Elite athletes have an immense amount of pressure on their shoulders; more pressure than the average person can even imagine. One mistake, one reaction people disagree with, one downfall, or anything else, will have all eyes on them immediately. Their name will become the statue of the media for some time.
As their name is brought up, people will remember the story associated with them, and all across the internet, they are quick to jump at them and make some rude and nasty comments. It's almost as if these keyboard warriors forgot that elite athletes are still human.
People constantly make rude remarks about athletes who have not even done anything wrong, but from the comments, one would think they committed the worst crime possible, when, in reality, all they did was have an "unsatisfactory" performance.
It's sickening. Athletes, after all, are real humans with real emotions, and real challenges. Nobody deserves to be ridiculed and repeatedly shamed just because you disagree with something they said or did.
I know it can be difficult, but try to place yourself into their shoes. As an athlete, I have personally had unsatisfactory performances, and have beat myself up over them. I have received negative criticism, and I have taken it. I have been hurt over it. I haven't, however, had it define the person I am and have it hang over my head for years and years to come.
People don't continuously talk about it and attack me about it on social media, yet they do this with elite athletes. Why though? What is the point?
I will never be able to comprehend why people do this, but what I do know is that it is hurtful and wrong. This could go as far as messing with the mental health of an athlete, due to inability to escape their "mistake."
I do not understand why people feel the need to comment on situations that have nothing to do with them in the first place. It's one thing to send an athlete encouragement, but why hate? What do people possibly think they are achieving by sending hate? They are just hurting people, and bringing in so much negative energy in the process. It's a lose-lose on both ends.
Always remember the golden rule; treat others the way you want to be treated, and think before you send in that hate comment to an elite athlete you may despise for any reason.
