Simone Biles has broken us
As we all know Simone Biles, widely considered the greatest gymnast ever, don’t agree? Just look at her uniform. She’ll tell you. Simone has now backed out of two events at the Tokyo Olympics. The team event and the Individual All Around Competition stating Mental Health issues as the reason.
Look, this is a polarizing subject. We have one side calling her a traitor and another side calling her a hero. Like most things and people in this day in age I land in the middle. Here’s how I would sum it up.
She quit and failed and it’s her right to do so.
That doesn’t take anything away from what she has accomplished as an athlete. That does not diminish the unimaginable abuse and hardships she has gone through. Larry Nasser should be fed to the hogs. It doesn’t discredit that decision to go to the Olympics to shine light on the fuck baggery going on with United States Gymnastics organization. I’m sure it was an extremely difficult decision for her. It’s also not all that inspiring to me. I do find this is inspiring.
I get it. Dominque is showcasing a sport that has taken advantage of their very young athletes. It is a sport that has been ousted for rampant abuse. She felt she had no choice. Her Coach was an all time shit stain. We are now aware of the atrocities that these girls had to go through. If she did have a choice and chose not to compete because her damn neck was broken I can confidently say most would be compassionate. Most. Look at Nancy Kerrigan. No one gives her shit.
The point is she still did it. Over coming obstacles and odds and delivering the “I can’t believe what I am witnessing moments” is freaking inspiring. Kerri Strug in those same Olympics is a moment we will never forget.
Freaking chills watching that. Inspiring shit, right? What am I missing here?
I understand where people come from saying it’s inspiring in the sense that it shines a light on mental health and awareness and too many people live with it and are not able to express it. I just simply disagree in this instance. I’m sure Simone Biles has mental health issues do to the the pressures of being a high profile Olympic athlete and of course the abuse she suffered. Is that really why she quit? I mean she did cite no fans and not having fun as part of the “mental health issues”. If she had a couple good performances leading into the games and didn’t contract the “twisties” (which is a term that I is now firmly etched in my brain) would the same decision have been made? Maybe? Maybe not. I’m not even here to really judge that.
I will say though the mental health issues for athletes is getting to take on a disingenuous feel. Highly paid athletes using mental health as a reason for not performing is a trend that irks me. There are endless real people in the world with some serious shit in their lives causing them real mental hardships. I just have little sympathy for the Naomi Osaka’s of the world not wanting to talk to press after a bad match while earning $50 million a year playing Tennis. Or Aaron Rodgers feeling slighted by his team so he needs to take the summer to hit some peyote in the desert to get his mind straight. I mean the The South Korean Golf team needs to medal or they are forced into the God Damn Army. Lets show a little perspective.
SOURCE “I know it’s true that if we earn a medal the Korean government will exempt us from serving military,” Kim said through an interpreter.
So, I’m sorry you have the spins or whatever Simone, if by chance it’s the pressure of the moment getting to you and we are calling that mental health problems, it’s a bit much for me. But, let’s agree to believe it’s beyond that because Simone has earned that right.
I’m just still stuck on Simone being a hero and that this was inspiring. It wasn’t. Pressure is part of the deal as an athlete. This is competition. Everyone there is dealing with it on some degree. It’s how you handle it that separates you. Can’t it be said that if Simone had been just as forth right with her struggles and managed them to the point where she could compete and show an effort that that would have been the inspiring moment? Or is it just a situation where no one is open to criticism?
Or is it a sexist thing? Zack Greinki, MLB pitcher, took nearly a year off siting Mental Health issues and was crushed for it. Maybe that was unfair to Zack. Do we think Lebron James would receive the out pouring of support if he sat out game 7 of a playoff series because the pressure was too much? The kid that was self proclaimed King at 18 years old?
Maybe it’s a generational thing. Should competition be “rebranded” to “as long as everyone is having fun”? Is being “tough” so passe now that giving into doubts and fear to the point where you quit is actually considered being tough? And make no mistake. She quit. On herself and on her team. Which is whatever. I have empathy for her. She knew she couldn’t do it so she didn’t try. Okay. Her choice. She’s not a terrible person. She is still an incredible individual who has accomplished incredible feats. But, she doesn’t get credit for this. She also shouldn’t be crucified for it. Just call it for what it is. She had to quit. She failed this time. That sucks. Hope she feels better. I’m sure VISA does too.
We are just in this space where the polarization of shit is exhausting. People are actually saying she was risking her life going out there not being in the right state of mind. Come on people. How fucking tone deaf are you? This is the Olympics. There are 200 something countries competing, a majority of them laughing at the idea of a floor routine being deadly as civil war, or drought, or famine, or corruption tearing their communities apart. Even if it is dangerous, is that the road you wanna take? Give me a break. Call up the Kiwi’s and ask for a copy of the medical bills from the last Seven’s match.
It’s pretty simple. You compete in a sport. No one is forcing you to do that. You have worked extremely hard and accomplished more than most will in their whole lives at the young age of 24. You very easily could have chosen not to compete in these Olympics. You decided to based on a noble cause. That noble cause and the pressures attached to it were too much for you to handle so you had to quit. In every other circumstance that is considered failing. It doesn’t mean you can’t get back up. It doesn’t mean your higher calling and mission can’t be accomplished. It just means you had to quit. And failed this time.
If you’re at peace with the decision I’m sure it won’t hurt your feeling when I say, I’m sorry. It just doesn’t inspire me.
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