101 Comments
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Anna's avatar

An absolutely disgraceful & embarrassing display. IMO, they owe this nation an apology. As if it wasn't embarrassing enough to be an American right now!

Thanks, John.

Donna Maurillo's avatar

So glad that the women's team declined a White House visit...

Veronica's avatar

According to this, the women's team got 5-star treatment from an acclaimed actor at his favorite restaurant in Milan: https://stuffwomenhavetodealwith.quora.com/HA-HA-HAAAAA-I-always-LOVED-Tucci-KIsses-DOQ?comment_id=173375793&comment_type=3&__filter__=all&__nsrc__=notif_page&__sncid__=71861626275&__snid3__=95693656121.

Authentic Milanese cuisine or Big Macs? I'll take what's behind door #1.

Donna Maurillo's avatar

AND... FlavorFlav is giving them a party in Las Vegas. An airline has already stepped up to fly them for free. Trump said the women's team will be at the White House sometime soon. I hope they turn him down. Hey, even Pope Leo turned down Trump's invitation to join him for America's 250th anniversary. Instead, the Pope is visiting with migrant refugees. How's THAT for a response?

Lin Musto's avatar

We needed you to write this.

Abby's avatar

I hope that all the mothers, aunts, grandmothers, sisters, teachers, girlfriends, female friends, colleague, childhood friends (the list goes on and on) of all those "boys" shames them for not speaking up. How hard would it have been for even one adrenaline-addled hockey player to stand up and give some honor to the women's team for winning the gold against the same formidable foe? How hard would it have been?

Maryann Watkins's avatar

Evidently it's too hard when you're talking to a man who will find any excuse to criticize, belittle, and degrade other human beings, especially women. We know that he'll spend days figuring out how to get even when people reject him.

Suzanne Clothier's avatar

I very much hope that in the calmer light of day, with some time to reflect and not just react, they decline any invitation from the Toddler-in-Chief. As many mature sport champions have done. It was disgraceful, though I do recognize that they were put in an impossible spot - what should they have done? what could they have done? Let's give them the grace of a few moments to gather their wits and stand up with and for the women's hockey team, whose performance stats eclipse the men's by any standards. I'm going to hold on to the hope they can act like true champions and Americans, and refuse to yuck it up with the 34x felon.

J Glaspie's avatar

Oh, how I wish they would.

Ellen H's avatar

I heard they accepted the offer, which means they will be flying back on the taxpayer’s dime, which will still probably be less expensive than Ka$h Patel on the private FBI jet. 🤬

gail's avatar

I think they were invited to the State of the Union. Ha ha on them...

Lynne's avatar

Thank you John. I felt so sick when I heard what Trump said to the men’s team on that phone call.

Carol Fletez's avatar

Actually the total women's Olympics teams from the USA won more gold medals than the men!! AND the men lost for being playmates with the WH resident of child rapist and his FBI henchman

Double D's avatar

My brother couldn’t believe I was rooting for Canada so this morning I sent him the photo of crazy eyes in his disgusting display of I don’t know what and said THIS is why I was rooting for Canada!🇨🇦 He gets it now. 🙄😡

Rene R. Rinaldi's avatar

I am waiting (in vain, I fear) for someone with enough self-respect and gumption to stand up and leave when confronted with one of the Orange Menace’s disgraceful remarks.

Hilary M's avatar

Or at least to ask, as Jeff Tiedrich challenges, what the fuck is wrong with you

Rene R. Rinaldi's avatar

I thought the exact same thing.

Janet Zarem's avatar

Thank you for writing this, John. Can someone get it to the little boys on the Hockey team? The women wouldn't have made the same sickening blunder.

Jean Lakin's avatar

I think the outstanding women of the US Hockey team were GREATLY relieved NOT to force themselves to go to the White House and be embarrassed in person by this president.

Any other dignified President would view honoring athletes as a privilege of their office.

Let’s hope all the athletes give this president a pass.

Maryann Watkins's avatar

Thank you. I was raked over the coals because I felt what you just wrote. It's nice to see a man react the way many women reacted. Thank you again.

𝕄𝕒𝕥𝕥 𝔾. 𝕃𝕖𝕘𝕖𝕣 🎨🎶🚀's avatar

Please be assured that there are millions of us men out here who had the exact same reaction and are even more ashamed of them, our gender and our nation than you are. Boys like this (they certainly didn't act like men...or at least, not mature, decent ones) make me embarrassed to own a Y chromosome.

Stephanie robertson's avatar

So Trump is willing to send a plane for the mens’ hockey team to listen to him claim how great he is and probably even had something to do with the win? We already know Kash Patel no doubt forced his way into the locker room.

I hope the team does the right thing and finds something else to do — anything else. Perhaps they should celebrate with their coaches and escape the clutches of a political stunt for Trump.

Michelle's avatar

Very much a political stunt - not a "this is who the hockey players" are. I feel this article is a textbook example of what happens when moral outrage bypasses curiosity and builds an entire narrative about who these men are based on what they did during a political stunt.

catsongs's avatar

What they did during the "stunt" was participate. They shouldn't have.

Michelle's avatar

It's easy to know what someone else should have done when we're not the ones standing there.

catsongs's avatar

And it's easy to see in the moment whether something feels right or wrong. They could have done better if they were grounded in their knowing. Maybe that's an indictment of the society in which they were raised, and the good-old-boy mentality of their sport. Whatever the excuse, they. could. and. should. have. stood. up. for. their. counterparts. Period.

Michelle's avatar

If the goal is better behavior from young men, I’m not convinced moral condemnation is the most effective tool. Accountability and curiosity aren’t mutually exclusive.

catsongs's avatar

I have no objection to curiosity. And I think the need for accountability is precisely what John is expressing in this piece. Because people who are raised in an atmosphere that allows this: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/feb/23/15-year-old-girl-misogyny-social-media-online-abuse?CMP=share_btn_url should absolutely experience at least as much accountability as this youngster is experiencing harassment and demoralization.

Maryann Watkins's avatar

And just what was the purpose of this political stunt? If there was any decent purpose, it got lost in the dust.

Douglas N Cooper's avatar

No excuses. Stop providing them. Grow up into decency, our too young representatives on the world stage. Do not anymore embarrass your nation who are trying to celebrate your triumph. Take a deep breath and dedicate yourselves to doing better. You can and you will.

Linda Mitchell, KCMO's avatar

Yep--but considering they were downing brewskis with Kash Patel, a wankpuffin of the wankpuffiniest, then that reinforces that they knew what they were doing--and if there are a few members of the team (well, one who stood out to support LGBTQ+ folks) who felt a wee bit uncomfortable, the majority did not. As I watch the galloping avalanche of misogynist backlash against women roll unstopped along the roadway to hell, I am no longer shocked or surprised. Just absolutely disgusted.

Polly McFadden's avatar

Thank you as always, John. You eternally have the best response to the horrid news of the day that we all must confront.