here both people and animals must overcome enormous challenges. in order to reap fantastic rewards. ♪ yep. i used to be flexible. >> at their highest level, athletes do things that seem superhuman. >> my man, what's good, you ready? >> yeah. i came ready. >> okay. >> but every real sports fan has had a moment when an athlete has

failed and said i can do better than that. >> marks get set -- >> on this episode, you're about to find out all the reasons you can't do better than that. >> woo! ♪ >> for a touchdown, a sharpshooter from the midcourt. we're looking at the spirit of america.

>> i grew up resenting sports. when you're a black kid who everybody knows is going to be over six feet tall, every conversation goes to you play basketball. i only did in eighth grade. i went the whole season without scoring a point, like dennis rodman, but without the rebounding and hair. when i lived in chicago, i discovered michael jordan. now i'm the guy who quotes "the last dance" like it's a new book of the bible. i took it personally. but that's the thing about sports. we often take it personally. i'm somehow a grown man who hates adults for no good reason. john starks! sports give us a place to unload all of our unchecked f-u on everybody, from little leaguers to hall of famers. and if there is one city that revels in its love of winners and its hatred of loser, it's my former hometown, boston, massachusetts.

for a small city, it's got a big chip on its shoulder, although boston sports fans would say it's a big championship, and lots of them. >> this is a sports town. >> yeah. >> from the celtics to the red sox. if you're born in boston, you are raised to be a boston sports fan. >> how you doing, sir? >> good. how you? >> good. i heard you were in there. >> no, i was in there. >> what happened? >> they threw me out. >> why did they threw you out? >> because i said let's go tk! >> but no matter where you go, in a single moment an athlete can go from the g.o.a.t. to a goat. their reputation and value is always up for debate. so i'm going to do some word association. you tell me how you feel about these words. tom brady. >> he's the g.o.a.t. >> i love tom brady. >> i used to love tom. >> okay, what happened? >> until he decided to leave us. >> you're going to outgrow boston, but tampa bay? >> that's his most impressive

championship. >> no. >> come on! >> no! >> did the patriots ever cheat to win a game? >> it's okay, it's okay. >> billy buckner. >> idiot. >> whoa! does the name bill buckner mean anything to you? >> i'm not fully -- >> he let a ball go through his legs at a world series game and it lost the game. >> boston was hard on him. he had to move. our athletes, does that just come with a paycheck, sometimes you get yelled at? >> still human, though. >> athletes human? who have thunk it. don't tell tom brady. but not every athlete is a robot like brady. for most athletes the pressure they put on themselves and all the pressure and criticism we put on them affects their mental health. and many are finally speaking up and telling us fans where to stick the fandom. >> i think i'm going to take a break. >> in a shocked move, simone biles pulled out of the women's gymnastics final today.

>> the most dominant gymnast of all time has just pulled herself out of the team competition due to mental reasons. >> ben simmons' saga escalated. >> and of course fans are handling that very maturely. >> they're using words like "selfish" and "entitled." >> do you think sports has gotten softer? >> one thousand percent. >> i think people are in their feelings a little bit. need to get out of that and put our big pants on and just -- we get a home run. >> we did a home run! >> where are you going after this? home to go to sleep? >> get the [ bleep ] out of here! i'm a boston native. i'm going to a bar and we're going nuts for the bruins. because what do we do in boston? we [ bleep ] get up. let's go! boston! boston! boston! boston! boston! boston!

boston! i got to help. >> ah, the fans. a group of people who turn a bit of fun into the struggle for the immortal soul of a city. so i'm going start with some fans who are more like me, who are in it more for the thrill of victory part than the crushing your enemies and seeing them adrenaline before you part. what is your sports fandom? >> mets fan. >> oh. >> oh, hey, what's that face? >> it's not about them, it's about the suffering. >> there is so much. >> this is my friend mae graham, a "boston globe" columnist for over two decades. and this is renee's friend. >> i'm from minnesota, but i transferred my fandom to the red sox. >> she's got that midwestern thing. she did that, and i'm a new yorker. i'm a mets fan. i'm not playing that. >> can't even go into the boroughs. >> i couldn't go in my house and visit my family. man. >> well, let's start because, you know, big nba fan, ufc fan.

i was in chicago. if you weren't going to pay attention to the merger ra, i don't know michael jordan era, i don't know what kind of human being you are. >> that's not fandom. it's not. >> what is it? >> it's trendy. fandom is the thick and thin of it. fan comes from fanatic, right? it's the fanatic part of it. i years ago dated a woman, and she actually ended up buying me one of the watchman tvs so i would go out on game nights, so i could take it with me. >> those tvs are made for sports fans. >> keep excusing myself and trying to get the antenna just right to catch the game. >> rioting and setting fires, some disappointed fans. >> there is a part of sports that becomes super toxic. like as far as fandom and their expectations on athletes.

