“Drop-kick her!”
Those were the words used on Wednesday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex. A gentleman in his mid-to-late 30’s of no affiliation (at least he wasn’t wearing any Washington Spirit or Seattle Reign clothing) to any side yelling at a Washington Spirit player to lay in a harsh foul on Seattle Reign midfielder Megan Rapinoe as she drove down the left flank. Rapinoe had just been called into the match minutes prior, although her presence had been felt for the previous two hours.
Perhaps the gentleman did not realize that there was a media tent behind the stands and that his words would be heard. Or perhaps he did not give a shit, as with many of the other individuals who chose to boo her that night. But it was a strange, unsettling moment, followed by more unsettling moments last Wednesday night at the Maryland SoccerPlex.
As Prost previously reported, the Washington Spirit opted to play the American National Anthem 15 minutes prior to kickoff on Wednesday. Heavily armed police were seen walking around the pitch and in the stands for reasons that have yet to be given. Home supporters both in the nearest and furthest sections voiced their support for Rapinoe, chanting her name and “Take a knee!” Normally if the Spirit supporters are saying something about their opposition it is a light jab to give them a little bit of crap, meant in good fun. However, there were those who booed and walking through the terrace one could hear unpleasant and unkind things being said (it should be noted that none of these individuals were affiliated with the Spirit Squadron, or any other supporters groups).
In a statement released by the team (which can be read below) it was confirmed that they opted to play the anthem early in light of Rapinoe choosing to take a knee. Rapinoe’s action have been in solidarity with quarterback Colin Kaepernick of the San Francisco 49ers, who is doing the same action in response to recent police shootings of African Americans. It should also be noted that Spirit Bill Lynch is a military veteran.
Rapinoe, 31, has made 115 appearances for the United States Women’s National Team and has scored 31 goals for her country. She also helped the side capture the 2015 Women’s World Cup.
It is difficult for me, as a journalist and as a human being, to write about these subjects because of my vantage point. I am a white, straight, male in my early thirties who never served in the military. I have never really been treated differently because of the color of my skin, my sexual orientation, or my gender. Nor have I ever served in active combat and aside from my step-father serving in Vietnam (long before I was born) I have never really had a close friend or family member serve.
Although I am politically progressive, I understand that because of my background I do not know what it is like to grow up as a woman, as a minority, or as someone with a strong military background. On these subjects it is better for me to listen to those who are from the aforementioned backgrounds than to come up with some sort of social statement.
However, as someone who has had a career in politics and in communications I do feel that I can speak on how the situation was handled on Wednesday night. To say that it was handled poorly would be an understatement. With NWSL Commissioner Jeff Plush on hand to watch one of the marquee games as they kicked off their coverage with Fox, the Spirit failed the league and their supporters. The Commissioner has gone on record stating that he knew nothing about the choice to play the anthem early. The Spirit’s own Twitter handle posted a tweet that went against the ownership, and Spirit reporters expressed frustration about being specifically instructed not to ask players post-match about the situation. This was poorly planned and poorly carried out.
There is also the statement itself. Using the term hijacking, especially so close to the anniversary of September 11th, damages their own case that Rapinoe’s “taking a knee” is disrespectful to the United States. Using such a charged term near an event where a plane was actually hijacked and used as a weapon to damage the Pentagon, a military installation that is not only close by but a place where people near your stadium commute to work everyday, is beyond a poor choice in words. Statements like these always need to be vetted by not one, but two or three individuals so that things such as this can be caught.
Think about it this way: two days after the match is anyone really talking about the team’s rationale for not allowing her to take a knee? No. Instead people are focusing on the use of the term hijack. The Spirit lost any and all hope of defending their point by using such a sensitive word.
(Author’s note: Something that should also be brought up. The original press release has a point of contact of Chris Hummels, the President of the club. Normally all Washington Spirit press releases list Emma Nunnan, the Communications Coordinator, as the point of contact. Make of that what you will).
In a situation like this different steps could have been taken to avoid calamities of this nature. First, the team could have talked to the player to see if some sort of compromise could be reached. Chances are that Rapinoe probably would have stuck to her guns but at least you have tried to make peace and come up with a compromise for both parties.
Another option would have been to give Rapinoe the opportunity to speak hear mind at halftime, giving a player who may feel differently or Lynch himself the chance to retort. It was clear that there were politics in the air on Wednesday, why not use it is as an opportunity for an open forum as opposed to making one party sit in the locker room? There is an interesting question that could have been discussed and that is whether the anthem is not hers to use as much as Lynch’s. Somewhere in the argument both sides might find things that they can agree on and a place to start working to address these issues that they feel passionate about.
If those options fail, the Spirit could have talked to the league. Especially since the Spirit knew Plush would be in attendance. The NWSL has already received criticism this season for their stance on player salaries, for training conditions, and for allowing the Western New York Flash to play in the outfield of a minor league baseball field. Making a decision of this nature against one of the most popular players in the league and not giving the Commissioner the heads up only furthers the negative stereotype that the NWSL is a disorganized, minor league operation.
Along with this, draft a press release that explains your position but at the same time remains neutral as possible. Explain why there are additional police at the stadium (all major sports do this when their are extraordinary circumstances surrounding an event), provide a rationale for having the players off of the pitch during the national anthem, and at all cost avoid toxic words. Lynch, and by extension the Spirit, risk potentially coming across as “vanilla” doing things this way but that is much better than being perceived as not transparent or in Rapinoe’s words “homophobic.” By not having a defined message and a clear plan for how to handle the issue, the Spirit made an already tense situation worse.
Having worked with them for many months it is clear that they are hardworking, passionate believers in building women’s football. They want to provide a safe, fun atmosphere at every match. They also seem malleable towards change and building off of negative experiences. Hopefully the Spirit can learn from this experience and grow as an organization.
Washington Spirit
