Simone Biles and the New Black Power of ‘No’

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2021/07/29/simone-biles-and-the-new-black-activist-athlete-the-one-who-says-no-501675 ^

[DIRTYSECRET]

When superstar gymnast Simone Biles withdrew from team competition this past week at the Tokyo Olympics, citing emotional exhaustion that was hampering her ability to perform, the world gasped. It seemed not to know what to make of a top athlete — and, in Biles’ case, a cultural phenomenon and a singular force in gymnastics — choosing to step away from a game while it was still in play, especially the Olympics, the most venerated of sporting events.

[SmokingJoe]

And just how would you know all that?
Look, nobody forces anyone to enter any sport. She can go take a jump for all I care. Just don't go taking someone else’s place in the Olympics only to turn round and wimp out at the very last minute. Pathetic.

[Theophilus]

I think it’s so cute and I think it’s so sweet
How you let your friends encourage you to try and talk to me
But let me stop you there, oh, before you speak
Nah to the ah to the, no, no, no
My name is no
My sign is no
My number is no
You need to let it go
You need to let it go
Need to let it go
Nah to the ah to the, no, no, no...
NO by Meghan Trainor

[silent majority rising]

The Olympics is no longer about “Teams”, but about individuals who are there for their own benefit. Perhaps if the US is paying the way for these athletes, they should require them to give a “loyalty oath” to the Unites States and its Constitution, and if the athletes are not inclined to take the oath, bar them from the team. We would lose most of the medals, but the whole purpose of team representation would be preserved. Of course, that is why the Olympics barred professional athletes until recently, but now they are all professional athletes. Let the world worship its own idols.

[Theophilus]

Maybe she watched “Chariots of Fire”.

[ml/nj]

the Olympics, the most venerated of sporting events

HARDLY!

It's most a series of contests of the type almost no one paid any attention to any other time. For me these contests we interesting when they involved only amateurs. Now I couldn't care less.

ML/NJ

[Mr. Jeeves]

If it was a deliberate Black Power move it “blackfired”, because the Hmong girl won the gold and reminded America why Asians are considered a model minority. :)

[SmokingJoe]

She'd better go home and get the heck out of the way. After all, the Chinese American girl won the gold when Biles slithered out of competing.

[Gay State Conservative]

The “black power” I'd like to see in this country is the ability to know the difference between “asked” and “axed” and the ability to divide 27 by 3...in their heads.

[Jonty30]

That’s exactly what radical blacks are creating for themselves and they don’t realize just how bad it will be for them when they are finished.

[silent majority rising]

Becoming “Slaves” again? Trafficking is possible because the young people that are effectively kidnapped are convinced that it is the best thing for them, because they are worthless POS’s. That is the Democratic Party way.

[bobbo666]

JoeRogan had a video on her, and her backing out. He revealed that she had been taking an anti-depressant for years, like Rytalin (sp?). However, Japan forbids such in sporting events (pitchers are also forbidden) because it helps focus. It helps you put distractions aside. Although it does not build muscle like steroids, Japan considers it an illegal drug for sports since it provides an artificial aid.
Mebbe she quite taking it and then realized that without it she wasn’t as sharp as she needed to be to compete at that level. One mistake and you’re crippled for the rest of your life.
It would be unfortunate if the drug is what originally allowed her to compete at that level.

Luckily, I couldn’t care less about the Olympics at any level, or professional sports for that matter. Too many entitled prima-donnas.

[Gay State Conservative]

I remember in the 70s and 80s reading that just about every high school Valedictorian was a Vietnamese refugee kid.

[Bernard]

The only thing missing from this story is a boyfriend who will whack her opponent on the knee.

[Cecily]

For her own sake, I hope she gets her mojo back and competes.

[DIRTYSECRET]

We all remember Debbie Thomas failing. Still ended up with the bronze-failure. Now she lives in a trailer. O.J. did it. Americans enjoy watching people fall but can get really disappointed when the person is black.

CSPAN did an interview with the black author of “Ditch Digger’s Daughters”. It’s about a black man who successfully raised his daughters into become M.D.’s. She disclosed that it was the white community that supported her book more than blacks.

So what’s the answer? The black community to come to grips with their self defeating issues when success is staring them in the face. Whites will continue to see them as living down to what is expected of them. Bill Russell(winner) told the NBA HOF to screw themselves while Wilt(loser) banged 20,000 women.

Super Bowl(minus stars) gonna be awesome. The show goes on with marginal players who need the job.

[nuconvert]

“I’m fine with her saying no, if she doesn’t feel up to a performance that could break her neck. She should say no.”

I agree.
They said yesterday that she had what gymnasts call “the twisties” It’s a loss of proprioception - not knowing where your body is in space.
“Swiss gymnast Giulia Steingruber got the twisties in 2014. “When I wanted to twist, especially on vault ... I had no feeling where I am. I was really scared,”

[SmokingJoe]

Piers Morgan:

Earlier on Twitter, he fumed over her departure. “Are ‘mental health issues’ now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? What a joke,” he wrote. “Just admit you did badly, made mistakes, and will strive to do better next time. Kids need strong role models not this nonsense.”

He wasn't done excoriating the gymnast, who won four gold medals at the Rio Games.

“Athletes are now deemed more courageous, inspiring & heroic if they lose or quit then if they win or tough it out, which is ridiculous,” he added. “I blame Twitter's virtue-signallers for fuelling this culture of celebrating weakness. The real world doesn't think like that.”

BINGO!

[cockroach_magoo]

My guess (only a guess) is that the revised scoring system messed with her head. She was singled out as being too good, and the judges has to depress her scores to benefit other, less spectacular athletes.

I think she walked away from the corruption of the institution.

I probably would have done the same.

[econjack]

Carrying the banner of America and all the ideals therein has always been problematic for Black people. But these days, it can be downright traumatizing.

Not a problem. Just don't let them take the money and be supported by the people of the country they're supposed to represent. If you're going to turn away or kneel during our national anthem, then the people who paid your bills should likewise turn away from you and turn off the money spigot.

[goodnesswins]

I think you are correct...altho the floor ex has high flying stunts, and the beam is no cake walk. At age 24 she’s likely more aware of/and rightly fearful of any misstep. If I’d landed on my back in practice, as reported, I think I’d withdraw also.