Courage: But is it worth the squeez?

[ICU 812]

Courage- or What Is It Worth?
Simon Biles withdrew from an Olympic competition apparently in the middle of executing a gymnastic feat, cutting short or symplifying a vault in mid-air, then landing poorly. At one level this is understandable as the things we have seen her do while spinning, flipping and twisting though space are both beautiful and terrifying to watch, especially in slow motion. After formally withdrawing, she said her mental state was not right and that she had become afraid to perform those amazing feats of strength, agility and grace. Understandable. If a gymnast has not the confidence to perform these truly advanced gymnastic acts they are in danger of serious, even crippling injury or death.

Fortunately for her, she had a choice; to go on or not. The Olympics is not a theatrical or entertainment venue however much the worldwide television networks treat The Games. This is not a case of "The show must go on!" where a theatrical trooper goes out to tap dance with a broken ankle. Many people face similar physical dangers in life without the option of quitting. It can be argued that football at the professional and even at the collegiate level has the same potential for life-changing injury as gymnastic vaulting. Consider that they snap the ball every twenty five seconds for minutes on end during a long grinding drive down-field . The often heard phrase "playing hurt" describes a level of commitment somewhat more compelling than "the show must go on". That money is at stake is not a mitigating factor either. Make no mistake: Simon Biles will not cash-in on a huge amount of money during her life time due to choosing to withdraw rather than pressing-on.

So she was scared of injury or dying. An active duty Marine just back from a deployment once described a hair raising experience as a casual tangent to a story about losing equipment and accounting for it later. He described feverously transferring packs, weapons and gear from one damaged light armored vehicle to another one at night so that they could continue with an operation. A very expensive set of night vision equipment was misplaced or otherwise lost. His story was about how they were able to get the paperwork right so that no-one faced a court martial for the lost gear. In the course of telling that story, it came out the the damaged vehicle had been attacked with an IED while under fire and the wheels were damaged to the point that it could only crab down the road at reduced speed . . .with the tires on fire. Those Marines did not have the option to withdraw. They had to press on to a "safer" place, transfer their things and go out again to continue the effort to secure by force, safe passage for other vehicles on that stretch of road that night.

In talking with oilfield workers with off-shore experience, one sometimes hers phrases similar to, "Every day is Monday" or "It's all sunshine!" The first means that when working off-shore for a month, there is no weekend nor is there a mid-week "hump-day". Their life is just twelve hour shifts day after day till the month is over. The other phrase means that it doesn't matter what the weather is, they have got to work in it anyway. Do not doubt that oil field work on an off-shore rig has more opportunities for life changing injury than being a gymnast at any level.

To come back to sports, consider the baseball team in a critical game that is down by more runs than they can possibly make up in the last two innings. They still have to tske the field and play out the innings. The same situation can be found in football where a team can be so far behind that everyone knows there is no hope of them winning. Each player must never the less put their bruised knuckles down in the cold wet dirt and summon yet another all-out physical effort every time the ball is snapped until the game is finally over. That is called "leaving it all on the field".

And so it is fortunate for Ms. Biles that she did have a choise to withdraw because she was afraid.

[texassapper]

She quit because after blowing the vault she knew she was out of contention.

There is no “I” in team but there is in Quitter.

Yeah, yeah I know she got diddled as a kid…. Didn’t seem to affect her previous performance.

Being courageous isn’t about quitting when the chips are down…. It’s about NOT quitting when the chips are down.

Anyway, I couldn’t care less… the Olympics are right up there with Soccer in terms of importance.

[Chung Tran]

I think it is her choice, none of us know her State of being. She worked her whole life for an Olympic moment, so her decision was not flighty, as many suggest. She doesn't owe anyone an explanation, although her Sponsors may have a private contractural clause that she must answer.

[winn dixie]

She choked and quit. Case closed.

Olympics are bout as important as a fart!

