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U.S. Soccer President Apologizes for “Sexist” Comments in Court Filing Following On-Field Protest

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3 years ago

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  • The President of the U.S. Soccer Federation, Carlos Cordeiro, apologized for a recently released court filing that contained “sexist” rhetoric bout the Women’s National Team.
  • The documents said that male players have a “higher level of skill” and “more responsibility” than their female counterparts.
  • In March, the women’s team sued U.S. Soccer for gender discrimination, demanding equal pay to the men’s team.
  • While Cordeiro said that U.S. Soccer would still be fighting the case, they will “do so with the utmost respect not only for our Women’s National Team players but for all female athletes around the world.”

Apology From Carlos Cordeiro

The president of the United States Soccer Federation apologized Wednesday for “sexist” comments made in a legal filing against the Women’s National Team. 

“On behalf of U.S. Soccer, I sincerely apologize for the offense and pain caused by language in this week’s court filing, which did not reflect the values of our Federation or our tremendous admiration of the Women’s National Team,” U.S. Soccer President Carlos Cordeiro said in a statement, just after the women’s team won the title game of the SheBelieves Cup. 

“I have made it clear to our legal team that even as we debate facts and figures in the course of this case, we must do so with the utmost respect not only for our Women’s National Team players but for all female athletes around the world,” he added. “As we do, we will continue to work to resolve this suit in the best interest of everyone involved.”

Lawsuit Against U.S. Soccer

In March, the women’s team filed a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer alleging gender discrimination and violations of the Equal Pay Act. A court filing from U.S. Soccer released on Monday said that, for a variety of reasons, the Women’s National Team does not deserve equal pay to the Men’s National Team. The women have long argued that their back-to-back World Cup wins, consistently higher FIFA rankings than the men’s team, and other factors make them worthy of the money.

In their filing, however, U.S. Soccer said that playing on the men’s team “requires a higher level of skill based on speed and strength.” It claimed that biological differences between men and women make men innately stronger and faster. 

“No matter how great the great Katie Ledecky gets…she will never beat Michael Phelps or his endurance counterparts in the pool,” the filing stated, citing a study on the subject. 

The filing also claimed that a men’s player “carries more responsibility” in their role, as they play more tournaments with big cash prizes, and generate more views on television games. It also claimed that the men frequently play abroad facing “unmatched” hostility from opposing fans.

This rhetoric has not been received well by the players of the women’s team. Co-captain Alex Morgan has previously said that women’s soccer does not require less skill, but “a different skill.” When co-captain Carli Lloyd was challenged about the women’s ability to be competitive against the men, she said, “I’m not sure. Shall we fight it out to see who wins and then we get paid more?”

Outrage From Public and Sponsors

The comments made by U.S. Soccer led to public outrage, including from some of their sponsors. A representative from the accounting firm Deloitte told a BuzzFeed News reporter that they were “deeply offended” by the views expressed in the lawsuit. 

The Vice President of Budweiser, Monica Rustgi issued a statement along those same lines. 

“The comments made by U.S. Soccer do not align with our values, nor our point of view on women’s soccer,” she said. “We champion and admire the athleticism of the women in this sport as we find them to be among the best athletes in the world.”

Frustration did not stop at sponsors for the organization. Sports Illustrated an article demanding that Cordeiro resign. The Women’s National Team took to the field in a silent protest on the matter as well. 

Women’s Team Protests

While playing in the Wednesday game of the SheBelieves Cup, the women turned their jerseys inside out, hiding the U.S. Soccer logo. Instead, all that could be seen were the four stars on their jerseys, each representing a World Cup win.

“To every girl out there, to every boy out there, who watches this team who wants to be on this team or just wants to live their dream out, you are not lesser because you are a girl,” said player Megan Rapinoe during the game. “You are not better just because you’re a boy. We are all created equal.”

After the game, Rapinoe also addressed Cordiero’s apology after the game. She said she did not find it sincere. 

“That wasn’t for us,” she told reporters. “That’s for fans, that’s for the media, that’s for sponsors, because that all sounded pretty similar to what we had heard before.” 

See what others are saying: (ESPN) (Sports Illustrated) (Washington Post)

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U.S.

White Supremacist Propaganda Reached Record High in 2022, ADL Finds

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2 weeks ago

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March 9, 2023

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 “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said.

White supremacist propaganda in the U.S. reached record levels in 2022, according to a report published Wednesday by the Anti-Defamation League’s Center of Extremism.

The ADL found over 6,700 cases of white supremacist propaganda in 2022, which marks a 38% jump from the nearly 4,900 cases the group found in 2021. It also represents the highest number of incidents ever recorded by the ADL. 

The propaganda tallied by the anti-hate organization includes the distribution of racist, antisemitic, and homophobic flyers, banners, graffiti, and more. This propaganda has spread substantially since 2018, when the ADL found just over 1,200 incidents. 

