Why I was rooting against the U.S. women's soccer team

Because the team was built this year just to win (mission accomplished) and to hell with everything else. I for one was just not able or willing to stomach the double standard at play for the sake of gold in women's sports.

A. All-world goalie Hope Solo was arrested and charged in a domestic violence case. As so often happens in these type of cases, the criminal charges were dropped. Haven't we been hearing about how male athletes who commit domestic violence, even if not convicted (see Greg Hardy, Dallas Cowboys, for one) should be punished? You can book that a lot of the same women who were cheering on the soccer team would have been calling for the head of a male soccer player in a similar situation. Solo was not punished at all. They could have at least had her miss a game for appearance's sake.

B. This is undoubtedly a more controversial opinion, but again, a double standard at play. Girls, you were representing the United States of America. Not the isle of Lezbos. Too many of the players, and even the coach, were just way too over-the-top lesbian for my taste. If gay male athletes behaved similarly, it's doubtful they would have even made the team. I know lesbians have an outsized influence in the world of women's sports, but this was ridiculous. Several of the players might as well have been wearing "Bull Dyke" T-shirts; they bragged about being inspired by the Supreme Court decision; one of the players appeared on the cover of a lesbian magazine; and another ran to kiss her "wife" after the win. OK, call me a prude and a bigot, but I was seriously turned off by it. My guess is the American public might have been too if they weren't so successful. Americans love a winner and are willing to overlook just about anything for success. Not me.