Sports
Equal Pay Fight Proves the USWNT Isn’t Finished Making History
Fresh from winning their record-breaking fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup title, the USWNT is fighting for equal pay, sending a message to women everywhere.
The United States women’s national soccer team (USWNT) made history last week by winning their fourth FIFA Women’s World Cup title. This was the team’s record-breaking second straight and most of any women’s national team. Their performance was one for the ages, tearing through their competition in dominating fashion and earning a Best Team Award at the ESPYS.
Now, even as a championship parade rolls through New York City and stars from the USWNT like Meagan Repino and Alex Morgan go on the talk show circuit, all anyone can talk about is the dollars and cents of it all.
USWNT Demand Equal Pay for Equal Play
PHOTO | Courtesy @CarliLloyd
The wage gap between the men’s and women’s national team players in the US has long been a point of debate.
Back in March, on International Women’s Day, no less, 28 members of the USWNT, including Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd and Megan Rapinoe, filed a class-action lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles under the Equal Pay Act and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act.
“I think a lot of people look to us and our team and the collective voice that we have and what we’ve stood for, for inspiration and for power, and as an ally in this broader fight for equality and human rights, really,” said winger Megan Rapinoe at the time.
Before this year’s competition kicked off, Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer made a point of reminding people about that pay gap.
“The women make just as much of a sacrifice, put in just as much mental and physical energy, absorb just as much risk of injury as the men who play for our national team,” said Schumer. “Yet, when you break it down, a women’s national soccer team player earns a base salary of $3,600 per game while a men’s player earns $5,000.”
Compounding the issue, USWNT players also earn much smaller World Cup bonuses than the males, a measly $15,000 compared to $55,000. The prime example is with the U.S. Soccer Federation itself, awarding the men’s team a $5.4 million bonus for losing in the Round of 16 while the women received only $1.7 million for winning the whole tournament in 2015.
So, in summary, the team that’s actually winning tournaments is making far less than the team losing them.
“Discrimination staring us all in the face,” Schumer said. “These women, who inspire our country with their poise, tenacity, skill and excellence every time they take the field deserve to be fairly compensated.”
If you take the “equal pay” chants from the World Cup crowd following the USWNT’s win and during a recent U.S. Soccer press conference, it’s clear where public opinion falls. U.S. Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro had to pause during his address to the crowd during the champion ceremony in New York City on Wednesday due to the chanting.
US Soccer president Carlos Cordeiro walks up to the podium and the crowd in NYC chants “Equal pay! Equal pay!” at him. In 2015, it felt like the #USWNT‘s win was about winning the World Cup itself. This time, it feels entirely like a platform to a much bigger conversation.
— Caitlin Murray (@caitlinmurr) July 10, 2019
Now the Politicians Want to Play
Now, even more politicians have thrown their hats into the ring to push the issue.
More than 50 members of Congress wrote to U.S. Soccer looking to address the pay disparity, while Sen. Joe Manchin introduced a bill this week that would withhold federal funding from the upcoming 2026 Men’s World Cup set to be co-hosted in the U.S. unless some action was taken to fix it.
“The clear unequitable pay between the U.S. men and women’s soccer teams is unacceptable and I’m glad the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team latest victory is causing public outcry,” Manchin said in a statement. “I’m encouraging everyone to call their Senator and Representatives to help us get this bill passed and finally pay the equitable pay they deserve.”
If the bill passes and the federal government decides not to play ball with FIFA, it could be a major stumbling block for the upcoming tournament. The State Department, for example, needs to provide visa waivers and such for visiting FIFA officials and host cities need the money to build up infrastructure and book security for matches.
Like it or not, this conversation is nowhere near over. While the U.S. Women’s team won’t be booking their tickets to the White House anytime soon, they’ve certainly caught the attention of lawmakers in one way or another these past few weeks.
PS, Megan Rapinoe Loves CBD!
In a recent interview with the New York Times, Megan Rapinoe shared her must-haves for traveling. Along with her work out gear, CBD is right up there to help make traveling easier.
“I usually have CBD drops of some kind so I can just relax with all the travel. I use it as an overall health benefit. I usually take it at night or I definitely will take it if I’m going on a long flight. We have to be kind of careful with how much THC is in those. Sometimes, at a competition they don’t really test for it, but then they will. So you have to be careful. Select is a good one; they have just a pure CBD line.”
Sports
Ricky Williams Will Be Sparking Greatness With His Highsman x Jeeter Collab on Super Bowl Sunday
Ricky Williams made it possible for a generation of athletes to successfully challenge the NFL’s draconian prohibition of cannabis. The Heisman Trophy winner and former running back changed the perception of cannabis in the NFL, bringing in a new era in which the league has stopped drug testing players for cannabis. This paved the way for the league to recently donate $1 million to research how the plant’s medicinal properties could actually help players deal with pain and provide neuroprotection from concussion.
Williams credits smoking cannabis as a way of overcoming the challenges associated with being a professional athlete, from social anxiety to physical injuries. Since retiring from football, Williams has studied herbalism and alternative holistic therapies, intertwined with the healing properties of cannabis. His first line of cannabis wellness products, Real Wellness fused cannabis with herbal extracts like lavender and turmeric.
In 2021, Williams released his new venture, Highsman, a cannabis lifestyle brand “created to empower professional and everyday athletes as well as sports enthusiasts alike.” And a great play on words, too.
“Highsman is an appreciation for greatness and an appreciation for cannabis. When I started experimenting with it recreationally, I became very reflective and a lot of the time the things I was reflecting on didn’t feel good to me. But through that inner reflection, I started making changes in myself– I realized that there was more to me than just being a football player, and it created an urge to start developing those other sides of myself. It was, and still is, my appreciation for cannabis that helped me to realize my potential for greatness outside the game of football. “
Highsman features three curated by Williams to compliment moments in the day and put you in the zone. Pre-Game is a Sativa for an energized boost; Half-Time is a hybrid for focused awareness, and the Post-Game Indica offers a relaxed mood.
Just in time for Super Bowl LVI, Highsman has teamed up with Jeeter, the number one cannabis pre-roll brand in the country, on a limited-edition run of cannabis and apparel products.
Cannabis Aficionado caught up with Williams for a quick huddle to find out what the iconic athlete will be doing this Super Bowl Sunday.
CA: What brought on your partnership with Jeeter?
We partnered with Jeeter because they are a brand at the top of their game. Their dedication to greatness makes them an ideal partner for Highsman. I’d be lying if I didn’t say that, aside from Highsman, Jeeter is one of my top choices when I visit the dispensary.
Where are you watching the Superbowl and who with?
I am watching the Superbowl at the Jeeter house in LA with Jeeter co-founders Sebastian Solano and Lukasz Tracz, and the amazing Highsman team including CEO Eric Hammond and Marketing Director Lane Radbill.
What are you smoking?
Sticky Ricky from the Highsman x Jeeter collab!
What are you eating and drinking?
I eat light pregame… a fruit smoothie, yogurt, assorted fruit, and a little honey.
What were your pre-game rituals?
I had a whole meditation routine. 12 sun salutations, pranayama, twin hearts meditation (heart-opening meditation), and then off to the stadium.
Who do you think will win Superbowl LVI?
I’m just hoping for a good game, but I picked the Rams to win in the Highsman bracket challenge, so I’m going to root for the home team.
Find your nearest Highsman x Jeeter stockist here.
