What we just witnessed this week with Simon Biles stepping away from a final event at the Olympic Games to take care of her mental health will slowly become the norm.
We often put too much pressure on these athletes. We expect them to perform for us on command. But the truth is Biles does not owe us a single thing.
And that goes for every other professional, amateur and minor athlete out there. As someone who follows sports, I can get carried away at times, too. And I need to be better.
However, the anger pouring out on social media, and in mainstream media, towards one of the most decorated and accomplished athletes in the world is completely disgraceful.
All it showed me is that we are still a long way from accepting mental health as a legitimate ailment. This rhetoric needs to change.
My Take: By Michael Boriero
