We're going on almost two years of madness worldwide. This shit is outta hand for the normal citizen.
Imagine having the weight of the country on your shoulders and you're 24.
Sorry, but I have a ton of sympathy for these young athletes.
100% - She's been under this pressure for far too long. Cumulative effect and I wonder if she would have retire from competition last year had the games been last year. I'll bet this last year was not in her plans.
I assume she has the money and support system needed to take time off to get the help she needs. Those factors are huge and put her ahead of most people.
If that means never returning to this kind of spotlight, then so be it. She’s young and can switch careers or take a less pressure role related to gymnastics.
I went through a real tough stretch this spring and needed to take time off to get therapy. I didn’t face near the pressure she has. Can’t imagine the kind of pressure she faces while being that young.
I really hope she is able to get through whatever she is going through and you can’t help but speculate it is related to that atrocious human. That said, I really hope she looks back on this decision in a positive way and not something that she regrets which in turn makes it that much worse.
ripped into her during yesterdays show pretty much saying what if Arod or Jeter said No I am taking myself out of the game during say ganme 7 of the world series with the game on the line.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
ripped into her during yesterdays show pretty much saying what if Arod or Jeter said No I am taking myself out of the game during say ganme 7 of the world series with the game on the line.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
Her sport is completely different and if she isn't focused, she could easily break her neck. My wife used to compete in gymnastics at a high level and thinks Biles' has a case of the "twistees". Basically her timing's off and her spatial awareness during the flips/twists is gone. Happens all the time, but can take weeks to work through.
If you want a baseball analogy, it's like Knoblauch getting the yips, except when he air mails it, he just gets heckled. If Biles overrotates on a flip on beam, she breaks her leg (or worse).
i thought i couldnt believe she quit on her team and i thiught it was frustration from not doing well during qualifying..
but once you watch it you can see she shouldnt of been out there, she could of really hurt herself during that vault...she had no idea where she was midway through her jump..
ripped into her during yesterdays show pretty much saying what if Arod or Jeter said No I am taking myself out of the game during say ganme 7 of the world series with the game on the line.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
Her sport is completely different and if she isn't focused, she could easily break her neck. My wife used to compete in gymnastics at a high level and thinks Biles' has a case of the "twistees". Basically her timing's off and her spatial awareness during the flips/twists is gone. Happens all the time, but can take weeks to work through.
If you want a baseball analogy, it's like Knoblauch getting the yips, except when he air mails it, he just gets heckled. If Biles overrotates on a flip on beam, she breaks her leg (or worse).
I give anyone credit for going out there to perform. I dont blame her at all. She did what was best for her and her team and she can go to perform another day.
she was abused by her trainer, she is probably the most decorated gymnast ever, her child hood was already a hard one but she did it with loving support.
So now, she doesnt owe anyone an answer. She is the one taking the brunt of this all. No one but her. the country she is representing counted on her but it shouldnt be just on her.
That being said, i just hope other athletes get the help they need first instead of putting themselves in that type of situation. Also, i hope other athletes dont use "mental health" as an excuse if it really isnt. I mean if you legit have that issue, thats fine but if you are fucking up and know you are going to lose, dont use that as an excuse as it will hurt the others with the actual issue. Though i couldnt under the basketball using that reason. They suck.
she was abused by her trainer, she is probably the most decorated gymnast ever, her child hood was already a hard one but she did it with loving support.
So now, she doesnt owe anyone an answer. She is the one taking the brunt of this all. No one but her. the country she is representing counted on her but it shouldnt be just on her.
That being said, i just hope other athletes get the help they need first instead of putting themselves in that type of situation. Also, i hope other athletes dont use "mental health" as an excuse if it really isnt. I mean if you legit have that issue, thats fine but if you are fucking up and know you are going to lose, dont use that as an excuse as it will hurt the others with the actual issue. Though i couldnt under the basketball using that reason. They suck.
the issues impacting her and finds herself in a better place in time. Her speaking out on this will probably help someone struggling now and may make is easier for them to get help.
Very strange Olympics and her not having her grandparents with her has probably had a huge impact. Of course some will criticize this and I hope they are able to better educate themselves on the difficulties of any type of mental struggle.
