Christine Brennan: Women’s Soccer Team Deserves Equal Pay as Men Because ‘They Win All the Time’

RUSH TRANSCRIPT SANCHEZ After ░░░░░░░░ Olympic golds and four ░░░░░░░░ Cup championships members of ░░░░░░░░ U S Women s ░░░░░░░░ soccer team are also ░░░░░░░░ for equal pay In ░░░░░░░░ lawsuit filed against the ░░░░░░░░ S Soccer federation in ░░░░░░░░ the players allege they ░░░░░░░░ not getting equal pay ░░░░░░░░ to the men s ░░░░░░░░ A federal court disagreed ░░░░░░░░ year and threw out ░░░░░░░░ player s equal pay ░░░░░░░░ The judge found the ░░░░░░░░ s team negotiated a ░░░░░░░░ pay structure than the ░░░░░░░░ and the women s ░░░░░░░░ were also paid more ░░░░░░░░ the men The players ░░░░░░░░ now appealing that decision ░░░░░░░░ case plays out in ░░░░░░░░ all new CNN film ░░░░░░░░ with a behind the ░░░░░░░░ look the women bring ░░░░░░░░ the game both on ░░░░░░░░ off the field Here ░░░░░░░░ a preview BRENNAN It ░░░░░░░░ true blood sweat and ░░░░░░░░ to obviously get to ░░░░░░░░ I am today There ░░░░░░░░ times I wanted to ░░░░░░░░ up I mean here ░░░░░░░░ am three time pro ░░░░░░░░ two time NCAA champion ░░░░░░░░ ve achieved my dream ░░░░░░░░ wanted to make the ░░░░░░░░ S A team and ░░░░░░░░ did But even though ░░░░░░░░ the accolades sound absolutely ░░░░░░░░ we don t get ░░░░░░░░ very much SANCHEZ Let ░░░░░░░░ discuss this story further ░░░░░░░░ CNN sports analyst Christine ░░░░░░░░ She s also a ░░░░░░░░ columnist for USA Today ░░░░░░░░ morning Christine Thanks for ░░░░░░░░ us on Labor Day ░░░░░░░░ of where the case ░░░░░░░░ legally just the fact ░░░░░░░░ these female athletes sued ░░░░░░░░ employer the federation that ░░░░░░░░ the sport for the ░░░░░░░░ country that s ground ░░░░░░░░ Tell us more about ░░░░░░░░ BRENNAN Absolutely Boris It ░░░░░░░░ something that comes right ░░░░░░░░ of the pages of ░░░░░░░░ Jean King s handbook ░░░░░░░░ how to fight for ░░░░░░░░ for women in sports ░░░░░░░░ Jean King of course ░░░░░░░░ great tennis star did ░░░░░░░░ a generation or even ░░░░░░░░ can say two generations ░░░░░░░░ now fighting for equal ░░░░░░░░ in tennis We see ░░░░░░░░ the results The women ░░░░░░░░ as much if not ░░░░░░░░ than the men All ░░░░░░░░ grand slams equal pay ░░░░░░░░ S Soccer Women s ░░░░░░░░ team obviously taking that ░░░░░░░░ from Billy Jean King ░░░░░░░░ moving forward wanting also ░░░░░░░░ have equal pay What ░░░░░░░░ re saying is of ░░░░░░░░ they win all the ░░░░░░░░ Whether it s the ░░░░░░░░ Cup or Olympic medals ░░░░░░░░ U S men do ░░░░░░░░ They re not paid ░░░░░░░░ same Obviously there s ░░░░░░░░ back and forth with ░░░░░░░░ federation and and the ░░░░░░░░ the judges on that ░░░░░░░░ it is a conversation ░░░░░░░░ our time It is ░░░░░░░░ an important conversation not ░░░░░░░░ for these women soccer ░░░░░░░░ which you ll see ░░░░░░░░ the documentary It s ░░░░░░░░ But also for the ░░░░░░░░ next door for your ░░░░░░░░ your niece your granddaughter ░░░░░░░░ terms of moving forward ░░░░░░░░ just in sports but ░░░░░░░░ our culture And that ░░░░░░░░ what this women s ░░░░░░░░ team represents SANCHEZ You ░░░░░░░░ t ignore the impact ░░░░░░░░ has for young women ░░░░░░░░ them Especially because they ░░░░░░░░ so much more successful ░░░░░░░░ the men s team ░░░░░░░░ after the women s ░░░░░░░░ world Cup win in ░░░░░░░░ you predicted they would ░░░░░░░░ their fight for equal ░░░░░░░░ It didn t come ░░░░░░░░ A federal judge dismissed ░░░░░░░░ claim and lawsuit They ░░░░░░░░ on the working conditions ░░░░░░░░ The team is appealing ░░░░░░░░ ruling I m curious ░░░░░░░░ get your reaction to ░░░░░░░░ appeal BRENNAN I think ░░░░░░░░ s the only way ░░░░░░░░ them to go If ░░░░░░░░ could get to a ░░░░░░░░ trial and we know ░░░░░░░░ this the twists and ░░░░░░░░ of this story it ░░░░░░░░ continue It certainly is ░░░░░░░░ easy path And U ░░░░░░░░ Soccer has done a ░░░░░░░░ for women s soccer ░░░░░░░░ s a very sexist ░░░░░░░░ worldwide and U S ░░░░░░░░ is certainly doing much ░░░░░░░░ than any other country ░░░░░░░░ women But the question ░░░░░░░░ is it enough And ░░░░░░░░ women say no I ░░░░░░░░ many people agree So ░░░░░░░░ they can go to ░░░░░░░░ jury trial and somehow ░░░░░░░░ this to trial then ░░░░░░░░ would think this team ░░░░░░░░ so popular Most important ░░░░░░░░ s sports team on ░░░░░░░░ planet for us and ░░░░░░░░ most successful women s ░░░░░░░░ team on the planet ░░░░░░░░ have a feeling they ░░░░░░░░ do very well in ░░░░░░░░ of a jury It ░░░░░░░░ to be seen where ░░░░░░░░ goes but it is ░░░░░░░░ I said an important ░░░░░░░░ and the back and ░░░░░░░░ the decimal points the ░░░░░░░░ of who is getting ░░░░░░░░ more the reality is ░░░░░░░░ women are incredibly successful ░░░░░░░░ staking out a claim ░░░░░░░░ just for themselves but ░░░░░░░░ generations to come We ░░░░░░░░ it with NCAA and ░░░░░░░░ unequal treatment That s ░░░░░░░░ backdrop That s the ░░░░░░░░ that this story is ░░░░░░░░ on.”