>> i remember being at fenway one time and people were booing david ortiz. i thought you can't boo big papi at fenway. fenway i've heard it, yankee stadium, pac bell. people think i've paid this money and have i this right to now do this. >> i'm paying for the right to express myself. >> right. >> and there is something again baked into sports in this country where booing is apart of it. not even, that abuse is a part of it. it's not just okay. it's a part of the ritual. >> that's toxic. that's as toxic as it gets. and this idea that somehow your health is irrelevant, that your job is to be a show horse and get out there and entertain the people, and you make a lot of money to do that, you know, that ugliness is impossible to divorce from what professional sports is. >> are we mature enough as a culture for sports? should we like -- how do you defend sports to people who have criticisms of it? >> i'll cite one example. after the boston marathon

bombing. that's what big papi said, famously, this is our bleeping city, and the whole city exhaled. >> this is our [ bleep ] city. >> i felt like boston strong actually meant something. i felt linked to the city in a very different way. and i don't know that anything else can do that but sports. >> that bring everybody together? >> right. it all sounds cliche, but i think it's true. maybe only for a moment, but it's a moment that resonates. >> yeah. but annoy some of you are watching right now thinking renee and ellen aren't exactly typical boston sports fans, jamal. i know what you want. you want more bostony boston. you want more how do you like them apples boston. you want white guys from southie. okay. >> basketball is a fist sport i got to do. bill russell is my favorite. >> bill russell? >> he is our first g.o.a.t. >> dave gillis, paul akins and

billy bogaks are the guys in the bar that have all the opinions about all the sports. for them there is no off-season. >> one of the biggest things. remember, channel 30 you had to get up and turn a knob. >> those were the glory days, though. those days are gone. >> how do you all know these people? >> i dive tend at a dive bar where i met you guys. >> but that's not what it's call, right? >> it's actually called croak bar. the nickname is whitey from the previous owner. i met him through his mother. she bar tends there as well. >> he gave me my first bruins ticket. >> that's right. >> so if i walked into whitey's tonight, would i get the look? >> you'd get the best hug of your life. >> because southie doesn't have that reputation. >> no, no, it doesn't. >> for people like me. >> but people come into the bar, they're a little worried that somebody will bring their buddy to the bar that looks like you, a place called whitey's. it's not a good look. >> you've seen depictions of

southie in all the big boston movies. traditionally, a white working class neighborhood with mob ties and an accent that actors absolutely butcher. >> people think of southie as we hate anybody, we're racist. you know something? we're bad ass. we're family, we're pride and respect. >> so tell me about boston as a ports town. >> people are fashion nat, man. people are passionate. >> what's missing today in sports is loyalty and the rivalry and pride. back then, that was it. these days it's about money or it's like royalty. like lebron james, don't get me wrong, he is talented. but he is up there going boo hoo. poor little guy only got $300 million in the bank, you know? >> so you think it hurts players like in basketball? >> we can't have a consistent basketball team because people want more money. >> athletes, do you think sports has gotten too soft? >> beyond words, totally soft.

soft ain't a great things these day. >> when you hear athlete says i need a mental break. >> i worked in mental care for a long time. it's a real thing. if someone actually needs it, i can appreciate that but basketball i don't feel is the same as before. they don't play hard enough. they're afraid they're going foul. >> basketball is like -- and you foul them. what do you mean foul? forget soccer. please. what an embarrassment that is. >> don't get him going on cricket. >> what do you think when you hear simone biles is i'm not going to compete tomorrow because i don't feel like i'm ready for it? >> i learned a lot about gymnastics during that period of time. >> me too. >> actually. >> she is hotter than anybody sitting here today. i better her feet are way more [ bleep ] up than mine from all that flipping around. hands too, you know what i mean? i've done tons of construction. i've bet she's got harder hands than me. she ain't soft, you know what i mean? there is a conception in this world about athletes sometimes.

but they're just people, and most of them work their asses to get where they are. you know what i mean? they kind of deserve that little bit of consideration. big game today! everybody ready? alexa, ask buick to start my enclave. starting your buick enclave. i just love our new alexa. dad, it's a buick. i love that new alexa smell. it's a buick. we need snacks for the team. alexa, take us to the nearest grocery store. getting directions. alexa will get us there in no time. it's a buick. let's be real. don't make me turn this alexa around. oh my. it's painful.

the buick enclave, with available alexa built in. ask “alexa, tell me more about buick suvs.” migraine hits hard, so u hit back with ubrelvy u level up u won't take a time-out one dose of ubrelvy works fast it can quickly stop migraine in its tracks within 2 hours without worrying if it's too late or where you are unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks a protein believed to be a cause of migraine. do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. migraine pain relief starts with u

learn how abbvie could help you save. ask about ubrelvy, the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine. when moderate to severe ulcerative colitis persists... put it in check with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when uc got unpredictable,... i got rapid symptom relief with rinvoq. check. when uc held me back... i got lasting, steroid-free remission with rinvoq. check. and when uc got the upper hand... rinvoq helped visibly repair the colon lining. check. rapid symptom relief. lasting, steroid-free remission. and a chance to visibly repair the colon lining. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older... with at least 1 heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq... as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc in check and keep it there, with rinvoq.

ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. and learn how abbvie could help you save.

breaking news from the olympic games. the greatest gymnast of all times, simone biles, has pulled out of a second competition. >> i'm not sure this kind of conversation about athletes has ever been normal before. >> as quiet as it's kept, gymnastics is as hard and pressure-filled a sport as they come. football is tough, but they wear pads. the only pads you see here -- >> whoa! >> are the callouses. >> oh, my hamstrings! >> all right. cartwheel. >> oh, this is -- you better get way in front of me. >> got it! >> so i don't know if you guys know this, but competitive gymnastics is really hard. >> just a little bit. >> just a tad. >> coaches sarah, breanna mcneil have been teaching gymnastics

for a combined 38 years. while they love the 7 to 10-year-olds class, this ain't child's play. >> my goodness. >> if you're competitive, what's your daily schedule like? >> they go to school and then come into this club practice. >> what time are you leaving here for nighttime practice? >> 9:00 p.m. >> we were out of here at 9 most days. >> so then you go home and do homework. >> uh-huh. >> wow. it is a lot. is it too much? >> gymnasts are so disciplined. if you can handle gymnastics, you can handle mostly anything, i feel. >> how did i do today? >> good! >> let's talk about that. will i ever be as good as you all? >> no. >> i appreciate your honesty. and why won't i ever be as good as you all? >> you need strength. [ laughter ] >> and so what do you want to do in gymnastics? how far do you want to go? >> i want to go to the olympics. >> i also want to go to the

olympics. >> olympics. >> olympics. >> probably a teacher. >> a teacher who goes to the olympics? >> yeah. >> so when little kids start, i would imagine their goal is i want to go to the olympics. >> always. >> how do you negotiate that when most of humanity doesn't go to the olympics? >> we totally crossed dreams when a kid is 5 years old. we would know if you're making the olympics. well would know now. >> that's the thing about gymnastics that is so -- okay. so let me tell you my kid story. my older daughter got promoted to the higher level, which was upstair upstairs. juno is a kid, having a good time. upstairs it wasn't fun. downstairs my daughter felt like they're not challenging me at all because they don't see me as being able to go upstairs. >> and i think for gymnastics it's so specific and it is a dangerous sport. so you do need to have the strength and conditioning. and a lot of kids don't want to do that. there is a part of this is this

is just what it is. >> it is a serious track to take and a huge commitment. >> i've been asking this question to everybody, but i'm actualably the experts. simone biles. >> when it first happened, i was kind of annoyed. but then i have to take a step back, really, it's your life you're going to risk, especially if she fell. >> when you think about the physics of it and you think i'm throwing my body, i'm flipping and landing and trying to stick it. >> it's a crazy sport. >> women's gymnastics has always been a paradox. it's called women's gymnastics when most of the women are under 18. and the true test of how good you are is not how much you are treated like a human, but rather how much you are treated like a machine. that's why it was huge deal when the greatest of all time herself simone biles said nope, i'm a human. see, we remember kerri strug as a hero for this vault. but what we don't remember is that she had injured her ankle

so badly on a previous vault that she let her coach know she wasn't sure she could go again. her coach, the legendary bela karolyi proclaimed you can do it, kerri. while it was framed as good coaching at the time, there have been ss of karolyi being physically and verbally abuse alternative the girls he coached. >> there was physical and mental abuse. the screaming and yelling. the humiliation and body shaming regularly. >> in response to allegations of abuse of coaching, karolyi has since said, quote, my gymnasts are the best prepared in the world, and they win. that's all that counts. and my response is it, though? >> there has been a narrative in gymnastics that winning is more important than the person's physical and psychic well-being, you know? >> it's tough love. it's a tough sport, and there needs to be some discipline. but at the same time, we know when to take a step back. >> i mean, i feel it's a difficult suggest to bring up,

but i feel like the larry nassar has to have had affected all gymnasts and all coaches mentally. >> even in the world of me too, the larry nassar case is shocking, and it puts this sport's priorititation of winning over the safety of gymnasts on a whole different level. in 2016, nassar, a former usa gymnastics team doctor, was arrested and charged with sexual assault of many of the young women and girls that were entrusted to his care. >> authorities are still looking for answers about how he was able to abuse hundreds of girls and women, even though several victims reported his crimes to police. >> over his 18-year career, more than 300 young women and girls have accused nassar of sexual assault. and despite nassar operating at the karolyi's training camp for decades, bella and martha karolyi say they knew nothing about his abuse. no matter how much time nassar

