WAG Gabby Douglas and Chow split again

[AmandaLynn]

I'm pretty sure her options were very limited. Maybe this was the only one?

probably.

 

[PalmTree]

Ugh there are so many reasons why I don't "love" Gabby the way I loved so many gymnasts before and after her….starting with her move from Excalibur, which I admittedly know nothing about - but the fact that those coaches BROUGHT HER TO THE ELITE LEVEL and then she had the nerve to say they don't know how to coach!!!! Sure maybe they aren't as experienced as Chow but how dare you say that about people who sacrificed so much to get your butt to the highest level of gymnastics!!???

And the Gabby Douglas movie was such a joke. Can't blame that all on her, but give me a break. That thing gave me fits of rage.

I also have the possibly unpopular opinion that she got very lucky and had a wonderful day at the all-around finals. The medal is totally deserved, but she certainly was no Nastia. Look at her performances in event finals. Good for her for pulling it out when it counted, but I don't think in a million years she could ever have that same result.

I don't like the publicity stunt of "oh I'm training for Rio" . . .what person in their right mind thinks that a gymnast who takes multiple years off and is older and more injured could possibly compete with the fresh, new gymnasts coming up who have NEVER taken a day off???

One more thing…I hate that she didn't pay her coaches (I know that's a rumor though). That was up to her mom, yes, but….pay your dang coaches!! I can't believe Chow would take her back a second time after that…I guess the publicity was worth it to him or something.

I think Kyla is doing beautifully. Her coaches are incredible. They know what they have to do to get her to Rio, and so does she - thus never stopping training!! She does need to upgrade but she is not really a super power gymnast like Simone, so maybe upgrading a ton would only lead to injuries or burnout.

Oh man…I need to calm down now. Why does this sport incite such extreme feelings in people?!!

 

[Midwestmommy]

OK I am in a gym mom break haha but hey this is not about my kid, we are both fans of Gabby's gymnastics so I am going to comment on this one.

People leave her alone already!! Unsubstantiated rumors get posted and repeated over and over and over. I have seen zero proof of unpaid bills. Chow has never said anything publicly about his communication with Gabby when she left the first time. Unsubstantiated rumors are just that. If you have facts and the guts and proof to own them (not anonymously or under the guise of your anonymity on a board) feel free to step forward and I would be all ears.

I saw this kid compete and she was amazing. Her win was no fluke. Nope she was no Nastia with Nastia's pedigree and benefits from her dad. Um but I saw them both compete at the 2012 Olympic trials, enough said about "luck." Both were phenomenal athletes at their peak.

Gabby has not gone off the tracks in her life, that accusation is ridiculous. And she has not done zero for others, seems she has represented USAG in a positive light a few times if one reads the articles on their website.

Not to dwell on her experiences but at least she speaks her truth as herself and owns it. Guess she was right about the move to Chows prior to the 2012 Olympics. As to her making money, please also someone post a list of the hundreds of male athletes who have and continue to make huge money with endorsements, are they also morally reprehensible?

I saw her movie too and thought it was a bad movie that only showed part if the story, but it didn't make me upset other than wasting a few minutes on a weekend evening. Hey I could have changed the channel that one's my fault.

If some of the insiders in this difficult sport (with all the great coaches and clubs we have, but also no small bit of favoritism and nepotism at times)--if some are trying to block her out of the sport, good for her for trying to find a solution that fits for her. I wish her only the best.

Please quit posting rumors that no one is to willing to substantiate publicly. It is a disservice to all of our female athletes. We all have our own journeys and come from different backgrounds which impact those journeys. Let's celebrate each other not tear each other down my sisters. And brothers too.

 

[PalmTree]

People leave her alone already!! Unsubstantiated rumors get posted and repeated over and over and over. I have seen zero proof of unpaid bills. Chow has never said anything publicly about his communication with Gabby when she left the first time.

I guess it bothers me more because I am a coach/gym owner and this is MY LIVING. I can't feed myself or my family if people don't pay their bills. I also do not let people continue in my gym if they don't pay their bills…but that is a very tough situation to put Chow in when you have a great elite athlete who could make a name for your gym. As I said, it is a rumor. But was there ever a rumor of Jordyn Wieber not paying bills? Or Carly Patterson? Or ANY other all-around champ? Rumors often times have a lot of truth to them.

