We return this morning to a theme we initially explored in 2018. Not a coward, but I've never been tested. Like to think that if I was I would pass. That, obviously, is a lyric from the Mighty Mighty Bosstones' hit, 'The Impression That I Get'. Setting aside for a moment former Bosstones' lead singer Dicky Barrett's Aaron Rodgers-esque "free thinking", that song slaps. And the message has always made me wonder about my own capacity, about what I might be capable of (or not) in a decisive moment.
Olha Bihar, like tens of thousands of her countrymen and women, has been tested. And tested. And tested. The former lawyer, PhD candidate, and mother of a seven year-old son would be an impressive person if she was practicing in Seattle. As is stands, she's leading a mortar battalion, a veteran of 15 months of combat, including the Battle of Bakhmut.
She and her then 18-year old brother joined the Ukrainian military in February 2023, as missiles rained down on Kiev. They both had other options. They were tested. They passed. I can't even imagine.
This story deserves a bigger treatment, but we're nothing if not editorially disciplined. Maybe we'll follow up when it comes to its celebratory conclusion.
Cole Brauer is a 5'1", 29 year-old Long Island native who happens to be among the most badass sailors in history. She's about a week away from finishing second in the Global Solo Challenge, which is exactly what it sounds like - a race that started in A Coruña, Spain in August 2023 and ends in the same location. Brauer is on pace to finish second, and will become the first American woman to sail solo around the globe.
The New York Times (in addition to People Magazine, Sports Illustrated, and a number of other outlets) just wrote a story on Brauer. I commend it to your attention, and to her Instagram account, where's she shared the details of her journey to an audience that's grown to 400,000.
Christine Sinclair is arguably the greatest female soccer player in history. Americans will reasonably counter with Mia Hamm or Abby Wambach or Michelle Akers. Brazilians will submit Marta for consideration. China says Sun Wen, Japan gives us Homare Sawa, Spain will ask us to wait a few years on Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati, and none of them would be wrong. It's an argument, after all, not a definitive statement.
The Canadian forward announced her retirement from the game a few weeks ago, and her Portland Thorns squad's loss last night to NY/NJ Gotham FC marked her final top-flight competitive club match. She'll play a couple of games with her national team before the end of the year, which will serve as a celebratory sendoff for a player who really doesn't love the limelight.
Returning the argument, because sports, consider her bona fides. Over her international career, Sinclair scored 190 goals in 329 matches, by far the most of any player ever. The all-time leader among men, Cristiano Ronaldo, has scored 127 goals. After tallying 110 goals in 94 collegiate matches for Portland, Sinclair scored another 113 club goals in 266 matches for five clubs across three leagues.
Sinclair has an Olympic gold medal and two bronzes. She's one of a very few players to have participated in six World Cups, and one of only three to have scored in five (Marta and Cristiano Ronaldo are the others). She, more than any other player, is responsible for Canada's ascendance into the world's elite women's soccer countries.
Because she's Canadian, and notoriously shy, we haven't heard as much about Sinclair as perhaps her on-field exploits would warrant. And I'm guessing that's the way she'd want it.
As Sinclair exits the world stage, so too do a pair of Americans, both of whom have lived in the spotlight in ways far different from their Canadian contemporary.
Sinclair's Portland Thorns team's loss to Gotham FC means that Ali Krieger gets one more game before hanging up her boots. In a bit of the kind of poetry that sports seems to give us when we need it, Krieger and Gotham will kick off against OL Reign in the NWSL Championship on Saturday evening in San Diego. Megan Rapinoe will be playing for OL Reign in her final competitive match alongside her long-time USWNT teammate and friend.
Krieger has received less press attention than the magnetic Rapinoe, but she's been a pioneer starting from when she became one of the first American women to play in Europe, competing for FC Frankfurt in Germany from 2007-2012. The Penn State graduate (who played for the same youth club that I did - which is nice) went on to earn 108 caps for the United States, winning World Cups in 2015 and 2019.
In addition to her on-field trailblazing, Krieger was one of the first female athletes to openly celebrate her same-sex marriage. She and USWNT teammate Ashlyn Harris married in 2019 to much celebration. The two recently announced their divorce, which has led to a very public taking of sides by the women's sports community, nearly all of whom are lining up behind Krieger.
