Hope Solo Gets Props

Who is Hope Solo? Goalie for the U.S. National Women's Soccer Team. Why does she get props? For not being a shrinking-ass-kissing-violet and speaking her mind, when her mind clearly needed to be spoke. (Yeah, I know Mamma C., but it just sounds better that way.) What the hell am I talking about? Well, you see, as I'm sure my boy Jack Klompus is very well aware, the U.S. Women's team played their semi-final match in the World Cup against Brazil yesterday. The 26-year-old Solo had started all of the previous games in the Cup and after allowing two goals in the first game did not allow another goal for 300 consecutive minutes. But instead of giving Solo the nod in the Brazil match, U.S. Coach Greg Ryan -- in a move that would make Rich Kotite proud -- opted to play 36-year-old Brianna Scurry, even though Scurry had not played in over three months, simply because Scurry had apparently won some big games for the U.S. back before the rigamortis was right around the corner. Well, the U.S. got smoked 4-0 and Ms. Solo did not pull any punches (courtesy of NYDaily News):

"It was the wrong decision. I think anybody who knows anything about soccer knows that. There's no doubt in my mind I would have made those saves. And the fact of the matter is it's not 2004 anymore....It's 2007 and I think you have to live in the present. And you can't live by big names. You can't live in the past. It doesn't matter what somebody did in an Olympic gold medal game in the Olympics three years ago. Now is what matters, and that's what I think." (Video here, courtesy of Vandelay.)

That is some beautiful stuff right there. If we had more athletes who have a Sack like Solo's, following sports would be a helluva lot more fun, wouldn't it?

AofG Message to Joe Torre: Hey Joe, I really hope you are reading this and taking notes. I do not want to see Mike Mussina anywhere near the mound in the playoffs. Give me Ian Kennedy, give me Philip Hughes, but do not give me Mike Fucking Mussina. Thank you.

Comments

[Ocho Ocho]

I 100% agree. I hope the coach gets fired.

[Babu]

That and Hope would have been nicer to look at at as the USA was getting their asses handed to them.

and of course the myspace page

[Art Vandelay]

Hey Chiles...it's 2007! Youtube that shit already!

She would not have made all those saves by the way. That Mata chick schooled them. She walked right in on the goal twice. They may have only lost 2-0.

[Assman]

Has anyone heard the coaches reason for doing this?

Not the one about Scurry doing well a few years back. I mean whatever his real reason was.

There was a real reason, right?

[jackie]

"Hey Chiles...it's 2007! Youtube that shit already!"

It's more fun when you get to play the role of my research assistant.

"She would not have made all those saves by the way. That Mata chick schooled them. She walked right in on the goal twice. They may have only lost 2-0."

Maybe 1, but I don't know about 2. According to the Daily News: "Marta evaded half a dozen players and cracked a left-footed shot from 15 yards that hugged the ground and beat Scurry diving to her left. She got her left hand on the ball and couldn't stop it."

If the old geezer could get a "hand on the ball," my money says the young buck could've saved it.

[Craig]

Has anyone heard the coaches reason for doing this?

Not the one about Scurry doing well a few years back. I mean whatever his real reason was.

There was a real reason, right?

Well, if I remember correctly, Scurry did run around Atlanta wearing nothing but her Gold Medal after they won in 96, so maybe he was hoping for a repeat performance.

On a very slightly related note, I noticed in one of the youtube interviews with the coach that he looks an awful lot like Neil Patrick Harris (plus a few years, that is).

[Schmoopie]

Yeah, but Mussina is cute, and he likes to do the New York Times crossword. I like to watch him, so Mr. Torre, please play him every chance you get.

(Obligatory disclaimer: It's not like I watch baseball or anything.)

[Assman]

Well, if I remember correctly, Scurry did run around Atlanta wearing nothing but her Gold Medal after they won in 96, so maybe he was hoping for a repeat performance.

In 1996, I was a fantastic athlete too. God help anyone that asked me to repeat anything I did that year.

Including the SATs.

[Ocho Ocho]

I watched some footage. the Brazilian girl was too good for either goalie.

[TMan]

Sorry Jackie, you lost me on this one. She sounded like a spoiled brat in the video clip. I mean her team just got schooled by a vastly more talented and better coached Team Brasil. The US couldn't score, rarely possessed the ball for extended periods of time and played defense the way the Bengals do, mainly by watching the opposing players run by them. And this brat wants to talk about who played and who sat? That's prima donna bullshit.

I'm not saying the coach was right to sit her and play Scurry, but right after the match is not the time to vent your spleen. What was really telling was a ESPN studio segment with Heather Mitts, who was on the US Team for the last World Cup. When they asked her about it, she said about three words and was clearly pissed. And any of us would be too if some teammate started spouting off about who played and who sat after a severe, public beatdown. Think Duke Shorts Guy.

BTW, this chick is a World Cup rookie. Scurry was the keeper for the last couple of World Cup winning and Olympic winning teams. Last time I checked, rookies had the right to be seen but not heard. Oh, and it wasn't Scurry who went topless, but Brandy Chastain, who is much easier on the eyes.

[jackie]

"BTW, this chick is a World Cup rookie. Scurry was the keeper for the last couple of World Cup winning and Olympic winning teams."

Scurry played exactly zero minutes in *this* World Cup. Solo had played the last 300 consectutive minutes without giving up a friggin' goal.

Perhaps instead of running Joba Chamberlain out to the mound in the 8th during the playoffs, the Yankees should fire up John Wetteland?

In my book, Solo has every right in the world to be monumentally pissed and if I were one of her teammates (or even Scurry) I'd be right there behind her.

Totally inexcusable what the coach did here to both the player and the team.

I'm with Ocho Ocho. Dude should be fired.

[David Puddy]

Great comments, Solo...high-five

[daveNYC]

And now Solo won't even be allowed to attend the Norway game. Smells like the coach is getting some petty revenge for being called on his stupid decision.

I know it's nice to say that you never criticize the team/coach, but this is one of those exceptions that I can totally get behind. Especially since she apologized for dissing her teammate, but stood by her opinion that Ryan is an idiot.

[Bob Booey]

Hope may a huge mistake and she knows it. We all know Ryan made a major mistake. But to blame Brianna alone is absurd. Where was the offense? How about the big blunder by the ref which left the US with 10! Regardless of all that, anyone that knows about the game (as hope puts it)knows that you never ever publicly critique a coach or teammate in such a harsh and personal matter. Hope is right put she went the wrong way about it. I hope her career is not over. Show some humility Hope. The US team is not only you.

[J. Peterman]

Whitey bein' held down!

[brianna scurry]

hope you ate nothing more than a scumbag lesbian for trying to throw me and my teammates under the bus you fat asssssssssss bitch.