Olympics news

Simone Biles returns to Olympic competition — here's when to watch in Dallas

Biles' withdrawal from team competition shocked the world.

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UPDATE 8-2-2021: Simone Biles will compete in the balance beam finals on Tuesday, August 3, according to Team USA. This comes after the four-time Olympic gold medalist withdrew from competition for more than a week to focus on her mental health and deal with a severe cases of "the twisties."

"We are so excited to confirm that you will see two U.S. athletes in the balance beam final tomorrow," USA Gymnastics declared in a statement. "Suni Lee AND Simone Biles!! Can't wait to watch you both!"

The competition begins streaming live at 3 am CDT on the NBC Sports and Peacock apps. Coverage will also include men's parallel bars and high bar finals. According to NBC, the balance beam competition will begin at 3:50 am. Medals will be awarded immediately afterwards. It will then air in primetime at 7 pm on NBC. Here is more info on how to watch.

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UPDATE 7-31-2021: Simone Biles has pulled out of Monday's floor exercise finals, Team USA has announced. A decision about Tuesday's balance beam final is expected to be announced Sunday.

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UPDATE 7-30-2021: Simone Biles has withdrawn from event finals for vault and uneven bars, Team USA announced Friday night. "She will continue to be evaluated daily to determine whether to compete in the finals for floor exercise and balance beam," they said in a statement.

American MyKayla Skinner, who earned the fourth-highest score on vault in qualifying, will replace Biles; USA's Jade Carey also qualified. Sunisa Lee will be the lone American gymnast to compete on uneven bars; no other teammate scored high enough in qualifying. Melanie de Jesus dos Santos of France will get Biles' spot on bars.

Vault and uneven bar finals take place Sunday, floor exercise on Monday, and balance beam on Tuesday.

Biles posted on Instagram on Thursday night that she was still experiencing "the twisties,” said her "mind and body are simply not in sync, and that she "literally can not tell up from down."

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UPDATE 7-28-2021: Simone Biles will not compete in the Olympic all-around finals, USA Gymnastics says. Jade Carey will take her place alongside teammate Sunisa Lee.

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Will she or won't she defend her gold medal in the Olympic gymnastics all-around competition? That's the question no one saw coming about Simone Biles, but it's now the question being asked around the world as the most elite Olympian on the globe withdrew from the U.S. gymnastics team final in Tokyo.

The United States' team, including Biles' Houston-area training mate Jordan Chiles, Sunisa Lee, and Grace McCallum, won a silver medal in Tuesday’s women’s gymnastics competition after Biles pulled out of the competition after just one event.

The four-time Olympic gold medalist, known as the “GOAT,” left the contest due to an unspecified issue.

“Simone Biles has withdrawn from the team final competition due to a medical issue,” reads a statement from USA Gymnastics. “She will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions."”

The 24-year-old Spring, Texas resident had qualified for all six finals and was expected to go on to compete in individual all-around, floor exercise, beam, uneven bars, and vault.

After the medal ceremony, she revealed to Today host Hoda Kotb that her prospects for the rest of the competition, including the all-around meet later this week, are uncertain.

"Physically, I feel good, I'm in shape," she told Kotb. "Emotionally, that kind of varies on the time and moment. Coming here to the Olympics and being the head star isn't an easy feat, so we're just trying to take it one day at a time and we'll see."

When Kotb asked her specifically about Thursday's individual all-around competition, Biles said, "We're gonna take it day by day, and we're just gonna see."

Undoubtedly, Biles was the favorite in these games and has set the standard for those competing against her. She is widely considered the greatest gymnast of all time and has been the biggest draw for the Tokyo 2020 games thus far.

On Tuesday July 27, she competed in Team USA’s first vault rotation. She landed the vault then huddled with a trainer, and later exited the competition with a team doctor.

When she returned, Biles removed her gear, hugged her teammates, and donned a jacket and sweatpants — a clear sign she was done for the day.

