The Briefing Room
Exclusive Content => Editorials => Topic started by: jmyrlefuller on July 29, 2021, 12:41:41 am
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Simone Biles is human.
I'm not sure if she will acknowledge that.
Coming into this year-delayed 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, the hype around Biles, figurehead of an American gymastics team that was a rare glimmer of optimism in one of the weakest and most controversial Olympic lineups our country has put forth in decades, was so strong that social media made snide remarks to the effect that she was indisputably the greatest gymnast in the world, and that she was a shoo-in for the gold medal. When the International Olympic Committee noted that Biles's routine had crossed a boundary from talent into reckless danger, noting a gymnast could easily injure herself attempting the moves Biles was attempting, her defenders cried foul, claiming that only other gymnasts would get hurt, and it was only further proof that she could do what no other gymnast could and was The Greatest. While social media bragging about celebrities is nothing new (just ask Chuck Norris!), the dread seriousness most of Biles's defenders have expressed is matched only by the arrogance of Biles herself, whose famous quote is "I'm not the next Michael Phelps. I'm the first Simone Biles."
There is a colloquialism, "don't write checks you can't cash." In other words, if you are going to feed and make grand claims about yourself, you had better be able to back yourself up when it is your turn. Well... to put it simply, she didn't.
Biles went out onto the mat and stumbled, then she quit on the rest of her team. She then pulled out of the Olympic Games altogether, claiming "mental health." If that sounds familiar, it's because it has echoes in the actions of an unrelated competitor, tennis player Naomi Osaka, who withdrew from the French Open earlier this year and opted not to contest Wimbledon due to mental health issues. Yet for Osaka, the issue was unrelated to tennis: it was her dispute over requirements to be made available to a sports media that is often hostile and unpredictable. For her to drop out of competition was her right, and I will note that she is representing her country in tennis in the Olympics as we speak—an implicit recognition that, at least in principle, representing your country in the Olympic Games means you are representing something bigger than yourself.
In light of that, and the full knowledge that the American sports media fawns on Biles as one of the great superstars of sport, her claims of "mental health" ring hollow. Perhaps she is having mental health issues, but they are at least in part of her own doing. Let's make this clear: quitting on your team after a bad performance is not an honorable thing to do, and hiding behind "mental health" to cover for your failures is cowardice, not courage—despite the continued hubris coming from her defenders on social media, and the desperation to make excuses for her, ranging from the IOC judges to Larry Nassar. Simone Biles encouraged the writing of checks on her account that she ultimately could not cash, and in doing so embarrassed a United States of America that is in need of good role models that demonstrate strength, humility and perseverance. Biles's teammates on the gymnastics team showed those traits and salvaged a silver medal from the competition, for which they should (and will likely) be commended. In short, it is time for her and the countless defenders of this disgrace to admit what most average Americans already know about ourselves:
Simone Biles is human.
And that's OK.
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@jmyrlefuller
Did you write that? Wow!! :beer:
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@jmyrlefuller
Did you write that? Wow!! :beer:
Indeed I did. Thank you! :beer:
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@jmyrlefuller
WOW is right...loved it!
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Excellent essay.
The 'greatest of all time' never, ever up & quit for no good reason. So we can put that little canard to bed.
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Adversity lurks in every action a Man takes.
The coward masks his fear, runs away, shouting excuses,
while the valiant grasps this, confronts it and conquers it.
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I think a lot of blame goes to the media. They put her on an alter and then elevated her further because she was black. They set expectations into the stratosphere while fawning over her life. And now that she's folded the media gets to write all about that bringing in more clicks.
They are destroyers of people.
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I think a lot of blame goes to the media. They put her on an alter and then elevated her further because she was black. They set expectations into the stratosphere while fawning over her life. And now that she's folded the media gets to write all about that bringing in more clicks.
They are destroyers of people.
Wasn't this basically what Rush Limbaugh said about Donovan McNabb, that the media put him on a pedestal because of his skin color?
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Simone Biles has accomplished moves that no other gymnast accomplished. With her talent and being used to competing I was surprised that she flinched and gave up on her chance at the gold.
I don't think the media put her on a pedestal because of race, rather they put her on a pedestal because of her talent.
You are right @jmyrlefuller she is after all human. She's now having to live with her decision.
Btw @jmyrlefuller great commentary!!
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Has @jmyrlefuller found his true calling? Could be if this is an example!
Well done!
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Great write-up here @jmyrlefuller ... as usual.
