SALT LAKE CITY — Now that we know Christen Press really isn’t a devotee of babes ‘n’ brews sports commentary, the critics can stand down.
Her reputation and message are intact.
She was back to scoring goals, Friday against Portland — the thing that made her famous in the first place — and her mini-controversy apparently is over.
Wednesday was supposed to be a great day for the Utah Royals FC forward. She was due at Rio Tinto Stadium for a media event to welcome her, Becky Sauerbrunn and Kelley O’Hara home from World Cup duty. Press’s nameplate was at the interview table alongside Sauerbrunn’s and O’Hara’s. But Press ended up stiff-arming the press. Word from the team was that she was feeling ill.
Reporters were told questions to the remaining two players would be limited to the World Cup, the Royals or the National Women’s Soccer League. Thus, no one until Friday was allowed to inquire about the star’s brief collaboration with Barstool Sports, an online entity geared toward politically incorrect sports fans. It entertains viewers with themes such as “Grading the Newest Sex Scandal Teacher,” “Hottest Celebrity You Think You’d Have A Shot With” and “Saturdays are for the Boys.”
After a Royals draw with Portland, the rest of the story came out. Press told reporters she didn’t know much about Barstool when the controversy began.
"To be perfectly honest, I wasn't familiar with the site when my (representation) team presented the opportunity to me, and I think everybody that knows me well knows that I support kindness, respect and dignity for all people,” she said.
Don’t plan on seeing her again on a site featuring the “Ruf ‘N’ Rowdy 9 Ring Girl Of The Day.”
The background of the story is that Press agreed to give Barstool followers an inside look at the U.S. Women’s National Team championship celebration, this month. She recorded a selfie that appeared on the Instagram account, saying, “Thank you, Barstool, for your support.”
It didn’t take long for the criticism to arrive.
Press is an approachable athlete committed to promoting women, minorities and sports. A week earlier she liked a tweet by Serena Williams: “The day I stop fighting for equality and for people that look like you and me will be the day I am in my grave.”
Her absence at Wednesday’s press conference was undoubtedly spurred by a column in The Guardian newspaper. The piece, written by activist/writer Shireen Ahmed, criticized Press for diminishing what the USWNT stands for by associating with a “misogynistic” entity. It called the move “a slap in the face.”
But part of empowerment is choice, and Press apparently felt it would help her career and/or the team by collaborating with Barstool. Even if she had been clear on the details, it wouldn’t have meant she’s a terrible role model. She has been just the opposite.
“I am extremely excited to be joining one of the most outstanding women’s soccer environments in the world @utahroyalsfc,” she tweeted when she came to Utah. “I promise to give my all!”
She appeared on Sports Illustrated’s digital commemorative edition cover this month.
Press has been everything the Royals wanted her to be.
But for part of this week, she wasn’t what everyone wanted her to be.
National team players have been unrelenting in demands to close the pay gap between men’s and women’s teams. Exposure via popular websites can lead to quicker change.
Press isn’t the only USWNT player to cooperate with Barstool. National teammate Rose Lavelle has appeared on a BS podcast. The fact Press engaged with the outlet was a debatable call, but not unforgivable.
Former USWNT star Hope Solo was arrested and charged with domestic violence in 2014 after an altercation with family members. Charges were dismissed, but it wasn’t the kind of publicity the team seeks. Solo was suspended from the national team in 2015 after her husband was arrested on a DUI with Solo a passenger. They were in a van rented by U.S. soccer.
Former USWNT star Abby Wambach pleaded in 2016 to driving under the influence, shortly after retiring.
It would take days to list all the international men’s soccer players who have been arrested.
Press momentarily associated with an organization that doesn’t fit her profile. That’s not an outrage, it’s a failure to check out the fine print.
Press’s mother died in January; that alone should have earned her a break from critics. But she also deserves space because of her history of furthering American soccer.
There are worse things than not meeting someone else’s expectations.