The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) is one really hot mess, but not just for its obvious woke culture. The NWSLGBTQ has banned four coaches for life for misconduct, sanctioned eight others and fined its own office. On his way out the door, one of the ousted coaches blasted the league’s "woke, cancel culture.”
Paul Riley (seen in photo), Richie Burke, Christy Holly, and Rory Dames will never coach in the league again. Deadspin blogger Eric Blum called their actions against teams and players “despicable.” The dismissals came in the aftermath of a U.S. Soccer-commissioned investigation by Sally Yates and King & Spalding revealed abusive behavior and sexual misconduct in women’s pro soccer.
The Chicago Red Stars, Portland Thorns, North Carolina Courage, Racing Louisville FC, OL Reign and Gotham FC received fines totaling $2.9 million.
Holly coached Racing Louisville, Riley coached the North Carolina Courage and Portland Thorns. Dames coached the Chicago Red Stars and Burke formerly guided the Washington Spirit.
The NWSL dished out two-year suspensions to ex-Gotham FC General Manager Alyse LaHue and ex-Utah Royals FC head coach Craig Harrington for wrongdoing and admitting to inappropriate conduct.
This may be a first: the league heavily fined its own league office, as well as U.S. Soccer, and demanded that both organizations make systemic changes. The Red Stars will pay a $1.5 million fine, the Thorns $1 million. Their owners plan to sell and get out of the league. The Louisville and North Carolina teams drew smaller fines.
Six other individuals received discipline for less serious infractions.
It might be easier to list the individuals who have not misbehaved. This is the league of Megan Rapinoe, supposedly the leader in fighting for women’s rights, equal pay and all that woke yada yada. It was all a lie. The league’s true identity surfaced through this incendiary investigation.
Soccer players Mana Shim and Sinead Farrelly both exposed Riley, the former coach of the year, for engaging in sexual misconduct, emotional and verbal abuse and retaliation after they went public. They said he was sex-obsessed with them and he sexualized the work place.
Dames was “like a god,” his former players said. That wore thin, though, as he created a culture of fear by repeatedly berating, degrading and humiliating his players. Dames boasted in response to the investigation that he had not engaged in sexual misconduct, which former players disputed.
Former players described Holly as a rage-aholic who created a toxic environment.
Riley rationalized that he had no intention of coaching in the league again. “The political, woke, cancel culture of the league says it all,” he said as he slithered into the sunset.
The National Women’s Soccer League is considered the most radically woke sports association in America, and these new revelations only added to that rock bottom reputation.
