Let me start with this… Simone Biles is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the world. The 24-year-old is a decorated Olympian with 36 medals in total, 27 of those gold. Rules have been changed, and moves have been named after her because she has been so dominant. Imagine golf courses being changed because Tiger Woods was so good. Simone has been a legend, but yesterday she made a decision that GOATs and team leaders should not be praised for. Before the team final competing for gold, she decided to withdraw – leaving her team to fend for themselves without their leader.

Here’s what happened just before she withdrew:

Simone Biles doesn’t make these mistakes. We’ve been so used to her being otherworldly (which obviously puts a lot of pressure on her), but in sports, you see the true nature of athletes when they are under intense pressure. 99.9% of us can’t relate to that pressure, but athletes like MJ, Lebron, and Brady are held to this standard, so Biles should be too. We want to see how these incredible athletes battle through adversity because this is about more than just themselves. As an Olympian, you are representing the United States of America. You have worked 5 years (the last two being some of the most grueling) to compete with and for your teammates. This wasn’t an individual event she withdrew from; this was a team event. Selfish decisions aren’t a luxury when you’re competing as a team.

After she withdrew, her team went on to lose to Russia, settling for the silver medal. Here’s what she had to say in the press conference:

Here within lies the problem. She is telling people and setting an example for young athletes that is rooted in selfishness. No doubt she has gone through a lot; that’s evident and thoroughly documented. Still, to say, as a leader of a team, it’s ok to abandon your team in the 4th quarter of essentially the Super Bowl of gymnastics is not courageous, brave, or admirable. Imagine if Michael Jordan quit at halftime of game 7 of the NBA Finals because he was too stressed. Imagine if Tom Brady sat out the 4th quarter of Super Bowl LI against the Falcons because he didn’t feel mentally right and said, “my teammates will handle it.” THEY WOULD GET DESTROYED! They would be ripped apart online, on every sports network, and players/coaches would not have their back. The double standard is evident, and it’s bad for our society and sports.

If she decided not to compete before the competition, we would understand more, but quitting on your teammates in their biggest time of need is not commendable. Let me put it this way:

From here, Biles had another decision to make. Will she compete in the individual all-around days later?

Not so shockingly, USA Gymnastics posted this statement after Biles decided to withdraw from the individual all-around late Tuesday night.

Quitting on your team is not courageous or brave and definitely not the trait of a role model. Leaders need to be held accountable and held to the highest standard.

Let me stick the landing here… True courage is Derek Redmond finishing the race in the ’92 Olympics, Michael Jordan’s Flu Game, Kirk Gibson’s walk-off, and Kerri Strug’s vault in the ’96 Olympics. This article is not an indictment of Simone Biles as a whole. This does not take away from her previous courage dealing with sexual assault. This does not take away from her previous accomplishments. Plain and simple, she made a selfish decision at a moment when her teammates needed her most, and she didn’t own up to it. No, it is not “ok to sit out the big competitions and focus on yourself.” No, sports aren’t always going to be fun. NEWSFLASH! Life isn’t always fun. Work isn’t always fun. People don’t have the luxury to just not show up to work like you did. I really do hope someone in Simone’s corner tells her that hard truth.