Covympics

[stitchface]

Maybe the novelty would wear off, but whenever I watch handball at the olympics I feel like it should be a lot more popular in the US.

 

Really? I find it really boring - maybe because I don't understand it.

[Ding Dong Johnson]

So the US men’s basketball team is playing right now yet it’s not being televised? What kind of stupidity is this? But women’s 3x3 basketball is being hyped as next on NBC. Lol.

 

The US men’s basketball team sucks balls

They should consider using NBA players like they did in the 90s.

[jersey cubs fan]

So the US men’s basketball team is playing right now yet it’s not being televised? What kind of stupidity is this? But women’s 3x3 basketball is being hyped as next on NBC. Lol.

 

Pretty sure you can stream it on Peacock, though no idea if they paywalled it. I’d bet a lot they will show it on a major channel later today when they can get more eyeballs on it, that’s just how NBC handles the timezones for these.

No interest in trying to stream it and no need to watch it later when I already know the outcome.

it’s okay to say you don’t want to be watch it without pissing on a other sport

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

So the US men’s basketball team is playing right now yet it’s not being televised? What kind of stupidity is this? But women’s 3x3 basketball is being hyped as next on NBC. Lol.

 

The US men’s basketball team sucks balls

They should consider using NBA players like they did in the 90s.

Waiting for the punchline.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

As long as everyone is here to complain, the footage needs less swimming prelims, a LOT less beach volleyball, and absolutely no horsefeathering dressage.

 

My personal request would be for all gold medal combat sport events be aired, but I know that's just me and I'll never get anything close to that.

[bukie]

Headlines: "Simone Biles and US Women's Gymnasts falter in qualification"

 

Reality: Biles still had the best score all around by quite a bit, and the 5th and 6th best US women finished 9th and 11th overall. However, one of their top 4 did fall off the balance beam, causing the meaningless team score for the day to dip a bit below the Russian meaningless team score.

 

American women went 1st-2nd-4th on the vault, 2nd-10th on the bars, 3rd-7th on the beam, and 1st-3rd-9th on the floor. Because they didn't finish first through 5th on every apparatus in qualification, they "faltered".

[Proven Veteran]

Headlines: "Simone Biles and US Women's Gymnasts falter in qualification"

 

Reality: Biles still had the best score all around by quite a bit, and the 5th and 6th best US women finished 9th and 11th overall. However, one of their top 4 did fall off the balance beam, causing the meaningless team score for the day to dip a bit below the Russian meaningless team score.

 

American women went 1st-2nd-4th on the vault, 2nd-10th on the bars, 3rd-7th on the beam, and 1st-3rd-9th on the floor. Because they didn't finish first through 5th on every apparatus in qualification, they "faltered".

Yeah, they were barely trying and lost by a point overall.

[Derwood]

Headlines: "Simone Biles and US Women's Gymnasts falter in qualification"

 

Reality: Biles still had the best score all around by quite a bit, and the 5th and 6th best US women finished 9th and 11th overall. However, one of their top 4 did fall off the balance beam, causing the meaningless team score for the day to dip a bit below the Russian meaningless team score.

 

American women went 1st-2nd-4th on the vault, 2nd-10th on the bars, 3rd-7th on the beam, and 1st-3rd-9th on the floor. Because they didn't finish first through 5th on every apparatus in qualification, they "faltered".

 

Are you new to sports journalism? How do you expect them to write their "Comeback For the Ages!!!" headline if they don't frame the prelims as a disaster?

[Ding Dong Johnson]

They kicked that one girl out for weed.

 

[tweet]

[/tweet]

[Andy]

Headlines: "Simone Biles and US Women's Gymnasts falter in qualification"

 

Reality: Biles still had the best score all around by quite a bit, and the 5th and 6th best US women finished 9th and 11th overall. However, one of their top 4 did fall off the balance beam, causing the meaningless team score for the day to dip a bit below the Russian meaningless team score.

 

American women went 1st-2nd-4th on the vault, 2nd-10th on the bars, 3rd-7th on the beam, and 1st-3rd-9th on the floor. Because they didn't finish first through 5th on every apparatus in qualification, they "faltered".

I haven't made it all the way through the gymnastics from last night yet, but it was funny watching Biles falter on both floor and vault but still pile up high scores because the stuff she does has a wildly higher difficulty level than anyone else's.

[Transmogrified Tiger]

Headlines: "Simone Biles and US Women's Gymnasts falter in qualification"

 

Reality: Biles still had the best score all around by quite a bit, and the 5th and 6th best US women finished 9th and 11th overall. However, one of their top 4 did fall off the balance beam, causing the meaningless team score for the day to dip a bit below the Russian meaningless team score.

 

American women went 1st-2nd-4th on the vault, 2nd-10th on the bars, 3rd-7th on the beam, and 1st-3rd-9th on the floor. Because they didn't finish first through 5th on every apparatus in qualification, they "faltered".

I haven't made it all the way through the gymnastics from last night yet, but it was funny watching Biles falter on both floor and vault but still pile up high scores because the stuff she does has a wildly higher difficulty level than anyone else's.

