Olympics-a-Go-Go

Image:  Facebook

As an Olympics junkie, I require a daily infusion of the Paris Games, whether that means watching Azerbaijani archers, Finnish fencers or Tunisian triathletes. I'd watch Zambian zip-lining, if it existed.

But as an American, I bleed red, white and blue during these weeks. Yesterday that presented a bit of a problem.

During the women's soccer game between the U.S. and Australia, American midfielder Korbin Albert scored a beautiful long-range goal. That would normally elicit an unseemly shriek from me. Instead I managed only a muted, "Yay."

A few months ago, Albert posted on social media a Christian sermon that called being gay or transgender wrong. In addition to being simply bigoted, it was an immensely stupid move for a person aiming to play on the same national team made famous by the likes of openly sapphic Megan Rapinoe and Abby Wambach. Career counselors everywhere shook their heads.

After receiving blowback, including from Rapinoe, Albert apologized. I don't know whether the 20-year-old genuinely received an education from her teammates, or she grasped she'd shot herself in the cleat and needed to show remorse in order to make it to Paris.

Whatever's going on inside her head, Albert proved yesterday by scoring her first international goal that she's got game. Whether she has sense and compassion remains to be seen.

Now if you'll excuse me, those Bangladeshi boxers won't watch themselves.