irritated with USAG and Simone crew

[Really]

I suspect sponsors and corporations make far more money off of Simone than she gets from them.

Of course they do. What's your point?

 

[Deleted member 26368]

Of course they do. What's your point?

That it's highly unlikely that she was milking them for money before withdrawing from competing today, which seemed to be what you were suggesting.

 

[txgymfan]

Simone calling herself the GOAT isn't cockiness, it's self-awareness.

She’s said before, it’s based off of her world and Olympic medals being higher than anyone else. She never said it until it was proven.

 

[KTkittentoes]

Her podium training was great. Even qualification was really good, just not usual Simone fabulosity.

 

[Really]

That it's highly unlikely that she was milking them for money before withdrawing from competing today, which seemed to be what you were suggesting.

I've already clarified this, but it's possible you didn't read the entire thread. The original poster wondered, "Why not bow out gracefully like so many before her?" I mentioned endorsement deals as a possibility, which I am again on the record as finding completely unobjectionable. I think it's fully understandable that Simone would want to look out for herself financially. You're the one that's reframing it as "milking them for money." Just to be clear, that's your value judgment, not mine.

 

[skschlag]

Her podium training was great. Even qualification was really good, just not usual Simone fabulosity.

She did the same thing on her vault in warmups that she did in teh finals.

 

[Deleted member 26368]

I've already clarified this, but it's possible you didn't read the entire thread. The original poster wondered, "Why not bow out gracefully like so many before her?" I mentioned endorsement deals as a possibility, which I am again on the record as finding completely unobjectionable. I think it's fully understandable that Simone would want to look out for herself financially. You're the one that's reframing it as "milking them for money." Just to be clear, that's your value judgment, not mine.

I have most definitely read the entire thread. Slow work day . However, I was referencing what you said in an earlier post.

I feel similarly to you. She should have withdrawn before team qualfications at the latest. And the only answer I can come up with for your question "Why not bow out gracefully like so many before her?" is... for the endorsements, sadly. The longer she could keep up appearances that she's going to be at the top of the podium at these Olympics, the more money she stood to make from endorsement deals. Anyway, if that's what happened (I don't know for a fact), that's her prerogative. Best of luck to her.

I don't think she pushed through - "kept up appearances" - for endorsement money, that was my point.

 

[rjb123]

I think her brain literally snapped today. Like an ankle. I remember seeing my daughter snap on a skill with the twisties when she was little once. She was totally fine, tumbling great and then it was almost audible to me- it snapped. Poof. Hers came back in a few days but it was terrifying for her at the time. I can’t fathom what that felt like for Simone. On TV. At the Olympics. Because just like my daughter when I saw her this morning I “heard” the snap while she was vaulting. She didn’t ask for it, or want this. It just snapped. In regards to pressure and the goat thing, well I don’t think SHE was the instigator of this in the beginning. I mean wasn’t that an NBC thing? And do you really think she was all “hey guys let bring a live goat in the gym for tv!” I mean I sure dont! And I’m almost willing to bet that GK came up with that goat on the Leo thing, not her. And likely it felt great at first. And it boosted her confidence and helped keep her going. And then she got back to the olympics, where she had HUGE expectations on her. And also where she was victimized in many ways. And she’s isolated. And her family isnt there. And she’s dealing with all this stuff and she’s coping and pushing and then- it just snapped. I do t blame her or think she needed to scratch earlier. I don’t think she really saw it coming. I mean I kind of saw it coming but like my whole job is to pay attention to this stuff- people and tiny little changes in them. My wish for her is that she feels nothing but love and support right now. That all the mamas out there who cried for her today ( I sure did! More than once) and prayed for her (ditto above) have given her some sense of peace in this whole thing. Because is literally JUST gymnastics. No one died ( thank God!) and the world is still turning. She is more than just a gymnast. Frankly she’s a great coach, supporter, friend, teammate, human. I pray she knows that is first and foremost the most important part of who she is. Enough of my rambling. Huge mama hugs coming her way from me. Nothing but love for her.