It wouldn't have been a good look to bail on the team portion
When you are not in form in gymnastics it can be very dangerous.Biles has not been in form for months now struggling to regain ie.She is in training everyday in hopes that her form returns.The pressure on her to perform at her best is monumental something none of us has ever experienced.
The negative criticism is uncalled for and should stop. Alot of ignorant people in the world.
My wish for Biles is for the fun and joy of performing her sport to return for her regardless of her form.
I have no idea what kind of pressure she was dealing with. Mental health is definitely a real topic in this social media age.
But at the same time, pressure is a part of athletic competition when you're at such a high level. I'm disappointed that she basically quit because her performance wasn't up to her expectations. I wanted to see the GOAT do GOAT things. I know that she is just a 24 year old kid but I wish she showed more resilience. I know I sound like a douche for saying it but she was the #1 person I was ready to see during these Olympics and she quit because she struggled, or at least it seems that way. I hope she gets in the right mental state but this was disappointing.
It has to be so hard to pull yourself out of the thing...
you have trained for 5 years for. Feel really bad for her.
Wish i could be surprised by the criticism but at this point id be surprised if there wasnt a large amount of people ripping her up. Like they have any clue what she is dealing with or the type of pressure she is under.
Would love for her to be able to compete in the individual events next week. Would be such a shame for her to miss out on competing completely, but its only a week, not sure its enough time.
I have no idea what kind of pressure she was dealing with. Mental health is definitely a real topic in this social media age.
But at the same time, pressure is a part of athletic competition when you're at such a high level. I'm disappointed that she basically quit because her performance wasn't up to her expectations. I wanted to see the GOAT do GOAT things. I know that she is just a 24 year old kid but I wish she showed more resilience. I know I sound like a douche for saying it but she was the #1 person I was ready to see during these Olympics and she quit because she struggled, or at least it seems that way. I hope she gets in the right mental state but this was disappointing.
I doubt this had anything to do with her inability to handle the pressure. Like I said earlier, this is more like a bad slump or a baseball player getting the "yips" except the consequences to screwing up a triple flip off vault can deadly.
And I agree with Rick, I think she's been dealing with this for a while and tried to fight through it. I watched the US trials and she was definitely "off" during them, but the skills she does are so much more difficult than everyone else's that she still easily qualified.
the argument that "she could hurt herself if she's not right mentally" is a good one. So I'll concede that "quitting" is different than an athlete from another less dangerous sport doing a similar thing.
Still sucks we don't get to see her do her thing. I was so excited to see her. I wish she was able to figure it out before it got to this point.
Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
ripped into her during yesterdays show pretty much saying what if Arod or Jeter said No I am taking myself out of the game during say ganme 7 of the world series with the game on the line.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
This is closer to when CC stepped away to deal with his drinking, not just someone saying I can't go today.
You could see it in the prelim round. My wife even commented about how you could see the pressure she was under and hoped she'd be ok.
the argument that "she could hurt herself if she's not right mentally" is a good one. So I'll concede that "quitting" is different than an athlete from another less dangerous sport doing a similar thing.
Still sucks we don't get to see her do her thing. I was so excited to see her. I wish she was able to figure it out before it got to this point.
Couldn't agree more. She was doing skills no one had ever done and USAG actually tried to ban them because they claimed they were too dangerous (for women).
Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
the argument that "she could hurt herself if she's not right mentally" is a good one. So I'll concede that "quitting" is different than an athlete from another less dangerous sport doing a similar thing.
Still sucks we don't get to see her do her thing. I was so excited to see her. I wish she was able to figure it out before it got to this point.
Couldn't agree more. She was doing skills no one had ever done and USAG actually tried to ban them because they claimed they were too dangerous (for women).
Yea, I thought that was an incredible story when I read about it. I can’t remember reading something like that about an athlete before. She was so alien that she was putting other gymnasts in danger if they tried the same thing. Just an unreal story. That’s one of the main reasons I was looking forward to seeing her.
but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
Rick Ankiel losing the ability to throw a strike suddenly...best thing for him was to stop pitching and stop hurting his teams chances. Simone recognized it herself and stepped back. I was very disappoint u til I watched it and the was proud of the Silver...
Now the one difference between Ankiel analogy..imagine if losing that ability and continuing to pitch could potentially paralyze you.. that's why this is the right move.
