During the Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year event, the couple was interviewed by the press on the red carpet. When asked who was the better athlete of the two, the Bears player didn’t hesitate to affirm that Biles is better than him: “I’m not doing no backflips. Nah.”

Both athletes often express mutual support whenever one of them competes. When asked who cheers more for the other, Simone Biles was left behind in this response, as both believe that Owens is the better fan.

“Jonathan, he knows more and he really pays attention,” she said. “After the first half, I lose track of the game.” For his part, the talented safety made it clear that just her presence on the field is more than enough: “She’ll hear everybody else yelling and she’ll be like, ‘What happened,’ ” Owens joked. “But you know, it’s the thought that counts, I love it.”

The Bears are looking to turn their current situation around

The last season for the Chicago Bears was undoubtedly one of their weakest in recent years, not only due to the style of play but also the results. With just five wins and a troubling total of 12 losses, the team from the Windy City finished last in the NFC North.

Caleb Williams’ emergence in the NFL was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise not only for the league but also for his team, which had struggled for years with a crucial position on the roster. Despite some standout moments, the rookie faced challenges during several stretches of games and was unable to fully showcase his talent.

Matt Eberflus’ departure midway through the season only made things more difficult for a Bears team that is currently searching for the right head coach to turn the situation around for the upcoming season.

Jessica Pegula reached her maiden Grand Slam semi-final after a decisive win over World No. 1 Iga Swiatek at the 2024 US Open. In straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, Pegula, sixth-seeded at the tournament, gave the performance of her career, and she had a special guest: legendary gimnast Simone Biles.

The 11-Olympic medalist was seen at the Arthur Ashe Stadium on Wednesday night, showcasing once again her support to women’s sports. Last week, she attended her first WNBA match and met Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark.

After that visit, Biles shared a post on X in which she reiterated that “Everyone watches women’s sports,” and she definitely proves it. Biles hasn’t been the only sports star to watch women’s matches at the US Open, as Serena Williams and Roger Federer were also seen at the Arthur Ashe Stadium this week.

On the other hand, Pegula joins Emma Navarro as the two American women who have a chance to win their trophy on home soil. Both players are new to this stage in a major, and they will have tough battles if they want to clinch a place in the final.

While Pegula will face Czech player Karolina Muchova, who is coming from defeating Brazil’s Beatriz Haddad Maia in the quarter finals, Navarro will have to face two-time Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka. The Belarusian recently joked that she will offer free drinks to gain the support of the crowd in her semifinal match.

Four American players are in the US Open semis

Pegula and Navarro aren’t the only Americans to reach the semis at the tournament. In the men’s side, Taylor Fritz and Frances Tiafoe will face each other for a place in the final, securing an American man in the decisive match of a Grand Slam for the first time since 2009.

Last who did it was Andy Roddick, who lost against Federer in Wimbledon. Roddick is also the last American man to win a major, when he won in New York against Juan Carlos Ferrero. That year was also the last time that four Americans, men and women, reached the semis of the US Open: Roddick, Andre Agassi, Jennifer Capriati and Lindsay Davenport.

From soccer to the NBA to cricket, sports stars are followed from fans all over the world from all walks of life. Since the start of social media celebrities have leveraged what their content could be worth if tied to a brand.

Like Messi with Adidas or Pulisic with Puma, these sports stars know their value on the social media platform Instagram. According to a study done by Hopper, here are the 25 top sports stars who charge the most per post on Instagram.

25. Faf du Plessis

Faf du Plessis is a South African cricket player and former captain of South Africa’s cricket team, the star player charges $11,100 per post on his Instagram page.

24. Lindsey Vonn

Lindsey Vonn is an alpine ski racer who has won four World Cup overall championships and has a large social media following. Vonn’s cost per post on Instagram is at $11,700.

23. Ryan Sheckler

American skateboarder Ryan Sheckler is also a TV star and was on the MTV TV show Life of Ryan. On Instagram a post by this urban star costs $12,200.

22. Max Holloway

UFC fighter Max Holloway might be tough in the ring, outside he uses his social media to post about his family and showcase things fans have sent him. A brand looking to pair with Max Holloway needs to pay $14,100 per post.

