Soccer legend Brandi Chastain's Hall of Fame plaque is making people talk for all the wrong reasons
U.S. soccer legend Brandi Chastain tried to be diplomatic after her Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame plaque was unveiled on Monday, revealing what was supposed to be her likeness but looked more like a Biff Tannen and Babe Ruth hybrid dressed up like Mrs. Doubtfire.
"I didn't feel it was a perfect representation," she told KTVU on Tuesday. "But I'm not an artist. I don't know how hard it is to make one of these things." Her husband, Jerry Smith, was more blunt, saying, "It's really not flattering," while the San Francisco Chronicle's Ann Killion described it as a "freaking embarrassment." Born and raised in San Jose, Chastain is a two-time Olympic gold medalist and two-time World Cup champion, remembered for the iconic image of her ripping off her jersey after scoring in the 1999 World Cup final against China.
Chastain told Killion on Tuesday that the Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame — which never shared the name of the artist behind the bronze plaque, likely to help them avoid a public shaming — asked her to send in a photo of her own choosing so the plaque could be remade. "Bottom line, the good that BASHOF does for the kids in the community is important and necessary," she said. "I'm proud to be in the class of such talented individuals who have elevated our sports teams to the highest heights." Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia is night editor for TheWeek.com. Her writing and reporting has appeared in Entertainment Weekly and EW.com, The New York Times, The Book of Jezebel, and other publications. A Southern California native, Catherine is a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Fall into the groove at these delightful record stores
The Week Recommends Each one strikes its own chord
By Catherine Garcia, The Week US Published
-
How likely are you to get audited by the IRS?
The Explainer The odds are greater for some than others
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published
-
Crossword: April 22, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Caitlin Clark the No. 1 pick in bullish WNBA Draft
Speed Read As expected, she went to the Indiana Fever
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
South Carolina ends perfect season with NCAA title
Speed Read The women's basketball team won a victory over superstar Caitlin Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Iowa's Caitlin Clark breaks NCAA scoring record
speed read College basketball star Caitlin Clark set the new record in Iowa's defeat of Ohio State
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Eight-year-old Brit Bodhana Sivanandan makes chess history
Speed Read Sivanandan has been described as a 'phenomenon' by chess masters
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Watch Simone Biles win her record 8th US gymnastics championship
Speed Read
By Peter Weber Published
-
Spain beats England 1-0 to win its first Women's World Cup
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
US knocked out of Women's World Cup in stunning exit
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published
-
Katie Ledecky surpasses Michael Phelps for most world championship titles
Speed Read
By Justin Klawans Published