Simone Biles

[madmaxmedia]

As a father of a daughter who was a near elite level gymnast, I have marveled at the spectacle that has been Simone Biles. She has been so far beyond any other gymnast that has gone before her that you had to sometimes wonder if she was human.

So many young women fall out of the sport because of injuries...my daughter included. But the bigger toll has always seemed to be mental. When a gymnast gets the yips...the outcomes can be catastrophic. A hesitation on the vault, or on the bars, beam or floor can lead to serious injury. These women have spent most of their lives watching one after another of their fellow gymnasts fall during routines that resulted in broken wrists, separated shoulders, torn acls, broken ankles...in the worst cases, paralysis. It is a risk of the sport, and it often gets the best of the athletes. It's not like standing over an important putt, overthinking the stroke. For these athletes, to launch into tumbling run with any doubt as to whether they will land their skill can lead to debilitating mental blocks. I have seen young women stand ready to start their tumbling routines and just freeze for minutes because they can't get themselves to start. It's difficult to watch.

Biles, by contrast, seemed to perform without care, even as she attempted increasingly difficult skills that put her further beyond her fellow athletes, but closer and closer to a major fail. I have seen other gymnast who may not have had Simone's talent, but they were close physically. Mentally? No comparison. The risks Simone Biles took left my daughter and her gymnast friends in awe.

Well, it seems that the mental aspect of the sport finally caught up to her. I'm happy she was able to admit to herself that she was no longer able to cope with the stress. Failing to do so could have resulted in her suffering injury. Already, she was missing her skills in alarming fashion, almost jumping off the side of the landing mat on the vault for example. Things were amiss and I for one am glad she was human enough to acknowledge her frailty. It will help other athletes understand that their fears are not unique and that even the GOAT in their sport is human.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with your daughter, best post in this thread by far.

I have 2 daughters that used to ride and jump horses. If one of them was seriously stressed and anxious before going out to jump over fences on a huge 1500 pound galloping animal, I would surely encourage her pull out if her mind really did not seem right.

[Woodsanity]

Curious, what's the reaction if Lebron decided not to play in a Game 7 of the NBA finals, citing mental health issues?

I understand that context matters and it's not fair to compare. I'm just genuinely curious what people's thoughts are.

There’s a double standard. The media would be killing LeBron if he quit in the middle of the finals.

But for season reason, people tend to coddle woman in similar situation.

Would be much, much different than what this thread is right now. James has been playing legacy games for a decade now.

Biles can do whatever she wants, but this conversation would look a lot different if this were James or even any other male. Men are held to different standards than women but at the same time, people want to cry about “equality.”

Are men held to a different standard or is Lebron in particular held to a different standard? You can look at Kevin Love as a guy who has quit multiple times due to mental health issues. Not many people particularly care.

Lebron is a GOAT candidate, he is held to the highest standard possible. Biles is a great gymnast but gymnastics is a sport people only watch once every 4 years and don't care that much about.

[Capn'O]

Wow I just saw her called a "selfish sociopath", "shame to the country" and part of a "generation of weak people".

I hate the people of this country sometimes man, I really do. Some people really just need a punch to the face.

It's so **** up.

[xdrta+]

It's just an all around sad situation. She put a lot of pressure on herself (she wore a GOAT leotard and constantly propped herself up). Then when it came time to put up, she couldn't. You can frame this as a mental health issue or you can frame it as arrogance/not being able to cash the check you wrote. If she didn't go around calling herself the GOAT, I'd have a way way way more sympathy towards this performance.

I'm sure your lack of sympathy for her is the final crushing blow. What a crappy post.

[sikma42]

I think this is a bad sign. I don't have a problem with her stepping aside. She felt she needed to and that's fine.

It's the reaction to her decision, especially after her actions leading up to this moment. She talked so much damn ish..so so so so much. She talked Floyd Mayweather, Ali or 17 year old Chosen One level ish. Then when it comes down to cash in that check..she can't handle the pressure, which she largely placed on herself. I don't think we should lionize her and I'd rather not see GOAT leotard again.

This wasn't brave imo. It just is what it is.

[homecourtloss]

Curious, what's the reaction if Lebron decided not to play in a Game 7 of the NBA finals, citing mental health issues?

I understand that context matters and it's not fair to compare. I'm just genuinely curious what people's thoughts are.

There’s a double standard. The media would be killing LeBron if he quit in the middle of the finals.