In her interview with Kotb, Biles said she told her teammates, "'You guys need to relax, you're gonna be fine without me. Go out there, kick some butt just like you've done in training, and just lay it out on the floor and see what happens.'"

Her Monday, July 26 Instagram post reveals the pressures the young superstar endures as she represents the U.S. and aspiring gymnasts everywhere:

It wasn't an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard hahaha! The olympics is no joke!Now, Houston and the world will watch to see when and if the GOAT can spring back into action.

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A post shared by Simone Biles (@simonebiles)

This is a breaking news story; CultureMap will update with details.

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Stephanie Allmon Merry contributed to this story.

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Movie Review

Revived Coyote vs. Acme shows Looney Tunes’ enduring appeal

Photo courtesy of Ketchup Entertainment

Wile E. Coyote in Coyote vs. Acme.

No movie studio has gone through more ups and downs in the past few years than Warner Bros. In 2022, they oddly shelved two mostly-completed movies, Batgirl and Scoob! Holiday Haunt. But the next few years brought major movies like Barbie, Dune Part Two, Sinners, Superman, Weapons, and One Battle After Another, giving them a huge boost. Strangely, that led directly into a proposed sale to Paramount that is now going through legal battles.

Another previously-shelved Warner Bros. movie, Coyote vs. Acme, is now seeing the light of day thanks to a deal with a small company called Ketchup Entertainment. Taking its cue from the classic Looney Tunes cartoons, the film creates a world in which Wile E. Coyote - sick of constantly being thwarted in his pursuit of Road Runner by faulty Acme products - decides to sue the company.

To do so, he approaches the law firm of Avery, Jones & Maltese, led by Kevin Avery (Will Forte). The firm typically takes on small cases that are easy to settle, but - with a little subterfuge from Wile E. Coyote - they are soon presenting Acme and its lead attorney, Buddy Crane (John Cena), with a lawsuit that could be worth millions of dollars. Naturally, the big corporation won’t give in without a fight, leading to all sorts of shenanigans on both sides.

Directed by Dave Green and written by Samy Burch from a story by Burch, James Gunn, and Jeremy Slater, the film is a fun mixture of nostalgia and clever storytelling. Most of Looney Tunes’ classic characters make an appearance in the film, including Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck, Porky Pig, Elmer Fudd, and Sylvester. The two, other than Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner, who get the most play are Tweety, who appears in some of the movie’s funniest scenes, and Foghorn Leghorn, reimagined as the CEO of Acme.

The blend of live action and animation is not quite on the level of something like Who Framed Roger Rabbit, but it is still effective. It also affords the film plenty of opportunities to employ Looney Tunes’ signature brand of cartoon violence that doesn’t actually leave lasting damage. The gags are very familiar for those who grew up on the studio’s short films, but combined with the inventive ways in which they’re used and the pointed jabs at corporate culture, they become somewhat fresh again.

Naturally, there are plenty of references in the film, starting with the name of the law firm, which pays homage to legendary directors Chuck Avery and Chuck Jones, as well as writer/animator Michael Maltese. Sly jokes that could turn the film from PG to PG-13 sneak their way in, although they steer clear of elements that haven’t aged well (documented in a recent viral comedy clip). But the film is at its best when it leans into the well-earned traits of its favorite characters and just lets them cook.

Forte is a great scene partner for Wile E. Coyote, as he can turn even minor slights into comedy gold. His deadpan reactions are the ideal way to counter the insanity going on around him. Cena has proven in other films that he has great comic timing, and he demonstrates that skill well here, too, especially in a fantastic scene opposite Tweety. The voice talent does a good job with the iconic characters, although the legendary Mel Blanc remains the gold standard.

Coyote vs. Acme is not a world-changing movie by any means, but it is a fun twist on the characters many know and love that deserved to be seen by moviegoers. Wile E. Coyote may never actually catch Road Runner, but this movie shows that his unceasing attempts remain entertaining after all these years.

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Coyote vs. Acme is now playing in theaters.

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Movie Review

Revived Coyote vs. Acme shows Looney Tunes’ enduring appeal