spends in prison or how much money he is forced to give to his survivors, they'll evaluation to live with the impact. >> as a survivor of this horror, i can ensure you that the impacts of this man's abuse are not ever over or forgotten. >> forget sports heroes. these are real heroes. >> perhaps you have figured it out by now. little girls don't stay little forever. they grow into strong women that return to destroy your world. >> to be clear, when my kids were like i'm not interested in gymnastics anymore, it was the same time that larry nassar thing broke, let's get the -- it was a thing i felt like dwleen this sport can take tear of you. >> so many different courses that we're required to take now because of that. >> and what are the courses about? >> it's called safe sport. >> sexual abuse and tough coaching, all that. >> it talks about boundaries too. like you shouldn't be texting your athletes, or you can't be alone in the gym with just one

kid. >> it shook the whole world. >> that light on everything that it needed to. >> even if you root out all the larry nassars and take steps to protect the gymnasts, the truth is the sport still puts an incredible amount of pressure on its young athletes. >> they beat themselves up a lot. i wish they wouldn't, but they do. >> that seems like part of the sport is because you're scored. >> there is no doubt about how close you were to perfection. you were three points away from perfection. >> and that definitely impacts a lot of kids' mental health, of course. >> and that is true of all youth sports whether the goal is olympic glory or fame and fortune and not just fun. how can we expect them not to buckle under all this pressure? ♪ you save on what you need without skimping on the things you love. ♪ you know how to spend a little less to get a little more

to make life a little better. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ "shake your thang" by salt n pepa flowers are fighters. that's why the alzheimer's association walk to end alzheimer's is full of them. because flowers find a way to break through. just like we will. join the fight at alz.org/walk lash sensational sky high from maybelline new york limitless length + volume flex brush over 10 million sold ♪ and try sky high cosmic black intense black pigments only from maybelline new york people with plaque psoriasis, or psoriatic arthritis, are rethinking the choices they make. like the splash they create.

the way they exaggerate. or the surprises they initiate. otezla. it's a choice you can make. otezla is not an injection or a cream. it's a pill that treats differently. for psoriasis, you can achieve clearer skin with otezla. for psoriatic arthritis, otezla is proven to reduce joint swelling, tenderness, and pain. and the otezla prescribing information has no requirement for routine lab monitoring. don't use if you're allergic to otezla. otezla can cause serious allergic reactions. it may cause severe diarrhea, nausea, or vomiting. otezla is associated with an increased risk of depression. tell your doctor if you have a history of depression or suicidal thoughts or if these feelings develop. some people taking otezla reported weight loss. your doctor should monitor your weight and may stop treatment. upper respiratory tract infection and headache may occur. tell your doctor about your medicines and if you're pregnant or planning to be. otezla. show more of you.

this is xfinity rewards. our way of showing our appreciation. with rewards of all shapes and sizes. [ cheers ] are we actually going? yes!! and once in a lifetime moments. two tickets to nascar! yes! find rewards like these and so many more in the xfinity app.

a city's iconic athletes shape the identity of the city. magic johnson, so hollywood. larry bird looks like boston. >> all right, let's do some more word association. larry bird. >> larry is a legend. >> every time, you know, he get hit down, he get right back up. that's a strong white boy right there. >> bill russell. >> 13. >> 13 seasons? >> 13 championships. >> 11 championships. >> i don't mean to be an encyclopedia. >> you're right.

>> bill russell, i say at work all the time. >> i've never heard that before. >> my dad used to say that all the time. >> if you got a statue, you got to be somebody important. there are lots of people with statues that don't deserve statues. don't get me going with that. >> be thank you is boston. >> bill russell does have a statue, but he should have two. one for winning all those championships and another for being mentally tough enough to deal with boston's legendary racism while he did it. >> two back-to-back racist incidents at fenway park have now shaken the baseball community. >> i think because it runs so deeply, it's so baked into the cake of boston sports. >> the nba finals with bill russell, number six brilliantly spearheading the celtics. >> bill russell is the single greatest winning player in all of professional team sports. he was never known for his scoring or flashy play. he was just the ultimate team player. he was a team player off the court too. because even though he had his own struggles with boston's racism, he was politically

outspoken about the rights of black people and hemen mentore other black athletes. this is back when it definitely didn't help your brain. we never talk enough about how living with racism affects your mental health. and conversely, we think being a professional athlete means you no problems. but if you're a black athlete or an athlete of color, you have to deal with all the usual pressures of your sport and you have to deal with racism. and plenty of people telling you that you have no right to talk about it. >> someone once said "shut up and dribble." >> bill russell is one of the main roots of the tree that black athlete protest grows off of. he is the champion of that too. and today's players walk in his footsteps. >> i'm sure you know this. boston not known for being the easiest sports town the play. in some would say the greatest player of all time is bill russell. >> yeah. >> said that it was hard to play in the city. >> yeah. >> because of the racism you endured. >> yeah. >> what is it like to come into that? >> you've seen the strides that have been made.

