Ben Maller: "At its core the issue is really bigger than Simone Biles. It gets down to the very bedrock of athletic competition. I was raised to always follow the code of ‘you always finish what you start’, and you always finish your work. Those are important things to me. In a life well-lived you don’t quit, and even if you take it on the chin, you take it with a smile on your face. Sports are designed to test the resolve of those who choose to compete. A lot of things have gone upside down here. The pendulum has swung so far in the wrong direction that it's at the point where you gain more clout by being a quitter than winning a medal. You earn your worth in gold bullion by walking away. This is a 180 degree turn from the history of sport. Think of some of the great quotes, Vince Lombardi – ‘winners never quit, and quitters never win.’ Michael Jordan – ‘if you quit once it becomes a habit.’ Now you’re tagged as a quasi-‘HERO’ for screaming ‘I’M DONE!’ The media is working overdrive like a 1990’s rock band the Spin Doctors to rationalize, make excuses, and say it’s not her fault… Biles has been universally praised for showing ‘bravery.’ Making excuses for failure seems to be the rage of the times. She literally and figuratively stopped competing because they were going to lose, they performed better than she did, and she could not handle the pressure of the moment.” (Full Video Above)
Listen to Ben Maller explain why he believes the sports world has reached a crooked crossroads where an athlete like Simone Biles now receives more profound acclaim for literally quitting a competition than she would have if she had actually won a medal.
Check out the video above as Maller details why it’s a rotten precedent to reward athletes from stepping away from stressful situations that define the bedrock of athletic competition to begin with.
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