Simone Biles Stress Disorder, SBSD, Continues To Plague America

Far too many people in America, especially in the black community, live vicariously through celebrities and other on-screen figures.

When O.J. Simpson was acquitted in the murder trial of Nicole Brown Simpson, it was applauded within the black community. Even though juror Carrie Bess admitted the innocent verdict was considered "payback" for the Rodney King verdict by her and 90% of the jury. When Derek Chauvin was convicted for the murder of George Floyd, it was considered "justice" for the black community.

Once again, Americans are living vicariously through Simone Biles. As a result, Simone Biles Stress Disorder (SBSD) is running rampant.

When Biles QUIT on the American gymnastics team, she was applauded. The Guardian contributor Casey Gerald writes, "Black public figures from Simone Biles to Naomi Osaka are helping us put one simple word at the top of our vocabulary: no." I suppose he is correct. NO to grit. NO to finishing what you start. But that is beside the point of this article.

It is natural to want to see people who look like you flourish. Nor is it wrong to root for your home country in the Olympics. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with wanting Simone Biles to succeed. There is a problem, however, with doing ideological gymnastics caping for Biles.

First, the argument was about stress. Now, the discussion is about the Olympic committee changing the rules because she is black.

This argument fails like Biles did in her Olympic performance this year.

Throughout sports history, rule changes have been made when a player is deemed too dominant, or there is an exploitation of the rules. Leroy Harry Edwards is considered to be one of basketball's first big-man stars. He played in the National Basketball League, the premier league before the NBA was formed. Before his time in professional basketball, he played one season for the University of Kentucky. His dominance in college forced the NBL to adjust its rules.

Edwards's first NBL season in 1936 was the same year the league implemented the Three-Second Rule. It penalized players for being in the opponents' restricted area for more than three seconds.

This was supposedly designed to prevent an unfair advantage for bigger players and deter needlessly physical play. The rule changes did not affect Edwards's play on the court. Edwards became a two-time NBL champion, three-time MVP, and a three-time scoring champ. Instead of complaining, he adjusted his game and dominated.

Taller and more athletic players have always been penalized in basketball. When Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar were playing, changes to the game ran amok. Forrest "Phog" Allen, while coaching Wilt Chamberlain at the University of Kansas, lobbied to have the rim raised to take away taller players' competitive advantage. Lew Alcindor (later known as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) could dunk the ball with little effort. Efforts to raise the rim failed, but in 1967, the NCAA banned the dunk. Any player who touched the rim received a technical foul. It was called the "Lew Alcindor Rule."

It would have been very easy for the players to complain about the rule changes. It was as clear as day the basketball rule makers did not like the new style of play. So instead, Alcindor worked on his game and developed a hook shot, later to be called the Sky Hook. It became the most unstoppable shot in the league.

SBSD does not allow for objective analysis such as this. Unfortunately, Simone Biles' skin color and the American media's unwillingness to criticize women force fans to believe that the fix is in for her. The fact is great players are sometimes penalized in sports. Hall of Famers do not allow those obstacles to curtail their greatness. They take after the Marine Corps motto: Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome. 

Those stricken with SBSD are content with letting surface-level issues dictate their reaction to the world. Even worse, dictate their response to things that happen to the people they live vicariously through.

I am not condoning the rules changes before this year's Olympics or banning the dunk in the 70s. Simone Biles was penalized for her greatness, just like Walt, Russell, and Kareem were. Most of the greats are. It is a product of the unfairness of life. 

Unfortunately, with Simone Biles Stress Disorder as rampant as COVID, Simone or her fans probably will not overcome the 2021 Olympics.