During his Tuesday ESPN2 show “Olbermann,” host Keith Olbermann reacted to the “Outside the Lines” report where police records show U.S. Women’s National Team goalie Hope Solo was difficult with the police and beat up her six-feet-eight-inches, 270-pound 17-year-old nephew. Although the case was initially dropped, Solo’s sister spoke out and brought more attention to the incident, alleging that Solo is lying.
Olbermann, unsatisfied with how Solo’s coach Jill Ellis brushed off the report and the lack of investigation done by the U.S. Soccer Federation president Sunil Gulati, demanded for the immediate suspension of Solo, as well as the dismissal of Ellis and Gulati.
“Domestic violence in this country is at epidemic levels. Its victims are usually women,” Olbermann said. “The coach of the Women’s National Soccer Team of this country is not only willfully ignoring unresolved domestic violence charges against her star goalie, but she also seems proud of ignoring them. The president of the U.S. Soccer Federation who has said he would carefully consider new information about the Solo case, has not even interviewed Solo’s half-sister, nor responded to her public comments. He has not yet risen to the minimum standard responsibility Roger Goodell got to on his own.”
“These are not merely professional athletes in professional sports,” he added. “Hope Solo, coach Jill Ellis and president Sunil Gulati are representing this country, you and me and clearly none of them is qualified to do so. Certainly not now. Solo deserves immediate suspension with all rights of appeal. Ms. Ellis and Mr. Gulati, however, show the condescending attitude and have been the worst possible role models for and the worst possible representatives of this country; should be immediately dismissed.”
In May, Olbermann called for the firing of Cleveland Cavaliers employees and executives for running a video during a game that spoofed domestic violence only two months after Olbermann was suspended a week by ESPN for calling Penn State’s pediatric cancer research fundraiser “pitiful.”
Follow Trent Baker on Twitter @MagnifiTrent
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