WHAT IS GOING ON? Am busy watching soccer!
TOKYO — Reigning Olympic gymnastics champion Simone Biles is out of the team finals after apparently suffering an injury during the vault.
The 24-year-old U.S. star, considered to be the greatest gymnast of all time, huddled with a trainer after landing her vault. She then exited the competition floor with the team doctor.Biles returned several minutes later with her right leg wrapped. She took off her bar grips, hugged teammates Grace McCallum, Sunisa Lee and Jordan Chiles before putting on a jacket and sweatpants.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0GFRcFm-aY
Also, I do not know why my youtube shares are not working, you may have to cut and paste, but it didn’t appear she had any issued on the vault. I mean she didn’t do well but she was not injured . This has to be fake news, right?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D1TzMTYaYXU
Also I am A LOT BEHIND. Don’t spoil me PLEASE but I don’t think I have ever seen my girl crush, RAPINOE get a yellow card!
Your reply “I await her broken back” though meant to be taken lightly I suppose, was totally heartless. How many times in the last year have you not been able to recap a post because of depression, yet this group was totally supportive of you? I can’t believe you have been so heartless.
My cold, dead, black heart is totally BROKEN! NOOOOOOOO!!
WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING AND WHY IS THIS NOT ON THE NEWS CHANNELS WITH AN EMERGENCEY WAKE YOUR ASS Up NEWS BULLETIN? Please GOD LET THIS BE FAKE NEWS!
Unfortunately, it’s not. She flubbed her first vault and apparently injured herself. got a 13.something because she didn’t perform the vault she was expected to. Either she is really hurt, or her ego is severly bruised. I don’t think she would have let her teammates down like that, so she is probably really injured….feel so bad for them all….poor Simone đ
Yeah but I just watched both vaults. She sucked. But there was NO INJURY AT ALL. She just fucked up. It happpens. And she is just going to quit? Worst Olumpiad of all times INCLUDING THE DIPSHITS WHO LOOTED A GROCERY STORE in Brazil or whereever.I Think this is actual FAKE NEWS.
I better see her on some crutches, otherwise I can’t defend this shit….lol
Where is Kerri Strug when you need her ass?
So an injured person should cause more damage to themselves for your entertainment? Do you hear yourself? Take it from one who knows, athletes at this level have life long consequences from the training they do.
Take it all the way easy. Not for MY entertainment, for her teammates, if you read my earlier comment.
And you are so barking up the wrong tree. I was a serious ballerina for most of my life. I get it. You can calm down now….
Kerri strugâs coach risked her receiving a lifetime injury for a photo op. They did not even need the points. Not an example of how athletes should be valued
I see you and Wendy both have “time today”. You are not going to change my mind. If you read all of my comments, you would realize you are doing way too much for no damn reason….carry on
When was the last time you did a vault? You have ZERO idea what you are talking about, what the beating this sport does to a body. Do you know how many gymnasts looked great out on the floor and it turned out they were competing with fractures in their legs and backs? So she may not have crumpled or be limping but that does not mean she isn’t injured. I have torn both acls. Neither even hurt but they were weak. I wasn’t limping nor screaming in pain. I knew by the pop. So before being a total asshole, how about you calm down and be compassionate. Why don’t you watch one of the documentaries about these women or read one of their auto-biographies?
Then she should have RETIRED HER OLD (for gymnastics) ASS BEFORE the fucking OLYMPICS and checked her godddamned ego at the DOOR.
She knows her limits, she knows how old she is and she knows what this sport is, yet she decided she needed to go one last time and here we are.
Maybe people need to cut the crap on the “black girl magic” and just let people be people or maybe her ego, to quote one of the greats, was “writing checks her body can’t cash” or maybe she had something to prove (to Morgan Hurd). Either way, she should have stayed home.
Or maybe she had a bad day after she landed off the stage doing her floor routine. Sheâs the most decorated female Olympian and gymnast of all time. Like, everyone can have a bad moment. She clearly did. Nothing wrong with that.
HAAAAA!!! You can go to hell because as long as I (and millions of others) live and breathe, strive and achieve, through hard circumstances indeed…. there will ALWAYS BE BLACK GIRL MAGIC!! (Always the mediocre ones attempting to throw shade).
I couldnt agree more
Or maybe she felt the extreme pressure being put upon her to go out and do what shouldnât be possible yet another time. She tried but in the end, it wasnât there.
I have been reading and, occasionally commenting, on this site for years. I have made it a point to always stay positive. However Ro, it is with extreme pleasure that I tell you, Ro, to shut the fuck up.
Black girl magic is here to stay! Also, she already stated early on before olympics she felt she had to show up due to her being one of the last active Larry Nassar victims. So carry on
Thank you!! We have no idea as the audience what physical/mental condition each gymnast is in right now and it’s really none of our business. Unfortunately, gymnasts learn to live with a high level of pain. Mike Tirico on NBC noticed that Simone had been wrapping her legs during most of the competitions this year and she did make uncharacteristic flubs on floor exercises, beam, etc. in Tokyo especially huge steps out of bounds. My son did competitive gymnastics for six years and became so tolerant of pain that he did not realize when he was truly injured. The truth will eventually come out when Simone either participates or does not participate in the individual apparatus events in a few days.
YAS! this! I busted my cherry on a balance beam fall…had to have Tommy John surgery for an elbow injury on Floor…had a spiral fracture on a big toe and a broken ankle and broken wrist from gymnastics….Injury is part of the sport and if you are scared you dont get any where in the SPORT. Biles fear of failure defeated her here…not fear for injury.
Human nature to dust the coffee table when the house seems to be burning down. Is it the commercialized influence of the worldwide Olympics not to mention the political motivations involved and the powers that be…you get it. TT reports plainly that she is behind in her viewing, etc. I just feel there’s a greed issue at the core here. Just my opinion family.
Its mental, she knew if she would have stayed in it would hurt the teams scores. If she can get her head back in the game she win golds for individual events and all around. She needs to stop buying into the hype, maybe not wear a rhinestone goat on her leotard like trials or nationals, one of those she did. I’ll still watch those events though.
I agree. She was having a bad day and didn’t want to drag the team score down and maybe be blamed for a bad result.
I admire the courage of the reserve girl who had to come in cold to replace her – and they still won silver.
Goes against the Olympic spirit of the honour being in taking part, and being a good loser where necessary
TT your buddies over at BlindGossip have an interesting blind about her. Apparently she isnât loved by her teammates and is faking the injury.
I think weâre all more than ready to accept the USA isnât #1 anymore at anything. So letâs just get on with it.
My boss once told me that you should be loyal to yourself first and foremost because you can be damn sure almost everyone else is. Best advice I ever got. So if someone says they need to quit, then they need to do so. Letting your teammates down is not worth risking a serious injury.
I got an alert from CNN earlier this morning about her being injured. But, it didnât seem like a big deal. The alert said exactly what you wrote .. she left with the trainer and didnât do well on her vault. I thought a bigger deal would be made about it. It felt like it was a toned down report rather than the crushing news I think it is! I would think it would have been a bigger story đ¤ˇââď¸
Okay now NBC is reporting that she has pulled out for a “medical issue” The team took silver. As a crazy person I HAVE AN APPOINTMENT NEXT WEEK! I can tell you that her fucking up on the vault probably shattered her image. There was NOTHING about that vault that would have injured her. But that will be the narrative. She has a lot of shit to live up to. I think the pressure just caught up to her.
TT as much as I love you I disagree with you saying she’s not.. my daughter did competitive gymnastics for 9 years there are numerous injuries that occur without looking big and dramatic. My daughter broken vertebrae in her back on the vault and I had no idea she’d injured herself even watching it until her coach called me to go back there
I patiently await her broken back. She just can’t handle not winning. So she quit.
