Hope Solo reacted to her 6 month suspension like a human

Fullscreen is currently following Hope Solo for a documentary and they were apparently present when she received news about her six-month suspension, which was delivered to her in person by head coach Jill Ellis and USSF general secretary Dan Flynn. They released a clip that showed her reaction in the immediate aftermath of finding out she was suspended and her contract with USSF was terminated.

There was also the original TMZ tweet about it.

In the 17-second clip, Solo, visibly and audibly breaking into tears, reveals the news to her husband, Jerramy Stevens, and at the end audio of her saying “Seventeen fucking years and it’s over” is laid over an image of her sitting against a wall and crying. It’s very clearly a promo cut together by the Fullscreen crew for their documentary, Keeping Score, which also followed Megan Rapinoe and Crystal Dunn.

One question here is why some media outlets have chosen to go with the “FURIOUS RANT” angle when it’s basically a video of a woman finding out she got fired after 17 years by an employer who until very recently was publicly commending her for her work. (Well, we know why TMZ would, but come on NBC.)

Lots of people have had much worse reactions to less with good reason. I understand it’s very easy to pick the Out of Control Hope Solo narrative given there are real incidents in her past that demonstrate she was out of control, like being in a team van with her intoxicated husband during WNT camp. But at the same time that just makes it even more important to put her actions in the correct context, so that her actual transgressions can be properly discussed without all the noise of a bunch of hyped up non-issues.

Once the full scene is released by Fullscreen, undoubtedly it will show more emotions and probably more swearing from Solo. And? So? Hope Solo cried and was mad that US Soccer cut her contract and probably effectively ended her international career, something that has been the sole focus point of her identity for nearly two decades. That has got to feel awful, like having a tether suddenly snap and leave you completely alone in the middle of a vast nothing.

Hope Solo has actually done some bad things in her life. This is not one of them; it’s just a very human reaction.