But for season reason, people tend to coddle woman in similar situation.

Would be much, much different than what this thread is right now. James has been playing legacy games for a decade now.

Biles can do whatever she wants, but this conversation would look a lot different if this were James or even any other male. Men are held to different standards than women but at the same time, people want to cry about “equality.”

Are men held to a different standard or is Lebron in particular held to a different standard? You can look at Kevin Love as a guy who has quit multiple times due to mental health issues. Not many people particularly care.

Lebron is a GOAT candidate, he is held to the highest standard possible. Biles is a great gymnast but gymnastics is a sport people only watch once every 4 years and don't care that much about.

A) Men are held to a different standard in all aspects of life.
B) LeBron is held to a different standard above that. His legacy is called into question after regular season games played in December.
C) Biles was the one who wore GOAT leotards. I don’t know anything about women’s gymnastics GOATs or whatever, but she wore those leotards.
D) KLove didn’t leave a game or a series at half time or the series tied 2-2 or something . He talked about mental health afterwards.

Biles can do what she likes and people do suffer, but the double standard is real. There are people this thread who are saying all the nice/right things but in other places will type out “soft,” “weak,” “mental midget,” etc., at whomever and whenever.

[BlazersBroncos]

Plenty of male athletes have been injured and missed big games. Plenty have tried to play with injury and had to leave the games because they couldn't. If she could no longer perform because of her mental state it is no different than a physical injury that has kept other big time athletes out of games. The idea that all mental issues can just be magically overcome with will is false.

But again, this is part of her own making. There are intrinsic pressures in becoming a professional athlete. There are even more when your the best. There are even more when you accept numerous interviews, promotions and sponsorships (Athleta, Nabisco, Uber Eats, United Airlines, Kellogs, etc).

IDK, its just hard for me to reconcile. If you can handle the pressure of being gifted millions of dollars to appear in behind a camera, the pressure of the self promotion, the pressure of winning 9 golds, the pressure of calling yourself the GOAT but then walk off the turf when your making mistakes. Its hard to reconcile and allowing a wide brush to immediately paint this as a sort of anxiety attack when it happened right as her game started to slip. IDK. It does in some ways seem like infantilizing her since she is a woman, giving her an easy out that other athletes dont get. Keep the standards uniform.

The most amazing trait she has shown is her ability to perform at this level after the Nassar incident. But its still hard to just accept. It certainly isnt worth demeaning her as a person, and I am not her so I dont truly understand. And really, who cares....

[CobraCommander]

I don't care that she dropped out, but I do care that she's dominating the headlines every time I turn on the news when she does something mediocre to good.

The GOAT talk needs to stop.

Who is better tho?

[Myth]

This situation is another example of people taking sports too seriously. I love sports, but ultimately they are a pastime, a game for fun. When people think a medal is more important than somebody’s health, you take it too seriously. For anybody disappointed, I’m sure nobody is more disappointed about this situation than Biles herself. I’m sure she didn’t make this decision lightly.

[Jedi32]

She quit on her team when they needed her the most. Bottom line. When you’re the best on your team you’re expected to show up when it matters. She didn’t. You all know damn well that if LeBron decided to sit out a game 7 of the NBA finals because he didn’t feel like playing and “needed a mental health day” he’d get torn to pieces. It’d be evidence that he’s “mentally weak” and “doesn’t have Jordan’s toughness.”

Was LeBron molested by a coach also? Using this LeBron example is lazy.

[sikma42]

It's just an all around sad situation. She put a lot of pressure on herself (she wore a GOAT leotard and constantly propped herself up). Then when it came time to put up, she couldn't. You can frame this as a mental health issue or you can frame it as arrogance/not being able to cash the check you wrote. If she didn't go around calling herself the GOAT, I'd have a way way way more sympathy towards this performance.

I'm sure your lack of sympathy for her is the final crushing blow. What a crappy post.

so no substantive response. got it.

[Bergmaniac]

Gymnastics is a sport where taking a part in a competition while not being 100% mentally can lead to a very serious injury which would cripple you for a life. It's easy to say "she should have push through", but it's not that simple. Anyone who tries this not only risks making the mental issues worse, but can easily get a very serious physical injury. The margin for error in gymnastics at this level is extremely small. A good article on the topic - https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57986166 .

You can't really compare it to basketball because basketball players don't risk a broken neck if they are a little bit off mentally during the game.

