So the President F*cking Hates My Girlfriend

July 2, 2019 7:14 AM

So the President F*cking Hates My Girlfriend (and 10 Other Things I Want You to Know Before the World Cup Semifinals) by Sue Bird
posted by Lord_Pall (32 comments total)

As they are both amazing sides, current fan status: supporting whichever team whose win will damage Trump or Brexit more.
posted by lalochezia at 7:24 AM on July 2, 2019 [7 favorites]

This was lovely to read despite my only having the vaguest understanding of the sports involved. Thanks for sharing it.
posted by biogeo at 7:31 AM on July 2, 2019 [3 favorites]

I want to be strong, true and brave like Megan Rapinoe. She's amazing.
posted by OnTheLastCastle at 7:34 AM on July 2, 2019 [10 favorites]

"Megan is at the boss level in the video game of knowing herself" - loved it.
posted by hepta at 7:39 AM on July 2, 2019 [12 favorites]

FiveThirtyEight places the USA team as clear favourites, 67% to 33%.

But they said that about Clinton too.

(yes i went there, sorrynotsorry, comeonENGLAND)
posted by Eleven at 7:50 AM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

help; this is the most adorable thing i've ever read
posted by karayel at 7:54 AM on July 2, 2019 [7 favorites]

I was glad that, after going on about Rapinoe’s pink hair, she clarified that it was more purple now, because, with all my eye issues, I don’t need my color sense going out as well.... really, it’s an almost anime hair color.
posted by GenjiandProust at 7:55 AM on July 2, 2019 [8 favorites]

sue bird's crush on her girlfriend is very good
posted by dismas at 8:03 AM on July 2, 2019 [44 favorites]

THIS IS A DELIGHT. They both are.
posted by Gordafarin at 8:06 AM on July 2, 2019 [4 favorites]

Nice profile of Bird and Rapinoe by Stefanie Loh in the Seattle Times.
posted by mbrubeck at 8:10 AM on July 2, 2019 [6 favorites]

My minus column? PENALTY KICKS. Like, I guess they’re kind of like free throws? Only if there was someone trying to BLOCK your free throw, and you had to use your foot (??)

And if free throws were worth, like, 75 points or something.
posted by Rock Steady at 8:20 AM on July 2, 2019 [11 favorites]

...so not much like free throws at all, then.
posted by Dysk at 8:25 AM on July 2, 2019 [5 favorites]

It's much more similar to an ice hockey penalty shot, really.
posted by Dysk at 8:28 AM on July 2, 2019 [2 favorites]

Wow. After reading that, I, too, am in love with Megan Rapinoe. Nicely done.
posted by kinnakeet at 9:02 AM on July 2, 2019 [4 favorites]

One of the nice things about Rapinoe is how she's grown in to her present self-chosen role, specifically how her responses all seem to have been considered well before she gives them. There's a consistency and an evenness to them that lends them weight, but she also seems to listen well, as evidenced by the way her actions changed after the original kneeling kerfuffle.

None of this wasn't a given when I started following her after the Brazil game in 2011 - she seemed entirely self-involved then. I don't think she ever spoke out about the Borislow/MagicJack situation then, for instance, and I believe that she would now.
posted by suckerpunch at 9:05 AM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

THANKS so much for posting this, it was really fun & lovely to read. I'm going to wander into my wardrobe with some scissors now, it'll be a look it will it will!
posted by twentyfeetof tacos at 9:08 AM on July 2, 2019

Women's World Cup Semifinals discussion on FanFare
posted by the man of twists and turns at 9:22 AM on July 2, 2019 [4 favorites]

The Guardian's football cartoonist has this.
posted by Paul Slade at 9:35 AM on July 2, 2019 [8 favorites]

I'm already seeing Rapinoe in commercials and such and I am very excited for a purple haired lesbian icon who annoys the cryptonazis to death and inspires the rest of us
posted by schadenfrau at 9:39 AM on July 2, 2019 [39 favorites]

They drape themselves with different trappings but spiritually, soccer and hockey are basically the same sport, so it's quite logical that there are a lot of similarities.
posted by glonous keming at 9:59 AM on July 2, 2019 [5 favorites]

So great, thank you!
posted by Glinn at 10:18 AM on July 2, 2019

A few years ago, a guy who was living on the street told me that once, when he was being hassled by the cops, Sue Bird walked up and basically un-arrested him.

I choose to believe it.
posted by palmcorder_yajna at 10:39 AM on July 2, 2019 [41 favorites]

sue bird's crush on her girlfriend is very good

Can you have a crush on a crush? Because I think I have a crush on Sue bird's crush on her girlfriend.
posted by solotoro at 10:42 AM on July 2, 2019 [18 favorites]

The only upside to Italy losing (which: my fucking little girl heart is so full, Italy. Watching women play at that level was almost an out of body experience, given that I was one of the many many many girl children who were told around 7 that football was for boys and we needed to go find something else to do) is that I can now cheer for the US team with impunity.

Like a goddamn boss, Rapinoe. Like. a. boss.
posted by lydhre at 11:05 AM on July 2, 2019 [10 favorites]

Rapinoe/Bird 2020 t-shirts are on sale!
posted by Carol Anne at 11:06 AM on July 2, 2019 [8 favorites]

Oh I love this so much. It's beautifully written, she has a charming, insightful and honest narrative voice and I love how much respect, love, admiration and just plain excitement this shows. Plus she's really funny.

I love the both of them now.
posted by biscotti at 2:37 PM on July 2, 2019 [4 favorites]

The U.S. defeated England, 2-1, to advance to the Women's World Cup final.

Woot!
posted by chavenet at 2:38 PM on July 2, 2019

My favorite line was:

I mean, don’t get me wrong — I was 100% on MANIAC mode, cheering for our squad. Obviously. But I still hated that anyone had to lose.

So many games of this World Cup have felt like that; I might have a favorite, but, by the end of the match, I wanted both teams to be able to advance, because they played that well. I realize that would mean a final with like 150 players per side, but it seems right.
posted by GenjiandProust at 4:21 PM on July 2, 2019 [1 favorite]

As an American who's lived in Britain for over 20 years, my loyalties tonight were divided like Solomon's baby. In the end, this article plus Trump's anti-Rapinoe tweets made me decide to support the US side. I'm glad they're through, but I wish it hadn't come at the expense of the Lionesses. Both teams are great.
posted by Pallas Athena at 5:37 PM on July 2, 2019 [7 favorites]

This makes me happy. I have loved Sue Bird since she started playing at UConn and this just makes me love her more.
posted by colfax at 7:10 AM on July 3, 2019 [1 favorite]

This is so delightfully sweet. The takehomes from this are: (1) Megan Rapinoe is awesome, and (2) Sue Bird is giddily, charmingly, passionately in love with her.

I choose to infer, furthermore, that (3) Sue Bird is awesome (OK, that she's an excellent writer isn't actually an inference), and (4) Megan Rapinoe is in love with her.

It's a great piece, full of charm and hope and positivity. It's great that they have so much joy and energy and love that it nearly overshadows the fact that the central event of the story is a person in a position of extraordinary power being abusive towards one of the participants in this beautiful relationship.
posted by jackbishop at 1:06 PM on July 3, 2019 [2 favorites]

NEWS ALERT
U.S. Defeats the Netherlands, 2-0, to Win the Women’s World Cup
The U.S. defeated the Netherlands, 2-0, to win their fourth Women’s World Cup title in 28 years.

Woot woot!
posted by chavenet at 10:59 AM on July 7, 2019 [3 favorites]