 

The US trials were the same way, it's insane that she's doing stuff at such a different level that she can take on significant deductions for landings or stepping out of bounds and still be comfortably ahead of everyone.

[d_money]

Simone Biles has taken herself out of the team competition

[We Got The Whole 9]

Simone Biles has taken herself out of the team competition

She said it's hard going in there and being the "head star" but yet she has goats printed into her leotards.

 

Also pulling out of the all-around to focus on her mental health.

[jersey cubs fan]

Simone Biles has taken herself out of the team competition

She said it's hard going in there and being the "head star" but yet she has goats printed into her leotards.

 

Also pulling out of the all-around to focus on her mental health.

but yet

[Derwood]

She doesn’t need to compete at all and will still be on the Mt Rushmore of gymnasts

[stitchface]

Simone Biles has taken herself out of the team competition

She said it's hard going in there and being the "head star" but yet she has goats printed into her leotards.

 

Also pulling out of the all-around to focus on her mental health.

but yet

 

 

rip to her shreds! She owes us.

[We Got The Whole 9]

I'm certainly not ripping her to shreds. Just commenting on what's going on. I no longer care at all about the Olympics or our country's standing in global athletics.

 

I could see how it's possible her mental health is in a poor state due in part to her reading the criticisms of her on social media, and I believe some of that could have been self-imposed when you declare yourself the GOAT in such fashion. Obviously something like that will draw heavy scrutiny. She sure is one of, if not the GOAT, but I think something like that is just unnecessary. You don't see many athletes make those declarations like that.

[stitchface]

I'm certainly not ripping her to shreds. Just commenting on what's going on. I no longer care at all about the Olympics or our country's standing in global athletics.

 

I could see how it's possible her mental health is in a poor state due in part to her reading the criticisms of her on social media, and I believe some of that could have been self-imposed when you declare yourself the GOAT in such fashion. Obviously something like that will draw heavy scrutiny. She sure is one of, if not the GOAT, but I think something like that is just unnecessary. You don't see many athletes make those declarations like that.

 

The term GOAT is ridiculous. In any case, she can still be the best ever and not be able to compete. It's her choice.

[imb]

jesus christ

[cl smooth]

are there any male athletes currently who get horsefeathers for talking about their mental health? osaka and biles have spoken candidly about their mental health being a priority and people call them soft yet folks like greinke are viewed as "quirky" by the media and fans.

[Derwood]

Byron Heath

 

This realization I had about Simone Biles is gonna make some people mad, but oh well.

Yesterday I was excited to show my daughters Kerri Strug's famous one-leg vault. It was a defining Olympic moment that I watched live as a kid, and my girls watched raptly as Strug fell, and then limped back to leap again.

But for some reason I wasn't as inspired watching it this time. In fact, I felt a little sick. Maybe being a father and teacher has made me soft, but all I could see was how Kerri Strug looked at her coach, Bela Karolyi, with pleading, terrified eyes, while he shouted back "You can do it!" over and over again.

My daughters didn't cheer when Strug landed her second vault. Instead they frowned in concern as she collapsed in agony and frantic tears.

"Why did she jump again if she was hurt?" one of my girls asked. I made some inane reply about the heart of a champion or Olympic spirit, but in the back of my mind a thought was festering:

*She shouldn't have jumped again*

The more the thought echoed, the stronger my realization became. Coach Karolyi should have gotten his visibly injured athlete medical help immediately! Now that I have two young daughters in gymnastics, I expect their safety to be the coach's number one priority. Instead, Bela Karolyi told Strug to vault again. And he got what he wanted; a gold medal that was more important to him than his athlete's health.

I'm sure people will say "Kerri Strug was a competitor--she WANTED to push through the injury." That's probably true. But since the last Olympics we've also learned these athletes were put into positions where they could be systematically abused both emotionally and physically, all while being inundated with "win at all costs" messaging. A teenager under those conditions should have been protected, and told "No medal is worth the risk of permanent injury." In fact, we now know that Strug's vault wasn't even necessary to clinch the gold; the U.S. already had an insurmountable lead. Nevertheless, Bela Karolyi told her to vault again according to his own recounting of their conversation:

"I can't feel my leg," Strug told Karolyi.

"We got to go one more time," Karolyi said. "Shake it out."

"Do I have to do this again?" Strug asked.

"Can you, can you?" Karolyi wanted to know.

"I don't know yet," said Strug. "I will do it. I will, I will."

The injury forced Strug's retirement at 18 years old. Dominique Moceanu, a generational talent, also retired from injuries shortly after. They were top gymnasts literally pushed to the breaking point, and then put out to pasture. Coach Karolyi and Larry Nassar (the serial sexual abuser) continued their long careers, while the athletes were treated as a disposable resource.

Today Simone Biles--the greatest gymnast of all time--chose to step back from the competition, citing concerns for mental and physical health. I've already seen comments and posts about how Biles "failed her country", "quit on us", or "can't be the greatest if she can't handle the pressure." Those statements are no different than Coach Karolyi telling an injured teen with wide, frightened eyes: "We got to go one more time. Shake it out."

