Simone Biles
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Generation Pronouns is gonna find this courageous and amazing and she'll be raking in endorsement cash.
You sound like Skip Bayless going off on Dak about his mental health issues.
Games on in the background. Wasn’t so interested in the gymnastics since I knew the result. I had no idea that Biles actually competed at all (vault), until the interviews at the end. I was initially surprised to see her with a medal and being interviewed, as I didn’t think she competed at all, then they showed her on the vault.
This is stranger than I imagined.
This is stranger than I imagined.
If Dak played the entire season, made it to the biggest game of the year (or 5 years in this case), and then took himself out for mental health issues after throwing a pick 6 on the first drive of the game, I would be equally critical.
I like Simone Biles but this is a bad look, and will especially be a bad look if she comes back and competes in the individual.
"Medical reasons."
Wasn't that the wording used by USA Gymnastics?
If I'm remembering correctly, it was USA Gymnastics that announced Biles was withdrawing due to "medical reasons."
Let's follow through with your dumb comparison.
If Dak were to have an enormous pressure on him as a national star since he was a kid, which started to become too much right as he was aging out of his sport at the ripe old age of 24, what's the worst that could happen? He throws a few picks and gets pulled. Maybe he gets disoriented and takes too long in the pocket, taking a crushing sack, possibly a concussion.
If an Olympic gymnast gets "lost" (as Biles mentioned) that is losing your sense of balance and direction while spinning in the air. She is insanely talented to have landed at all. That's how gymnasts end up paralyzed.
Was this brought on by stress? Probably. Is it "mental"? Sure, in a way. Can you just "play through it"? Abso-17ing-lutely not.
If Dak were to have an enormous pressure on him as a national star since he was a kid, which started to become too much right as he was aging out of his sport at the ripe old age of 24, what's the worst that could happen? He throws a few picks and gets pulled. Maybe he gets disoriented and takes too long in the pocket, taking a crushing sack, possibly a concussion.
If an Olympic gymnast gets "lost" (as Biles mentioned) that is losing your sense of balance and direction while spinning in the air. She is insanely talented to have landed at all. That's how gymnasts end up paralyzed.
Was this brought on by stress? Probably. Is it "mental"? Sure, in a way. Can you just "play through it"? Abso-17ing-lutely not.
As I said before, I like Simone Biles and think she’s an incredible athlete, but there is legitimate criticism to be had for her decision today. Let me break down your straw man argument one piece at a time.
First of all, you, I, and 99.99% of the world had no clue who Simone Biles was before the Rio olympics. Dont act like she’s been under the intense pressure of international stardom her whole life- she hasn’t.
You’re right... the worst thing that has ever happened to a QB is a concussion from taking a hit in the pocket...
She’s the only one that knows what’s going on in her own mind, but acting like she’s totally above any kind of criticism is beyond me. There are plenty of other Olympic sports that require acrobatic maneuvers like gymnastics ( diving for example). If an incredibly talent diver who was touted as the best of all time suddenly refused to jump due to mental health issues, they would be open to criticism too, and rightfully so.
Simone Biles isn’t a pitcher recognizing she didn’t have her best stuff and taking herself out. She’s one of five and supposedly the best ever. If she all of a sudden she finds her balance and wins gold for the individual, it is an incredibly bad look.
Well she pulled out of the individual all-around competition as well, so you don’t have to worry about that “bad look.” She was a foregone conclusion for gold in that event, so withdrawing from it is huge and really shows how serious this is. She hasn’t lost an individual all-around competition since 2013, which is incredible.
Exactly. She's already done everything and totally bossed the sport multiple times over. She's old for a gymnast and as you get older, you lose a bit of the confidence and swagger you had earlier. She does incredibly complicated stuff and some of it is comes with increased potential for injury. Judges don't give extra points for that stuff becuase they don't want young, female gymnasts to endanger themselves unnecessarily. Also, blame U.S. gymnastics and Michigan State for not going after Larry Nassar who for years sexually assaulted hundreds of young girls.
How much more amazing would it have been if it was a story of her overcoming all of that and still winning the gold medal. Instead there are these types of takes comparing her to MJ. Instead of a story of overcoming all of that horrible stuff she let it beat her again if your point is really what led to her quitting and it’s a story of being a victim and staying a victim instead of being a victim and overcoming it to do something amazing.
Another point… Tom Brady leads his team to the super bowl and quits the day of and his team loses the super bowl… you work your whole life for that game and it’s pulled out from under you because of some old abuse. I don’t like that story. ESPN and all other national media outlets would be roasting Brady and it would be a part of his legacy forever. It shouldn’t be different for a female athlete since we’re trying to even the playing field with men and women and the way they’re praised and scrutinized.
I think Simone is amazing and really wish the greatest athlete in the world could’ve competed and blown everyone away. I don’t think she should be ridiculed online or in media but I also don’t think she should be getting praised or called brave for quitting on her team.
