Team sports stars have no problem dealing with the pressure.

Do you see Mahomes needing to take a "mental health break" and not playing in the playoffs or Super Bowl?

And it is interesting that you say not everyone wants to be famous, when Osaka and Biles haven't exactly shied away from that fame when it comes to endorsements, commercials, paid media appearances, magazine covers, etc.

I hear you. Just seeing my own kids grow up in it tells me that. I don’t blame these little girls. Mac’s meltdowns on social media would have been epic. But I feel sure he wouldn’t have quit.

I think that it's common knowledge that Mahomes is a very special individual, is he not?

And if so, why would you expect him to break down?

That's all part of the job of being on Team USA or being a professional athlete. Again, some people can handle it and some people can't.

It's not a character flaw.

I think it's difficult to predict what McEnroe would have done had hundreds of millions of Social Media posts been about him during the height and inevitable downfall of his career.

But I don't think it would have ended well for him, but that's just one opinion, of course.

You missed the point.

Agree with Dane. Some can deal with it. Others not.

Biles is already a winner, so she’s got nothing to prove to me or anyone.

Yeah, I’m obviously speculating. It’s a whole different dynamic. He just always struck me as a hot headed but tough sob.

Re: Simone Biles - she's already done it, she has nothing to prove, to anyone. Already a champion and one of the greatest athletes of all time.

Also, she's a person who is in the *same environment* in which she was subjected to *years* of repeated sexual assault and abuse by one of her trainers, who she trusted with her body.

Is it that hard to believe that she might have some trauma or chronic PTSD that could impact her mind in high pressure moments, like, say, the Olympics?

She knows herself, and if she knows she's off her game, probably a smart move to pull herself instead of push it and risk, ya know, paralyzing herself if she ****s up.

She gets a pass from me. She's a badass.

Interesting that athletes in other sports don't get that same generous reaction.

When Aaron Rodgers played poorly in the past two NFC Championship Games, the immediate reaction wasn't exactly "he's already a winner, he has nothing to prove to anyone".

When Kawhi Leonard struggled for the Clippers in the past two NBA playoffs, not many people were saying "he's already a winner he has nothing to prove to anyone".

Interestingly, a British girl at Wimbledon a few weeks back had a panic attack on court and had to leave the match and never came back. She was in the 4th round and playing on Centre Court in front of thousands of people which she had never done before and had spent the days in the lead getting excessively promoted in the home British media.

McEnroe was commenting the match and stated the obvious that it was likely due to the immense pressure of the moment. He was actually being nice about it, but he of course got slammed for saying so. He actually drew a parallel between his early run and hers:

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/...ment-wimbledon

McEnroe also tried to compare his early Wimbledon experience, when he made the semifinals at age 18 in 1977, to Raducanu's.

"Maybe it's not a shame that it happened right now, when she's 18," McEnroe said. "I played this event for the first time when I was 18 and I was able to qualify and get to the semifinals, and I felt it was overwhelming to make the change in my life. And I mean of course I would've wanted it, but in a way I was happy I lost. It allowed me to sort of be a kid."

At least Osaka lost her match in these Olympics. In the French Open, she quit mid-tournament. Not mid-match. Quitting when you're about to lose to the Russians anyway makes Simone out to be a sore loser.

Not exactly a rage quitter but still looks bad.

The same people in this thread praising Biles would be no doubt killing Kevin Durant if he suddenly quit Team USA Basketball, citing "mental health" reasons.

Would you give him the same "he's already a winner he has nothing else to prove" benefit of the doubt?

(Interupting the tear fest to say mens diving is gay)

If Bryson Dechambeau quits in the middle of a Ryder Cup round, that would be hilarious.

Exactly.