Rapinoe scores again at World Cup parade, rally
There were words of gratitude, the usual forgettable verbiage from public officialdom and a presentation of the keys to the city. Then the people gathered at the New York City Hall rally for the U.S. women’s soccer team on Wednesday finally got to hear from the woman most of them were waiting for: Megan Rapinoe.
Rapinoe did not disappoint. In a memorable speech, she lauded her teammates, spoke of the politics of division and equal pay and let forth a profane tribute to New York City.
“This is my charge to everyone: We have to be better, we have to love more and hate less. Listen more and talk less. It is our responsibility to make this world a better place,” Rapinoe told the crowd.
The ceremony came after the team rolled up Broadway, cheered by thousands and showered in confetti. The team, which defeated the Netherlands 2-0 on Sunday in the final in Lyon, France, traversed the Canyon of Heroes, a stretch of Broadway from Battery Park to City Hall.
Rapinoe fed off the energy of the crowd as she celebrated her team with the most poignant words of the day.
“This group is so resilient, is so tough, has such a sense of humor,” said Rapinoe, the top scorer at the Women’s World Cup in France, where the United States won its second straight title. “There’s nothing that can faze this group.
“We got pink hair and purple hair. We got tattoos and dreadlocks. We got white girls and black girls and everything in between. We got straight girls and gay girls.”
The team has accepted an invitation to visit Congress.
CONCACAF SCRAPPING HEXAGONAL WORLD CUP QUALIFYING >> CONCACAF is limiting direct qualifying for the World Cup to only its six highestranked nations. The regional governing body for North and Central America and the Caribbean announced a new qualifying format and scrapped the early stages that led to the sixnation final round in place since the 1998 tournament, known as the hexagonal.
Instead, the six highest-ranked nations as of next June will go directly to the hexagonal. Mexico (No. 18 in the FIFA rankings), the U.S. (30), Costa Rica (39), Jamaica (54), Honduras (61) and El Salvador (69) are the current top six, followed by Panama (75), Canada (78), Curacao (79) and Trinidad and Tobago (92).
Awards
MORGAN, U.S. SOCCER TEAM HONORED >> Alex Morgan won female athlete of the year and shared the best team award with her U.S. women’s national soccer teammates at The ESPYS, hours after the group was honored with a tickertape parade in New York City to celebrate their Women’s World Cup championship.
Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks won male athlete of the year at the show honoring the past year’s top athletes and moments in sports.
NBA
WARRIORS OWNER SAYS LIVINGSTON WILL BE HONORED >> As the Warriors have reluctantly ripped apart some of their championship fabric, they have given various signals they plan to pay tribute to those players.
Not only has that applied to Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala, but it has also applied to Shaun Livingston, whom the Warriors formally waived on Wednesday before the last year of a $7 million contract would have become fully guaranteed.
“We thank Shaun for his immense contributions, wish him well in his next chapter and look forward to honoring him at some point in the future,” Warriors majority owner Joe Lacob said in a statement.
The Warriors did not clarify how they plan to honor Livingston, who became a key reserve for the Warriors’ three NBA championships in five Finals appearances since joining the team in 2015 for his steadiness on the court and in the locker room.
Livingston averaged 5.4 points, 2.4 assists and 2.0 rebounds in 17.5 minutes per game during his five years with the Warriors.
LEONARD OPTS FOR THREE-YEAR DEAL WITH PLAYER OPTION >> Paul George and Kawhi Leonard are now officially with the Los Angeles Clippers, moves that bring both of them back to their native Southern California. It might not be forever: Both can become free agents in only two years.
George can become a free agent again in 2021 if he chooses to exercise that option, and Leonard will be in the same situation as well. A person with knowledge of the situation said that the deal Leonard signed Wednesday is a three-year max that could be worth nearly $110 million, though the third season is at Leonard’s option. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Clippers did not release contract terms.
NHL
CULLEN RETIRES AFTER 21 SEASONS >> Matt Cullen, who was the oldest player in the NHL last season, retired at the age of 42. The forward played 21 seasons in the NHL, including last season with the Pittsburgh Penguins, when he had 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) in 71 regular-season games.
Cullen’s first stint with the Penguins was from 2015 to 2017, when he helped Pittsburgh to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles. Cullen also hoisted the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, when he scored a career-high 25 goals.
He ranks 19th in NHL history — and second among U.S.-born players — in games played (1,516). The Minnesota native played for eight teams, accumulating 731 points.
College football
UCF QB MACK TO MISS CAMP AFTER BREAKING ANKLE >> UCF quarterback Darriel Mack Jr. suffered a broken ankle in non-football related activity this week and will miss fall camp, coach Josh Heupel said. Mack battled with Notre Dame graduate transfer Brandon Wimbush and others through spring practice, with the competition expected to continue in camp.