Simone Biles Drops from Team Events in Olympics

[Gunny]

I think the first reason, "mental health" was trying to tie it to the reason of the day which seems to be a copout IMO. Then she had the "twisties" which I can completely understand being a reason to take yourself out for safety and team reasons. Just don't try to have it both ways.

Personally it seemed like her first few events she was so pumped up that her adrenaline had her overdoing things that she had a hard time controlling like going out of bounds on her floor exercise. Snowballed from there...

I have become fascinated that this has taken on a life of its own. Obviously, I was not the only one to make the Biles - Strug comparison. Here I thought I was being original After thinking about it, I think it transcends talent and the two individuals. It's then vs now. Those of us old enough to remember the 96 Olympics and "us" in 96, vs this joke of an Olympics and "us" now.

In 96, the US was the most powerful Nation in the World. That was our team. They represented us. That's what they went out to do and that's what we expected. We were on the edge of our seats. What's she going to do? She had little time. She's trying to work off the shock and listening to her coach. When she toed the line there was dead silence. We expected the old college try but no way was she going to finish. When she stuck that landing you never saw a bunch of crazier Marines. That was our Nation. Our girl and she just stuck it to the commies on one freakin' leg. An American telling the World don't tell me what I can't do. I've rarely seen Marines get impressed by anything. Just not our style. Could have been better When Marines call a little civilian girl Hard Corps, she earned it.

2021: Half-ass Olympic team to begin with. Stars making excuses to not go. Not go to the Olympics if you have a chance? Our own athletes protesting our Nation on an international stage. Russia and China making a mockery of what should be fair competition.

The representative of "us", now, in front of the World, quits. The internet (I assume social media is worse) goes into overdrive making excuses and explaining away why it isn't what it is. IMO, Biles quitting represents the youth and everything wrong in this country now. When the going gets tough, they quit. 25-ish years ago that word wasn't in the vocabulary.

She didn't just quit on us. She quit on herself. Now she's got that monkey on her back. I wish her luck. Been my observation through the years that once someone quits, it's just easier to quit next time.

[Gunny]

"Most Clutch" definitely, but not GOAT. I'd have to agree with FJ, that Simone Biles was the GOAT before, but now she is not. Understandable if she had to withdraw because of a panic attack, but withdrawing from the team event in the middle of things is incompatible with the GOAT title.

Agree.

[Russ]

To put it another way, Simone pulled a "Bill Buckner".

Poor Bill had a long Hall-of-Fame-worthy career, but late in his career he made one error on the field that led to his team losing the World Series. From then on, all that anyone ever remembers about him is that error, not the rest of his career. And he never made the Hall of Fame, even though his stats are better than many people that are in it.

In some ways Simone is better than Bill, but in some ways worse. I have a feeling that her withdrawing in the middle of the competition is what people will most remember about her, more than how good she was in the last Olympics. We will see.

[Juicer66]

Quite the Drama Queen

But not that brilliant .More like a puppet on a string .

Beaten by a Chinese schoolgirl aged 16 .

[Gunny]

"The Second Coming"

Simone Biles nabbed a Bronze on the beam, behind 2 Chinese gymnasts. I'll refrain from acting like the Chinese and dogging her out for not pulling in Gold

Good on her. I'm all for getting back on the horse if it throws you. I have no personal animosity toward her and wish her the best. A good start would be deciding exactly what caused her to freeze. Been quite a few different stories FROM HER. Now, it was just the twisties. Okee-doke.

She sure gets a lot of media attention for someone who basically quit and didn't play. Her teammates, who IMO stepped up admirably, usually get a footnote at the bottom of a Simone Biles article. That's on the MSM, not the athlete.