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Former Canadian soccer player Kaylyn Kyle received death threats over USWNT criticism

Kaylyn Kyle, a former Canadian soccer player and current commentator at Canadian sports network TSN, apparently received death threats after sharing her opinion about the U.S. women’s national team celebrating their goals after running up the score against Thailand.

Kyle criticized the the team on the air on Tuesday after the U.S. women ran up the score to 13-0, and continued to celebrate each goal throughout the match. While some criticized the team for turning in what looks like a lopsided football score (despite goal differential being part of the tiebreaker for an easier draw in the knockout stage), Kyle focused on the celebrations. Via TSN:

"As a Canadian we would just never ever think of doing something like that ... For me it's disrespectful, it's disgraceful ... Hats off to Thailand for holding their head high."

Meghan Rapinoe, who scored one goal in the game and celebrated with airplane arms and kicks, said after the game “obviously we have the utmost respect for everyone we play, but it's the World Cup.” She also told Fox Sports that “our only crime was an explosion of joy.”

The debate between celebration and gritty acknowledgement has raged for ages, regardless of the score of any game. Kyle doesn’t think excessive celebration was necessary and said so, which should be the end of it. But since it’s sports, it wasn’t. Kyle tweeted on Wednesday night that she’d gotten death threats for her opinion. She also included a clarification of her comments.

“To the people sending me death threats, let me set the record STRAIGHT! I never once said to never score as many goals as you can in a World Cup!!! PLEASE WATCH FULL SEGMENT! I said the exact opposite ITS THE WORLD CUP!!! You score as many as you can and don’t take the foot off the gas pedal!

“I did say i thought it was excessive and disrespectful the goal celebrations of the American team once the score hit 8-0. Everyone is allowed there opinions toward my thoughts 100% but please leave the death threats! I’m a big girl and love a good debate but there’s no need for this in this already crazy world! Love you all.”

You may not agree with Kaylyn Kyle’s opinion about the USWNT’s goal celebrations, but she makes one point that everyone should agree with: sports opinions are not worthy of death threats.

VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 18: Former Canadian soccer player Kaylyn Kyle received death threats after criticizing the USWNT for excessive celebrating. (Photo by Mike Hewitt - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BC - JUNE 18: Former Canadian soccer player Kaylyn Kyle received death threats after criticizing the USWNT for excessive celebrating. (Photo by Mike Hewitt - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)

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