there is a long ways to go. you still have the same similar kind of situations, probably more social media now than it was in the past. there is definitely that impact anxiety wise and emotionally when you read the things that have been said. >> so you pay attention to it? >> like you notice it. it's hard not to notice it. >> grant williams is a power forward for the boston celtics. and at just 22, he was elected one of the youngest vice presidents of the basketball players association. aka the pa. he is also a former chess champion with a mom who walks at nasa? oh come on, you guys. that's too much. >> it's not that people shouldn't talk trash, not that people can't tell you that you suck and everything else. it's when it goes off the court. it's about your family, it's about what you're doing, there are times when people with will question people's intelligence, question people's character. >> yes. >> and not know the person. >> especially when it is a white person, white media outlet doing that to a black person. >> right. >> i always credit dream hampton

for bringing this to me. it used to be if you an athlete, the outliers pay attention you think muhammed ali or bill russell. they were like that guy is the political guy. and now it's to the point that if you're not paying attention, then it looks weird. especially as a black man. >> yeah. >> there is definitely encouragement to speak up now days. >> do you feel pressure, though? >> you can say there is definitely pressure. and that's part of the reason why i got the role with the pa and trying to not only be educated for others, but helping guys really grow and understand how they can create change. >> tonight professional sports world coming to a halt for a second night as players protest the shooting of jacob blake by police. >> we started with the kneeling. we were hoping that would send a message. it saddens us to see nothing is change. >> the jacob blake incident. we had a stoppage of play as a group. everyone decided we got to take this day off. it's something we have to pay attention to this. >> when an athlete refuses to shut up and dribble and instead takes the day off to deal with

the state of the world or the state of their mental health, they are standing up to and interrupting multibillion industries. they're affirming themselves and the people out there who don't have their power. and whether they're mentally prepared for it or not, they know they have to deal with the consequences. >> oftentimes i feel like people are pressed forward no matter their health or well-being. that's because we view people just as an entertainer, as an athlete. when we start understanding people are still people at the end of the day. >> are players openly talking about this stuff in the locker room. i know you talked about your twisted ankle. can you talk about your mental state? >> it's occurring more now than it was. that's something i've tried to encourage and hopefully adapt some mind-sets. if we prove that we can do this, then others will hopefully follow suit. as a main street bank,

pnc has helped over 7 million kids develop their passion for learning through our grow up great initiative. and now, we're providing billions of dollars for affordable home lending programs... as part of 88 billion to support underserved communities... including loans for small businesses in low and moderate income areas. so everyone has a chance to move forward financially. pnc bank: see how we can make a difference for you. if maga republicans get their way, abortion will be banned nationwide, with no exceptions. medicare and social security will end in five years, with no replacement. elections will be decided by politicians, with no regard for your vote. if maga republicans get back in power, your rights, benefits and freedoms will be in danger. democrats will protect your rights. and the only way to stop maga republicans is to vote for democrats. ff pac is responsible for the content of this ad. oh, marco's pepperoni magnifico.

classic and old world pepperoni® on one pizza—and a large is just $9.99?! the phrase “slice of heaven” comes to mind... marco's. pizza lovers get it. ♪ is this where your grandparents cut a rug, with a jitterbug? or returned from war, dreaming of the possibilities ahead. ♪ where your dad waited for his dad to come home from the factory. is this where they gathered on their front steps, with fats domino on the breeze... ancestry can guide you to family discoveries in the 1950 census. see what you can uncover at ancestry.

after my car accident, wondnder whahatmy c cas. so i called the barnes firm. i'm rich barnes. youour cidedentase e woh than insurance offered? call the barnes firm now to find out. yoyou ght t beurprpris ci had no idea how muchw i wamy case was worth. c

call the barnes firm to find out what your case could be worth. we will help get you the best result possible. ♪ call one eight hundred, eight million ♪ . wait up. up. close to the edge. >> winding its way through the center of boston, the charles river is the backdrop to the largest two-day rowing regatta in the world. the head of the charles regatta holds 11.5 million roars bringing in 3.5 million annually. regular boston is here too.

