The U.S. women’s national soccer team is back in action, prepping for the Tokyo Olympics, which means it’s about time for conservative media outlets to manufacture some faux outrage.
Ahead of the team’s match against Mexico on Monday night, a 98-year-old World War II veteran named Pete DuPré played the national anthem on his harmonica. Some players stood with their arms at their sides, some placed their hands on their hearts, and a few players turned away from DuPré—a move that conservative individuals and outlets immediately started yelling about online, calling it “disgusting” and “insufferable.” Many expressed hope that the American soccer team loses in the Olympics, which sure is a funny way to prove your patriotism.
In a completely unsurprising turn of events, this frenzied attack on the players’ presumed hatred of America was as misplaced as it was knee-jerk. The women who turned away from DuPré were actually turning toward the flag, which was at the end of the field.
The USWNT pushed back against the outrage, tweeting, “To be clear, no one turned their back on WWII Veteran Pete DuPré during tonight’s anthem. Some USWNT players were simply looking at the flag on a pole in one end of the stadium. The players all love Pete, thanked him individually after the game and signed a ball for him.”
To be clear, no one turned their back on WWII Veteran Pete DuPré during tonight’s anthem. Some USWNT players were simply looking at the flag on a pole in one end of the stadium. The players all love Pete, thanked him individually after the game and signed a ball for him.
— U.S. Soccer Comms (@ussoccer_comms) July 6, 2021
“This is respect. Each and every player waited for their opportunity to come up to Pete post-game before getting on the bus, said hello, thanked him and signed his ball,” they wrote in another tweet.
This is respect. Each and every player waited for their opportunity to come up to Pete post-game before getting on the bus, said hello, thanked him and signed his ball. https://t.co/0fhtkTSxIF
— U.S. Soccer Comms (@ussoccer_comms) July 6, 2021
Player Carli Lloyd responded directly to a conservative Canadian outlet called The Post Millenial, whose video of the event is what stirred up most of the initial fury. “We turned because we faced the flag,” Lloyd wrote.
We turned because we faced the flag 🇺🇸 https://t.co/1JJHUWGCLv
— Carli Lloyd (@CarliLloyd) July 6, 2021
This is where the team should have gotten a full apology from everyone who insulted them, but I don’t think I have to tell you that that’s not what happened.
The Post Millenial’s tweet calling the women “disgraceful” is still up, but they did at least change their headline from shaming the women who turned to the flag to shaming … everyone else.
Right-wing site The Post Millennial ran an article saying US players were “DISGRACEFUL” for turning to the right during the anthem…
…then, when that nonsense was debunked, they changed the article to say *the other* players were “DISGRACEFUL” for *not* turning to the right. pic.twitter.com/WejsIVb00c
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) July 6, 2021
Meanwhile, on Fox News, Clay Travis tried to justify the outrage by saying it’s “believable” that players would turn their back on the flag during the anthem and that the believability is “emblematic of where we are with sports now.”
Checking in after the weekend – are people angry about a thing that didn’t happen? A thing that, if it happened, wouldn’t have affected them in any way?
Folks, America’s back. https://t.co/hYRcFkV734
— Dave Weigel (@daveweigel) July 6, 2021
To be clear, these players are 100% free to do whatever they want here. During their domestic games within the National Women’s Soccer League, many of these same players frequently engage in silent acts of protest, including kneeling during the anthem. But that didn’t happen here.
But I guess we can’t expect everyone to be able to put facts over their feelings.
(via Yahoo! Sports, image: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
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