So...did we rip on Ankiel for being soft? No..we just didn't discuss it as the mental health issue it clearly was...
Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
I mentioned in another thread about how a QB would be looked at if he didn't take the field due to mental health issues, especially if it was a playoff game.
Because mental illness is still misunderstood, you will see these types of events just be polarizing more than learning examples. Trolls on social media ripping Biles will be offset on the other side by people claiming Biles is a role model and such a strong woman for taking the events off, when the reality is in the middle. No competitor has to take the field. And when they don't, there will be consequences both intended and otherwise.
We've had injured Giants shit on by their own fans as being fragile and weak. What will the take be if they sit out for mental health reasons? I mean, we've had people wish death on Eli and assorted others in game threads - and that was a player who wasn't hurt and out there competing - what will the take be for a voluntary opt-out?
I hope the Biles situation helps put a spotlight on mental health, but I already see it being more of a platform for division than anything else. Anyone questioning her is being labeled negatively as others rush to sing her praises and talk about her being a role model. I'm not sure why this dichotomy has to happen in everything today.
Rick Ankiel losing the ability to throw a strike suddenly...best thing for him was to stop pitching and stop hurting his teams chances. Simone recognized it herself and stepped back. I was very disappoint u til I watched it and the was proud of the Silver...
Now the one difference between Ankiel analogy..imagine if losing that ability and continuing to pitch could potentially paralyze you.. that's why this is the right move.
So...did we rip on Ankiel for being soft? No..we just didn't discuss it as the mental health issue it clearly was...
Ohh the other difference is if Ankiel was already considered the greatest pitcher of all time and literally had nothing left to prove to anyone.
Sorry to disrupt the virtue signalling circle jerk here
Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
I mentioned in another thread about how a QB would be looked at if he didn't take the field due to mental health issues, especially if it was a playoff game.
Because mental illness is still misunderstood, you will see these types of events just be polarizing more than learning examples. Trolls on social media ripping Biles will be offset on the other side by people claiming Biles is a role model and such a strong woman for taking the events off, when the reality is in the middle. No competitor has to take the field. And when they don't, there will be consequences both intended and otherwise.
We've had injured Giants shit on by their own fans as being fragile and weak. What will the take be if they sit out for mental health reasons? I mean, we've had people wish death on Eli and assorted others in game threads - and that was a player who wasn't hurt and out there competing - what will the take be for a voluntary opt-out?
I hope the Biles situation helps put a spotlight on mental health, but I already see it being more of a platform for division than anything else. Anyone questioning her is being labeled negatively as others rush to sing her praises and talk about her being a role model. I'm not sure why this dichotomy has to happen in everything today.
Well said and I couldn't agree more.
All the over analysis by all the talking heads and every keyboard warrior makes everyone feel like they have to pick a hill and die on it trying to defend it.
It's the world we live in now.
RE: Sorry to disrupt the virtue signalling circle jerk here
but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
I'm not sure why this dichotomy has to happen in everything today.
Because compromise has become a 4 letter word. Now that everyone has a platform to voice their opinion (twitter, etc) everyone believes their opinion is the correct one and any contrary opinions are wrong. Nuance be damned.
Take what happens here with DJ threads and extrapolate that out to this, or politics, or whatever debate you can think of. And then add in about 10000x more hatred for people with that opposing opinion
Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
I can only speak for myself but I wouldn’t. I’ve changed my views on sports as I’ve gotten older. They aren’t that serious and my expectations from them are entertainment only, and I certainly don’t want anyone to get hurt or suffer so I can be entertained (outside of combat sports).
We have a warped view of sports as a society, it’s really odd to me.
but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
How would you feel if she fought through this and competed and a week or so later she is found dead from a apparent suicide? Then a close teammate later says she was really struggling for a while.
The message does not need to be she is a hero but simply that her example makes it easier for someone else struggling to ask for help.
Rick Ankiel losing the ability to throw a strike suddenly...best thing for him was to stop pitching and stop hurting his teams chances. Simone recognized it herself and stepped back. I was very disappoint u til I watched it and the was proud of the Silver...
Now the one difference between Ankiel analogy..imagine if losing that ability and continuing to pitch could potentially paralyze you.. that's why this is the right move.