Agreed. When she added the GOAT to her leotard, she jinxed herself like a Housewife holding a vow renewal.
YEP! 100% this. She couldn’t handle not being top dog anymore and now she’s gonna pick up her toys and cry and go home.
They say it takes one to know one, and as someone who also has mental health issues (crippling depression, anxiety, and past trauma), I also know that a false ego and fake tough guy persona to replace actual self-esteem got me through some rough times when I needed it, but it was SO fragile, and SO easily bruised and broken, and literally anyone could take it away. This reeks of that.
She never should have gone to the Olympics, I hope she gets help.
No doubt, What really stinks is that she took the place of another competitor that Iâm sure would have
given anything to be there. Iâm sorry but I donât think she performed as well on the vault as she wanted to and was afraid of making herself look bad in front of the millions of people watching.
Ok so now itâs on to call people crazy? Donât forget she is the only remaining sexual abuse survivor of larry nassar still in the sport and being outspoken and being a role model. You cannot imagine even 5% of the pressure she is under. So no matter the reason, to say she just quit is ridiculous. She pulled out because she knew her performance wasnât what it needed to be. If the team isnât mad at her, you sure as shit shouldnât be. Go get yourself some help (commendable) and stop judging everyone else in situations you know nothing about.
Well now, how do YOU know exactly why she quit? Ever heard of “The show must go on”? When we were on stage during a performance and someone happened to bite it, we had to get up and keep dancing- not just for ourselves, but for the company and for the audience. We ALL have bad days, even as professionals. I think it’s pretty shitty to quit on your team if nothing is physically wrong with you….but that’s just me.
I dig Simone and I hope she’s OK. You also have no idea if her teammates are mad at her or not. I’m sure at least one of them said – Damn, we could have gotten the GOLD…..
Exactly, she has let a lot of people down, including the alternate that didnât get to go. The mental health issue just seemed to peak when she didnât land the vaultâŚ.hmmm.
Thank you for posting your comment. I have been watching her facial Expressions and something always seems off letâs remember this is a very venue that she was sexually molested by her trainer and sheâs being asked to show up there without any family and itâs not like sheâs being offered any emotional or mental support after the massive let down and cover up the sexual abuse thatâs been happening to the gymnastics team for years. She doesnât need to prove anything to us. What she does deserve as a little bit of compassion and respect seeing youâre asking her to relive her sexual assault while flipping through the air and hopefully landing on a beam or landing on two legs from her floor routine. This is more than ego and I donât wanna hear any more people hoping she has a major injury is a Sexual assault a big enough mental injury. You are all heartless.
Thank you! With some of the cold hearted comments here, it seems like people think this gymnast owes them something. She does not! She owes you nothing! These are nationalistic games, with athletes vying for supremacy. I am not and never have been a flag waver. I just hope sheâs okay so she can live her best life.
She shouldnât have gone then and let someone else go compete. She knew what she was in for when she chose to go.
And you obviously didnât have watch anything leading up to the Olympics. She had some pretty bad meets leading up so this isnât her first âbad vaultâ. So it did not ruin her image. Why donât you educate yourself completely before throwing out things. And to say âi await her broken back â? That is just horrible.
I think her ego and mental health took a hit because I read somewhere that she felt like she hit her peak in 2016 and that she doesn’t think she can do better.
As someone who is dealing with her own mental health issues I would have thought that you would have a little compassion and empathy for this young woman. She is a human being and she owes it to herself to attend to her physical, mental and emotional well being. I am disappointed in people who are so quick to judge and condemn her. No one knows her reasoning or what she is dealing with.
Thank you Sandy. I agree with what you posted.
So you are a moron too. YAY!
You do know that if Biles loses her place in the air which is what she says is happening that she risks paralysis or death?
Really? Calling people morons for having a diff of opinion. Itâs like sometimes you really just get beside yourself. Continue to live in your miserableness. Itâs honestly becoming exhausting. I used to love your recaps but you are becoming just plain rude. And your few loyal people wonât be honest with you because they feel bad for you. But I guess Iâd rather be considered a moron over a mean bitter woman. :shrugs:
I just have to add my two cents here. Each of us has had our own issues during these Covid times so why should Simone be any different? Also she has had to deal with the Larry Nassar crap and LITERALLY has the eyes of the world on her for the Olympics. Please consider showing some compassion and understanding for this young woman and whatever she is dealing with in her life. This event should NOT take away from anything she has accomplished previously. Maybe we watch too many Real Housewives because we are starting to sound like “The Real Housewives of the United States.”
Rant over.
I watched this and the vault she did yesterday. She was off and did a huge step back very unlike her. She did the best thing and stepped aside as she was just not up to standard fir whatever reason.She stayed and supported the team the team did well considering. Here in UK we are beyond happy to get a Bronze medal đĽ
IMO She QUIT because she knew she did not win.
The first report said her coach said she was out due to a mental issue, so you may be onto something. They cleaned that up and said it’s a medical issue. I understand mental issues are medical issues too but they should just be honest.
Second this I did see the mental issue. If you “psych” yourself out it is not wise to continue competing. That is what I am guessing happened. Just hope she will speak out about it. It’s important to share that aspect of competition.
First time commenter here. Seriously Tamara, I am very disappointed with you. You have no compassion for this young woman?
Did you see her statement about not dealing with the stress of being the only active gymnastics survivor of the trainerâs sexual assault that still competes for the USA team. she has to be careful what she says she does not want any consequences of her truth she is feeling very Suicidal and alone and she canât trust her mental health and is afraid that she couldâve made more errors and caused the US team not to metal at all still think sheâs a spoiled brat ego because he didnât win I donât know about you but sheâs a goat to me. She needs compassion not a lot of haters that have no sympathy for sexual assault and just want to see or have major injuries. I thought Tamara tattles was a place of compassion for sexual assault victims, Letâs just keep giving criticism when sheâs telling us sheâs feeling suicidal and feeling alone way to be supportive.
yes ma’am..that is how I see it too…and if she comes back and competes in individuals that confirms it for me….
If you’re having mental health issues it didn’t just happen this week.Therefore she should have stayed home and dealt with her issues and got mentally healthy. So don’t steel someone else’s dream away that could have come and competed. It was very selfish to quit in the middle of a competition when your not doing well as expected. Furthermore woman atheletes want to be considered as good as the male counterparts. Can you imagine if a Jordan or Tom Brady or other male great of their sport walked off in the middle of the Superbowl or playoffs because they weren’t performing well and said they were having mental issues. They would be completely crushed.
Good point about athletes who compete under duress. I can recall many times where basketball players had to play a championship game the day after losing a loved one…
You do know that if Biles loses her place in the air which is what she says is happening that she risks paralysis or death? It is a far cry from missing a shot in basketball
You do know that I was addressing elite athletes performing under emotional/mental anguish right? Geeze- some of you really don’t like it when people think differently than you. Relax…
No men don’t quit they commit suicide.
Men don’t let people down they commit suicide
Men don’t ask for help
They commit suicide.
A broken mind is an injury.Stop with the mean.
Stop with the sexist.
Well said, Suzy – agree 100%.
Sorry Suzzy – darn autocorrect!
You have no fucking clue why she quit.
Do you know her? We are all given the same information.
That is my point. She did not quit on a whim. She must have had a good reason. She is a human being. Give her a fucking break.
LMAO at how terrible these comments are. She was dealing with an injury right after the Olympic trials, so it’s not hard to believe she may have injured herself.
