The more I think about that @nikesoccer video, the angrier I get.

45 seconds, of boys of different races and (apparent) classes, thanking the men’s national team for their performance in the World Cup. Not a single girl. While some have noticed, most of the Twitter and blog reaction has been more like this, from Beau Dure: “Maybe we should just let Nike do all our soccer commentary. This is brilliant.”

And yes, that is a media guy saying that a major corporation should do all the analysis of a team they sponsor. I don’t even know. Leaving that aside, the reaction is “how awesome, how inspiring, how great, Nike’s getting it right.” And no, they’re really not. Because representation matters. Who’s shown matters, and even more, who’s excluded matters. What Nike is saying here, intention aside, is that only boys can be inspired by the men’s national team. Only boys can take pride in “that goal,” or the other goal. Girls? You’re invisible, and therefore irrelevant, unless you grow up “hot” and we can use your body to sell shirts for the men’s team.

And really, Nike, you have a fucking building named after Mia Hamm. Think for two seconds about the disservice you’re doing to the next generation’s Mia Hamm (and Hope Solo and Tasha Kai) by writing her out of this video, by telling her that she doesn’t count as a fan. Representation matters, and Nike, in this World Cup, you’ve ignored or mocked women and girls, as fans and players. We deserve more, and we deserve better.