Fox Sports’ Doug Gottlieb Blasts the ‘Double Standard’ Protecting Simone Biles: Would We Have ‘Sympathy for LeBron?’
Simone Biles received support on social media after she stunned sports fans and withdrew from an Olympic event to focus on her mental health. According to Fox Sports radio host Doug Gottlieb, if Olympic athletes want to be put on the same playing field as stateside professional athletes, then Biles shouldn’t be protected for her decision.
“If we’re OK with Simone Biles saying, ‘hey, couldn’t go tonight. Mental health.’ Are we gonna be OK if LeBron says the same thing?” Gottlieb asked on Tuesday. “She’s the greatest gymnast going. He’s the greatest basketball player going. Why do we have sympathy for Simone Biles, but we wouldn’t have sympathy for LeBron James? It’s called a double standard!”
The double standard in sports https://t.co/EMMQNYjWmy
— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) July 27, 2021
“You get people saying ‘man, this Simone Biles and Naomi Osaka, they take so much abuse on social media.’ NO THEY DON’T!” the Fox Sports Radio host argued, claiming there isn’t much to criticize because Biles wins so often.
Gottlieb later cited the example of NBA star Paul George, who revealed his bout with depression and anxiety while playing in the league’s bubble setup after the season was disrupted by Covid last year. George was criticized for his honesty by a number of fans and analysts, including Charles Barkley.
“If athletes, men, women who are in the Olympics, wanna be judged on the same playing field as professional athletes stateside (such as LeBron and Tom Brady)…then the same rules have to apply,” Gottlieb said.
“Let’s not mislabel a mental health episode, where you don’t perform well because of the immense amount of pressure over being judged as the greatest of all time, and a true mental health issue where you shouldn’t be competing in sports,” he added.