Don’t judge injuries, please. I’m sure this isn’t her first injury as an elite athlete-if she’s too injured to give her best possible performance, I have to believe her. She didn’t come this far only to drop out at the first sign of trouble- she knows her body and has performed under pressure for years.
By withdrawing with this injury, she gives another gymnast an opportunity.
Looks like she confirmed mental not physical condition as reason for withdrawal from team competition….and may still compete in individual games
Sports are such a mind fuck sometimes, things happen that you have no control over and of course you have millions of people watching you do this. Do you know how many players in history live with one bad move that haunts their days, this way, she was smart and looked out for her team if she knew she didn’t have it that day. That takes a strong person. I’m hoping she’ll be back later this week.
How is Russia still winning gold? I thought they were banned. This should be the headline
They can compete but can’t wave their flag or have national anthem played
Yea I get that but donât really see how it punishes cheaters. Especially doping. They should have been banned from the games completely. Like a couple of Olympics ago, China had gymnastics contestants fraud the organization with their age. If they are not banned in the sense of the word, our contestants like Simone will always have bigger pressure than the cheaters.
It doesn’t punish the cheaters at all. I don’t understand the reasoning either..makes zero sense.
So I read they are competing as members of the Russian Olympic team but not as Russians representing their country. Honestly it doesn’t sound like much difference to me
Simone Biles has nothing to prove to ANYBODY. She will always be a GOAT. The mental pressure along with the physical wear and tear is enormous. Even for someone at her young age. At 30, my ortho told me I had the knees of a 75 year old due to athletic endeavors. I still kept on. Yes, we absorb pain differently than others. Both mental and physical. This child has overcome so much. Let her rest if she needs to.
My god, these comments are just awful. The way most of them are treating what appears to be an issue of mental health, is disgusting. Especially when the owner of the page has made no secret of their issues with mental health. Shouldn’t we give Simone the benefit of the doubt rather than rush to judgement? This is not a cast member of a Real Housewives series. This is an athlete who sees pressure most of us could never imagine. The lack of empathy and compassion is chilling.
Agree 100 percent.
I rarely post here but cannot help commenting. I agree with you totally. People have supported Tamara for the last year when she had issues. There were many times when she could not even recap a show and said “talk amongst yourselves”. It is very disappointing to me to see these comments.
I, too, rarely post, this may be the third time, but the level of disgust I feel reading these comments compels me to say something. The absolute absence of empathy towards this beautiful, strong young woman is…heart wrenching…soul darkening…just what the fuck is wrong with this world. As if it wasn’t dark enough already, to see the way people talk about her, judging her with zero fucking right, because I can guarantee none of us here have reached or endured Olympic athlete level status and all that comes with it…what a bunch of fucking animals. She’s not on this earth for your viewing pleasure, and to shame her for quitting is just fucking gross. She’s not a fucking animal at the zoo.
And, Tamara, not that you give a shit, but I’m totally disappointed in you. I get you’re an asshole and it’s part of your shtick, but this was too fucking low. I read for your snark, but you seemed to have a heart when warranted. This time you were just inhumane. I didn’t expect this from you.
Right. Simone is not a circus animal to perform on their command. And if we are being honest, olympic team wouldnât have come this far without Simone. She didnât even perform up to her standard during prelim. Also, after she competed for prelim sat (I think sat or sun) they had her family on screen and she was very anxious. She didnât seem like she wanted to really be bothered. She has tons of pressure on her! Yes, sheâs the goat. But that pressure magnifies with every meet.
Thank you!! Tamara is always speaking of her mental issues and instead of showing compassion, she shows hate. Itâs sad but not surprising.
Compassion is sadly lacking among some couch potatoes these days.
I am in heartbroken shock! I love this child and am heart broken for her!!!!
Same!
Same
Whatâs your excuse when there are many times you donât have the mental fortitude to finish a freaking real housewife recap ? Youâd think youâd have empathy. smdh
I do have empathy. I didn’t know that she was suffering from mental health issues at the time.
This right here!!!!
Her withdrawal helped the team get silver..if she continued to compete and didn’t do well, the team scores would have eliminated them from 2nd place. They may have even fallen out of the top 3 if she competed at a poor level.
She recognized she wasn’t herself and did an easier vault than she intended and then didn’t finish the easy vault well. My heart goes out to her.
Catch 22 for her..
CNN is reporting that she withdrew
https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/27/sport/simone-biles-tokyo-2020-olympics/index.html
Wow. This is so sad. I haven’t read the comments yet as I just woke up due to mental health issues of my own. I’m just doing moderated comments right now and it seems like people are being assholes? WTF?
Tamara, you are the reason people are being assholes. You set the tone for this post so don’t try to place blame on anyone. Look at your insensitive and lack of compassion comments.
Thank you!! The key board gangster would have kept their vile comments to themselves but when the top sets the tone hence you get thisâŚ. But Itâs people showing who they really areâŚ.
Wow. Just wow. TT doesn’t deserve this amount of criticism. Oh. And btw what is “black girl magic?”
and how is it obtained? Just asking for a friend.
Something you’ll never be or have.
LOL facts. If you donât know what black girl magic is, and trying to be smart about it, you def donât possess it and never will. These commenters are some mad!
Sorry tamaratattles your comments were harsh with zero Empathy for her mental health status in her being a survivor of sexual assault I thought at least you might Iâve had some empathy for her mental health or a Survivor of sexual assault and maybe she doesnât want to do gymnastics for a team that covered hersand over 500 girls sexual assaults. She owes the US Olympics gymnastics team nothing yet they go bankrupt right before they have to pay out Victims settlements. I believed you to be an advocate for mental health and sexual harassment survivors but your comments about her made her out to be a spoiled brat. just made her out to be a spoiled little brat. Still waiting on if she broke her back!!!!! She has issues with Suicidal thoughts. I bet your comments made her feel loved.
When I commented there was NO INFORMATION about what happened. When you commented there was. BIG DIFFERENCE. And she did quit after a poor performance. At the time that is all we knew.
I think the fact that he was able to put the team first shows a lot of Courage because she had to know she was going to be raked over the coals for this. If it was an individual event I would have said she quit but the fact that the team was able to still get the silver medal cuz she did the right thing. If she would have stayed in people would have accused her of having a big ego and this being all about her
OMG, seriously people? She is a human being. She is injured. Maybe she didn’t do it today or yesterday but for her to drop out, she’s injured. She stayed on the sidelines cheering on her teammates. She did not run away and hide. She didn’t insist on fanfare. She is an incredible young woman who is not in this for fame and fortune (IMHO) otherwise she would not have quit and would have left the sidelines. She showed so many young kids what it means to be part of a team. To me, she is a warrior! And if her mental state was not up to it, who are we to judge? She’s been doing this for how long now? Over 10 years? Imagine what that did to her body? For God’s sake, leave the woman alone. She showed what grace under pressure is. She showed what the word TEAM means. She showed loyalty towards her teammates. To me? That’s much more important than earning some stupid medal of which she has at least 30 already. Did it occur to anyone that maybe her heart is large enough that she figured… “I’m injured, mentally I am not up to it so I’m gonna let someone else take the medal.” And THAT is what a good person/teammate/human being is all about. THAT shows her true colors. God Bless You Simone Biles!! YOU DO YOU!!
Finally, someone with some sense.
đđđ My son was a star pitcher in HS and College. I remember asking if he had heard something someone shouted during a wind up. His reply was âMom, I donât hear Anything when Iâm on the mound.â Sports are such a mental thing as well as physical, people donât know that. She will always be GOAT.
