Raise the bar for athletes’ behavior, regardless of gender
Re: “Hope Solo backs up arrogance with golden goalkeeping,” Aug. 10 Mark Kiszla column.
I enjoy reading Mark Kiszla’s columns, but I take exception to his attitude about [U.S. women’s soccer goalkeeper] Hope Solo. I believe he was intending to puncture the double standard that exists in regards to the expected behavior of men vs. women. But does he mean to imply that bad behavior should be overlooked once an athlete wins a gold medal?
We already engage in the sort of hero worship that results in excusing the worst sort of behavior in our male athletes as long as they keep playing a good game. We should be raising the bar for all athletes, not lowering it for women.
Contrast Hope with her teammate Abby Wambach, who radiates confidence (without swaggering narcissim), excels at her sport and engages in good sportsmanship both on and off the field. She is the sort of athlete we should hold up as a role model, not an arrogant self-promoter like Solo.
C. Shannon Good, Denver
This letter was published in the Aug. 14 edition.