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It’s Not Heroic to Choke and Quit
I don’t want to be overly critical of Simone Biles’ decision to withdraw from the Olympic team’s competitions. I haven’t followed gymnastics for years, but my impression is that Biles is widely considered to be the greatest female gymnast of all time. Her ability and achievements are extraordinary.
During the first rotation in the team all-around competition, Biles had a disappointing vault. She then pulled out of the competition, with varied explanations that seem unconvincing. It looks, to me, like she briefly lost her mojo. This would be, here’s that word again, disappointing, but understandable. Nobody’s perfect.
Biles set herself up for this, to some extent. She’s sometimes called the GOAT, meaning “greatest of all time.” She apparently leaned into this hype, like Muhammad Ali, by wearing leotards bearing an image of a goat. Humility is a wiser course, I think. But again, I don’t want to dump on Biles, who is quite young and the young rarely display notable wisdom.
The thing that is strange, to me, has been the reaction in much of the media. The narrative seems to be that Biles quitting was heroic, in order to take care of her “mental health.” Here’s a sample of this reaction:
- “The Radical Courage of Simone Biles’s Exit from the Team USA Olympic Finals.” The New Yorker.
- “Simone Biles’ Olympic withdrawal could be her greatest act of heroism.” SBNation.
- “The world was clamouring for the American to outdo her competitors as well as herself. It took exceptional bravery for her to step back.” The Guardian.
- “As athletes, we’re told to tough it out. It’s toxic masculinity at work, this idea that we should ignore our emotions and what our body needs. We call what she did heroic.” Time.
I dissent, not respectfully (yet). I do not find it heroic to choke, and I do not find it heroic to quit after choking.
It is understandable, a bit disappointing, fine. Maybe she was having a bad day, though all that we know is that she had a single bad vault. Biles might or might not have done well on the remaining events. We’ll never know, because she gave up.
We do expect more of our heroes.
But it’s the media reaction that is so bizarre, to me. What in the world is going on here? Is it just an attack on competence? Is it the typical resentful, sour-grapes attitude of the ordinary?
Is it the victim narrative? The silly Time article linked above says that gymnasts “are taught that their bodies are not their own.” In sport that “sacrifices bodies, minds and lives for perfection.” What?
Is it because Biles is female? Is it because she is black? Is it because the media had hyped a black woman as the greatest athlete ever, just unbelievable, wait ’til you see her, she’ll blow your socks off . . . well, not so much. Not that day.
So, apparently, the media has to lie about it. To pretend that failure and worse, quitting, is heroic. I do not see any justification for this narrative, and I do not see any reason to dissent “respectfully.” I am open to a counter-argument, as perhaps I’m missing something.
Again, I don’t want to beat up on Simone Biles. She’s had an amazing career. She appears to have cracked under the pressure, at these particular Olympic Games. That is sad, but not the end of the world.
You know, even Mighty Casey struck out. There was no joy in Mudville that day, but that’s OK. Casey was still a hero, just not a perfect one.
But I don’t recall anything about Casey walking away from the plate after his first strike, or making excuses. That’s not what heroes do.
Published in Sports
He was convicted for similar charges and is currently incarcerated for 60 years in federal prison. When he is released (in 2069) he will be transferred to Michigan where he is scheduled to serve his concurrent sentences of 40 to 125 years and 70 to 175 years.
The FBI mishandled their investigation of him, giving him cover to molest another 70 girls before being arrested.
Yes. They help.
As if. Sometimes, that’s not an option. I know. I’d love to have had. But perhaps the Good Lord decreed otherwise for my situation. And who am I (or you) to argue?
I was referring to the kind of abuse dancers put themselves through isn’t uncommon among wrestlers and jockies- anorexia type behavior in order to meet weight.
The news of the FBI blowing a chance to stop him in 2015 broke immediately prior to the start of the Olympics.
It would make anyone victimized by him question themselves.
I’m sure most of you know, often enough when athletic women become too lean (lose too much body fat) their menses do stop.
As a refresher, this is a good read on FBI malfeasance in the cases.
So upset he couldn’t find a parking place:
Benny Johnson – Kinzinger Blocks Wheelchair Entrance for Rep. Cawthorn – Madison Gets Sweet Revenge | Facebook
I suppose I might be making an apples to oranges comparison but all the furor over Biles’ decision brought back memories of Commander Donnie Cochran. Whatever drove their decision was lost in all the conjecture.
https://scholar.lib.vt.edu/VA-news/VA-Pilot/issues/1996/vp960530/05300353.htm
Some people should retire.
There are roofers and steelworkers who know that they can no longer go up any more.
Here and there you will find professors who could easily retire. However they are pretty certain they will be replaced by folks whose principal qualification is their ranking in the intersectional hierarchy. So they stay in place.
Huh. I did not know this awful case was still being investigated WRT FBI culpability for Nasser’s assaults continuing, and his pool of victims expanding, long after his activities were documented and reported to the agency.
In retrospect, perhaps it will occur to someone that it might have been a good idea to delay this “long-awaited” report on how the FBI ignored the allegations and then lied extensively to cover up their mistakes for a couple more weeks. The closing paragraph from the linked article:
It doesn’t take a great deal of imagination to connect the dots here.
Unbelievable. Could the FBI try any harder to earn our disrespect? Everything they touch, they screw up.
What a dickweed.
Yeah. I am so stealing that image, though. LOL.
To whom does this guy think he is appealing? Does he think the left admires him? How could he possibly think that the right is doing anything but puking over his crybaby behavior? So who does that leave…his mother? Maybe.
His constituency is composed of the media, the corporations, and the democratic party. What does he care about the right-wing citizen class? Congress is just an entry-level job toward greater success as a media figure and lobbyist for globalism.
I don’t know much about his constituents, but it’s also possible his choice of party was influenced by his chances of winning under what banner.