There is a fine line here that's getting tough to decipher. If she's battling some form of Vertigo then than something physical and anything mental shouldn't even enter the conversation. If she's having a case of the yips (Steve Sax, Tin Cup, the catcher from major league 2) then it's mental but it's a certain kind of mental. If she just can't handle the stress of the situation suddenly for some reason then it's another thing.
I'm seeing a fair amount of post here and on FB about how important it is to listen to yourself do whatever you need to do to protect your mental well being. There is certainly some truth to that but there is also a heck of a lot of danger in that as well so you have to be really, really careful. There is a huge world of difference between bordering on complete mental breakdown that has huge ramifications (self-harm, suicide, etc) and just not wanting to put effort in or be uncomfortable for a bit (throw things like divorce, quitting a job, not working out, not going to school, etc).
So we have to be really, really careful on how we approach this - especially when parenting kids. There is also huge value in fighting through some adversity and coming out the other side, even if you sometimes come out a little worse for wear. But there is also a true breaking point for everyone. Like most things in life there is no universal truth here.
I'm seeing a fair amount of post here and on FB about how important it is to listen to yourself do whatever you need to do to protect your mental well being. There is certainly some truth to that but there is also a heck of a lot of danger in that as well so you have to be really, really careful. There is a huge world of difference between bordering on complete mental breakdown that has huge ramifications (self-harm, suicide, etc) and just not wanting to put effort in or be uncomfortable for a bit (throw things like divorce, quitting a job, not working out, not going to school, etc).
So we have to be really, really careful on how we approach this - especially when parenting kids. There is also huge value in fighting through some adversity and coming out the other side, even if you sometimes come out a little worse for wear. But there is also a true breaking point for everyone. Like most things in life there is no universal truth here.
Gee, where have I heard this same story before???? Seems like there was a football running back that didn't seem to have his stuff and quit on his team but I can't quite put my finger on who it was.................
Folks are thinking too much about it, and now it's become politicized like everything else. Trumpers say she quit, Wokes say she's a hero, rinse, repeat, because that's the only way the hivemind thinks.
Facts:
1) She didn't finish the competition.
2) It's not clear why.
3) She won't win what she could have (I get that she gets the team silver medal, but you get my point i.e. she underachieved).
Until we know the answer to #2, you are free to speculate on whether she's a coward or a hero. Either way, it did not work out for her at this Olympics. Next story please, because we'll never know the answer to #2.
Facts:
1) She didn't finish the competition.
2) It's not clear why.
3) She won't win what she could have (I get that she gets the team silver medal, but you get my point i.e. she underachieved).
Until we know the answer to #2, you are free to speculate on whether she's a coward or a hero. Either way, it did not work out for her at this Olympics. Next story please, because we'll never know the answer to #2.
Would you expect anything else from the "2020" Olympics? There is nothing that surprises me anymore.
A few weeks ago my wife was watching the US trials, the commentators were basically saying there was no doubt the US would win gold - it was just a question of who'd join Biles on the team and how many individual medals they could win. Apparently the entire gymnastics world had US penciled in to win the gold before they even went to Tokyo. People were treating them like the 92 dream team - couldn't lose.
I told her then, I bet they 17 this up. That's an incredible amount of pressure in a sport where you have to be perfect to win. It's so much different than most other olympic sports. Swimming, track & field - those are all about the training. If Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt puts in the training, they are literally the best and no one is faster. But this gymnastics stuff - you can train 15 years of your life but the past doesn't matter because one misstep causes you to lose it all. You can't jump higher or harder 5 seconds later. That one slip or fall ruined it all. Most of us can't relate to that in sports or any part of our lives.
A few weeks ago my wife was watching the US trials, the commentators were basically saying there was no doubt the US would win gold - it was just a question of who'd join Biles on the team and how many individual medals they could win. Apparently the entire gymnastics world had US penciled in to win the gold before they even went to Tokyo. People were treating them like the 92 dream team - couldn't lose.
I told her then, I bet they 17 this up. That's an incredible amount of pressure in a sport where you have to be perfect to win. It's so much different than most other olympic sports. Swimming, track & field - those are all about the training. If Michael Phelps or Usain Bolt puts in the training, they are literally the best and no one is faster. But this gymnastics stuff - you can train 15 years of your life but the past doesn't matter because one misstep causes you to lose it all. You can't jump higher or harder 5 seconds later. That one slip or fall ruined it all. Most of us can't relate to that in sports or any part of our lives.
I mean, there are a lot of stupid and/or uncharitable takes on Biles, but this is also a stupid take. Most people just don't know who the hell larry nassar is. For the people that do, I assume the consensus is generally that he should rot in hell, not "at least he didn't withdraw from a competition for a non-physical injury"
Simone Biles is pretty much universally loved in this country and will continue to be after this Olympics. She will still get many millions in endorsement deals. No one is above criticism, but the people coming for her right now are Internet trolls/bullies like Clay Travis and Charlie Kirk that know they have a Twitter base to pander to. They know their base will eat that stuff up, so they are always looking to see what they next thing is to get them mad about. Never mind that none of them watch gymnastics or care about it. It's just the next thing in line to get angry about. It will be something else next week.