chowder in a bread bowl, anyone? this thing is hard-core. ain't nobody here for a college admissions app. what's up, aunt becky? time for my rowing election. >> you're going to swing to your right. >> you're going to need a bigger boat. >> rowing is the hardest stroke i've ever done. you're always chasing the perfect stroke. and once you find the perfect stroke, it's something else. >> luckily i've got two great coaches, allie riley and. >> you're sitting here with two olympic medalists. >> para. >> the parastands for in parel to the olympics, not pledge of allegiance paraplegic. that's a misconception there is a wider spectrum of disabilities. and rowing is unique that our sport class has a lot of different disabilities that filter into a point system to get you where you sit. >> so i was born with extra toes and fingers on each hand and

foot. and i've had a lot of reconstructive surgeries over my years that have limited motion in my feet and ankles. >> have i herb's palsy. my left arm was paralyzed at birth. now have i some mobility back. >> hopefully now we all understand it's stressful to be an elite athlete. but some athletes have a level of stress that other athletes can't even imagine. >> for paralympics, you have to classify with doctors. >> i've heard about that a little bit. is it as annoying and -- what's the word i'm look for, shitty as it sounds? >> it a lot of extra stress to not only are you worrying about how you're going to be performing, but people are going to have to poke and prod at you, and they almost make it feel like you don't belong there. >> we're supposed to be at our peak level of fitness, peak level of capability and confidence. and then a couple of days before we go, they say okay, show us everything that you can't do. i've been really trying to put that off. >> trying to put can't out of my mind. in sports, your mind-set is

important. >> it's such an interesting situation because the olympics and the paralympics are once every four years. so you get all this attention on you once every four years, but no one cares about you in the three-year hiatus there is a weird more is better mentality sometimes which i think as you get more mature as an athlete you realize is not the case. >> and as if the external pressure wasn't enough, every elite athlete has the internal pressure of knowing they can't be elite forever. eventually you ain't on top anymore. and for some pro athletes, that fall from the top isn't softened by piles and piles after cash. can i ask how much it pays? >> we get a monthly stipend of what, $600? >> $600? >> to live. i can't even pay rent with that here. >> no, you can't. not unless you live in the 1980s. >> i had a full-time job. >> that's puts a damper on

olympic glory. >> yeah. >> other foot. don't step on the rolly part. >> some people think it's gauche to think about money in the olympics. but how can we make sense for athletes to give their everything and end up broke in the process. glory don't pay the rent. but no matter the circumstances, these athletes are under all the pressure we keep hearing about. >> your left arm stays on tom of your right arm. >> and they are more than their medals or triumph or failure or their fleeting time in the spotlight. >> see you later, suckers! homegrown tomatoes...nice. i want to feel in control of my health, so i do what i can.

what about screening for colon cancer? when caught in early stages it's more treatable. i'm cologuard. i'm noninvasive and i detect altered dna in your stool to find 92% of colon cancers, even in early stages. early stages? yep, it's for people 45 plus at average risk for colon cancer, not high risk. false positive and negative results may occur. ask your provider if cologuard is right for you. consider it done. big game today! everybody ready? alexa, ask buick to start my enclave. starting your buick enclave. i just love our new alexa. dad, it's a buick. i love that new alexa smell. it's a buick. we need snacks for the team. alexa, take us to the nearest grocery store. getting directions. alexa will get us there in no time. it's a buick. let's be real. don't make me turn this alexa around. oh my. it's painful. the buick enclave, with available alexa built in. ask “alexa, tell me more about buick suvs.” flowers are fighters. that's why the alzheimer's association

walk to end alzheimer's is full of them. because flowers find a way to break through. just like we will. join the fight at alz.org/walk when moderate to severe ulcerative colitis persists... put it in check with rinvoq, a once-daily pill. when uc got unpredictable,... i got rapid symptom relief with rinvoq. check. when uc held me back... i got lasting, steroid-free remission with rinvoq. check.

and when uc got the upper hand... rinvoq helped visibly repair the colon lining. check. rapid symptom relief. lasting, steroid-free remission. and a chance to visibly repair the colon lining. check. check. and check. rinvoq can lower your ability to fight infections, including tb. serious infections and blood clots, some fatal; cancers, including lymphoma and skin cancer; death, heart attack, stroke, and tears in the stomach or intestines occurred. people 50 and older... with at least 1 heart disease risk factor have higher risks. don't take if allergic to rinvoq... as serious reactions can occur. tell your doctor if you are or may become pregnant. put uc in check and keep it there, with rinvoq. ask your gastroenterologist about rinvoq. and learn how abbvie could help you save. migraine hits hard, so u hit back with ubrelvy u level up u won't take a time-out one dose of ubrelvy works fast it can quickly stop migraine in its tracks within 2 hours without worrying if it's too late or where you are unlike older medicines, ubrelvy is a pill that directly blocks a protein believed to be a cause of migraine.

