Bay FC players no stranger to gambling-fueled online abuse and insults

San Francisco Chronicle​

5 days ago

Missing a penalty kick or turning the ball over didn't always lead to a barrage of online hate. But as sports betting surges, the two have become inextricable, and Bay FC players say they've dealt with it first-hand.
'There's always a comment here and there. Like, you're on Reddit and you see something like a negative comment towards yourself or your teammate,' said forward Penelope Hocking.
The problem is especially prevalent among female athletes — the NCAA released a study after March Madness in 2024 reporting that women received three times the abuse than men experienced.
While a subsequent study commissioned by the NCAA for the 2025 tournaments noted a 23% decline from the gambling-related abuse online, players like Hocking still see harmful comments.
'I think it's, like, propaganda against women, because there's always like a clip on Instagram (of) women's soccer, and it's some sort of blunder, and that's the only perception of women's soccer,' Hocking said. 'And it's always men that are like, you know, attacking the women for like just not being as athletically gifted … it's just (about) proving those people are wrong.'
The NWSL, in particular, is already wrought with its own concerns, ranging from sexual misconduct to verbal abuse. A recent investigation reviewed at least two formal complaints against Bay FC head coach Albertin Montoya for violating the league's anti-harassment, bullying and discrimination policy.
The investigation concluded that he was not in violation of the league's policy, but suggested a need for 'communication improvements.'
The negative online environment that has become exponentially cultivated by gamblers dissatisfied with prop bet outcomes seems only to add to the pressures faced by teams.
'But I think part of being a professional is just like tuning that out and being confident in yourself,' Hocking added. 'Just blocking out the haters.'
But it can be difficult to block out the haters — especially when threats go as far as telling players across various sports 'kill yourself' or making threatening comments about an athlete's family, as the Washington Post reported in June.
The anonymity — both in terms of emotional separation and lacking identity — that social media provides makes it easy for extreme comments to be made. And with a higher-than-ever volume of such messages, the accountability mechanism is more difficult to enforce.
Bay FC and the NWSL are aware of the damage dealt by the online abuse, becoming enough of an issue to create supportive infrastructure for athletes.
The NWSL and Bay FC have contracted two companies specifically for the online threats and abuse. One monitors the online comments, hiding those that are abusive on the accounts of teams, the league and player accounts. The other company actively investigates threats made.
'I think we're really fortunate. We have great support here,' said goalie Jordan Silkowitz. 'We have each other, we're all kind of going through the same thing. And we play professional sports, so leaning on our teammates, our staff, our support staff. Everyone in this organization is great.'