 

[ausnat83]

I'm struggling to respond to this politely, and I want to thank others for offering some wise, calm words.

Read through this board. Spend some time soaking in the struggle that gymnasts and their parents have when considering whether it's time for a level 7-10 to potentially leave the sport, and then consider Simone and her teammates get to where they are by being mind-blowingly dedicated to this sport and to achieving their goals for much longer, in a much bigger way. They've shaped their entire lives around the pursuit of being the best gymnasts they can possibly be. A huge part of what makes Simone so incredible is that fierce, intrinsic drive to keep improving, keep getting better, and never settle for anything less than being the GOAT. Most of us look for extrinsic motivators like endorsement money to point to because we can't fathom pursuing something with that level of dedication and fight.

And that same unquenchable thirst to do the impossible means that saying "enough" even for one night of competition is a herculean feat.

 

[bookworm]

And then to add insult to injury, Skinner’s husband posts trash about Simone (his wife’s roommate! Awkward) on his Instagram within an hour of the finish! He posted “funny how when you don’t take a team capable of winning gold … they don’t win gold” … and i get that Skinner didn’t do the actual posting but if your husband posted this that quickly, its been a topic of discussion in their home .

So for as much as Skinner called herself a big cheerleader, Simone has to deal with a traitor in her midst (and room ! ) as well as the twisties that only gymnasts really understand … and all the narps (“non athletic regular people”) calling her a quitter . And not for nothing, everytime theres a big interview with her , they ask about Nassar …ripping the scab off that nightmare all the time . And her family isn’t there to just hug her and love her ….

 

[gymgal]

A huge part of what makes Simone so incredible is that fierce, intrinsic drive to keep improving, keep getting better, and never settle for anything less than being the GOAT. Most of us look for extrinsic motivators like endorsement money to point to because we can't fathom pursuing something with that level of dedication and fight.

And that same unquenchable thirst to do the impossible means that saying "enough" even for one night of competition is a herculean feat.

This is my point. She hasn't seemed like she had been doing this for *herself* for quite some time. If we could see this in the public eye, there were most certainly more clues in her private life that her family teammates and coaches saw. Instead of pushing her to continue why not help her to retire gracefully?

 

[bookworm]

I think that Tom should have stepped in and put the brakes on some of the upgrades Simone was doing…at some point (aka today) , she was going to max out of how many twists and flips she could do and get lost in them but I don’t think Tom recognized what was happening … thus the disaster today

My girls have been saying all season that she was headed for the twisties with all of the upgrades and her “uncharacteristic “ mistakes… they kept saying “something is up “ with her …

 

[gymgal]

And then to add insult to injury, Skinner’s husband posts trash about Simone (his wife’s roommate! Awkward) on his Instagram within an hour of the finish! He posted “funny how when you don’t take a team capable of winning gold … they don’t win gold” … and i get that Skinner didn’t do the actual posting but if your husband posted this that quickly, its been a topic of discussion in their home .

So for as much as Skinner called herself a big cheerleader, Simone has to deal with a traitor in her midst (and room ! ) as well as the twisties that only gymnasts really understand … and all the narps (“non athletic regular people”) calling her a quitter . And not for nothing, everytime theres a big interview with her , they ask about Nassar …ripping the scab off that nightmare all the time . And her family isn’t there to just hug her and love her ….

I would not make that assumption that Skinner discussed this with him. Besides, that was a crack on Grace, not Simone. If Skinner and Biles are truly friends (and all indications are that they are), I am sure all of this has already been discussed throughout the last few days.