Including Rapinoe, one of sports' most unapologetic lightning rods. The 38 year-old midfielder earned 203 caps and scored 63 goals for her country. As excellent as she's been on the pitch (and for a time she was probably the best in the world at taking free kicks and serving crosses from the wing - see below for one of the most amazing goals you'll ever want to watch), Rapinoe's arguably made a bigger impact on the world stage by refusing to be anyone other than Megan Rapinoe. Fearless, fucks-given-less, and outspoken, she's given a generation of women, queer people, and 'others' a voice, and she's freaked out a whole lot of normies in the process. Not always right, not always appropriate, but always authentic.
The NWLS Championship will mark a turning of the page for the league and the sport. I have no doubt that Rapinoe (and her wife, Sue Bird) and Krieger will continue to be a large presence on the American sporting scene. And I expect Christine Sinclair to operate more quietly to continue to advance the game. All three walk off the stage as legends. Much respect.
This afternoon at 2:00 ET we'll witness history that's too long in the making. All all-female officiating crew, led by Frenchwoman Stéphanie Frappart will take control of the Group E match between Germany and Costa Rica. Frappart will be joined by assistant referees Neuza Back and Karen Diaz (from Brazil and Mexico, respectively) in the match, which is a must-win for the Germans if they hope to advance.
FIFA has a history of doing fuck all for the women's game, even under pressure. The organization historically cares about money, cash, and dolla dolla bills, y'all, not so much about equality. Even as they proclaim support of LGBTQ+ causes, they gave a World Cup to Qatar (more on that in a moment). But in this area, they've been on the right side of things. FIFA started a program after the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada to bring male and female officials together to train, review decisions, and analyze situations. Women are beginning to get opportunities to officiate high-level competitions regardless of the gender of the competitors. Frappart, Back, and Diaz are among six women working as officials in Qatar.
Lest one think this is some sort of equal opportunity selection, we should note that Frappart has serious chops and experience. She's a trailblazer, having been the first woman to referee in men’s Ligue 2, then Ligue 1, then the UEFA Super Cup and Champions League before getting the assignment tomorrow.
Given our well-publicized (and they don't call The Teej the best PR guy in the business for nothing) disdain for FIFA's corruption as related to the decision to award the 2022 men's World Cup to Qatar (saying nothing of all the other corruption), it is ironic to note that women are blasting through this particular glass ceiling in a country where they're second-class citizens. Qatari officials have succeeded in squashing Budweiser and clamping down on pro-LGBTQ+ protests, but even they can't boss FIFA on this particular issue.
Progress, measured in baby steps.
On the other side of that ledger, however, same as it ever was here in the U.S. on at least one important front. Dogged journalists did a phenomenal job of bringing to light sexual improprieties rampant in the American women's game earlier this year. Former U.S. Attorney General Sally Yates' report on the issue noted that many issues start at youth levels, where men have historically occupied an overwhelming majority of coaching positions, especially at elite levels.
According to a WaPo story last week, not much has changed in the composition of coaching staffs and club leadership. The Post found that men represent 85% of the leadership of the clubs that comprise the Elite Club National League (ECNL), the most prominent national competition for women. Further, 90% of the top coaches for those clubs are men.
To paraphrase Taylor Swift, I'm the problem, it's me. Or people that look a lot like me. Though I'm working on it. I'm the President of the Board of Directors of an ECNL club. (ECNL players represent a small portion of our overall player rolls, but are very visible representatives of every ECNL club.) I'm very proud of the work our Club has done to increase the diversity of our programming. We launched a Women in Coaching Leadership Series last year to give our female coaches (and those of other clubs) access to prominent voices in soccer, training, and leadership. We provide pro bono training to students at Title I schools in our community. We created a Junior Board of Directors to provide some of our kids experience in organizational leadership. We have a cadre of excellent young female referees. We're working on inclusion.
We just aren't all the way there yet. At present one of our eight Board members is a woman. And all of us are white, for what it's worth. 14 of our 48 girls travel teams are coached by women, most of those at the youngest ages.