[gmoney411]

Imagine if a NBA player decided before the NBA finals to sit this one out. Heck, we know what happened to LeBron after he zoned out against the Mavs in 2011. Just saying that in the culture of American team sports, this type of action would be unheard of.

It's not really unheard of. The problem is that so many people don't understand mental health and how it affects people. Plenty of athletes have left big games because they couldn't push through an injury. Plenty of big time pitchers have realized they don't have it and told the skipper it was time for them to be pulled. Simone tried to play. She couldn't.

[lobosloboslobos]

You gotta put a name on it playa....I’m not sure I’m seeing hate for her...but maybe I’m the problem..

it's not hate, it's just people thinking they know what challenges she is currently facing enough to judge her decisions as somehow selfish or weak when she is literally the GOAT who has pushed herself harder in her dangerous sport than any human in history.

But we don’t know anyone’s challenges- like I don’t know what you or CP3 going through.


And while I feel bad for her as a human I know if CP3 walked off the court because a specific ref was calling the game after the game started because he couldn’t deal with it emotionally we would rip CP3.

- does CP3 do this for a living?

Watch on YouTube

or does he do this:

Watch on YouTube

bit of a different challenge wouldn't ya say?

and when people screw up on the basketball court does it look like this: (if you dare, google gymastics injuries)

[In-N-Out 247]

Everyone seems to be so focused on the idea that she quit because she had a mental health issue, when in reality I think she quit to preserve her future mental health. Think about it, she has not been competing to her incredibly high standard since the Olympic qualifying. She struggled in the team qualifying, then came out and did a terrible first vault in the final. I think she just realized she did not have it, could not face the reality of losing and all the negativity that would come with it. So she walked away.

[StojkoVrankovic]

I think this is a bad sign. I don't have a problem with her stepping aside. She felt she needed to and that's fine.

It's the reaction to her decision, especially after her actions leading up to this moment. She talked so much damn ish..so so so so much. She talked Floyd Mayweather, Ali or 17 year old Chosen One level ish. Then when it comes down to cash in that check..she can't handle the pressure, which she largely placed on herself. I don't think we should lionize her and I'd rather not see GOAT leotard again.

This wasn't brave imo. It just is what it is.

luckily she doesn't care what some simpleton on a basketball message board thinks

[Woodsanity]

Would be much, much different than what this thread is right now. James has been playing legacy games for a decade now.

Biles can do whatever she wants, but this conversation would look a lot different if this were James or even any other male. Men are held to different standards than women but at the same time, people want to cry about “equality.”

Are men held to a different standard or is Lebron in particular held to a different standard? You can look at Kevin Love as a guy who has quit multiple times due to mental health issues. Not many people particularly care.

Lebron is a GOAT candidate, he is held to the highest standard possible. Biles is a great gymnast but gymnastics is a sport people only watch once every 4 years and don't care that much about.

A) Men are held to a different standard in all aspects of life.
B) LeBron is held to a different standard above that. His legacy is called into question after regular season games played in December.
C) Biles was the one who wore GOAT leotards. I don’t know anything about women’s gymnastics GOATs or whatever, but she wore those leotards.

I agree with part A but using Lebron is an awful example since he is everything he does is magnified by 10x. Usually the difference is not nearly that big.

Men are held to a different standard because people expect us to be tougher which is unfortunate really. If a men's gymnast did this he would have gotten more criticism but nowhere near Lebron level which is my point.

As for C yea, thats just arrogance in my eyes on her part. I don't think she is anywhere near the GOAT and now she certainly took herself out of contention.

Also to be fair Biles was raped by her own gymnastics doctor. Her mental state compared to that of a normal athlete is completely different....

[Jedi32]

JT knows what's up.

Read on Twitter

Charlie Kirk is just a loser trying to make his name bigger off this young lady. What a loser

[TheGOATRises007]

She quit on her team when they needed her the most. Bottom line. When you’re the best on your team you’re expected to show up when it matters. She didn’t. You all know damn well that if LeBron decided to sit out a game 7 of the NBA finals because he didn’t feel like playing and “needed a mental health day” he’d get torn to pieces. It’d be evidence that he’s “mentally weak” and “doesn’t have Jordan’s toughness.”

You're a clown of the highest order

[Myth]

JT knows what's up.

Read on Twitter

Charlie Kirk is just a loser trying to make his name bigger off this young lady. What a loser

The irony of him calling her a selfish sociopath.