re: Simone Biles with a message for all the girls out there

quote:

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Biles did NOT let anyone down or send a bad message to anyone. She is playing a sport for OUR ENTERTAINMENT! That is it. She worked hard to get where she is and then decided she didn’t want to do it anymore. She owes the American people nothing. Shame on us if we looked at her as something more than just a gymnast who was great at what she did.

The only people that she MAY owe something to is her sponsors who paid $ assuming she would perform in the Olympics.

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To some degree you are correct. However, first she quit on her teammates who were relying on her to carry her weight on the TEAM. It would be no different if 52 guys busted their asses to be in a position to win a championship only to have the star QB say, "frick it, I'm done" in the 3rd quarter of the Super Bowl just because he threw an interception.

Second, she has willingly positioned herself in the public eye and benefited, financially, to a significant degree, as a role model and "inspirational" figure. Particularly, to young girls. If you are going to hold yourself out as an "inspirational figure" and best of all time, then you owe it to those people you've asked to be inspired by you to, at minimum, not quit at the first sign of adversity.

Heavy is the head that wears the crown. There is no question it is difficult and stressful to be EXPECTED to always perform at the highest level. And people are wiling to accept that sometimes even the best fail. But no one respects quitting on your team just because you faced adverse circumstances. I also don't recall her ever complain when she was hailed as the "GOAT" and happily accepting the endorsement money that came along with that status.

Making an error and losing is forgivable. Choosing to quit just because you made a mistake isn't.