So...did we rip on Ankiel for being soft? No..we just didn't discuss it as the mental health issue it clearly was...
That's actually a great analogy and while there was no risk to Ankiel, the batters were in serious jeopardy the way he was pitching.
We've had injured Giants shit on by their own fans as being fragile and weak. What will the take be if they sit out for mental health reasons? I mean, we've had people wish death on Eli and assorted others in game threads - and that was a player who wasn't hurt and out there competing - what will the take be for a voluntary opt-out?
We don't need to wonder what it would be like. Just look at Kyrie Irving or Aaron Hicks.
but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
How would you feel if she fought through this and competed and a week or so later she is found dead from a apparent suicide? Then a close teammate later says she was really struggling for a while.
The message does not need to be she is a hero but simply that her example makes it easier for someone else struggling to ask for help.
I'll admit that I was both an asshole in my first post, and that there's no doubt more complexities that I or any of us are aware of.
But to your question - if she was struggling for a while, why is she even there?
"What if's" are particularly useful. Playing that game - what if six months from now she's found dead of a suicide? Michael Phelps has talked openly about his depression and how being in the pool and competing helped him. Each person is different.
RE: Sorry to disrupt the virtue signalling circle jerk here
said injuries are a cancer and we are talking sometimes about people with some pretty serious physical stuff being denigrated for not being on the field. But he was a sacred cow here to many who was above criticism. Wonder what his take on this situation would be and people’s reaction to him if he said similar things about mental issues.
but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
How would you feel if she fought through this and competed and a week or so later she is found dead from a apparent suicide? Then a close teammate later says she was really struggling for a while.
The message does not need to be she is a hero but simply that her example makes it easier for someone else struggling to ask for help.
Exactly. Our society on a whole is very much influenced by the machismo mindset, and showing signs of "weakness" brings derision, let alone asking for help. Hopefully this is a stepping stone towards normalizing asking for help and not being afraid to look after one's own mental well-being
Nor do I see the need to laud her for this. I don't know what it's like to be in her position, but I have had to work under serious pressure on occasion and I didn't have the luxury of excusing myself, so there are limits to my sympathy. Either way, doesn't matter - she's an alltime great and will continue to be known as that regardless of what happened this year.
Nor do I see the need to laud her for this. I don't know what it's like to be in her position, but I have had to work under serious pressure on occasion and I didn't have the luxury of excusing myself, so there are limits to my sympathy. Either way, doesn't matter - she's an alltime great and will continue to be known as that regardless of what happened this year.
I think that's very well said. We have no middle ground in public opinion anymore - it is all about picking a side and beating it to death.
RE: RE: Sorry to disrupt the virtue signalling circle jerk here
We're going on almost two years of madness worldwide. This shit is outta hand for the normal citizen.
Imagine having the weight of the country on your shoulders and you're 24.
Sorry, but I have a ton of sympathy for these young athletes.
We're going on almost two years of madness worldwide. This shit is outta hand for the normal citizen.
Imagine having the weight of the country on your shoulders and you're 24.
Sorry, but I have a ton of sympathy for these young athletes.
100% - She's been under this pressure for far too long. Cumulative effect and I wonder if she would have retire from competition last year had the games been last year. I'll bet this last year was not in her plans.
God Bless her and give her peace.
If that means never returning to this kind of spotlight, then so be it. She’s young and can switch careers or take a less pressure role related to gymnastics.
I went through a real tough stretch this spring and needed to take time off to get therapy. I didn’t face near the pressure she has. Can’t imagine the kind of pressure she faces while being that young.
It’s embarrassing, I hate reading it.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
Her sport is completely different and if she isn't focused, she could easily break her neck. My wife used to compete in gymnastics at a high level and thinks Biles' has a case of the "twistees". Basically her timing's off and her spatial awareness during the flips/twists is gone. Happens all the time, but can take weeks to work through.
If you want a baseball analogy, it's like Knoblauch getting the yips, except when he air mails it, he just gets heckled. If Biles overrotates on a flip on beam, she breaks her leg (or worse).
but once you watch it you can see she shouldnt of been out there, she could of really hurt herself during that vault...she had no idea where she was midway through her jump..