Ditto
100% agree she did what was right for the team but she will be battered for it on social media and the press.
except she didnt ask the team…she TOLD them…big difference. But we will see. She is the GOAT and a amazing gymnast. I just dont like what we have seen on how her withdrawal was handled.
Well, good thing her well being isnât contingent on YOUR approval. She didnât have to ask her team anything about what she needed to do to take care of herself. It wasnât up to them to decide what was best for her. Do you leave your well being to someone else? Such self absorbed comments.
Thank you. These comments though…..they irk my soul….and kinda make me sad.
These comments are horrible and pretty F’ed up. So now you guys are making the assumption she’s a sore loser and she isn’t injured. No wonder you guys are so close, you’re all negative.
I havenât commented in a long time. Who knows. Maybe I am banned. But all these people who are so insensitive and cruel are FUCKED UP. Get off you fat ass and find some compassion.
I think you need to re-read the comments most are in support of her and her decision and the others have the right to state their opinion
Leadership starts from the top⌠Mental can be more damaging than the physical. .
When I first heard the news of her being taken out due to medical reasons, I wasnât even doubting those reasons. My initial reaction was sadness for Simone as this will, more than likely, go down as her last Olympic moment. Sheâs a GOAT and amazing at what she does. Nobody can take that away from her.
I feel for her and all the other athletes. Watching videos on TikTok on the daily things they have to do to follow Covid rules/expectations with the constant threat/scare of catching Covid and being DQ/taken out is horrible and stressful in itself. These games are not the normal games. They seem very off and each athlete just looks off and on another level.
Iâm not athlete, athletic I am, but I canât imagine what is going on with Simone. The mental component is a bitch. I workout, religiously, and play softball with my husband (second base/short stop) on a leisure league and Iâve been hurt or taken bearings and just smile and keep playing until we get home because the rush and fun of winning is there. Crazy to think a lot of you just know more than the athletes on when they are hurt, faking it, or being sore losers. Itâs in the same vain of those people that know more than the medical professionals regarding Covid because well, their research on Instagram and Facebook is just a bit more reliable than those medical degrees because well, fucking idiots lol.
Give the girl a break. Sheâs done a lot for the sport and itâs sad itâs taken this turn. She could have fucked each round and only gotten silver on everything and sheâs still go down as a GOAT.
Wow these comments. Thereâs so much pressure on Simone and the girls, itâs horrible to see so much judgement from people I can only imagine could never even dream of doing what they do. They got a silver medal so all is not lost and well done to Team GB for the bronze.
OK – I have heard all of you, and many of you make complete sense, I totally get it. BUT – and this is real talk….Someone mentioned giving the other gymnasts a chance, so to speak. If Simone comes back refreshed, fine/uninjured and ready to compete and kicks all of her teammate’s asses in the individuals….would you change your mind a bit?
She absolutely has dealt with alot and the mental/physical stress that comes along with being an elite athlete is intense….however, to totally assume that a little bit of this is not ego driven could be a bit naive. She is used to being the best and expects the best. So she rests up and kills it in the individuals. Is there NO sympathy for her teammates at THAT POINT? I would be a little dismayed if it went down like that. If she is injured or mentally unable to compete, she should sit out of the indiviuals as well….just a real thought. Again – I love her, but it would seem a bit selfish to me….
AND maybe she won’t compete – who knows?? Truth is, none of us know her personally, so we never will know for sure….
yep…this!
AndyLee, very well said. The other team members were my first thought. What did Simone bailing after a bad vault do to their preparation for today? It would have been one thing if it was individuals. But this was team competition. Michael Phelps has talked about how he had to finish a race and then get it together for a relay.
Now for the individuals, Simone is sort of damned if she does and damned if she doesn’t.
I’m sure it is a combination of the pressure she put on herself and the pressure we put on her.
That is the problem with a lot of people. We damage ourselves for others. I once had a boss who told me the only loyalty you owe is to yourself. Best advice I ever got. Someone not able to focus is liable to seriously injure herself.
No. No sympathy for her teammates. Simone comes first with herself and that is as it should be.People would be a lot better off if they stop people pleasing themselves through life.
I don’t agree. When you are a part of a TEAM sport, there is no “out for self”. If that were the case, there would be no team sports. Let’s be honest, had she landed her vault perfectly, none of us would be at each other’s throats. For real, none of us should be.
Some of you are taking this way too personally. Hope you see Simone at your next family reunion because…DAMN! You all are so focused on Simone, that you are completely forgetting about her TEAM. What about them? No one is worried about THEIR mentality of having to pick up the pieces….
Yeah..so sorry…ex-gymnast here…I have mixed feelings about this but she is going to gets lots of critism here. Everyone has said that she is her own worst critic and I think she bailed on her team here. From what I have seen she didnt ask them what they wanted her to do ..she just quit. They are all under pressure (but kinda less so because no audience?) but she had one bad vault? and just quit? NOPE? no pass here.
Simone didn’t bail on the team she left for herself, sometimes you just have to admit you have a problem. You just have to go deal.You have to do what’s best for you.Its easy to kick someone when they are down and a pile on feels good to some people. It’s good to see people showing their true selves no matter how nasty cruel and hateful.
As a Black women, we are done having to justify ourselves. Simone owes no one anything. She can do whatever the hell she wants. Deal with it.
Of course she can. And we can speculate on the situation.
As another black woman, who has danced for Alvin Ailey and the Dance Theatre of Harlem, if our Prima fell during a performance and decided mid-performance that she needed a mental health day, that would’t fly with any of us. I sympathize with Simone and what she has endured. I have stated MANY times in this chat that I love her and I hope she is OK. You know what else is OK….seeing things differently….as a black woman.
And if she was actually being selfless by knowing her own state of mind and body and removed herself so as not to bring her team down? Any consideration for the amount of strength it took to put her team first and remove herself from something she worked her entire life for?
Also, to casually throw around taking a ‘mental health day’ is pretty fucked up, in any scenario. So much for mental health movements, or me too, or BLM…pretty much fucked up all the way around.
If you read/watched her interviews…she said she was taking Wednesday as a “mental health day”. HER words, not mine….I was simply quoting Simone while you are chastising me…..but OK then…carry on….
It’s a literal shitfest in here. Also, the information seems to be updated all the time. If SIMONE BILES can’t get mental health care prior to the Olympics, who can? None of this makes any sense to me at all. Why does the reason for her withdrawal keep changing? She can withdraw at any time for any reason. I still feel like we are not getting the full story of what is happening. And it is really none of our business. But I feel like there is A LOT we are not being told.
TT,
Could not agree more. It seems as though, from the outside looking in, the pressure of it all really just crushed her. And this last year and a half has been fucking brutal, canât imagine enduring the scope/scale of pressure she was under and at her age. My kids are 5 & 7, Iâll spare everyone the bullshit that came with attempting to be their charter school teacher while also working full time, but it may have made me soft, I dunno. But my heart goes out to her and she deserves all of our grace and empathy without judgment.
Now, if youâll excuse me, Iâm going to go murder my kids.(not for real, loud ass mother fuckers)
Curious about stats on pirouette-induced paralysis?
Nope, smartass – just a shattered right femur from getting dropped by my partner. Feel better now?
Because thatâs the same thing as competing on the level of an Olympian? Being singled out to compete at the grand stage once every 4 years? The type of pressure that she and Phelps face, isnât on the level that (you especially) Tom Brady, Serena Williams, etc face. They get a chance once a year after several games, olympians get a chance once every 4 years.
And did no one here watch when she flew so high in the air during trials and landed off the stage? Like come on.
And you canât say out one side of your mouth that you love her, while the other side is bashing her.
