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A brief note as a preface to this post. I had a ball writing Kruscontrol when Donald Trump was President, even though all was wrong with this country. I loved pointing out his bombasity and foolishness; he was the perfect foil for my approach to commentary. And then a funny thing happened: Biden won. It was both the greatest thing for our democracy and the worst thing for giving me material. So Kruscontrol has been in hibernation for a while, but the varying reactions to Simone Biles have taken me out of my cave, out of the doldrums and into the fresh air. I cannot predict how often I’ll be posting in the near future, but I’m back (for better or for worse). Enjoy!
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With the retirement of Michael Phelps, Simone Biles came into 2021 as the face of the American Olympic team. She was the shining star who would bring home a cache of gold medals, and the hopes of a nation were riding on her graceful shoulders. Millions of Americans were ready to idolize and adore this young, brilliantly talented young woman. And then came her announcement. She was dropping out.
“Whenever you get in a high stress situation,” she said, “you kind of freak out. I have to focus on my mental health and not jeopardize my health and well-being. It just sucks when you’re fighting with your own head.”
Not surprisingly, reaction was both swift and split. In this era of increased awareness that athletes are, first and foremost, human, out came a massive outpouring of support and sympathy. Simone Biles had endured all sorts of hardships and indignities. She had pushed herself to the limit, but could go no further. And, by stepping aside when she could no longer perform at her expected level of excellence, many argued that she had in fact increased her team’s chances of winning Olympic gold by leaving room for her fellow gymnasts to shine in the team competition. She was not competing for her team not yet she was, for so many, a true hero.
But from the other side came reaction from the conservatives, the reactionaries for whom her pain was irrelevant; after all, she had quit on her team, walked away when the going got tough. Having already taken shots at Meghan Markle for her “whine-a-thon” with Oprah Winfrey, and at tennis player Naomi Osaka for dropping out of the French Open because she could not face the press after her matches, Piers Morgan went after a third woman of color, commenting, “Are ‘mental health issues’ now the go-to excuse for any poor performance in elite sport? What a joke.”
Like so many other social issues these days, it seems as if no middle ground can exist. Most people either seem to love and admire Simone Biles or think she’s a weakling and a loser. Do I dare say that there’s at least an ounce of truth on both sides, that you can admire and be frustrated by her at the same time.
On the one hand, isn’t it about time that we understood how tremendously taxing it is to prepare and perform at this level? Shouldn’t we recognize that victims of abuse carry scars that we don’t see below their flashy uniforms? Isn’t it about time that we recognized that athletes are not automatons, that they have emotions and fears and hurts, and it makes no sense to assume in a cavalier fashion that they can and should overcome all of these?
On the other hand, is there not just a bit of disappointment that she came this far and could suddenly could go no further? Is there not a wish that, like so many athletes who had come before her, she could be strong emotionally as well as physically; that she could somehow overcome all else for the two week period that was the culmination of years of physical and mental exertion. After all, she was carrying the hopes of so many on her back and. After all, she had received a ton of money, not just love, for her past feats of greatness. Could we not hope, like so many of her predecessors and other current athletes, she could dig deep and excel in spite of all else.
If Michael Phelps had dropped out of the Olympics in 2016 citing an inability to perform due to stress, would we have been so forgiving? There are those who rue the days of old and tell us, sadly, that we wouldn’t have been—but should have been. And there are those who will tell us, not so sadly, that we wouldn’t have seen him sympathetically—because he would have been spurned, as he deserved to be.
For better or for worse, are we a different people with a different mindset compared to five years ago? And though we may have changed, how much do gender and race still play a role in the way that we respond to people and their actions?
However vehemently you feel that your side is right, I insist that this is not just an open-and-shut case, but a matter that is full of shades of gray. In fact, only one thing is for sure: The definition of a “sports hero” is very much up for grabs.
It’s been almost 60 years, but old friend Bob Dylan was right then as he is now, “The times, they are a-changin’.”
He’s back! Thanks, Ed, for a very sane take on things. Keep them coming!