 

[bookworm]

I read in an article that he thought Skinner should have replaced Simone … clueless

 

[Agymnast]

And Skinner showed somewhere clearly that she doesnt agree with him posting all this trash. So Simone isnt dealing with traitor in her room. Skinner posting a really nice post of support and encouragement (can't find it this sec)

 

[gymnastmom05]

This is my point. She hasn't seemed like she had been doing this for *herself* for quite some time. If we could see this in the public eye, there were most certainly more clues in her private life that her family teammates and coaches saw. Instead of pushing her to continue why not help her to retire gracefully?

I agree with you as much as that might not be the popular opinion. I don't want anyone to suffer mentally or physically. I just wished those around her would have stepped in sooner. I am so sad for Simone. I hope she feels better. But I also feel so sad for the girls that weren't given the opportunity for this experience. And that's all I'm going to say because I just don't have the right words.

 

[MuggleMom]

Just so Skinners Husband knows if you take her scores from Qualification night (
Some of the best she has put up) and replace the lowest scores on the US team to get the "optimal" score then you would only use her scores on vault and floor where the US essentially had a fall (replace Simones vault and Jordans Floor) and the US would STILL GET SILVER. So theres that. Her scores on Bars and Beam were all lower than the US's lowest scores on that event. So having her on the team instead of anyone would not have won us the gold as things stood.

 

[MuggleMom]

Also I'm not the biggest Mykala fan but maybe her husband is just an idiot....like when Giselle complained about the receivers in the Superbowl after hubby Tom lost. Sometimes your spouse just doesnt know what they are talking about I dont know if that is something they have necessarily complained about together at home.

 

[Deleted member 26718]

I feel that she should have bowed out of competition months ago. It is public knowledge that Simone has been injured and has had confidence issues for months leading up to the Olympics. She has had more difficulty with her landings and execution in general.

The only way I would agree with this would be if (I don't believe this is the case) she was pushing forward due only to others' expectations, and really didn't want to be doing it. Otherwise, if she wanted to be competing, she had absolutely every right in the world to take all the chances she had.

As much as I would have loved to see MyKayla getting a chance on the team, or getting a chance at just one freaking Olympic medal in the upcoming individual events by Simone bowing out - Simone has indisputably earned all of it. If she DOES bow out of the vault final, which honestly seems like a really good idea just for her sake, and MyKayla gets her shot at a medal - AWESOME. If however Simone believes she can do it, that's her choice and she has every right to do so. That's sport. For the same reason that I wanted MyKayla on the team because I believed the numbers justified it, Simone also has more right than MyKayla because her numbers justify it.

Assuming things about athletes intentions, such as "she just did a token attempt for the endorsements" is just such poor taste. You're not inside their head. You don't know their intentions.

 

[wandrewsjr]

The only way I would agree with this would be if (I don't believe this is the case) she was pushing forward due only to others' expectations, and really didn't want to be doing it. Otherwise, if she wanted to be competing, she had absolutely every right in the world to take all the chances she had.

As much as I would have loved to see MyKayla getting a chance on the team, or getting a chance at just one freaking Olympic medal in the upcoming individual events by Simone bowing out - Simone has indisputably earned all of it. If she DOES bow out of the vault final, which honestly seems like a really good idea just for her sake, and MyKayla gets her shot at a medal - AWESOME. If however Simone believes she can do it, that's her choice and she has every right to do so. That's sport. For the same reason that I wanted MyKayla on the team because I believed the numbers justified it, Simone also has more right than MyKayla because her numbers justify it.

Assuming things about athletes intentions, such as "she just did a token attempt for the endorsements" is just such poor taste. You're not inside their head. You don't know their intentions.

Yes. And also would like to respond to the “she should have bowed out to give others a chance” criticism. All those gymnasts DID have a chance to be on the Olympic team or to make an Olympic final. Simone beat them, both at trials and in Olympic qualifications.

Simone didn’t ride any past achievements onto the team. She won her spot on the team and her spot in all the finals fair and square. She literally posted the highest score in the world 48 hours before team final. Simone should have pulled out because she was only beating everyone else by tenths instead of whole points?!