First, please do not presume to know what level I was on. Second, I have life long injuries due to my profession. We didn’t perform every few years, we performed every day. I may not have been Misty Copeland, but I was close.
Also, its definitely not for you to tell me how to feel about someone. I love Simone – there, I said it again. However, I still tell the people I love when I’m disappointed in them. I am disappointed that she let her team down….and if reports are to be believed….so is her actual team. Call it bashing if you want – I call it MY OPINION.
So – I don;t agree with you and I stand by everything I said. You can go cry about it now since my opinion means so much to you.
Aww, Iâm sorry about your injuries!
Again, whatever level you were on, you were not on the level of Simone Biles, or any other top tier athlete. So you donât know the mental pressure sheâs under to succeed. She is supporting an entire country, and thereâs millions of black boys and girls who look up to her. That strain is enormous, and itâs something you donât have experience with. And I stand by that. Purrrrr
Angel,
With all due respect – I have performed solo for Presidents of the United States. The Kennedy Center, Warner Theatre, etc….I am not going to run down my resume. You think that just because it wasn’t televised that I didn’t experience pressure like they do? Just because it was on a smaller scale doesn’t mean my feelings are smaller or that my mental wasn’t the same. You all are basically diminishing what everyday people also experiance. How are you gonna big up Simone while simultaneouly dimissing me and mine? I might not be on a Wheaties box, but I do know that if I had stepped out on that stage and busted my ass in front of dignitaries, I would have been just as crushed, felt just as defeated and my ego would have taken a huge hit. I also would have picked my busted ass up and kept going….
What a sad situation! Simone has my support. â¤ď¸
I can’t believe they expected her to take home 6 golds, wtf! To win one is an honor. It was fun seeing Phelps do this, but this girl has to be spot on on 4 events, seriously why!! Way to step up though, the rest of the team to just do it. Jordan without any practice to do uneven bars, damn! Anyone that’s bitching about this, take up a sport and see how well you do!
UMMM..you do realize this is not Russia and she didnt HAVE TO DO A DAMN THING???? And your point about Jordan having to go on with ZERO notice and what they think was very little warm up..but yet we want to boo hoo about BILES’ mental pressure???
we are talking about BILES having a DIVA BITCH fit. with no concern of her team mates and the pressure they got handed to the at THE LAST MINUTE!!…
lort gawd….
We can be anything in the world. Be kind as we don’t know what path another is walking.Its easy to cheer when things are going well it time to support and show love now things are bad.
We show ourselves through what we write .I’m sending love and peace to Simone I’m rooting for you girlđĽ°
Judgmental much? Accusing Simone of having a diva bitch fit? Perhaps youâre projecting your own failures onto her? What other reason could you have for being so damn judge? I just canât with you people.
Iâm pretty sure none of you could even come close to doing what she does on her worst day. Yet you sit on your throne of assumptions and cast a bunch of negative energy. Smh when will we do better as a people đ¤ˇđ˝ââď¸
The only negativity I see here is commenters like you. Coming for other commenters. Y’all need to understand the difference between speculating about what happened and what her motivations were for quitting, when you are were in bed and we were trying to figure out what happened.
Thanks for supporting exactly what I said. While yâall were assuming and speculating negativity. I was awaiting facts from my office with thoughts of compassion and empathy.
Exactly. Tt is trying to gaslight and make it seem like the defenders of Simone are the negative ones, when she started the negativity. When her ass canât handle following and recapping a tv show. They sit from their couches and mock the most decorated gymnast in history. And sheâs deleting comments that call her out on her Bs. These people are attacking her like sheâs some reality star, when sheâs a Olympic gymnast with no familial support with her. Truly disgusting.
Gaslight⌠avoid accountability. As a combat vet who suffers from PTSD and a pile of other mental health issues. The first thing I thought was maybe sheâs struggling with something we âcanât seeâ. Thatâs what a compassionate and empathetic person who knows the struggles emulate.
Gaslighting is a colloquialism for a specific type of manipulation where the manipulator is successful in having the target question their own reality, memory or perceptions.
Yes. It totally sounds like people here are attempting to gaslight me. But I remember exactly what happened WHEN IT HAPPENED. Yet people seem to think we had all the facts when this happened in real time, and are conflating two situations. One where we had one explanation and a later one where it seems like we have a few more different explanations.
This is why new commenters need to READ THE COMMENTING RULES. They start like this.
You are here: Home / Commenting Rules
Commenting Rules
The Internet is a great and wondrous place. Everyone can find their niche. Here is a guide to figuring out if this is the place for you. This is a decision you should be able to make for yourself. If you determine this is not the place for you, there is no need for a dramatic exit. Just head off to find your happy place! There is no need to tell me you are leaving. I am not going to beg you to stay. In fact, many people need some help leaving here. I can assist with that if you need the help. I have a lovely area called the Window Licking Section (WLS) where we will never hear from you again. Here are some ways I will send you looking for a new place to express yourself.
Also I am getting tired of playing with my prey today. So I’m gonna help a few of you to find the vastness that is the INTERNET. There is really no need to hang out with a horrible person like me all day. Surely, there are people you like SOMEWHERE on the Internet? GO BE WITH YOUR PEOPLE. LOL.
Amen Angel.
Lol a hit dog will yelp!!!!
I am watching now and the Russian girls seem far superior to be honest. I think her ego was bruised after making so many mistakes but you never know. I have a question. What happens when these girls are having their period and have to perform or are their periods stopped for competition? Can’t imagine that happening or having to wear a tampax.
Good question!! Another great reason why women in any sport should not be expected to wear bikini type uniforms up to their vag.
@MHP — I cannot believe the Norwegians were going to be fined for not wearing bikini bottoms. Seriously! Is it sport or Hooters?
Agree about the Russian girls.
Whew chile…some of these comments tho. Don’t have the energy to go in. Simone is GOAT periodt. Honestly don’t care what happened, she has all my support and positive thoughts.
SAME!
First time commenting but I am so disappointed in you Tamara. You talk about your mental health issues all of the time and you have no sympathy for Simone? This is a girl who was assaulted for years and then had the weight of the world on her shoulders. This had nothing to do with being a sore loser. She did this for herself and her team. I am praying she is getting the support she needs right now. The comments on this are absolutely disgusting. You people should be ashamed of yourselves.
One more thing: some of the elements she performs are very dangerous. Not being in it mentally could injure her for life.
ONCE MORE WITH FEELING… I was reporting on news as it happened. All we knew at the time is that she had a poor performance and then quit. a FULL DAY LATER you are coming in here making judgements on how I feel about mental health issues? I went to bed and didn’t know about the mental health situation until all of you came in to claim I am not supportive of mental health. I’m the fucking poster child for mental health issues and have nothing but sympathy for those who suffer as I do.
Yep. I feel the same. Wtf??
I have been reader here for years and never commented. I took a break from the site after Megan Markle left the UK but this thread just might be even worse.
How many of us have pushed through something even though every single cell in our body was telling us not do it?
How many of us have gone through with something for fear of letting someone down even though we knew it wasn’t in our best interest?
Would it make it more exceptable to you all if Simone revealed a physical injury? Would it be her ego then? Is she a diva then? Or perhaps she should have pulled a Keri Strugg. Who in their right mind would believe the greatest gymnast in history would quit in the middle of an international competition without good reason? It’s asinine that some of you actually think that much less said it out loud.
This community gives so much space, grace, and support to Tamara when she is struggling mentally and can’t finish a recap. You don’t question it. You believe her. Yet you can’t extend the same grace and support to someone who is on the global stage and needs it the most. It doesn’t matter what we found out and when. What matters is that we support her.