do not take with strong cyp3a4 inhibitors. most common side effects were nausea and tiredness. migraine pain relief starts with u learn how abbvie could help you save. ask about ubrelvy, the anytime, anywhere migraine medicine. so we have a few moves we can try on you. >> okay. >> the first one can do an arm spin. >> oh my goodness. oh my goodness. >> no? >> i mean, i feel like i don't know if my insurance is up to date. >> cadence lee and angelica are throw of the strongest women i've ever met, and i don't mean that in a metaphorical way. >> oh my god! this feels very wwe in a way i wasn't expecting. >> they're all in a program call wrestle her. >> when i started wrestling, i would hear oh, you have to

wrestle her. you have to wrestle a girl. so the better you got, that term changed. oh, no, you're going to have to wrestle her. >> also the ceo of beat the streets new england, which delivers club wrestling programs to underserved youth throughout boston. as a woman in wrestling, and like so many women in male-dominated sports, she spent years of less than welcoming messaging from fans, coaches and her male pierce. >> to some people, a guy wrestling a girl is a, quote, lose-lose. if you beat the girl you beat up a girl. if you lose to a girl, you lost to the girl. >> yeah. >> when you're wrestling a boy, does it feel unfair? >> i feel like there is loopholes. >> loopholes? >> like i'm not going to go arm fight you if you're a strong guy. it comes down to technique with that. >> personally, i really enjoyed going brute strength to brute strength with guys because that was exciting for me, and it was exciting to know that i could beat them at their own game in a sense. >> oh, okay. >> i would love to see a point

in the sport where there are enough females on the mat that we have our own teams and our own leagues and our own opportunities. >> but bjor isn't just pushing for a more inclusive sport. she is pushing for value as wrestlers. a lesson she learned in college as an olympic hopeful. >> when i saw my name come up as the top three potential to make an olympic team. and i just like -- this is it. this is what's going to happen. and so i slept, dreamt, ate, breathed olympic wrestling. and then i got injured. and that was it. i would say the first time i feel like i truly felt like a heartache or loss. >> uh-huh. >> and just did not handle it well. mentally i was not ready. you kind of put it on your value as an athlete. and so when that goes away, you almost feel like you've lost

your value too. and then i found my value again. if i had realized that i was learning this confidence, this resiliency when i had got injured, i think i would have come back even stronger. >> that's the end game of beat the streets and wrestle her. it isn't just about getting better at the physical. it's about building self-worth, character and mutual support systems through wrestling. >> it technically is the only varsity level sport that teaches you self-defense equivalence. actually, when i moved to boston, someone tried to mug me. >> i like that started with "someone tried to mug me." that already tells you how that went. >> instinctively, i just arm dragged them. oh, that was awkward. >> and as she pushes back against the idea that a wrestler's worth is only worth their performance and abilities, sees a real shift in the minds of her athletes. >> are you ready? oh! >> sports in general is changing

a lot. it's really important for athletes to be able to stick up for themselves, speak to their own mental health, physical health. >> if you learned anything from watching me this episode, then you know we're not all going to be elite athletes. but with the right framing and approach, sports can strengthen mental health, even if you can't walk upright for three days. >> oh, hey, how you doing? on the next episode of "united shades," calm maw is at the emergency room. >> can i get three aides to carry me to the car? you're not just getting by. ♪ you're getting the most out of what you've got. ♪ and you know how to spend a little less, to get a little more, to make life a little better. ♪ the world is full of make or break moments. especially if you have postmenopausal osteoporosis

and a high risk for fracture, it's time to make your move to help reduce your risk of fracture with prolia®. only prolia® is proven to help strengthen and protect bones from fracture with 1 shot every 6 months. do not take prolia® if you have low blood calcium, are pregnant, are allergic to it, or take xgeva®. serious allergic reactions like low blood pressure, trouble breathing, throat tightness, face, lip or tongue swelling, rash, itching or hives have happened. tell your doctor about dental problems, as severe jaw bone problems may happen or new or unusual pain in your hip, groin, or thigh, as unusual thigh bone fractures have occurred. speak to your doctor before stopping, skipping or delaying prolia®, as spine and other bone fractures have occurred. prolia® can cause serious side effects, like low blood calcium, serious infections, which could need hospitalization, skin problems, and severe bone, joint, or muscle pain. don't wait for a break. call your doctor now and ask how prolia® can help you.

♪ (music plays throughout) ♪ ♪ ♪ another round? i'm good. ♪ let's do a song ♪ ♪ ♪

look, i'm a full grown adult, and i know that my

manhood has nothing to do with my athletic ability. >> fly ball. >> and yet -- >> agh! >> because i grew up with more books than balls -- wait, that doesn't sound like. any way, i still get afraid that my lack of athleticism is going to make me look like less of a man. one of my greatest fears is that i'm walking past a park, a baseball rolls towards me, and then some guys on the other side of the park yell "just toss it back." and then i pray to be struck by lightning. >> first, where are we starting from? >> so one thing i absolutely wanted to do while i was in boston was to learn how to throw a baseball. >> okay. >> all right. >> so to teach me, i got two of the manliest men i know, both friends of mine, both producers on the show. >> so you can point to where you're going? >> mo and duane kennedy. if this goes too badly, i can fire them. >> don't roast me. >> this is getting better. >> full body motion.

