As viewers of “The Crown” know, life amongst the royals involves a trade off—comfort, wealth, and status in exchange for the loss of freedom to live as you see fit. Inevitably, members of the family rebel and demand freedom, while attempting to retain the benefits of the deal. At that point, things get messy. Just ask Prince Harry.
The Simone Biles episode has some of the same characteristics. Biles could have relieved her stress by skipping the Olympic Trials, giving up all of her endorsement money, and declining the interviews in which she was repeatedly (and without objection from her) described as the GOAT. She didn’t do that. Instead, she took the money and then left her team and her country holding the bag.
Biles is trying to portray herself as another Naomi Osaka, but the circumstances are very different. Osaka was competing as an individual, not part of a national team that was relying on her. She had the right to back out. Biles did not.
I was complaining bitterly about the Biles hype machine days before the team final. Now the whole thing just makes me want to throw up.