Hope Solo Will Not Be Disciplined For Twitter Rant Against NBC's Brandi Chastain

U.S. women’s soccer team G Hope Solo “won't be disciplined for a Twitter rant that her coach fears could have been detrimental to the image of U.S. women's soccer,” according to Robert Klemko of USA TODAY. Solo “lashed out against former U.S. soccer legend Brandi Chastain, calling into question the NBC commentator's knowledge of the game and allegiance to the program.” Chastain was “critical of the current team's defense during NBC's broadcast of their 3-0 victory vs. Colombia during group play.” Chastain defended her comments Saturday, saying that her “new job is to be a journalist.” Chastain: "I'm here to do my job, which is to be an honest and objective analyst at the Olympics" (USA TODAY, 7/30). Solo yesterday on Twitter responded to “a reporter's tweet that she wouldn't be disciplined.” Solo: "discipline? Ha! For what! Never even a topic! We talked about our team deserving the best!" (AP, 7/29). The AP’s Joseph White noted Solo on Saturday after the game “rattled off four tweets about Chastain.” Among them: "Its 2 bad we cant have commentators who better represents the team&knows more about the game." She also tweeted, "I feel bad 4 our fans that have 2 push mute." Solo added that she “likes NBC soccer announcer Arlo White” (AP, 7/28).

HOPE FLOATS: YAHOO SPORTS’ Dan Wetzel wrote of Solo, “Controversy has helped make her a breakout star of soccer. She's not naive.” There was “little attention being paid to the team thus far,” so Solo “decided to go on Twitter and blast” Chastain (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 7/28). In DC, Sally Jenkins wrote what the rant “really seems to be about is the fact that Solo has a new book out, and she’s going down market.” It may also be about Solo’s “irritation at the enduring presence of Chastain.” Jenkins: “The most disappointing aspect of Solo’s behavior is that it suggests she hasn’t learned as much as she could have from players like Chastain” (WASHINGTON POST, 7/29). NBCSPORTS.com’s Steve Davis wrote Solo “looks rather petty in this one.” Chastain had “lots of good and a few bad things to say” about the team’s performance on Saturday. The rant could be this “new guard” and “old guard” issue at work (NBCSPORTS.com, 7/28). ESPNW’s Kate Fagan wrote Solo’s “leadership skills need a complete overhaul.” Her Twitter rant was “all kinds of wrong; and the odd part is that she seems to think of herself as brave, a brash voice willing to say what everyone else is too timid to verbalize” (espnW.com, 7/29). ESPNW’s Julie Foudy, a former U.S. women's soccer player, wrote, “My initial reaction when I read the tweets? Sadness. Not anger, not outrage, just an overwhelming sense of sadness” (espnW.com, 7/29).