Quote:
ripped into her during yesterdays show pretty much saying what if Arod or Jeter said No I am taking myself out of the game during say ganme 7 of the world series with the game on the line.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
Her sport is completely different and if she isn't focused, she could easily break her neck. My wife used to compete in gymnastics at a high level and thinks Biles' has a case of the "twistees". Basically her timing's off and her spatial awareness during the flips/twists is gone. Happens all the time, but can take weeks to work through.
If you want a baseball analogy, it's like Knoblauch getting the yips, except when he air mails it, he just gets heckled. If Biles overrotates on a flip on beam, she breaks her leg (or worse).
I give anyone credit for going out there to perform. I dont blame her at all. She did what was best for her and her team and she can go to perform another day.
So now, she doesnt owe anyone an answer. She is the one taking the brunt of this all. No one but her. the country she is representing counted on her but it shouldnt be just on her.
That being said, i just hope other athletes get the help they need first instead of putting themselves in that type of situation. Also, i hope other athletes dont use "mental health" as an excuse if it really isnt. I mean if you legit have that issue, thats fine but if you are fucking up and know you are going to lose, dont use that as an excuse as it will hurt the others with the actual issue. Though i couldnt under the basketball using that reason. They suck.
So now, she doesnt owe anyone an answer. She is the one taking the brunt of this all. No one but her. the country she is representing counted on her but it shouldnt be just on her.
That being said, i just hope other athletes get the help they need first instead of putting themselves in that type of situation. Also, i hope other athletes dont use "mental health" as an excuse if it really isnt. I mean if you legit have that issue, thats fine but if you are fucking up and know you are going to lose, dont use that as an excuse as it will hurt the others with the actual issue. Though i couldnt under the basketball using that reason. They suck.
Very strange Olympics and her not having her grandparents with her has probably had a huge impact. Of course some will criticize this and I hope they are able to better educate themselves on the difficulties of any type of mental struggle.
If this is a mental thing, then I can't imagine it would "fix" itself in a day.
That stinks, she is such a great talent and this was her stage that only comes along ever 4 years (or 5 with covid).
The negative criticism is uncalled for and should stop. Alot of ignorant people in the world.
My wish for Biles is for the fun and joy of performing her sport to return for her regardless of her form.
But at the same time, pressure is a part of athletic competition when you're at such a high level. I'm disappointed that she basically quit because her performance wasn't up to her expectations. I wanted to see the GOAT do GOAT things. I know that she is just a 24 year old kid but I wish she showed more resilience. I know I sound like a douche for saying it but she was the #1 person I was ready to see during these Olympics and she quit because she struggled, or at least it seems that way. I hope she gets in the right mental state but this was disappointing.
Wish i could be surprised by the criticism but at this point id be surprised if there wasnt a large amount of people ripping her up. Like they have any clue what she is dealing with or the type of pressure she is under.
Would love for her to be able to compete in the individual events next week. Would be such a shame for her to miss out on competing completely, but its only a week, not sure its enough time.
But at the same time, pressure is a part of athletic competition when you're at such a high level. I'm disappointed that she basically quit because her performance wasn't up to her expectations. I wanted to see the GOAT do GOAT things. I know that she is just a 24 year old kid but I wish she showed more resilience. I know I sound like a douche for saying it but she was the #1 person I was ready to see during these Olympics and she quit because she struggled, or at least it seems that way. I hope she gets in the right mental state but this was disappointing.
I doubt this had anything to do with her inability to handle the pressure. Like I said earlier, this is more like a bad slump or a baseball player getting the "yips" except the consequences to screwing up a triple flip off vault can deadly.
And I agree with Rick, I think she's been dealing with this for a while and tried to fight through it. I watched the US trials and she was definitely "off" during them, but the skills she does are so much more difficult than everyone else's that she still easily qualified.
Still sucks we don't get to see her do her thing. I was so excited to see her. I wish she was able to figure it out before it got to this point.
You never know what people are going through. These athletes have so much pressure on them and she is already well known and has the weight of the country on her shoulders.
This is closer to when CC stepped away to deal with his drinking, not just someone saying I can't go today.
You could see it in the prelim round. My wife even commented about how you could see the pressure she was under and hoped she'd be ok.