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@jmyrlefuller
Did you write that? Wow!! :beer:
@DCPatriot @jmyrlefuller
WOW x 2. I am seriously impressed.
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I think a lot of blame goes to the media. They put her on an alter and then elevated her further because she was black. They set expectations into the stratosphere while fawning over her life. And now that she's folded the media gets to write all about that bringing in more clicks.
They are destroyers of people.
@DB
The media of today are nothing but whores,interested in nothing but selling press and making themselves famous. EVERYTHING they write that gets published is spin,designed to make profits for them regardless of the harm it does to others.
There are no honest news reporters anymore because management won't allow honesty,so they don't and won't hire them.
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Tremendous writing @jmyrlefuller . If you don't write professionally, you certainly could.
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@jmyrlefuller
Awesome essay sir! Please, please, please keep gracing us with your skill!
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:thumbsup:
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Can we stop talking about her, already, there are other Olympic events.
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@jmyrlefuller
Very well written. Kudos!
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By the way, another American won the All-Around Title, but I have a feeling nobody is going to even remember her name.
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Can we stop talking about her, already, there are other Olympic events.
Be careful what you wish for. The prima donnas have infected many of the Olympic Sports, if not all. To expand the "coverage" would send us all into terminal outrage.
If the IOC doesn't get a handle on protests from the athletes, it will be the death of the quadrennial Olympics.
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The entire ladies team came out yesterday and sassily said they don't owe anyone a gold medal.
I remember womens Olympic gymnastics so differently - Mary Lou Retton & Olga Korbut. My, what changed?
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The entire ladies team came out yesterday and sassily said they don't owe anyone a gold medal.
And we don't owe you a plane ticket back to the US either. Stay where you are.
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And we don't owe you a plane ticket back to the US either. Stay where you are.
They'll come back all right.
And will be feted by the rat media as worthy role models. Sponsors will line up to give them money. Its America today.
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The entire ladies team came out yesterday and sassily said they don't owe anyone a gold medal.
I remember womens Olympic gymnastics so differently - Mary Lou Retton & Olga Korbut. My, what changed?
They are handing out participation trophies now....
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By the way, another American won the All-Around Title, but I have a feeling nobody is going to even remember her name.
Sunisa Lee.
A very prideworthy accomplishment.
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The publicity would have gone better for her if this fact had been released earlier:
Her aunt had just died.
That was a major factor in her "mental issues."
We often hear of athletes in football, etc.
playing on just after a family tragedy.
But gymnastics involves some VERY dangerous maneuvers,
that can be deadly if the gymnast has less than 100% focus.
Simone is now 24, which is ancient in terms of women's gymnastics.
She's had a GREAT career.
It's amazing that she's even in the game at all, at her age.
I'm disappointed that she chose to step aside,
but I respect her right to make her own decision.
And it gave an alternate a chance to perform!
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The publicity would have gone better for her if this fact had been released earlier:
Her aunt had just died.
That was a major factor in her "mental issues."
We often hear of athletes in football, etc.
playing on just after a family tragedy.
But gymnastics involves some VERY dangerous maneuvers,
that can be deadly if the gymnast has less than 100% focus.
Simone is now 24, which is ancient in terms of women's gymnastics.
She's had a GREAT career.
It's amazing that she's even in the game at all, at her age.
I'm disappointed that she chose to step aside,
but I respect her right to make her own decision.
And it gave an alternate a chance to perform!
@unite for individuality
I don't care if she IS 24,she is in supurb physical condition,and this is not a hobby for her. She works it like a job and has taken care of her conditioning and her training her whole adult life.
AFAIK,she hasn't had any serious injuries,so I don't see why she can't continue competing.
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My neighbor was a WW2 pilot. He did a tour in bombers, saw his brother's plane explode and did a tour in fighters. He told me that some guys would just be unable to fly. It wasn't fear of the enemy, it was fear of flying. They would lose control in a dive or get disoriented and that was it. The next day, they couldn't do it. Or they would get the premonition that it was their time. That was more common with bomber people.
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My neighbor was a WW2 pilot. He did a tour in bombers, saw his brother's plane explode and did a tour in fighters. He told me that some guys would just be unable to fly. It wasn't fear of the enemy, it was fear of flying. They would lose control in a dive or get disoriented and that was it. The next day, they couldn't do it. Or they would get the premonition that it was their time. That was more common with bomber people.
@Restored
No kidding. They fly slow in a straight line,and never take evasive manuevers.
Give ME a nice safe job in the infantry any day!