Rio Crowd Chants "ZIKA! ZIKA!" At Hope Solo During Olympic Match

BBC - US goalkeeper Hope Solo was taunted with chants of “Zika! Zika!” as the US women’s football team played in its Olympic debut in Brazil on Wednesday. Solo, who had previously posted photos of herself on Twitter wearing a hat with mosquito netting, dismissed the chants as fans “having fun”. A number of athletes cancelled their participation in the Games for fear of contracting the mosquito-borne virus. Brazil says the arrival of winter has greatly reduced the threat. Solo, 35, said she did not notice the chants of “Zika! Zika!” from the 10,000-strong crowd during the game against New Zealand in the city of Belo Horizonte. When she was told about it she said: “I’m glad the fans had fun, and if they had fun at my expense, more power to them.”

Solo had expressed her concern over Zika on Twitter.The posts caused a backlash, with some Brazilians seeing them as a slight to their country, which has been battling a nationwide Zika outbreak.
The Brazilian authorities deployed thousands of soldiers to fumigate key areas and to educate people about mosquito prevention measures. Before Wednesday’s game, Solo said US media had given her the wrong idea about conditions in Brazil. “It’s a little bit unfortunate because I think the American media has been really tough on the people of Brazil,” she said. “I don’t know why, but we like to sensationalise everything and scare people and then… when the games go on, everything goes on as planned, ends up being a beautiful tournament. And I expect no less here. “I feel a little bit bad because when you come here you learn for yourself,” she added.

I love this whole story. I love Hope Solo sending out tweets basically implying how afraid and disgusted she is to go to Brazil. I love the Brazilians taking offense to it and responding by taunting her about a disease that can cause pretty horrific birth defects to pregnant women. And I love Hope Solo taking it in stride and laughing it off. Thats what sports is all about. Competition. Talking shit. Winning and losing. Fans busting balls and not taking it too seriously.

We’re in a world where umpires are throwing people out of games for saying “suck.” Where sports writers take offense to fans calling a pro athlete a “girl” or a “princess.” Its refreshing to hear that a bunch of low class Brazilians were taunting a low class athlete about getting a reproductive disease. Kinda reminds me that theres still some passion in sports. Still some misplaced, over dramatic hate. Thats what its all about to me. A tip of the cap to the Brazilians for being scumbag fans repping their country, and a tip of the cap for Hope Solo for saying it was all just fun. I suppose when you beat the shit out of your family members and show the world your mangled, mashed potatoes vagina, you cant be touchy and take things personal.