Athletes Aren't Even Allowed To Be Cool Anymore: Japanese Gymnast Gets Kicked Off Olympic Team For Smoking
Kiyoshi Ota. Getty Images.You know, I used to think that maybe they just don't make athletes like they used to. That maybe this younger generation of athlete is too soft and self-centered. Constantly thinking about posting on social media, and constantly crying about the "haters".
But I'm starting to think this is more of a nature vs nurture debate. Because clearly athletes out there still want to be bad ass. Back in the day, you could compete on the balance beam and then smoke a quick cig before going to the uneven bars to ease your nerves. You'd have chicks ripping heaters in the middle of competition, and not miss a beat. But now you have all these jackasses in management positions who are about to prevent a 19-year-old gymnast from competing in the Olympics because she wanted to light up a dart while the team was training in Monaco. That's cool as shit, but don't tell that to the Japan Gymnastics Association.
I mean what even is this statement? "Even if legally an adult, smoking is prohibited. It's unthinkable for an athlete to smoke". Uhhhhh are you kidding me? Unthinkable for an athlete to smoke? Buddy,,,,there's nothing more punk rock than that besides maybe an overworked actor going through a pack a day.
It just seems like the moment we started telling kids not to smoke cigarettes, that is when they really started to turn their attention to shit like video games and social media. Then we wonder why these kids are all annoying little shitheads. It's because they've had an iPad in their hand since they were 5, instead of a pack of smokes. Just makes you wonder.