Still sucks we don't get to see her do her thing. I was so excited to see her. I wish she was able to figure it out before it got to this point.
Couldn't agree more. She was doing skills no one had ever done and USAG actually tried to ban them because they claimed they were too dangerous (for women).
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
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the argument that "she could hurt herself if she's not right mentally" is a good one. So I'll concede that "quitting" is different than an athlete from another less dangerous sport doing a similar thing.
Still sucks we don't get to see her do her thing. I was so excited to see her. I wish she was able to figure it out before it got to this point.
Couldn't agree more. She was doing skills no one had ever done and USAG actually tried to ban them because they claimed they were too dangerous (for women).
Yea, I thought that was an incredible story when I read about it. I can’t remember reading something like that about an athlete before. She was so alien that she was putting other gymnasts in danger if they tried the same thing. Just an unreal story. That’s one of the main reasons I was looking forward to seeing her.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
Now the one difference between Ankiel analogy..imagine if losing that ability and continuing to pitch could potentially paralyze you.. that's why this is the right move.
So...did we rip on Ankiel for being soft? No..we just didn't discuss it as the mental health issue it clearly was...
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Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
I mentioned in another thread about how a QB would be looked at if he didn't take the field due to mental health issues, especially if it was a playoff game.
Because mental illness is still misunderstood, you will see these types of events just be polarizing more than learning examples. Trolls on social media ripping Biles will be offset on the other side by people claiming Biles is a role model and such a strong woman for taking the events off, when the reality is in the middle. No competitor has to take the field. And when they don't, there will be consequences both intended and otherwise.
We've had injured Giants shit on by their own fans as being fragile and weak. What will the take be if they sit out for mental health reasons? I mean, we've had people wish death on Eli and assorted others in game threads - and that was a player who wasn't hurt and out there competing - what will the take be for a voluntary opt-out?
I hope the Biles situation helps put a spotlight on mental health, but I already see it being more of a platform for division than anything else. Anyone questioning her is being labeled negatively as others rush to sing her praises and talk about her being a role model. I'm not sure why this dichotomy has to happen in everything today.
Now the one difference between Ankiel analogy..imagine if losing that ability and continuing to pitch could potentially paralyze you.. that's why this is the right move.
So...did we rip on Ankiel for being soft? No..we just didn't discuss it as the mental health issue it clearly was...
Ohh the other difference is if Ankiel was already considered the greatest pitcher of all time and literally had nothing left to prove to anyone.
How would we react if an NFL QB chose to sit out the second half of a Super Bowl to focus on his mental well being?
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In comment 15314758 UConn4523 said:
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Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
I mentioned in another thread about how a QB would be looked at if he didn't take the field due to mental health issues, especially if it was a playoff game.
Because mental illness is still misunderstood, you will see these types of events just be polarizing more than learning examples. Trolls on social media ripping Biles will be offset on the other side by people claiming Biles is a role model and such a strong woman for taking the events off, when the reality is in the middle. No competitor has to take the field. And when they don't, there will be consequences both intended and otherwise.
We've had injured Giants shit on by their own fans as being fragile and weak. What will the take be if they sit out for mental health reasons? I mean, we've had people wish death on Eli and assorted others in game threads - and that was a player who wasn't hurt and out there competing - what will the take be for a voluntary opt-out?
I hope the Biles situation helps put a spotlight on mental health, but I already see it being more of a platform for division than anything else. Anyone questioning her is being labeled negatively as others rush to sing her praises and talk about her being a role model. I'm not sure why this dichotomy has to happen in everything today.
Well said and I couldn't agree more.
All the over analysis by all the talking heads and every keyboard warrior makes everyone feel like they have to pick a hill and die on it trying to defend it.
It's the world we live in now.
How would we react if an NFL QB chose to sit out the second half of a Super Bowl to focus on his mental well being?
If they were as good as Simone Biles, they would have been in her place.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
Because compromise has become a 4 letter word. Now that everyone has a platform to voice their opinion (twitter, etc) everyone believes their opinion is the correct one and any contrary opinions are wrong. Nuance be damned.
Take what happens here with DJ threads and extrapolate that out to this, or politics, or whatever debate you can think of. And then add in about 10000x more hatred for people with that opposing opinion
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Her entire career is a display of resiliency. There’s physical consequences not being mentally there, I don’t blame her. Wanting to see her do goat things is fine but it’s not the end all be all.
