Conn. judge was unfair to Biles in criticism
The American drive for excellence is a great thing. But in many areas, especially sports, it has gone too far.
A recent op-ed by Superior Court Judge Gary White accused Simone Biles of being a quitter (“CT judge says Biles ‘quit on herself, her teammates, and her country,’ ” Aug. 5). By contrast, other great athletes, like Jackie Robinson and Joe Louis, “have refused to relent to enormous mental stress and performed well on the biggest stages imaginable,” he wrote.
I take strong exception. White fails to recognize that the internet and especially social media have intensified scrutiny on elite athletes to a degree unimaginable in Robinson’s and Louis’ time. As much pressure as they were under, they could escape the spotlight. In those simpler days, it was relatively easy. You could go home and take the phone off the hook, seek refuge at a friend’s house or go out of town. If all else failed, you could dodge the press. Papers came out daily, so whatever trial Robinson and Louis might be facing on any given day generally had a fixed start and end.
Today, Biles and others in her cohort of athletic fame never get a break — ever. Social media, the insatiable 24hour news cycle and the ubiquity of cellphone cameras mean they are always on. Twitter, Instagram and Facebook — Biles has about 1.5 million followers on each — all have to be fed, curated, checked multiple times a day, 365 days a year. Social media may be a great way for Biles to communicate with her fans, but it also opens her to constant criticism and abuse. Is it a surprise she’s stressed out?
As if this isn’t enough, Biles also has to contend with the out-of-control nature of sports, especially in America. Since Robinson’s and Louis’ day, sports have gone from national pastimes to national obsessions. Our appetite for “winners” is unquenchable and often unreasonable. Whereas athletes used to depend primarily on their natural abilities, that’s not enough anymore. The demand to go higher and faster, to win at all costs, is pushing athletes to their mental and physical limits. It requires Biles and others at her level to devote their lives to brutal training regimens that would tax the toughest of Navy SEALS.
Contrast that with top athletes of Robinson’s and Louis’ era. They typically had outside jobs and interests, took it easy in the offseason and often played themselves into shape. Instead of sweating through a punishing training program in the offseason, Robinson, for example, worked with kids at a New York YMCA. Even the Vince Lombardi-era Green Bay Packers, whose workouts were legendary, got to loaf in the offseason.
The American drive for excellence is a great thing. But in many areas, especially sports, it has gone too far. By stepping up and saying her head wasn’t in the right place and she needed to take a seat, Biles struck a much-needed blow for sanity, perspective and balance. Her mental health — anyone’s mental health — is more important than any medal.
As my mother used to say, it’s only a game.