ESPN To Award USWNT Arthur Ashe Courage Award At ESPYs For 'Equal Pay' Fight, Despite Team Pushing For Men To Play Women's Sports

In a somewhat comical twist of fate, ESPN is honoring the US Women's National Team (USWNT) with the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at this year's ESPY Awards. The irony, of course, is that the women of the national soccer team fought to increase the pay in women's sports. But recently, stars of the team like Megan Rapinoe, voiced support for biological men to play women's sports.

This is a bit of a "be careful what you wish for situation" for the USWNT. Yes, they successfully sued the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) on the basis that the women's team was underpaid compared to the men's team.

Now, the players earn more money. But, should more men decide to identify as women, they will take those spots away from the women who worked to get that increase in pay.

And, with the incentive now in place that being a women's soccer player pays very handsomely, expect that trend to increase.

Megan Rapinoe and her teammates who are fighting for men to play women's sports don't care. Why would they? They got what they wanted: more money.

Rapinoe's career is almost over, as is the career of Alex Morgan. Becky Sauerbrunn, another staunch supporter for biological men playing women's sports, is already retired.

ESPN is awarding the US Women's National Team (USWNT) -- including Megan Rapinoe -- the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards in July. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)

So, what do they care if future biological women lose spots to biological men. It's no skin off their back.

Except Rapinoe and her ilk never stop talking about how they "don't do it for themselves" and all of this is "bigger than them."

But they're lying. Of course it's about them. Listen to Megan Rapinoe talk. No one loves Megan Rapinoe as much as Megan Rapinoe loves Megan Rapinoe. She cares about herself.

No matter how hard these women try to claim this about others, it isn't.

Megan Rapinoe, USWNT to receive Arthur Ashe Courage ESPY Award from ESPN

See, this is the issue most of us have with this stuff. "Fighting for equal play" is great.

Except, it was never really about "equal pay." Think about this: what if the USSF had said to the women's team, "Ok, you're right. The pay needs to be equal. We're going to lower the men's pay so that it's now equal to the women's."

You think Megan Rapinoe would have said, "Great! That was the whole point!"

Of course not. They didn't want "equal pay," they wanted "more pay."

But "Equal Pay" looks a hell of a lot better on a bumper sticker or a cardboard sign than "We Want More Money."

The "Equal Pay" slogan was a brilliant PR move by the USWNT during their lawsuit demanding that they be paid more money, which now earns them the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPY Awards. (Photo by Ira L. Black/Corbis via Getty Images)

Which, by the way, was the true purpose of the lawsuit.

And, that's FINE! This is America. I believe that people should use whatever leverage they have to demand as much money as their employer -- or the consumer -- is willing to pay.

Just don't preach to me about equality when it isn't really about that. Megan Rapinoe is a Nike athlete who gets TONS of money from the company.

Any words out of her mouth about "equality" for the women of China? Does she have any thoughts that all of her Nike gear and the majority of the money from that company comes from a country that -- quite literally -- promoted the murder of female children thanks to their "One-Child Policy" that lasted from 1980-2016?

No? Then don't lecture Americans about equality.

But here we are. With the USWNT receiving a "courage award" from ESPN for suing their employer to get more money while simultaneously fighting for men to take their spots in women's sports.

What a time to be alive.