The subtext here is: "Our gold medal is more important than your well-being."

Our athletes shouldn't have to destroy themselves to meet our standards. If giving empathetic, authentic support to our Olympians means we'll earn less gold medals, I'm happy to make that trade.

Here's the message I hope we can send to Simone Biles: You are an outstanding athlete, a true role model, and a powerful woman. Nothing will change that. Please don't sacrifice your emotional or physical well-being for our entertainment or national pride. We are proud of you for being brave enough to compete, and proud of you for having the wisdom to know when to step back. Your choice makes you an even better example to our daughters than you were before. WE'RE STILL ROOTING FOR YOU!

[We Got The Whole 9]

I'm certainly not ripping her to shreds. Just commenting on what's going on. I no longer care at all about the Olympics or our country's standing in global athletics.

 

I could see how it's possible her mental health is in a poor state due in part to her reading the criticisms of her on social media, and I believe some of that could have been self-imposed when you declare yourself the GOAT in such fashion. Obviously something like that will draw heavy scrutiny. She sure is one of, if not the GOAT, but I think something like that is just unnecessary. You don't see many athletes make those declarations like that.

 

The term GOAT is ridiculous. In any case, she can still be the best ever and not be able to compete. It's her choice.

Agree 100%

[stitchface]

Byron Heath

 

This realization I had about Simone Biles is gonna make some people mad, but oh well.

Yesterday I was excited to show my daughters Kerri Strug's famous one-leg vault. It was a defining Olympic moment that I watched live as a kid, and my girls watched raptly as Strug fell, and then limped back to leap again.

But for some reason I wasn't as inspired watching it this time. In fact, I felt a little sick. Maybe being a father and teacher has made me soft, but all I could see was how Kerri Strug looked at her coach, Bela Karolyi, with pleading, terrified eyes, while he shouted back "You can do it!" over and over again.

My daughters didn't cheer when Strug landed her second vault. Instead they frowned in concern as she collapsed in agony and frantic tears.

"Why did she jump again if she was hurt?" one of my girls asked. I made some inane reply about the heart of a champion or Olympic spirit, but in the back of my mind a thought was festering:

*She shouldn't have jumped again*

The more the thought echoed, the stronger my realization became. Coach Karolyi should have gotten his visibly injured athlete medical help immediately! Now that I have two young daughters in gymnastics, I expect their safety to be the coach's number one priority. Instead, Bela Karolyi told Strug to vault again. And he got what he wanted; a gold medal that was more important to him than his athlete's health.

I'm sure people will say "Kerri Strug was a competitor--she WANTED to push through the injury." That's probably true. But since the last Olympics we've also learned these athletes were put into positions where they could be systematically abused both emotionally and physically, all while being inundated with "win at all costs" messaging. A teenager under those conditions should have been protected, and told "No medal is worth the risk of permanent injury." In fact, we now know that Strug's vault wasn't even necessary to clinch the gold; the U.S. already had an insurmountable lead. Nevertheless, Bela Karolyi told her to vault again according to his own recounting of their conversation:

"I can't feel my leg," Strug told Karolyi.

"We got to go one more time," Karolyi said. "Shake it out."

"Do I have to do this again?" Strug asked.

"Can you, can you?" Karolyi wanted to know.

"I don't know yet," said Strug. "I will do it. I will, I will."

The injury forced Strug's retirement at 18 years old. Dominique Moceanu, a generational talent, also retired from injuries shortly after. They were top gymnasts literally pushed to the breaking point, and then put out to pasture. Coach Karolyi and Larry Nassar (the serial sexual abuser) continued their long careers, while the athletes were treated as a disposable resource.

Today Simone Biles--the greatest gymnast of all time--chose to step back from the competition, citing concerns for mental and physical health. I've already seen comments and posts about how Biles "failed her country", "quit on us", or "can't be the greatest if she can't handle the pressure." Those statements are no different than Coach Karolyi telling an injured teen with wide, frightened eyes: "We got to go one more time. Shake it out."

The subtext here is: "Our gold medal is more important than your well-being."

Our athletes shouldn't have to destroy themselves to meet our standards. If giving empathetic, authentic support to our Olympians means we'll earn less gold medals, I'm happy to make that trade.

Here's the message I hope we can send to Simone Biles: You are an outstanding athlete, a true role model, and a powerful woman. Nothing will change that. Please don't sacrifice your emotional or physical well-being for our entertainment or national pride. We are proud of you for being brave enough to compete, and proud of you for having the wisdom to know when to step back. Your choice makes you an even better example to our daughters than you were before. WE'RE STILL ROOTING FOR YOU!

 

 

Anyone involved in youth sports can attest to the absurdity of the pressure adults put on children. it's a sad situation.

[JudasIscariotTheBird]

[Andy]

Whatever anyone thinks of the whole thing, I don't know how someone can watch her screwed-up first vault yesterday where she bailed out halfway through and basically landed on her butt and think for a second that it was best for the US team if she'd kept trying to go. Call it mental health, call it the yips (apparently it's 'the twisties' in gymnastics, which is a great word), or give her horsefeathers for it, whatever, she wasn't going to help them.