all those pieces together. >> sorry, bub. i didn't mean to throw a ball to somebody wearing a baseball glove. my fault. >> but obviously, throwing a baseball well doesn't mean you're a man, right? but in the world of sports, we often connect masculinity to physical and mental toughness. vulnerability is weakness. >> national football league, this hurts me. >> so when nfl hall of famer randy moss got choked up talking about the racist emails of then las vegas raiders coach jon gruden, many took the opportunity to call randy moss soft. randy moss is one of the greatest nfl players of all time. if he can't cry, who can? >> we often look at athletes as machines. and we do not look at them as humans. we have a saying when people cry, we cry up. hold your head high when we cry. cry up. >> that's deep. >> yeah. >> darius payton is a senior

youth specialist at the becoming a man program, aka bam boston. >> morning. what's going on, everybody. >> the program focuses on creating a space for young, predominantly black and brown when to learn life skills. each and every day that practice begins with a simple check inform. >> what is one lesson you have learned from your sport that you can apply to your everyday life. and i'll model the process. mr. powell checking in. basketball being my sport, one thing that i've learned was perseverance. setting a goal and seeing it through. and with that, i'm in. >> good morning, kings. my name is kanye. i play football. something that i can apply to my daily life is anything can be a motivation. my grades are high, but i think i can get it higher. that's my motivation. i see jaden working out. that's my motivation right there. >> jaden, do you hear your

brother check in? >> yes. >> did you know that was happening? >> no, i really didn't. >> so how does that feel? >> it feels good, because i never really thought someone would be inspired by me like that. >> and let me be clear. supporting mental and emotional health doesn't only look like one-on-one therapy. programs like bam make thoughtful care and communication a normalized practice within a large community. that's a big part of the work here. >> my name is kamau. my sport is stand-up comedy. but i think the thing i learn even if i juggle being a stand-up comedy is my sport that not to compare myself to other people. if i compare myself to other people, i'm always comparing my insides to their outsides. i'm sorry. and with that, i'm in. >> awesome. thank you. as a group, think you can juggle six balls together? >> yes, sir. >> every person in the circle must catch the ball once without dropping it. if the ball is dropped then the activity starts over. >> oh!

>> all right. from here on out, there are three more attempts. >> oh! >> i sure could use a lightning strike about now. all my worst nightmares are happening right now. every nightmare i've had about sports. i made an adjustment. >> don't get down on yourself. >> okay, thank you. >> i put it down. i put it down. what were the rules? the ball cannot touch the floor. that's two fails. one more chance. oh! >> it's not a problem. it's not a problem. >> everybody is doing a good job. >> all right, everybody. group mission failed. take your seats. take your seats. bring them back in. >> did you have any programs like this growing up? like a program that could help

you better yourself? >> yeah, my mom. i grew up in a generation where if you talked about your feelings in front of other men. >> you were a little girl. >> there you go. there you go. we still live in a society where men overall are not encouraged to express their feelings. but black men specifically. >> as black men we're only allowed to operate in two area, extreme joy or anger. there is no room for us to show these other emotions that can be very, very detrimental and toxic. >> that's one of the reasons why i got involved with the program. like you said, i didn't have somebody like this for me. and i so desperately needed someone that i could just check in with, without feeling judged, without feeling like they have to put on that machismo, put on that act, and where we can just be us. >> i appreciate that you let us fail the mission, because you could have said okay, one more time, everybody. but no, the mission is over. >> failure happens and what's next? >> yeah. >> it's an important lesson that we all need to learn.

>> i failed out of college three times. got my degree. >> the lessons that i've taken from that, that has all become a part of me. but now i'm able to impart that to y'all. and to see the way that y'all are achieving, the way yule are kick life in its ass and just loving life and being able to freely express y'all selves. >> yeah. >> when i think of my goals and my accomplishments, y'all are my accomplishments. >> cry up, cry up, cry up. ♪ >> so come on, everybody. let's cry up. because we all know it ain't just athletes who need practice processing and expressing emotion. >> to be vulnerable. if you're not vulnerable, then you're not a real man. i'm sorry. >> i just got read. i'm just standing here. okay. i'll be more vulnerable. >> it shouldn't be complicated. athletes are human. no matter how much better they are at the physical part of being human, they're just people.

even tom brady. if we can't care about their physical fitness and their mental well-being, then maybe we don't deserve them at all. >> okay. >> all right. let's see that. >> man. i hope i didn't piss off tom brady by calling him human there. >> you go. >> yeah, yeah! all right, all right. maybe a bridge too far. >> next lesson. >> next lesson. the following is a cnn special report. wealthy people spend a lot of money to get policy made the way they want it and they get it. >> now to sign the law. >> the average voter doesn't know what's happening behind the scenes. >> a texas bill targeting lgbtq+ children. >> they want to keep it secret