I saw this kid compete and she was amazing. Her win was no fluke. Nope she was no Nastia with Nastia's pedigree and benefits from her dad. Um but I saw them both compete at the 2012 Olympic trials, enough said about "luck." Both were phenomenal athletes at their peak.

Yes, they were both great when they were in their prime. Nastia's benefits from her dad? You mean the fact that he was an incredible coach??

Not to dwell on her experiences but at least she speaks her truth as herself and owns it. Guess she was right about the move to Chows prior to the 2012 Olympics.

I saw her movie too and thought it was a bad movie that only showed part if the story, but it didn't make me upset other than wasting a few minutes on a weekend evening. Hey I could have changed the channel that one's my fault.

Chow is a great coach…but you can't make something out of nothing. It's unfortunate that Excalibur's coaches do not get the recognition they deserve. It is incredibly difficult to bring up an elite from scratch, and that is exactly what they did. I guess that's what really bothers me about her. Every interview she's ever had where she talks about her gym switch involves her saying she "needed better coaching." (She's not the only one who's said that, either). I'm big on loyalty or AT LEAST giving thanks for the people who sacrificed everything to get you to where you are. To portray those coaches as not knowledgeable and to say publicly that she experienced racism is just so immature.

I only watched the movie because I knew all the hundreds of kids I coach were watching it. They come back to me with stars in their eyes and talking about things they don't understand. The movie portrayed the truth in a poor light. I understand it was just for entertainment so I suppose it did its job.

And just to clarify…I have absolutely no affiliation with Chow's OR Excalibur!! I just find it heartbreaking to put years of your life into one kid just to have them leave and say they "needed better coaching"!!!

 

[Terry]

Ugh there are so many reasons why I don't "love" Gabby the way I loved so many gymnasts before and after her….starting with her move from Excalibur, which I admittedly know nothing about - but the fact that those coaches BROUGHT HER TO THE ELITE LEVEL and then she had the nerve to say they don't know how to coach!!!! Sure maybe they aren't as experienced as Chow but how dare you say that about people who sacrificed so much to get your butt to the highest level of gymnastics!!???

I agree with you on this. That kind of disloyalty and lack of gratitude is disturbing. And you do not mess with peoples' reputations this way. You just do not.

And the Gabby Douglas movie was such a joke. Can't blame that all on her, but give me a break. That thing gave me fits of rage.

I also have the possibly unpopular opinion that she got very lucky and had a wonderful day at the all-around finals. The medal is totally deserved, but she certainly was no Nastia. Look at her performances in event finals. Good for her for pulling it out when it counted, but I don't think in a million years she could ever have that same result.

I thought the very same thing

I don't like the publicity stunt of "oh I'm training for Rio" . . .what person in their right mind thinks that a gymnast who takes multiple years off and is older and more injured could possibly compete with the fresh, new gymnasts coming up who have NEVER taken a day off???

One more thing…I hate that she didn't pay her coaches (I know that's a rumor though). That was up to her mom, yes, but….pay your dang coaches!! I can't believe Chow would take her back a second time after that…I guess the publicity was worth it to him or something.

I think Kyla is doing beautifully. Her coaches are incredible. They know what they have to do to get her to Rio, and so does she - thus never stopping training!! She does need to upgrade but she is not really a super power gymnast like Simone, so maybe upgrading a ton would only lead to injuries or burnout.

good point. It does make sense for them to hold off on the upgrades until they are closer to Rio. I love Kyla also -- a beautiful gymnast

Oh man…I need to calm down now. Why does this sport incite such extreme feelings in people?!!
because we love it so much

 

[Midwestmommy]

I find rumors often have a grain of truth to them, and fewer and fewer grains remain every time the bag changes hands until all you have left is a bag of random sand.

Gabby left Excalibur for some reasons right? Why are all the fingers pointed only at her? Life is rarely that simple. She left because she wanted to achieve her Olympic dream.

The very "top" gym in our state is full of level 9 and 10s who left other gyms. Not so very different except most of them have college vs Olympic dreams.. And I wish all of them well too.

 

[Terry]

I find rumors often have a grain of truth to them, and fewer and fewer grains remain every time the bag changes hands until all you have left is a bag of random sand.

