NWSL makes surprising Call Her Daddy-related move (and fans are divided) | OneFootball

A new partnership between the NWSL and Alex Cooper's Unwell Hydration brand is facing backlash from NWSL supporters. Cooper, known for her podcast Call Her Daddy, developed the brand to target Gen Z consumers.

Who is Alex Cooper?

Alex Cooper came onto the scene in 2018 when she first released her podcast. Call Her Daddy focused on relationship advice, before turning into a platform with celebrity interviews.

Cooper's podcast was part of the Barstool Sports podcast network, a controversial partnership where NSWL is concerned, due to NWSL's commitment to providing a safe space. Despite the end of the partnership in 2021, Cooper has remained close with Barstool Sports.

Cooper's podcast often focused on the same narratives as Barstool Sports but from a female perspective. Cooper and her roommate at the same, Sofia Franklin, discussed sexuality in a casual manner, not caring if they offended anyone. The two often ranked women on a scale of 1-10 based on looks. Their conversations have been viewed as harmful to women listening, as the narrative is often seen as toxic.

Conflicting perspectives on the partnership

While the partnership is a money maker for the NWSL, some fans feel that the deal is disrespectful to the league. The NWSL has faced numerous harassment scandals but has vowed to improve the league's culture.

The NWSL is reportedly giving Unwell Hydration an official section at the league's games. Their "supporter's" section will be called Unwell FC and is a league-wide supporter's group. At first glance, this sounds like a positive addition to the league, as it will draw more fans to attend matches. However, this group takes away from the special Supporter Groups that every NWSL team already has.

The Supporter Groups have been a staple for all teams in the league, and their numbers continue to rise as the NWSL is growing. Each team has an independently run group, which is designed to support the players and team. The supporters also can call the team out for anything potentially harmful that they do.

Partnering with Cooper's brand might end up being damaging to the team's Supporter Groups. A league-wide supporter group takes away from the culture that each team's group has created. Ultimately, it seems like a money move from the NWSL.

The first match that will feature Unwell FC is the upcoming fixture between Bay FC and Angel City FC. One Bay FC supporter has said that three sections are being taken over by Unwell FC, right next to the actual Supporter's Group. The jury is still out on what Unwell FC will do for the NWSL, but there is a certainty that fans will not shy away from letting the league know what their feelings are.