USWNT sues USSF 2019 version

Discussion in 'USA Women: News and Analysis' started by lil_one, Mar 8, 2019.

  1. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Have you ever seen a languid jaguar? I have, up close. It looks at you like, "Hmm, I see dinner. ... Too bad I've already eaten." An apt description for Rapinoe.
     
  2. Timon19

    Timon19 Member+

    Jun 2, 2007
    Akron, OH
    If only ol' Sal wasn't literally trying to describe her "sprinting"...
     
  3. cpthomas

    cpthomas BigSoccer Supporter

    Portland Thorns
    United States
    Jan 10, 2008
    Portland, Oregon
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "Sprints like a languid jaguar ..." That is a pretty good one.
     
  4. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I'd take it all with a grain of salt when the opening sentence refers to the "burglars that run U.S. Soccer"

    This is an opinion piece, and one that's very clearly going to spin everything to one side. This is more "trial by media" instead of "trial by court of law".

    There's a lot of cherry-picked numbers in the article without explanation of where they come from.

    A lot of WNTPA rooters have been crowing about the deal in Australia while ignoring that the USWNTPA would never agree to that deal as the Australia deal specifically includes only internal revenues. The WNTPA wants U.S. Soccer to pull enough money out of its coffers to make up the difference in FIFA payments.
     
  5. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    I guess "scrambles like an angry badger" doesn't give the impression she was going for.
     
  6. Timon19

    Timon19 Member+

    Jun 2, 2007
    Akron, OH
    I think "comatose badger" is a better analog for Sally's failed attempt at linguistic cleverness.
     
  7. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Yes, it's an opinion piece, by Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post, and formerly of Sports Illustrated.

    She is one of the most honored sports columnists in the United States.

    As such, I think she can be relied upon to at the very least, accurately report the numbers being presented in the case by the Plaintiffs. As I indicated, the numbers are pretty startling.

    At a preliminary stage, it would appear the Judge accepts these numbers (along with the other evidence such as travel and accommodations, which, IMO, are a lock win for the Plaintiffs) to show disparate treatment, at least for the certifying of the classes.
     
  8. puttputtfc

    puttputtfc Member+

    Sep 7, 1999
    From the article: "Yet they earned a maximum of $99,000 per year if they played 20 friendly matches, while men who played in 20 friendlies made $263,320."

    I have seen this in more than one article. Who are these guys playing and winning 20 games a year for the USA?
     
  9. Timon19

    Timon19 Member+

    Jun 2, 2007
    Akron, OH
    20 friendlies, which the team as a whole has never done, let alone any given individual.

    Note that 20 TOTAL matches has been exceeded fairly regularly. And still, I don't think even Michael Bradley, during Klinsi's most fevered portions of his tenure, got anywhere near 20 played in a given year.
     
  10. puttputtfc

    puttputtfc Member+

    Sep 7, 1999
    Bradley had 18 games a couple of years but the US certainly didn't win them all nor was it a contractural obligation to play him.
     
    Timon19 repped this.
  11. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    If USSF really wants to push the "different work" side, they should point out that the WNT is effectively a club, while the MNT currently is not - but was in the early 90s. Clubs and national teams that are not effectively clubs do operate differently.
     
  12. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm guessing this horse left the barn, otherwise it would've been one of the grounds to oppose certification of the 3 classes.
     
    AndyMead repped this.
  13. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Obviously, the argument is that they are extrapolating the men's per game pay and the women's per game pay, over a comparable 20 games in order to compare the figures.

    It doesn't really matter if they played 20 games or not, although one of the other arguments is that based on the per game pay plus win bonuses, the women have to play more games, and win more games for the pay to be equal.
     
  14. MinuteWaltZ

    MinuteWaltZ Member

    Indy Eleven
    United States
    Apr 19, 2019
  15. Yoshou

    Yoshou Fan of the CCL Champ

    May 12, 2009
    Seattle
    Club:
    Seattle Sounders
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    sitruc, Auriaprottu, gunnerfan7 and 5 others repped this.
  16. MinuteWaltZ

    MinuteWaltZ Member

    Indy Eleven
    United States
    Apr 19, 2019
    I agree. It's hypocritical of the quoted players and I don't think it's a good look for the USWNT from a PR standpoint. However, I don't think that matters at this point given how dug in everyone on this argument.
     
  17. Timon19

    Timon19 Member+

    Jun 2, 2007
    Akron, OH
    Also, as I mentioned in the other place this was posted, the players' union issued a pretty supportive statement in my recollection (which was probably issued by the PA specifically because they were entering negotiations as well and were on an expired contract).
     
  18. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Holy crap. This.

    And frankly after the ambush of Graham Zusi back in 2016 when all of the #EqualPay stuff started, I'm not surprised that the individual MNT players are letting their union do the talking.

    EDIT:
     
  19. taosjohn

    taosjohn Member+

    Dec 23, 2004
    taos,nm
    That just doesn't seem correct to me-- I've seen a variety of statements both from the PA and individuals which have been almost entirely supportive. I did see one statement from a men's NT player that was along the lines of "they aren't as good as men," but I think only the one...
     
  20. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    First time I've seen that.

    However, since there Union has already made a supportive statement, I disagree that at this stage the men need make individual comments.

    But I could be wrong, and that interview predated the Union's press release.

    And while it is a tough question because it's not very nuanced as asked, I'm not sure I understand why you consider it an ambush?
     
  21. MinuteWaltZ

    MinuteWaltZ Member

    Indy Eleven
    United States
    Apr 19, 2019
  22. MinuteWaltZ

    MinuteWaltZ Member

    Indy Eleven
    United States
    Apr 19, 2019
    Not the person you originally asked, but I would consider an interviewer (who clearly has in mind the answer they want to hear) pressing an interviewee to give a specific answer with a specific wording when the interviewee already answered their question to be poor journalism at least.

    I would also consider adding an editorial section at the end of the interview where the interviewee isn't there to defend their statements, and where the interviewer puts word in the interviewee's mouth to be poor journalism as well.

    And for the record, editorial and opinion has a place in journalism and public forums of discourse, but reporting and interviews are supported to be about uncovering and presenting the truth. In an interview, you ask questions and let the answers be the revel about what the interviewee believes. They should stand on their own for good or bad. Pressuring an interviewee to change their answer because the interviewer doesn't like that answer (and Zusi clearly felt pressured and uncomfortable) doesn't aid in presenting the truth, it aids in scoring PR points and presenting the interviewer's opinion.

    Similarly, adding a coda after the interviewee has left where the interviewer puts their spin on what they though the interviewee meant/thought with their answers and what the interviewee thinks on the subject of the interview, doesn't aid in presenting the truth, it aids in scoring PR points and presenting the interviewer's opinion.
     
    Timon19 repped this.
  23. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, the contrary argument is that the original answer was pretty nonresponsive to what was a yes and no question.

    Do you think the US women should be paid equally with the US men is a yes and no question.
     
  24. Timon19

    Timon19 Member+

    Jun 2, 2007
    Akron, OH
    Is it?
     
  25. AndyMead

    AndyMead Homo Sapien

    Nov 2, 1999
    Seat 12A
    Club:
    Sporting Kansas City
    Except that she never defined "equal". As Grant was well aware, both unions had negotiated separate CBAs based on the desires of their members. The men had negotiated for a CBA that was heavy on appearance fees, the women negotiated for guarantees.

    She didn't ask - "Should the women play under the compensation spelled out in the men's CBA"?

    The rub, especially in 2016 when this was recorded, was that nobody seemed willing to define "equal"
     
    puttputtfc and Timon19 repped this.

Share This Page