Let no one claim that the U.S. women’s soccer team can’t beat men. They have, in fact, already unseated the 2007 New England Patriots as the most unlikable winning sports team in modern American history. This is an extraordinary accomplishment in its own right, as it is very hard to be both unlikable and a winner in America. Winning covers up many sins. Even Michael Vick was forgiven after he had a decent season with the Eagles. We love winners in our culture, but it is truly hard to love these ladies.
I will be told that this apparent unlikability is due to sexism — my sexism, the system’s sexism, everyone’s sexism, the sexism in the water supply. We have trouble liking the women’s soccer team, and celebrating its successes, because they are women and we are misogynists, or so the story will go. But that excuse doesn’t hold. Most of the “misogynists” criticizing Megan Rapinoe’s squad still love to see American women take gold at the Olympics. It was easy to root for Simone Biles and Lindsey Vonn. But it’s not so easy with this particular collection of female athletes.
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