“There’s no question that white supremacists and antisemites are trying to terrorize and harass Americans with their propaganda,” ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt said in a statement. “We cannot sit idly by as these extremists pollute our communities with their hateful trash.” 

The report found that there were at least 50 white supremacist groups behind the spread of propaganda in 2022, but 93% of it came from just three groups. One of those groups was also responsible for 43% of the white supremacist events that took place last year. 

White supremacist events saw a startling uptick of their own, with the ADL documenting at least 167, a 55% jump from 2021. 

Propaganda was found in every U.S. state except for Hawaii, and events were documented in 33 states, most heavily in Massachusetts, California, Ohio, and Florida.

“The sheer volume of white supremacist propaganda distributions we are documenting around the country is alarming and dangerous,” Oren Segal, Vice President of the ADL’s Center on Extremism said in a statement. “Hardly a day goes by without communities being targeted by these coordinated, hateful actions, which are designed to sow anxiety and create fear.”

“We need a whole-of-society approach to combat this activity, including elected officials, community leaders, and people of good faith coming together and condemning this activity forcefully,” Segal continued. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (The Hill) (The New York Times)

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Adidas Financial Woes Continue, Company on Track for First Annual Loss in Decades

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2 weeks ago

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March 8, 2023

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Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

Yeezy Surplus 

Adidas’ split with musician Kanye West has left the company with financial problems due to surplus Yeezy products, putting the sportswear giant in the position to potentially suffer its first annual loss in over 30 years. 

Adidas dropped West last year after he made a series of antisemitic remarks on social media and other broadcasts. His Yeezy line was a staple for Adidas, and the surplus product is due, in part, to the brand’s own decision to continue production during the split.

According to CEO Bjorn Gulden, Adidas continued production of only the items already in the pipeline to prevent thousands of people from losing their jobs. However, that has led to the unfortunate overabundance of Yeezy sneakers and clothes. 

On Wednesday, Gulden said that selling the shoes and donating the proceeds makes more sense than giving them away due to the Yeezy resale market — which has reportedly shot up 30% since October.

“If we sell it, I promise that the people who have been hurt by this will also get something good out of this,” Gulden said in a statement to the press. 

However, Gulden also said that West is entitled to a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Yeezys per his royalty agreement.

The Numbers 

Adidas announced in February that, following its divergence from West, it is facing potential sales losses totaling around $1.2 billion and profit losses of around $500 million. 

If it decides to not sell any more Yeezy products, Adidas is facing a projected annual loss of over $700 million.

Outside of West, Adidas has taken several heavy profit blows recently. Its operating profit reportedly fell by 66% last year, a total of more than $700 million. It also pulled out of Russia after the country’s invasion of Ukraine last year, which cost Adidas nearly $60 million dollars. Additionally, China’s “Zero Covid” lockdowns last year caused in part a 36% drop in revenue for Adidas compared to years prior.

As a step towards a solution, Gulden announced that the company is slashing its dividends from 3.30 euros to 0.70 euro cents per share pending shareholder approval. 

Adidas has labeled 2023 a “transition year” for the company. 

“Adidas has all the ingredients to be successful. But we need to put our focus back on our core: product, consumers, retail partners, and athletes,” Gulden said. “I am convinced that over time we will make Adidas shine again. But we need some time.”

See what others are saying: (The Washington Post) (The New York Times) (CNN)

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U.S.

Immigration Could Be A Solution to Nursing Home Labor Shortages

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2 weeks ago

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March 7, 2023

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98% of nursing homes in the United States are experiencing difficulty hiring staff. 

The Labor Crisis 

A recent National Bureau of Economic Research paper has offered up a solution to the nursing home labor shortage: immigration. 

According to a 2022 American Health Care Association survey, six in ten nursing homes are limiting new patients due to staffing issues. The survey also says that 87% of nursing homes have staffing shortages and 98% are experiencing difficulty hiring. 

The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) outlined in their paper that increased immigration could help solve the labor shortage in nursing homes. Immigrants make up 19% of nursing home workers.

With every 10% increase in female immigration, nursing assistant hours go up by 0.7% and registered nursing hours go up by 1.1% And with that same immigration increase, short-term hospitalizations of nursing home residents go down by 0.6%.

The Solution 

Additionally, the State Department issued 145% more EB-3 documents, which are employment-based visas, for healthcare workers in the 2022 fiscal year than in 2019, suggesting that more people are coming to the U.S. to work in health care. 

However, according to Skilled Nursing News, in August of 2022, the approval process from beginning to end for an RN can take between seven to nine months. 

Displeasure about immigration has exploded since Pres. Joe Biden took office in 2021. According to a Gallup study published in February, around 40% of American adults want to see immigration decrease. That is a steep jump from 19% in 2021, and it is the highest the figure has been since 2016.

However, more than half of Democrats still are satisfied with immigration and want to see it increased. But with a divided Congress, the likelihood of any substantial immigration change happening is pretty slim. 

See what others are saying: (Axios) (KHN) (Skilled Nursing News)

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