All of these numbers are better than they were five years ago, and none of them are good enough.
Progress, measured in baby steps, again. I'd like to get to some of those moon strides before I walk away from this role.
Today marks the final day of Women's History Month. Folks from across my business unit offered messages for our entire organization that told stories about women who inspired them. Mine went up this morning. And because we need new content and I'm lazy (and we celebrate badass women here), I'll share it with you.
I’ve been a music fan my entire life. When I was younger, my Dad loved both kinds of music: Country and Western. As a result, I grew up on Loretta Lynn, Dolly Parton, Anne Murray, June Carter Cash, and so many other amazing female artists. Later, my taste evolved and I got into less mainstream but equally remarkable performers like Neko Case, Jenny Lewis, Kay Hanley, Cat Power, and Liz Phair. Women make incredible music across all genres around the world today. But there’s only one woman that could make former President Barack Obama say this:
“Nobody embodies more fully the connection between the African-American spiritual, the blues, R. & B., rock and roll — the way that hardship and sorrow were transformed into something full of beauty and vitality and hope. American history wells up when Aretha sings. That's why, when she sits down at a piano and sings 'A Natural Woman,' she can move me to tears — the same way that Ray Charles's version of 'America the Beautiful' will always be in my view the most patriotic piece of music ever performed — because it captures the fullness of the American experience, the view from the bottom as well as the top, the good and the bad, and the possibility of synthesis, reconciliation, transcendence.”
Aretha Franklin was born 78 years ago this week in Memphis. She passed away in August 2018 in her home town of Detroit. In between, as her voice become synonymous with soul music, she earned 44 Grammy nominations (winning 18 times), became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The latter honor was bestowed upon her by President George W. Bush in recognition of both her musical achievements and her considerable influence on the civil rights movement. “When it comes to expressing yourself through song, there is no one who can touch her,” Mary J. Blige told Rolling Stone in 2008. “She is the reason why women want to sing.”
I could write a lot more about the Queen of Soul, but as Frank Zappa said, writing about music is like dancing about architecture. So here are a few of the ways Aretha Franklin moved and inspired so many people.
Thanks to all the women on our team and in our business that inspire us every day.
We had an emergency meeting of the G:TB executive team this evening, and effective immediately, we're closing all of our offices and asking our staff members to operate from their home offices and/or whichever local coffee shops you generally frequent to make the magic. We also decided that the world needs us to keep delivering the content it expects from us. To wit:
William & Mary's men's basketball team lost, 68-63, to Elon in the first round of the CAA Tournament, a disappointing end to an unexpectedly promising season. We could call into question with both perfect hindsight and documented foresight the decision-making process that led to this year's Tribe roster getting to that outcome. We might yet do that. That's not why we're here.
There's a Tribe basketball team that's smack in the middle of a fight for an NCAA Tournament bid, and they play today.
W&M's women's basketball team went 21-8 this season, 12-6 in CAA play, good for third in the regular season standings. Both win totals are the best in school history. The Tribe takes on Delaware at 6:30 in the conference tournament quarterfinals.
Sophomore guard Eva Hodgson was named first-team All-CAA, averaging 20.7 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.6 assists/game. The 5'9" Hodgson (Rindge, New Hampshire represent!) led the conference in scoring, field goal percentage, three-point field goal percentage, and free throw percentage. Decent.
Coach Ed Swanson's team lost all four games it played against league top two seeds Drexel and James Madison, though they did take regular season champion Drexel to overtime in Philly a few weeks ago. As we see it, we've got the league's best team right where we want them.
W&M's women have never made the NCAA Tournament. That sounds familiar. One bid. Not that much to ask for. Looking good, Billy Ray. Feeling good, Louis.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing white dudes that they were somehow superior to the rest of the human race. We'll pay for that original sin for the rest of our natural lives. And this stupid blog ain't gonna make any kind of real dent in the problem. So we'll do what we can.
Here's to some badass women doing amazing stuff this week.