*acceptable
Excellent comment. Thank you for it as I am too weary to continue responding to these comments from apparently bitter and judgmental people.
What team mates are gonna say, “so glad you asked us. yes, we think you should drop out.” They’re a team, they’re going tell her to stay and try to lift her up. I think it would be unfair for Simone to put that decision on them while in the midst of competition. She did the right thing in my opinion.
I saw a quote from her before the Games about competing at the ripe old age of 24. She said she used to be fearless but now, with age, she thinks twice about some moves and maybe that just kept getting worse. That and being a molestation victim that could’ve been triggered at the Games.
Wow. So much for compassion or understanding. So much negativity and hatred for a person that none of you know. Who gives a shit if she decided not to compete? Does it affect your life in any way? If you are her teammate or a family member then you have every right to be pissed or concerned. Otherwise, relax and enjoy the other girlsâ performance.
Agree
I love you, Simone. #GOAT <3
To me the large majority of the negativity in these comments is other commenters coming in late after we actually learned what happened and screeching at people who DID NOT HAVE ANY INFORMATION. Clearly all of the regular commenters here understand struggles with mental health. Simone has A LOT of pressure on her and that must be a lot to deal with. I hope she is okay and getting the help that she needs.
You’re full of shit! You started this post being negative and posting your opinions when you had no information. You’re negative, yet want so much compassion when you’re mentally unwell. You’re so fake and phony and lack compassion unless it’s for you. You wonder why your commenters are mean and nasty, well
They get it from tou.
When I made a comment, stating up front I did not have the information on EJ, you had a very shitty reply. And when I gave the reason for not having the info, several commenters reached out with kindness and sympathy.
But not a peep from you. Wait, thatâs not true, you suddenly accepted my FB
Which I donât remember making.
Nancy- this is my last comment on this site (if it even gets posted), but I wanted to empathize with you. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been a loyal follower/commenter for years, when the mood strikes her, she attacks. And it’s hurtful. I finally saw who the ” person behind the curtain” was a few weeks ago, and although I still read (because the comments are good, even if the articles are not so much), I feel like my “Stockholm Syndrome” finally lifted, and it’s liberating to get away from the toxicity.
Since I slept all day, I went to get caught up and there are a LOT of rumors out there that are WAY WORSE than anything said in these comments.
Rumors like…….????
So this it what she said.
7:25 AM PT — Biles just gave a tearful explanation for her withdrawal from the competition … saying it was NOT injury related — she’s been struggling with mental health issues.
“Just my pride is hurt a little bit,” Biles told reporters.
“After the performance that I did, I didnât want to go into the other events so I thought I would take a step back,” she added.
Biles says she’s been seeing a therapist to help battle her “demons” … and is going to use Wednesday as a “mental health day.”
I expect her to perform in the individuals at this point.
I sincerely pray that her therapist can help her. She came into this Olympics under huge pressure. I think weâd all love to see her come back strong and perform her best. Whether that will happen or not, we can only wait and see. đđđ
I have love for Simone and TT. Shit happens. We all fuck up.
I am really shocked by all the hatred here, mostly toward me. Here are the facts.
I sleep on a really fucked up schedules and have been up watching the Olympics IN REAL TIME. I posted this post IN REAL TIME. At THE TIME the reason for her quitting was a “medical issue/injury” There was ABSOLUTELY no visible injury during the vault. NONE. So at that time, we could only SPECULATE about the real reason she quit. I am a HUGE SIMONE BILES FAN. I was devastated that she quit.
None of us AT THE TIME SHE QUIT KNEW THAT SHE WAS HAVING MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. For anyone to say I don’t have compassion for mental health issues who has ever been here before is ridiculous.
TT, I appreciate that you were trying to keep us updated with the most recent information as events unfolded. Youâre right, that sure is a thankless job! But thank you anyway.
Maybe Iâm weird, but I think of Olympic athletes as fragile creatures. They havenât lived normal lives, and I think of all the ways that could affect a person. I just want them all to enjoy their Olympic experience, and be okay afterward.
I think a lot of people commented while you were resting and after NUMEROUS stories were released hours after this story broke. I read all the press releases and multiple news stories all day today. I did watch the full gymnastics from yesterday while eating dinner tonight. And I do understand what you were saying after watching that. You have been extremely kind to me and I know you have a good heart. She fucked up, I have fucked up, we have all fucked up. And we have all ( hopefully) have decided to do what is best for us. Love you TT.
Thanks. Like most everyone. I love Simone. That said as other things come out she will indeed be back for the individuals. There is apparently some friction between her and the team. I can see that. It must suck to go to the Olympics with Simone Biles who is literally th GOAT.
I am awake stressing the fuck out that my son’s open house is tomorrow evening. I might send you and email to purge and you do not have to reply.
Well, Biles is not competing in the individuals. She has said that she got the â twisties â which means she lost her place in the air. Her tricks are extremely dangerous and she risks paralysis or death if she competes with this condition.
I think people think that you should have given her the benefit of the doubt instead of reflexively criticizing her for pulling out. She competed in the nationals while passing a kidney stone, has competed with fractures in her foot. Biles has shown herself to be a fierce competitor or she would have never gotten to the level that she is at now.
Bingo!! Should have given benefit of doubt and showed compassion in beginning ! Instead you said she is a quitter and called people morons for showing compassion.
I donât know if Iâm allowed to mention it here but there was a very good HBO documentary on Olympic athletes and mental health issues and suicides that came out last year, I think. It featured Michael Phelps and other athletes. I encourage folks to check it out. Iâm 100 percent behind her decision.
Iâm a momma of young adults, and honestly, they still are not fully cooked at 24. When I think of my own anxiety-prone girl having a meltdown over some clerk speaking harshly to her at the DMV, I canât imagine the pressure that the whole world has put on Simone. Sheâs a moneymaker for so many people. I just hope she is getting the help that she needs.
Simone is not now competing in the individual events.I hope she starts on the road to healing .We all need a bit of help sometimes and it often takes a big event( luckily for us not an Olympic stage)for us to see this. Gymnastics was simones safe place and then we all found out it was anything but for her.
All the time she gave those performances whist suffering goodness knows what.She is not weak or a diva she is trying to live and thrive under circumstances we can only imagine.
Oftentimes here I see mean but witty comments .I come for the laughs as well mainly because I feel as if I have not had a laugh in so long.
Today I hope its a place of kindness support and love for as someone once said All we need is love .we all need love , Olympic gymnast as well as tattlers as I like to think of us.So love to all the commenter and love to Tâ¤
Again…what is “black girl magic?” It was mentioned in an earlier post on this thread. Just curious.
“Black Girl Magic” is a phrase and movement coined/created by a black woman which is meant to embody the “supernatural” qualities of black women that have mystified others throughout history in which black women have tended to persevere no matter the obstacles, carrying heavy burdens of various sorts without appearing to break a sweat, making things happen and surviving as they carry not just their own weight but the weight of others. On the positive side, the perceived magic makes jaws drop in awe and admiration. On the negative side, it makes people question black women who succeed (“She must have cheated”, “She must be screwing somebody to have that job”, “She must have done some voodoo”).
The concept is controversial because there is racism underlying the notion. In order to be mystified that someone is winning at whatever they are doing (whether it be in sports, academia, daily life), you must first imagine that they didn’t enter the arena with a chance of winning and therefore there must be some magic involved when they do. Of course, the truth is that there is nothing supernatural about it in a literal sense. We are all human and the “magic” lies in things such as the fact that black women can be smart and particularly resourceful, and that they lean on each other, thus providing incredible support that others may not always see. Some have argued that black women should not use this phrase as it implies they are something other than human, while others focus on the irony behind it and view seizing the “magical qualities” thrust upon them as a form of empowerment.
