Month: July 2020

An indelible image from the NWSL’s Challenge Cup tournament is the two U.S. internationals emotionally embracing during the national anthem.

Chicago Red Stars teammates Julie Ertz and Casey Short say hard conversations over the past several weeks led to their vulnerability in the moment they shared an emotional embrace while they knelt during the national anthem as the NWSL opened its season.

Short sobbed as she was held by Ertz before Chicago’s match against the Washington Spirit on Saturday night, the second game of the National Women’s Soccer League tournament in Utah.

“Currently, every time the national anthem is played, our country continues to become more and more divided on what the visual symbol of unity looks like,” Short and Ertz said in a joint statement they released Tuesday. “Through our continuous conversations we wanted to make sure that whatever we decided to do, it would not be an empty gesture. It would be a gesture that portrayed that we have heard those who needed to be heard, validated and loved.

“That moment during the anthem was difficult, very difficult. We are still searching but we are humbled by the outpouring of support.”

Short was not made available for comment after the match, so the context of the moment wasn’t known. Teammate Rachel Hill, who stood during the anthem and put a hand on Short’s shoulder, also was not made available for comment following the game.

“The two of us have always set out to be our honest and true selves, but have struggled to find the “right” thing to do in order to show our truth. We understand people are entitled to their opinions. Often these opinions are presented through the individual’s lens and do not accurately portray how the two of us truly feel,” Short and Ertz said.

Hill posted a statement to Instagram on Tuesday night, saying the decision did not come easily.

“Before the game, I was completely torn on what to do. I spoke with friends, family and teammates — of all races, religions and backgrounds — with the hope of guidance,” Hill wrote. “I chose to stand because of what the flag inherently means to my military family members and me, but I 100 percent support my peers. Symbolically, I tried to show this with the placement of my hand on Casey’s shoulder and bowing my head. I struggled, but felt that these actions showed my truth, and in the end I wanted to remain true to myself.”

Players for the Portland Thorns and the North Carolina Courage collectively knelt during the national anthem Saturday as they opened the Challenge Cup tournament. A few players, including Hill, chose to stand as the anthem was played before the late game between the Red Stars and Spirit.

While it is customary that only starters are on the field during the anthem, the entire squads for the four teams that played Tuesday took the field before their games. Most, but not all, knelt.

Players and coaches have also worn Black Lives Matter T-shirts in warmups before games, and players have also knelt during a moment of silence before kickoffs.

The NWSL players association released a statement in support of all players, no matter their decision.

“The Players Association supports both making a clear statement that Black Lives Matter and each player making a personal decision around whether to stand or kneel during the national anthem,” the union said. “We ask that our supporters and media respect each player’s right to handle these moments in the way that they choose and know that our players are united against racism and in support of one another.”

After some players were criticized, the league announced Monday that it would allow players to remain in the locker room during the anthem.

“The NWSL stands behind every player, official and staff member. Kneel on the field. Stand with your hand over your heart. Honor your feelings in the privacy of the locker room or at midfield,” NWSL Commissioner Lisa Baird said in a statement announcing the policy change. “The NWSL is a league that was built on diversity and courage and those principles will continue to drive us forward.”

The NWSL is the first professional team sports league in the United States to return amid the coronavirus pandemic. The teams had gathered for training camps in March when the league was shut down.

The tournament opener between the Thorns and the Courage was broadcast nationally on CBS and the network announced Tuesday that the game averaged 572,000 viewers, a record for the NWSL.

Oladipo: “When the day comes, I’ll know. I appreciate my teammates and this organization for backing me and supporting me with whatever decision I make.”

Pacers guard Victor Oladipo said on Wednesday he remains undecided on whether he will join Indiana for the resumption of the 2019-20 season. 

Oladipo has played just 13 games for the Pacers in 2019-20 after missing much of the season due to a ruptured quadriceps tendon. With games now less than a month away, Oladipo is weighing his risk of re-injury in Orlando. 

“At the end of the day, it takes time for your body to heal. They’re sure I feel better, but at the same time we’ve had an extensive period of time off and to go back and ramp things up again, I’m susceptible to injury more so than anyone,” Oladipo told ESPN’s Eric Woodyard. “A part of rehab is working your way back and getting yourself to 100 percent, so at the end of the day going back and turning things up as quickly as we’re about to do, and pretty much going to playoff formation and playoff games after eight games, I’m more susceptible to injury than anyone else is. So, it’s not about now, it’s about longevity.”

Oladipo said he does not have a deadline for his decision on playing in Orlando. The Pacers resumed individual workouts on Tuesday at the St. Vincent Center in Indianapolis.

Indiana currently sits No. 5 in the Eastern Conference at 39–26. The Pacers have made the playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons, though the franchise hasn’t reached the Finals since 2000. 

The USGA is leaning on the world ranking for professionals and amateurs to create the field for the U.S. Women’s Open

Emmanuel Adebayor has left Paraguayan club Olimpia after an unsuccessful five-month stint that was cut short because of the coronavirus

When asked whether the NBA would allow players to kneel, commissioner Adam Silver said quote, “We’ve had a rule on our books that goes back to the early 80s, that precedes even David Stern’s tenure as commissioner, that calls for players to stand in a line at attention during the national anthem. I also understand the role of protest, and I think that we’ll deal with that situation when it presents itself.” Hear why Shannon Sharpe believes Adam Silver has been more accommodating to his players than any other commissioner in sports history.

Think you know the Minnesota Timberwolves? Here’s your chance to find out with a crossword puzzle where every answer has to do with the team.

The promo video for the new Iceland crest will have you ready to thunderclap in your seat.

Iceland’s soccer federation turned to its multitalented men’s national team goalkeeper to reveal its bold new crest.

Hannes Thor Halldorsson, who saved a Lionel Messi penalty in the 2018 World Cup and is also a film maker who once directed Iceland’s Eurovision entry (yes, well before Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams parodied one for Netflix) and its pre-World Cup commercial two years ago, is at it again, having a hand in making the promo video for the national teams’ new crest.

The video carries all the hallmarks of Iceland intensity, detailing the story behind the new look and the inspiration for its design and appears more like a Game of Thrones intro than a soccer federation’s handiwork. And yeah, there are thunderclaps.

“An island far at sea, sustained from forces deep within,” starts Icelandic actress Hera Hlimar, who narrates the promo. “From the dawn of time the protectors have watched over the land. Wth vigilance they stand guard and repel every invasion.”

The bull, the eagle, the dragon and the giant make up the four quadrants of the crest, “symbols of the unfaltering solidarity and harmony of a nation that never recoils against the storm.” 

Needless to say, it’s a bit more detailed than the previous crest, the Iceland FA’s KSI abbreviation below color strips of the national flag and a soccer ball.

Iceland’s men played in the World Cup for the first time in 2018, holding Argentina to a draw two years after eliminating England from the 2016 European championship. Perhaps the new crest will be worn by those who achieve famous results in the future.