G:TB fave Elena Delle Donnejust finished one of the best seasons in WNBA history. It's impressive enough that she averaged 19.5 points and 8.3 rebounds for the Washington Mystics, who finished the regular season with the league's best record. But the way she did it was unprecedented. Delle Donne dropped the first 50/40/90 season in the WNBA's history, making 51.5% of her shots from the field, 43.0% of her three-pointers, and an absolutely absurd 97.4% of her free throws. She might be the best free-throw shooter on the planet right now, regardless of gender.
Staying in the sporting domain, I certainly hope you got to see the U.S. Open Women's Final between Serena Williams and Bianca Andreescu. Down 3-6, 1-5 and match point, Williams summoned Wyatt Earp crossing the river to gun down Curly Bill Brocious, going anything but gently into that good night. When she drew even at 5-5 in the second set, the Flushing Meadows crowd roared a collective cathartic yawp that should've overwhelmed the 19 year-old Andreescu.
When the young Canadian steeled herself and won the final two games of the second set to take her first major championship, she displayed a mental toughness that's hard to fathom.
Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby, Amanda Shires and Maren Morris are accomplished artists in their own rights. Now, as The Highwomen, they're a supergroup on paper, and a protest movement in reality, cloaked in amazing harmonies and killer tunes. "Highwomen", the eponymous tune that kicks off the group's debut album echoes The Highwaymen's similar song, but packs the haunting emotional punch of three centuries of women killed fighting for their power-threatening beliefs. As Vulture.com puts it, "...the message being that in spite of radical changes in the human experience, the main theme — people in power keeping other people out of power — endures. These women just wanted to live, love, and be loved, but the planet couldn’t handle that."
The Vulture.com review linked above celebrates The Highwomen and their continuation of a long legacy of strong women in country music. That's the easy part. The essay also pointedly remarks, "Most people believe in equality, but their numbers tend to thin when you ask what they’re willing to sacrifice to secure it."
If you've been following the 2019 Women's World Cup closely, this will be a bit of a rehash for you. But it's so compelling that I want to enshrine it here so historians of G:TB will know that it mattered to us.
(You don't think there will be historians that sift through these digital archives with a fine-byte comb, teasing valuable insights from our chronicles of this variously glorious and monstrously fucked up time? I've seen the future, friends, and there are historians.)
Marta Vieira da Silva, almost always known only by her first name, is arguably the best woman soccer player on the planet. She's scored 17 goals for Brazil in World Cup play, the most ever. She's been named World Football of the Year six times. No less a luminary than Pele called her "Pele in skirts" (we'll set aside the sexism and focus on the genuflection). She famously overcame meager family circumstances and her home nation's indifference to the women's game to become one of the most recognizable women athletes on the planet.
It's that indifference that she addressed this week. Brazil fell to France, 2-1 in overtime, in the Round of 16 of this year's World Cup, eliminating them from the tournament. While the 33 year-old Marta may have one more run in her, it's unlikely that even her sublime talent will be rewarded with a major trophy - Brazil have never captured a global title. And so, after the Selecao lost to the hosts, she gave this remarkable interview:
The patriarchy is long overdue for kick in the teeth, and Shlara lights today's Gheorghemas candles to highlight just a few women who've put on their kicking boots.
The future is female Gheorghies. Embrace it.
I know you appreciate, admire and honor all of the women in your immediate orbit. That’s great. Don’t stop. (If you want to know what that looks like, check out Teej’s social media feed to see how he supports his wife.)
In fact, consider doing more to show them that you have their back. How? Make it your Gheorghemas resolution to do more to champion them and other women that you don’t know personally. Start with these four badass women.
Emma Gonzalez
Emma captured America’s attention with her passion, determination, and raw emotion following the Parkland school shooting. She is one of the most recognizable Parkland student leaders who refused to let America offer their thoughts and prayers alone. She also partnered with students from traditionally ignored and forgotten schools to build a platform and empower students across the country to share their story and advocate for their own safety. Emma is changing the conversation in this country around guns. And, at 18, she’s only getting started.
Aly Raisman
Aly was a champion in the gym and she brought that grit to the courtroom in January to lead a group of 100+ women in testimony to convict Larry Nassar and hold USA Gymnastics accountable. Pure courage. Unbelievable strength. I’m grateful that she used her voice. ESPN agrees.