There is an “insider” aspect to “black girl magic” such that it is easily and widely misinterpreted. As a hashtag and catchphrase, it has taken on a life of its own that has little to do with its original and intended meaning and unfortunately shores up the underlying racism that led to its development. The insider fact is that there is no magic in the sense of other-than-human powers or existence; that part of it is lost on many, to the detriment of black women and the power of the movement. To the extent the phrase has encouraged others to expect even more superhuman things from Simone Biles and thereby increased the enormous pressure on her, some would say it has done more harm than good. Others would say that people were already expecting superhuman things from Simone Biles and hope that Simone herself understands what “black girl magic” actually means, and finds solace and strength in it.
This concludes my Cliffs Notes dissertation on “Black Girl Magic”.
SLOW CLAP, Poppy!! I’m black and I didn’t even know all of that. You broke it down, girl! Nicely done!
Thank you. Well said. Sounds like alot of pressure.
I remember the post on Luis, the real estate guy. He was supposedly going through challenges with the mother of his child. Most people were adamant that they were not going to make an opinion until they had all the information. Meanwhile Simone is getting eaten up!!! All information was not given at the time. It still may not be. Sheâs being called a diva, selfish etc. Iâm pretty sure nobody actually knows her but are making some nasty comments. I lurk for a reason. Iâm awed by comments sometimes. I enjoy most of Tamaraâs takes. I will agree that if she says something snarky commenters go TF IN on the subject!!! If sheâs empathetic you follow suit. Iâll continue to lurk because I refuse to argue with people I donât know over people I donât know. My depression and anxiety wonât let me . Iâve followed this blog since itâs inception. The comments have been darker than this. I took a break and came back and was kinda surprised that it was different. However, hot button subjects race and politics elicit some of the nastiest comments. Iâm going to just read the posts and stay out of the comments. Even with directions for commenting the ugliness still shines through.
Here is my roadmap for the sticky topics, not only in active conversation but also in observing and evaluating ideas and people such as Bravo housewives and internet commenters who go ’round and ’round on topics and never gain any ground, which is exhausting and anxiety-provoking even as a bystander:
1. Words have standard and objective definitions which must be known and understood by both sides to a conversation. We cannot form good ideas unless we first understand the standard definitions.
2. People place individual nuances on the aforesaid words when forming ideas.
3. We cannot understand the ideas of others unless we discern and accept the individual nuances they have applied to the objective words for the sake of their ideas/arguments. We can argue about objective definitions but we cannot argue about personal nuances.
4. We cannot apply our own nuances to the ideas of others and expect to find a logical trail back to the words.
5. When I see others foisting their personal nuances upon words as a basis for countering ideas, I try to correct them in conversation (hopefully as a gentlewoman but sometimes as a bitch, depending on my mood) or, if I am a bystander/viewer, I swear at the television or computer monitor. If they persist in imposing their nuances, I withdraw from the conversation or turn off the spectacle because we/they will never connect and I expect a bottle of ten Xanax to last at least one year.
I wholeheartedly concur with your comment. Tamara’s recaps are everything and she’s ALWAYS THE FIRST AND MOST ACCURATE WITH THE TEA, but many of her supporters are latently and blatantly judgmental and often just downright biased and nasty. It’s unfortunate that certain people are given largesse in their ALLEGED transgressions and others (like Simone) are eaten for breakfast before the cock crows. It’s disheartening at best.
I am disappointed in TT. Iâm disappointed in the rush to cast Simone as a sore loser who had a temper tantrum. Anyone who knows anything about Simone knows she is a competitor, first and foremost. She would just âquitâ. I see you defending your early comments, over and over, as reporting on what you j de at the time. This is BS and you need to be called out.
The fact that you made any judgment immediately, and made it in manner most damaging to Simone is wrong. And you wonât admit this. If you knew nothing, say nothing. Yet you said A LOT, and all of it was so, so wrong.
I hope you sincerely look at yourself and think about your initial reactionS ⌠you made many statements and have not truly thought about what you said or apologized. Self reflection is necessary. You, need to shut up. Sit down. Reflect.
I am going to speak completely from actual experience. I competed at her level, not in gymnastics but in diving. Unless you or someone you are close to competes at that level you really have no idea the daily injuries and pain you live with and compete with. The drive to win and compete with an elite athlete is unbelievable. Everyone supporting you when you at this level tells you to work through the pain, win through the pain. The whole system is just there to push and push you until you simply either walk away or get injured so badly that the issues continue for the remainder of your life. And that is just the physical, that doesn’t even touch on the mental trip they put you on. Maybe she is physically injured, maybe it’s more she is just mentally hurt, either way the courage it takes to walk away at that level is respect worthy. I know, because I was forced to walk away due to injury and pregnancy. There have been a lot of hard things in my life, just like alot of others in this world. The day I had to call my coach after I made the Olympic trials and tell him I could no longer compete is by far the toughest conversation I’ve ever had to have. I heard the speeches from him “your team is depending on your. your country is depending on you”. These athletes are people and they are more than the skills they perform to win a medal. Now I am an old lady who rewatches the divers from the year I should have been there to compete and think “if only”. Then I get up and walk and I heard the clicks and cracks and feel the lasting pain in my ankles, knees and hips. I look at my children and grandchildren I have now over 30 years later and I often wonder should I have quit earlier. Would I be in less pain if I quit earlier? If I had not spent every moment of my life for years being told my team was depending on me over and over, the I had to work through the pain, diving on damaged ankles and knees and hips hurts!, would I today feel ok with saying I can’t do something if someone says “I’m depending on you”. It’s a mental mind game that sorry but elite athletes, ok just this former elite athlete, has a hard time saying No to something even now over 30 years after I walked away. When the glitz and the glam are gone. When the Olympics are over. At the end of the day these are all still human beings that will spend years recovering from the physical beating they put themselves through to get and stay at that level. Who will spend years recovering from the mental pressure they live under. My prayers are with Simone. Everyone needs to remember that she is part of a team. 1 athlete should never carry the whole world or country on her or his shoulders.
Very well said.
â¤â¤â¤â¤â¤Thank you for this. Well said.
WOW! Thanks for sharing that JoJersey. xo
đđťđđťđđťđđťđđť JoJersey
Amen. That would be a difficult decision to make at any time, but 30 years ago, even more so. Good for you.
Your words remind me of when a comic actor quits drinking and people say they should start drinking again because they are not funny now that they are sober. Like they owe âusâ their sobriety and best life, just for a few hardy har hars.
You owe all of your followers an apology. Stop excusing your inexcusable behavior.
Take accountability.
Read the room and tone. You were wrong. You need to say it and say it loudly.
Take responsibility.
Mikko, I agree with you đŻ, but she wonât apologize and admit she started the comments and post with negativity.
Oh I clearly started out with negativity. The BREAKING NEWS was she dropped out because of an injury. We saw no injury on that vault.That’s when I made the smartass comment about the broken back. Because it was clear she didn’t injure herself. Then, it was announced hours later while I was sleeping that it was a mental health issue. No part of my brain considered a mental health issue. And still today there are conflicting reports.
Regardless, I’m still a Simone Biles fan and she will forever be the GOAT. It is interesting to see how others view me, and my own mental health issues here though. Apparently, compassion is only for certain people. Once more with FEELING, the comments that I made were in real time before we knew about her mental health struggles.