Gabby left Excalibur for some reasons right? Why are all the fingers pointed only at her? Life is rarely that simple. She left because she wanted to achieve her Olympic dream.

The very "top" gym in our state is full of level 9 and 10s who left other gyms. Not so very different except most of them have college vs Olympic dreams.. And I wish all of them well too.

I don't think anyone has any problem with the fact that gabby left Excalibur to go to Chows. Chow is a brilliant coach. The problem so many of us have is how she spoke poorly of her former coaches. You just don't do that. Aly Raisman switched gyms at one point to go to Brestyans. I have never heard a bad word about her former coaches out of her mouth or out of her parents' mouths. Same with McKayla Maroney. Its bad form.

And as far as the unpaid bills -- do i have personal knowledge? No. But the gyms never corrected those rumors and similar rumors never spread about any other gymnast. It makes it very believeable.

 

[profmom]

I guess I just can't help thinking of John Orozco, who has never had a single negative word to say about World Cup, and indeed still seems to have a good relationship with them.

 

[PalmTree]

I agree with you, Midwestmommy, that rumors often get out of control. In this case, I have heard it before it really changed any hands. Still, it is only the business of Gabby and her family and coaches.

You are correct that gym changes are not simple. I just wished she spoke more respectfully of her former coaches!

Gymnastics is not an easy sport…so good luck to all who go on the journey, no matter what path they are on.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I don't think anyone has any problem with the fact that gabby left Excalibur to go to Chows. Chow is a brilliant coach. The problem so many of us have is how she spoke poorly of her former coaches. You just don't do that. Aly Raisman switched gyms at one point to go to Brestyans. I have never heard a bad word about her former coaches out of her mouth or out of her parents' mouths. Same with McKayla Maroney. Its bad form.

And as far as the unpaid bills -- do i have personal knowledge? No. But the gyms never corrected those rumors and similar rumors never spread about any other gymnast. It makes it very believeable.

but i do. it's not rumor. still hasn't paid up. thx, bye.

 

[Midwestmommy]

If she legally owes someone money there are courts in the U.S. that adjudicate such cases all the time. They should file suit to collect.

 

[rjb123]

I was just wondering WHY she didn't pay her bills. Don't you get a stipend of some sort to cover training costs when you are on national team? If so, then there should be no reason she couldn't pay, right?

 

[Terry]

If she legally owes someone money there are courts in the U.S. that adjudicate such cases all the time. They should file suit to collect.

Right. A gym will sue the reigning Olympic AA Champion. There are certain unpaid bills any business just has to suck up because although they are legally correct, it just does not make any business sense to sue. This is one of those cases.

 

[Midwestmommy]

That rationale doesn't make sense to me. How would it hurt their business to collect money owed to them?

 

[iluvgym]

I was just wondering WHY she didn't pay her bills. Don't you get a stipend of some sort to cover training costs when you are on national team? If so, then there should be no reason she couldn't pay, right?

COULDN'T or WOULDN'T?

 

[Seeker]

That rationale doesn't make sense to me. How would it hurt their business to collect money owed to them?

Goodwill towards Chow and his gym, gymnastics in general, the Olympics, etc. is deemed more valuable than the $$$ owed. Sometimes it's not worth it in the end to pursue it, even if it's "right".

 

[Midwestmommy]

That still doesn't make sense. It would not hurt Chows for them to collect money that is owed, nor would it show bad will toward the Olympics or gymnastics. I understand what you are saying that sometimes it is a business decision, just trying to figure out why it would be better for their business not to try to collect. Exactly HOW would it hurt their business?

 

[Midwestmommy]

Most "mysteries" in business can be solved by following the money trail and understanding when incentives are aligned and what happens when they get out of alignment between business and customer. we are missing the filling in the pie here.

 

[Midwestmommy]

OK I will just say it, though I probably should not since it is pure speculation on my part. is it a situation where legally they cannot collect, but morally it might be the right thing to do to pay? Or is it a PR situation where it's better for the gym to not have the whole story come out?

How long did she get carried while the rest of us with less talented kids would have been out on our behinds??

 

[mimi]

Sometimes in life and in business you have to take the high road. That is my take on why he has not pursued anything legal. It makes more sense for him to put his energy into the positive that he has happening at his gym and the active paying members of his team.