[ICU 812]

I just wrote that it was fortunate for her thst she had the option to withdraw.

[Chung Tran]

Originally Posted by ICU 812

I just wrote that it was fortunate for her thst she had the option to withdraw.

Yes and no.

She's still taking a lot of heat for her personal decision, mostly from 55-70 year old Right-Wing Males, who haven't ever done a proper somersault.

Her teammates all supported her, yet right-wing old White Males, half a World away feel perturbed by her choice, none of whom gives 2 shits about the Olympics.

Judgement Culture at its finest.

[winn dixie]

A quitter is a quitter. She fucked up her chances early and decided to quit! Shes no hero or winner! She choked and quit! She has set a bad example for sportsmanship.

[pfunkdenver]

Originally Posted by winn dixie

She choked and quit. Case closed.

Olympics are bout as important as a fart!

Reminds me a lot of you!

[winn dixie]

It almost seems some of these high profile "athletes" are purposefully throwing or losing to push their "cause" or an agenda!
Let'em stay there!

[dilbert firestorm]

kinda like what Naomi Osaka did when she couldn't get her shit together.


answer reporters questions is, however, another matter!

[Jackie S]

One fact many are overlooking is Biles is now a woman trying to compete in a girls sport.

I am surprised she stayed competitive at the ripe old age of 24. Gymnastics for females is geared toward activities that make it very difficult for a grown woman to compete. Things like boobs and wide hips get in the way.

Moves that were effortless and perfect at 16 become flawed and almost impossible at 24.

In truth, Women’s Gymnastics is miss named. It should be called Girls Gymnastics. Because Girls are who win.

Not Women.

How many of you are old enough to remember Debi Thomas, the US women’s figure skater who happened to be black. She was an odds favorite in the 1988 Olympics. But in her Free Skate Program, she stumbled and landed square on her butt.

When that butt hit the ice, the lucrative endorsements went out the door.

Time will tell if the big endorsements will come Simone Biles way because she was a very successful gymnast, or a very prominent quitter.

In today’s world, it could go either way.

[ICU 812]

^^Well said.

[ICU 812]

Originally Posted by Chung Tran

She's still taking a lot of heat for her personal decision, mostly from 55-70 year old Right-Wing Males, who haven't ever done a proper somersault.

Wile what you say is true, and I do fit into the upper end of that demographic slice, there are many danger fraught endeavors that require pressing on despite your mental state For many, it can be just getting up at 5AM every day and driving in to work in bad weather, with all the crazies' out there, even though you and your wife are working through something and one of the kids may have leukemia. It may just be driving in with that season's variety of death-flue. But you still have got to get up and go in. Yup: Whatever, you still have to get up and go.

As I wrote; it is indeed fortunate that Ms. Biles had the opportunity to decline any further competition. As she finally enters adult hood (at age 24!) she will find that withdrawing from the Olympics was one of the easier life choices she will face.

[texassapper]

Originally Posted by Chung Tran

She's still taking a lot of heat for her personal decision, mostly from 55-70 year old Right-Wing Males, who haven't ever done a proper somersault.

That's because us old white dudes still define success as not being a quitter. It's a testament to how bitchified this nation has become that the press is lauding a quitter with mental issues as courageous.

That's not courage. It's not even a pale imitation. It's not what you should want your son or daughter to strive for. If she did her best and failed, that's one thing... I can admire someone that tries and fails repeatedly. To strive and struggle is what builds character. But to have a bad vault and QUIT because you will no longer win? bah, the world is full of quitters... there is nothing special about that, nothing courageous.

Only in the upside down world of a liberal is quitting something to be celebrated.

[dilbert firestorm]

they are some old ladies still competing in gymnastics at age of 28 - 30.


biles small size is an advantage. she doesn't appear to have any physical issues with body changes as most other women do. she prolly could retire at 28 or 30 if she wants to.

its her brain thats not in the right place. if she's not focused at her task, she won't win.