NO MAS

 On June 20, 1980, Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard fought for the welterweight title. In fifteen brutal rounds Duran won a close but  unanimous decision. Prior to the fight Duran  got into Leonard's head, questioning his masculinity (including telling Leonard at the weigh in he was going to screw Leonard's wife after the fight) and causing Leonard to abandon his movement and jab and fight flat footed against perhaps pound for pound the toughest and meanest slugger in boxing. It was Leonard's first loss in the ring. 

The first mistake Duran made was being baited into a quick rematch- November 25, 1980- five months from the first fight. Duran spent most of those months partying and enjoying his victory; Leonard went into purgatory and trained like a monk. The second meeting was much different. Leonard fought his fight, moving and jabbing and frustrating Duran and beating him like he had never been beaten in the ring before.  By round 7 Leonard was taunting Duran, winding up his right hand as if to throw a bolo punch, and snapping Duran's head back with a vicious left jab. In the closing moments of round 8 Roberto Duran, who had the nickname manos-de-piedra (hands of stone) did the unthinkable: he quit.  Duran was a great champion, but his legacy is forever tarnished by quitting in the ring. 

Which brings us to US Gymnast Simone Biles.  Biles also quit, and we find that indefensible. She is being made the poster child for mental health. HA. Our view is, if she was ill, then just  as if she had a bad knee or covid or cancer, she should not have tried out for the Olympic team and taken the spot of a young woman who was fully able to complete. Rather than be celebrated for her quitting  (and some how her quitting is being equated with respect for mental health; it is not. She quit and it has nothing to do with the fact that mental health are serious issues needing serious treatment), she should be shunned. A winner never quits and a quitter never wins. By taking a spot on the team when she knew she was having mental health issues Biles was just being selfish. 

The excuse Biles gave was about the pressure and expectations of winning a gold medal. Pressure? YOU ARE AN ATHLETE COMPETING FOR A GOLD MEDAL. OF COURSE THERE IS GOING TO BE PRESSURE. The essence of competition is pressure. Biles is not some 12 year old school girl being pushed into competing by over-bearing parents. Biles is an adult, she is a professional (no emails about gymnasts being amateurs, there are no professional gymnast leagues; she is well paid for her endeavors)  and responsible for her decisions. You do not want pressure? Then go work for Starbucks as a barista for fifteen bucks an hour plus benefits instead of turning your success into millions of dollars of endorsement payments. 

"Hi I'm Simone Biles, and when the pressure is on, Firestone tires blowup, because these tires, like me, just cannot stand the pressure."

Gee, how would she feel if she got Covid and the doctor responsible for intubating her quit in the middle of what can be a difficult procedure because of the pressure? 

"Sorry Judge, I know closings are set for today in this capital murder case, but the pressure is getting to me. So how about we all take a few days as a breather and see how I feel on Thursday?"

Part of being a professional is dealing with pressure. It is what distinguishes the good from the great. 

We are sympathetic for Ms. Biles and her illness. We have no sympathy for quitters and she should not be celebrated for quitting (and spare us  the indignant emails about the dangers of jumping around on a padded floor. Boo hoo hoo). 

Here is the video of round 7 when Leonard humiliated Duran and then the moment in round 8 when Duran quits. For those of you under 40, the person announcing the fight was the great Howard Cosell.