sports and politics
The USWNT parade got political
The U.S. Women's National soccer team, fresh off their second consecutive FIFA World Cup title, has been having a bit of fun the last couple of days. Their victory lap culminated with a ticker tape parade in New York on Wednesday.
But parade, fun as it looked, also provided some political moments. While U.S. Soccer Federation President Carlos Cordeiro — who mispronounced Golden Boot winner Megan Rapinoe's name — was speaking during the parade, a chant of "equal pay" broke out.
Cordeiro received some applause for saying "all female athletes deserve" equal pay. Rapinoe then reportedly took to the podium and, perhaps in a savvy move, said she thinks Cordeiro will do the right thing, which could set the stage for an intriguing conclusion to the lawsuit leveled against U.S. soccer by the women's team.
New York City Mayor and 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Bill de Blasio, who managed to snag a spot on a parade float alongside the players, made it clear where stands where he stands on equal pay. He even started his own chant, and said he'd make equal pay the law of the land in his hypothetical administration.
But it wasn't just about pay stubs. Rapinoe also referred to the wider political climate in the U.S., telling the crowd "we have to be better. We have to love more, hate less." To the chagrin of her fans, though, she also said she was too busy to jump into the presidential race.