d never been around anything that might be considered a hurricane. FiveThirtyEight’s Eric Holthaus explains from a meteorological standpoint why this storm was different.
So, football’s back. If you didn’t catch any of this weekend’s action on the gridiron, I don’t know what you were doing, because it was excellent. LSU lost a game the Tigers definitely should have won, and Florida State showed the country that the Seminoles are for real. On top of that, Tennessee got a huge scare from Appalachian State, which has been known to knock people down a peg. But the most interesting story of the weekend is probably Oklahoma, which got throttled by Houston in a game that many expected to be close, but not like that. Oklahoma head coach Bob Stoops is in trouble, no doubt.
Free Food
Coffee Break: I love a good revenge story. Particularly when it’s between two lovers when one is wronged. But this story of a woman setting fire to the wrong vehicle in an attempt to get back at her boyfriend is absolutely hilarious.
Snack Time: Things are a tad hectic over at Fox News right now. Roger Ailes was ousted recently, Gretchen Carlson was awarded $20 million to settle a sexual harassment suit and Greta Van Susteren straight up walked out on Tuesday. Wow.
Dessert: Come for the story, stay for the picture of the back of my head.
Street Art Sundays
The other side of the tracks in Whistler
has some art gems that aren’t easy to find
Most people know about Whistler, British Columbia, from snowboarding. The town north of Vancouver, British Columbia, has hosted the Winter Olympics and is generally just considered a mecca for the sport. So tourism there is a huge deal. People come from miles away to not just board, but also hike and enjoy outdoor activities in the mountains. But there’s one spot that’s become a street art haven in a unique way.
It’s called the Whistler Train Wreck. An artificial accident created a site where old boxcars were overturned in a forest. Eventually, it got so popular that local tourism boards had to stop telling people to go there because the trails were too dangerous to guarantee safety. Anyways, the homeys over at Mass Appeal took a trip up there and brought their cans with them. Check it out.
Board on Saturday
Gary Rogers goes in-depth
in a new interview with the ‘No Jumper’ podcast
7:00 AMhttps://soundcloud.com/nojumper-1/the-gary-rogers-interview
If you’re not familiar with the No Jumper podcast, don’t be upset. It’s a not exactly obscure, but certainly niche show that started last year in Los Angeles. It’s hosted by this guy Adam22 (née Adam Grandmaison), a BMX rider who started the website The Come Up about his craft. He’s also the creator of OSS (which stands for something we can’t print here), a brick and mortar store that’s about the whole culture, as well. Dude is OG as far as that scene goes.
Anyway, his latest interview is with Gary Rogers, host of the YouTube show SKATELINE, whom we’ve discussed before. He’s officially major at this point, and so an in-depth interview with him was well needed. Per usual with him, it’s a very vulgar chat, but he talks about everything from how he got into skating, where his YouTube show started, his Black Gold brand and music career.
He’s got Viceland show written all over him.