Look, I agree about the potential serious health risks of gymnastics being dangerous if your head isn't right.
But I do think this is a situation that would be viewed differently had it happened to a male athlete instead of a lovable tiny girl. I think Michael Kay is a douche, I can't stand him. But his general point about the way we would treat other athletes is fair imo.
I can only speak for myself but I wouldn’t. I’ve changed my views on sports as I’ve gotten older. They aren’t that serious and my expectations from them are entertainment only, and I certainly don’t want anyone to get hurt or suffer so I can be entertained (outside of combat sports).
We have a warped view of sports as a society, it’s really odd to me.
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but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
How would you feel if she fought through this and competed and a week or so later she is found dead from a apparent suicide? Then a close teammate later says she was really struggling for a while.
The message does not need to be she is a hero but simply that her example makes it easier for someone else struggling to ask for help.
Now the one difference between Ankiel analogy..imagine if losing that ability and continuing to pitch could potentially paralyze you.. that's why this is the right move.
So...did we rip on Ankiel for being soft? No..we just didn't discuss it as the mental health issue it clearly was...
That's actually a great analogy and while there was no risk to Ankiel, the batters were in serious jeopardy the way he was pitching.
We've had injured Giants shit on by their own fans as being fragile and weak. What will the take be if they sit out for mental health reasons? I mean, we've had people wish death on Eli and assorted others in game threads - and that was a player who wasn't hurt and out there competing - what will the take be for a voluntary opt-out?
We don't need to wonder what it would be like. Just look at Kyrie Irving or Aaron Hicks.
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In comment 15314768 GiantNatty said:
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but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
How would you feel if she fought through this and competed and a week or so later she is found dead from a apparent suicide? Then a close teammate later says she was really struggling for a while.
The message does not need to be she is a hero but simply that her example makes it easier for someone else struggling to ask for help.
I'll admit that I was both an asshole in my first post, and that there's no doubt more complexities that I or any of us are aware of.
But to your question - if she was struggling for a while, why is she even there?
How would we react if an NFL QB chose to sit out the second half of a Super Bowl to focus on his mental well being?
So why aren’t they? Probably because she’s better than them.
Not worth arguing about though, your mind is made up that she’s a loser and there’s likely no changing your mind.
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In comment 15314768 GiantNatty said:
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but i don't think she should be lauded for essentially quitting on her team. is quitting almost always a mental health issue? maybe. does that make it okay? not in my book - and reasonable minds can disagree on this.
let me put it this way - if you're the girl who dedicated your entire life to making the team and were the last girl cut and you saw Biles walk away mid-Olympics because "the pressure was too great," you would be pretty upset right now and you would have a legitimate beef. biles should have known better than most what the scene was going to be like and if she had any inkling that it was going to be too much (and it seems she did), then she should have walked away long before the middle of the competition.
i hope biles gets the help she needs, but i'm not seeing a hero here. she's a hero for what she has accomplished, but not for this.
You said it better (and more sympathetically) than I did, good post
How would you feel if she fought through this and competed and a week or so later she is found dead from a apparent suicide? Then a close teammate later says she was really struggling for a while.
The message does not need to be she is a hero but simply that her example makes it easier for someone else struggling to ask for help.
Exactly. Our society on a whole is very much influenced by the machismo mindset, and showing signs of "weakness" brings derision, let alone asking for help. Hopefully this is a stepping stone towards normalizing asking for help and not being afraid to look after one's own mental well-being
I think that's very well said. We have no middle ground in public opinion anymore - it is all about picking a side and beating it to death.
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but there's a lot of other athletes who would be happy to be there in her place.
How would we react if an NFL QB chose to sit out the second half of a Super Bowl to focus on his mental well being?
So why aren’t they? Probably because she’s better than them.
Not worth arguing about though, your mind is made up that she’s a loser and there’s likely no changing your mind.
Except it turns out she's not better than them, bc being better requires showing up to compete.
Agree, we don't need to argue...my bigger point is why are we required to call her a hero for this?
I realize I'm taking the unpopular asshole stance here, guilty as charged.