You know the sport well enough to feel confident criticizing a medalist, but you don't know who Nassar is (or that she was a victim)? Come on. And I'm not saying these folks didn't think he should rot in hell. But there are a lot of other folks and organizations that are wrapped up in that deal that aren't getting the same level of criticism from these folks. My point is these folks don't actually care about the sport or what she's done. They just want to participate in "teh CuLtUrE WaRz."
I don't think the people criticizing Biles know the sport at all generally. How many people do?
I know who Nassar is, but I'm not sure I would recognize his name out of context and certainly don't know who all his victims were other than there were a ton of them.
I think that's true. There just commenting because it's a sport and it's the topic du jour.
I don't think this is culture warz stuff. I think it's just the typical hypercritical approach sports fans give any high profile athletes. There are certainly people trying to tack some culture war related stuff onto it, but I don't think cutlure war stuff is driving the criticism.
If she wants to pull out of the Olympics because she’s not feeling it, that’s fine it doesn’t bother me and I don’t know why it bothers anyone. But the media proclaiming her a brave hero seems extreme.
Just like everything that’s happened in the last year and half, the correct response probably lies somewhere in the middle.
Just like everything that’s happened in the last year and half, the correct response probably lies somewhere in the middle.
I read where she said she started experiencing something know as “the twisties” which is comparable to the yips in golf.
Don’t know about you fellers but I’d much rather her not compete and figure herself out then do a triple whatever miss it and end up severely 17’n herself up
I get what you're saying and generally agree with you and OBD. To me the nuance lies in, she is very likely the most prominent athlete at these Olympics, in a sport known for glorifying competing while hurt, and representing the #1 win-at-all-costs country. Does that make her a hero? That word gets used too often, and history can figure it out. But she's damn sure tough and brave.
The USSR is no longer a thing and she's not one of their athletes.
Other than that, you're spot on.
Since I know we think differently...explain to me what makes her quitting a tough and brave thing to do?
I agree she is tremendously tough and brave for coming out of the Nassar stuff and becoming a champion as something that is tough and brave. But quitting because she's not feeling it, doesn't seem tough and brave to me. Am I wrong?
I agree she is tremendously tough and brave for coming out of the Nassar stuff and becoming a champion as something that is tough and brave. But quitting because she's not feeling it, doesn't seem tough and brave to me. Am I wrong?
Nothing about her recent actions say "tough and brave", or especially "hero". Maybe the Olympics before now, I don't know. But as of this particular Olympics, sorry it's just not there.
I think you need a lesson on what tough and brave actually mean. Plenty of soldiers out there that could educate you.
This is sports. You do your best and compete. It actually can be quite cruel because it exposes weakness, but that doesn't make you tough and brave simply because you take part in sports, that in and of itself is a privileged position.
It is pure speculation that is the basis for anyone's opinion on this matter. I am glad she came out with her true feelings or reasoning in what she did and did not hide behind some fake injury. It is impossible to know whether she reached the actual breaking point or not. Therefore it is impossible to know if she "quit on her team" or made the right choice. What I will say is she obviously wasn't prepared. Preparation for the Olympics 5 years ago was a totally different animal than this time. I wonder if her team adapted to this whole new fame and expectation monster properly to prepare her for these anxieties she obviously accrued this year. This way it could be a lesson for future competitors in a similar situation. Michael Phelps talked about it. He worked on acceptance of the situation and found a way through.
In talking with my daughters (in their 30s) they were way more accepting and defensive for her. In our discussion I admitted to being old school in that life can be very hard and at times you do need to fight through and overcome even when it seems impossible. My one daughter said sometimes that is not doable. I then said it can become NEVER doable if you don't try.
Now maybe Simone hit that point in these Olympics at that time. Maybe they did try to prepare her for all this and it still happened at this moment and stepping away was the right move. I just hope the take away is not when things get really tough it is fine to walk away. People still need to try the impossible to move forward.
In talking with my daughters (in their 30s) they were way more accepting and defensive for her. In our discussion I admitted to being old school in that life can be very hard and at times you do need to fight through and overcome even when it seems impossible. My one daughter said sometimes that is not doable. I then said it can become NEVER doable if you don't try.
Now maybe Simone hit that point in these Olympics at that time. Maybe they did try to prepare her for all this and it still happened at this moment and stepping away was the right move. I just hope the take away is not when things get really tough it is fine to walk away. People still need to try the impossible to move forward.
Maybe those aren't exactly the right words, but she was true to herself when I can't imagine it was an easy call. I imagine she could've also gone out there and came in 5th or whatever OR "twisted an ankle"; we all would've goofed on her for a day and then forgot about it.
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