Brittany Packnett
You probably don’t know Brittany, but you should. She’s a Teach for America executive and the co-founder of Campaign Zero, a policy platform to end police violence. She’s one of my favorite hosts/guests on the Pod Save America/Crooked Media roster of shows because she makes me think and laugh. We all need to listen to what Brittany is saying.
Nancy Pelosi
Nancy is a boss. She is one of the most effective House Speakers in history. (Before you dismiss this idea, go ahead and do your research. You’ll see I’m right.) She knows how to listen, build coalitions, and get to consensus. Even in the minority, she negotiates winning deals. She gets shit done. And while the patriarchy is constantly taking shots at her, she just brushes that dirt off her shoulder and keeps it moving to benefit the country.
There are only four women here because I volunteered for Day 4. There are many, many more women you don’t know about, and you should. So, this Gheroghemas, I invite you to open your eyes to the women outside of your orbit and start your own list of badass women to admire. Ask the women in your orbit who they admire. Make this a habit. Your life will be better for it.
Since there appears to be overwhelming evidence that a significant portion of America's ruling elite hates and fears strong women, we're going to dedicate some space here to highlighting badass ladies. Come November, a million righteously pissed off women are going to begin the slow process of leading us out of this unfathomable darkness. I can't possibly ever understand the depths of their anger, but I can do better to identify its sources and try to be part of the solution. For a long time earlier in my life, I'm well aware that I was part of the problem.
On September 17, Denise Mueller-Korenek rode a bicycle nearly 184 miles per hour, setting a world record and becoming the fastest human cyclist of any sex.
Here's how she prepared for her record-shattering ride:
The driver that piloted the car that gave Mueller-Korenek the draft that enabled her to set the record was Shea Holbrook, also a woman. Badassery times two.
And for posterity's sake, let me say that I believe Dr. Blasey Ford, and I eagerly look forward to Justice Kavanaugh's (Justice, because he's going to get confirmed despite a deeply partisan and flawed process, despite the fact that he's obviously not temperamentally suited to sit on the Court, and despite the fact that he's quite likely perjured himself multiple times.) impeachment.
Almost back to full functionality after my trip to New Orleans. When I make it all the way to normal, I promise I'll drop a recap here. Give me a few days.
In the interim, a very cool first-person recap from the Women's March on Washington that features my wife and kids (one of them by name) popped up in the most random of places. My 15 year-old attends high school with the daughter of D.C. area radio personality Robb Spewak. In the most random of coincidences, Spewak's friend and podcasting partner Katie von Hermann came to town for the Women's March and landed a seat on the same bus that my wife and kids took into the city, with Spewak's daughter in tow. Since she and my daughter are friends, they decided to pair up with my family, and wound up spending the day together.
Von Hermann and Spewak recorded a special episode of their podcast yesterday, recounting her experience. It's alternately inside-jokey, silly, and moving, and though it's 72 minutes long, I really enjoyed it. Those of you that attended will relate, and those that didn't will find yourself transported to that incredible scene.
And if anyone can figure out how to embed it, they've got more skeelz than me.
My wife is at top left, and my rugrats at bottom left. Teejay is there somewhere.
Donald Trump will be inaugurated as America's 45th President on Friday, of that there's little doubt.
What follows that, well, I think we've all got some questions.
No such questions about the day immediately after, though. That's when hundreds of thousands of women from across the country, including a number of FOG:TB (see here for KQ's well-named band of sisters) and my wife and daughters, are gathering in the Nation's Capital in protest.
The Women's March on Washington's politics lean decidedly to the left, though the principles the organizers espouse hit on universal themes of respect and dignity - a pair that's been in hiding during Trump's frantic first months on the global stage. The March's Unity Principles look like a mashup of Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders' greatest hits, and I say that with respect - more of this during the election and this weekend's gathering might have a much different tone.
Speaking of Sanders, and of women, the supergroup Nice as Fuck was one of his early supporters, playing several fundraisers and generally riding for the Senator from Vermont. In honor of badass women, here are a couple of tunes from Jenny Lewis and her bandmates.
Rock on, ladies, and godspeed to all of you on the streets of Washington this weekend. Give 'em hell, patriot pussies.
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