That’s not the point and you know it. Instead of waiting for the reason as to why she dropped out, you were negative. You basically called her a sore loser. Instead of waiting for the true nature and for her to make a statement, you chose to make negative assumptions. Once more with feeling, you were wrong and need to apologize for your negativity. Carry on.
Apologize for my negativity? ROFLMAO. Have you met me? Or looked at yourself? FUCK OFF. How is that for negativity miss first time commenter? Since when am I not allowed to evaluate the situation at hand? They said she had an injury. We saw no injury. Then it was mental health. Now it is she is losing her place in the air. There have been multiple conflicting explanations. Frankly, she doesn’t have to tell us a reason. She needs to do whatever she needs to do. But there will always be speculation.
Monique, girl… donât waste your time. Tamara certainly called Simone a sore loser and you know she wonât apologize. She instead tells you to fuck off. Girl, donât even waste your time. Youâre prob blocked by now and possibly so am I. Tamara thinks she can talk to people like crap because sheâs behind a computer and running this page. Sheâs damn miserable. No way sheâd be cursing at you in person. Sheâs a keyboard gangster and she sets the tone for her loyal commenters. She knows it. Sheâs content with the person she is at her big ass age. Donât even let it get to you. Trust me, youâre better off
Exactly. Her fat ass struggles to deal with her dog. She claims to support mental health issues, but wonât apologize for being wrong? Sheâs so full of shit, and such a loser.
Nope, you’re right and I see that. I really am waisting my time. This site had gone all the way down!
I donât get why we even care about sports at this level. I have a young daughter and itâs already about insane training and blah blah, and no one can just have some fun anymore. The six year olds are having actual competition. This is what we are âlooking upâ to?
Let China and Russia take all the sports for all I care. Especially let all those rapey gymnastics people burn. Sure, the doctor is in prison, but he isnât the only one who knew.
It’s the last sentence in your comment for me. You better preach.
Your last sentence speaks to me because Iâve been wondering if Simone saw someone or something that triggered PTSD over that abuse.
Tamara, I am sorry for any posts I made jumping on you before you knew the facts of why she quit. I wrote them after I knew the facts and wrongly jumped on you.
I think that is really cool of you….just wanted to say that. Seems like people got so in their feelings, they couldn’t see anything beyond that….talk about “benefit of the doubt”. Guess that is only extended to world class athletes….
There are people making negative comments about the people they feel made negative comments about Simon Biles decision to withdraw from the All Around Olympics Event. Ever heard of the old adage “Two Wrongs Don’t Make A Right”. I’m sorry, but ripping apart Tamara (who has been very open about her mental health struggles) regarding her comments before she knew Simon Biles had a mental health issue means you are DOING THE EXACT SAME THING YOU ARE COMPLAINING ABOUT. Has there ever been a time you’ve said or made a comment that you wish you could take back? If you say No you are a liar. How about we try to be open to other people’s opinions even if we don’t agree with them. If this is to long TT feel free not to post. I hope you are having a better day and please give Banjo a hug for me
I had the same response.
WOW. In other news, Piers Morgan is an even bigger asshole than I thought.
Nobody should judge or tell someone with mental health issues to just get over it! I struggled for 20 years before going on SSRI for debilitating anxiety attacks. Unless youâve been there, just shut up. TT, NOT talking about you since youâve been very open about your anxiety! Some newscasters are absolute assholes!!! Everyone?? Practice love first before speaking.
Gigi, is that what Piers said?
READ THE POST AGAIN!
PAY ATTENTION TO THE TIME FRAME!
When Tamara posted this, there was NO SOLID INFO!
She was very upset ABOUT the news and FOR Simone Biles.
The REPORTS AT THE TIME did not offer details.
Tamara HAD NOT SEEN the event. When she went to YouTube, she didnât see what looked like a bad injury. WHEN SHE SAYS, âThis is fake news, right?â she WAS NOT saying Simone was faking it. It was a HOPEFUL statement/question that this just had to be fake NEWS. Like when some reliable source posts about the death of a beloved pop star. And then itâs not true. And we all breathe a sigh of relief. Only this time, it is true. Simone is out. đ
No diss on a Black athlete. No disparaging remarks on mental/emotional difficulties. Just a đ˘ and a hope the news wasnât true!
Her comments say otherwise. Despite her trying to gaslight others, the time stamps of TTâs comments clearly show negativity. âI patiently await her broken back,â âIMO she quit because sheâs a sore loser.â She attacked Simone in the comments without knowing the facts.
Simone has pressure that people canât even dream of, and sheâs going through it without family to support her. Itâs obvious sheâs out of it mentally, but waiting to make assumptions would have been the kind thing to do. Instead, she went in the comments being a total rude person. And she wonât apologize for it. That shows the type of person she is. She wants sympathy for her âmental health struggles,â but she wonât own up to or apologize for jumping to conclusions for a woman whoâs going through mental health problems.
I have never read such vitriol in a commentary section. What is wrong with you? Please donât answer. Youâre not hurting Tamara. Youâre just paying her bills.
Some commenters are applying their own nuances to the words of others and reacting illogically. It’s exhausting.
I had the same thought with regard to Tamara’s bills!
What price glory?
There is a defining aspect of the Olympics that borders on brutality (or perhaps IS brutality, depending on where one draws the line), both physical and mental. There are stories from individual athletes describing training conditions and coaching methods that seem barbaric to the general public but which are willingly (and often gratefully) endured – and sometimes resented after the fact. I liken it to a long-term boot camp with unforgiving drill sergeants, where autonomy is sacrificed in order to prepare mind and body over years to win an ultimate war that requires superhuman fortitude of body and mind.
This is the nature of the Olympics. Nobody is forced to compete (at least not within the boundaries of the law); they choose it for the glory, the rush, the endorsements, or any number of personal reasons. That being said, there are reports, especially in gymnastics, of tactics and behavior that might be called unacceptable in a civilized society. And, we must always bear in mind that athletes at their prime tend to be young people whose frontal cortices are not fully developed and who may not be capable of rationally determining where a line should be drawn.
Any country as a people may decide that the line must be drawn for its young athletes at a lower threshold than it has been historically. The US may decide that requiring a mental health day in the midst of competition is understandable and is not a disqualification from being considered âOlympic material.â There are certainly arguments to be made for it.
Everything comes at a price. The price of a lower threshold is that winning shifts farther from our athletesâ grasps. There are other countries with higher thresholds who still expect unequivocally superhuman mental and physical endurance, whose athletes will win gold at the end of the day. Without a solid chance at gold, many of the primary reasons for subjecting oneself to harsh training evaporate. Perhaps the US has finished its day in the Olympic sun; time will tell. Should a point be reached of world consensus for a universally lower threshold, it will be the point at which the Olympics no longer exist.
Back in the winter of 1976, when I lived in Tahoe, I had a fairytale fling with the handsome pst man IâVE EVER SEEN. He also was one of the smartest. He was in graduate school for psychology. He was a pro-caliber skier. He wanted to combine those to become the team psychologist for the US ski team. His theory â in 1976 rather revolutionaryâ was that when people reach that echelon of skill and fitness that the MENTAL EDGE is what could win the gold. The SIMPLE exercise he used on me was to visualize myself going down the run perfectly and hold that image in my head as I skied downhill. This was at Alpine Meadows midweek, so everyone knew just about everyone of scores of people on the mountain. Apres ski, at the bar at the bottom, EVERY GIRL I knew came up and asked me WHERE I met that fine dude. EVERY GUY asked me why my skiing had improved by leaps.
Now ⌠take that positive mental state and reverse it. Olympians are not average people messing around doing sports. Having a non-peak mental state could lead to injuries, perhaps permanent. Perhaps fatal.