Hope Solo is a female soccer player, in case you don't follow female sports. Or soccer. Especially female soccer. She's specifically a goalie or "keeper," depending upon the country from which you hail. She represented the US Olympic team in Rio and got herself into some hot (maybe green) water for words she said. Words. She said.

What Hope Solo said...

A few hours ago we applauded the University of Chicago for rejecting trigger warnings on college campuses. Now we need to reject them in the Olympics.

Hope Solo was given a six-month suspension Wednesday by U.S. Soccer for “unacceptable” comments following the U.S. women’s national team’s quarterfinal loss to Sweden during the Rio Olympics. The outspoken goalkeeper described her opponents as “a bunch of cowards” for riding a conservative game plan to an upset win in a shootout.

What's the punchline?

That was it. Solo said the Swedish team were a "bunch of cowards." According to the report, she didn't append the phrase with colorful swear words. Didn't matter. Solo's USWNT contract was terminated.

“The comments by Hope Solo after the match against Sweden during the 2016 Olympics were unacceptable and do not meet the standard of conduct we require from our national team players,” U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement. “Beyond the athletic arena, and beyond the results, the Olympics celebrate and represent the ideals of fair play and respect. We expect all of our representatives to honor those principles, with no exceptions.

Suspending an athlete for calling her opponents "cowards" for playing a preventive defense? On a scale of 1 to 10 of trash talk, that's a minus 2. But because Hope hurt Sweden's feelings (see SWEDEN: Muslim Refugees Gang Rape Two Girls. No Punishment… and Want Asylum in Sweden? Easy. Just Lie About Your Age…), she was suspended.

She lost an Olympic level game, then said something "mean" about the opposing team. How is this controversial? Was she a sore loser? Perhaps. Did that warrant all this action? Um...

Contrast Hope Solo's comments with statements from Canadian commentator Don Cherry. And remember, words. These are all words. Not punches to the head or groin. Words.

And we thought 2015 was bad...

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