21. Kelly Slater

Professional surfer Kelly Slater has over 10 world surfing championships and has a strong following on social media. Slater charges $15,000 per post on Instagram.

20. Simone Biles

Having turned into an indirect spokesperson for mental health, Simone Biles is one the most decorated gymnasts of all-time and has a huge social media following at the time Biles charged $22,000 per post, that must have surely increased since then.

19. Serena Williams

A monster on the tennis court, Serena Williams won 23 Grand Slam singles titles, and has had endorsement deals of every kind come her way. According to a report she charges $71,700 per post.

18. Ronda Rousey

Former professional mixed martial artist and professional wrestler Ronda Rousey has a big following on social media and knows how to cash in on it. The price for a post is $73,100.

17. Kevin De Bruyne

One of the best soccer players in the world, Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City commands the midfield for the Premier League’s top team. The Belgian international has a big social media following and charges $75,500 per post.

16. AB de Villiers

Cricket player AB de Villiers has over 14 million followers and makes a good chunk of change off of his Instagram, $78,200 when last reported.

15. Sergio Aguero

Now retired soccer player Sergio Aguero has already began building his own brand, often on the platform Twitch, Aguero has a massive following and on Instagram was reported to charge $94,800.

14. Floyd Mayweather

Maybe the greatest boxer of all time, Floyd Mayweather at times might seem vile but he knows how to sell his image. Mayweather has a net worth out of this world! A post by Mayweather on Instagram is chump change for the champion… only $144,000.

13. Stephen Curry

In this writer’s opinion the best basketball player in the world, Stephen Curry is just magic on the court and a celebrity off of it. Curry charges $187,000 per post.

12. Conor Mcgregor

One of the biggest names in mix martial arts, Conor Mcgregor has crossed over to mainstream, boxing, and WWE. Conor Mcgregor charges $218,000 per post.

11. Luis Suarez

Uruguayan striker Luis Suarez was one of the best in his position for a long time, now at the tail end of his career, El Pistolero still has a lot in the tank and could be with Uruguay in the 2022 World Cup. Suarez charges $221,000 per post.

10. Mohamed Salah

Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah is at the moment one of the best soccer players in the world and a goal machine. Salah has fans from all over the world and charges $231,000 per post.

9. Gareth Bale

The Real Madrid midfielder continues to be on top of mind, even though he has had an injury plagued season. Bale is at $238,000 per post on Instagram.

8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Charismatic, controversial, provider of great content, when you team with Zlatan Ibrahimovic one thing you are sure to get is exposure. Zlatan knows how to sell himself; he charges $259,000.

7. Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho may have been out of professional soccer for a while now, but he is still a sought after ambassador for brands. Dinho charges the big bucks, $301,000.

6. David Beckham

No athlete has been better at marketing himself than David Beckham, he built an empire on it. Becks charges $362,000 per post on Instagram.

5. LeBron James

One of the best players of his generation, LeBron is a spokesperson, ambassador, with a strong political stance. LeBron charges $474,000 per post.

4. Virat Kohli

A cricket player from India who is regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world, Virat Kohli has a big following from the cricket playing regions of the world. Kohli knows how to spread it around at $680,000 per post.

3. Neymar

The Brazilian soccer player has been able to crossover from soccer, movies, and products. Neymar is hoping that 2022 will be his crowning year at the World Cup, on Instagram he can’t complain charging $824,000 per post.

2. Lionel Messi

The Argentine great has always known how to sell his self-image, Messi is a shy, often avoider of the spotlight but commercially he knows how to play the game better than on a soccer field. Want a post from Lionel Messi? Put up $1,169,000 bucks!

1. Cristiano Ronaldo

Beckham laid the groundwork, but Cristiano Ronaldo took the throne. Ronaldo is one of the best soccer players of his generation and an excellent salesman of his talents. On Instagram, Ronaldo is at $1,604,000.

The Biles-Owens familyis full of sports talent. With 32 combined medals, including Olympics and World Championships, she is the mostdecorated gymnast of all time. Her engagement brings her light after a dark episode lived during the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympicswhen she withdrew from several competitions due to mental health issues.

Jonathan Owensplays as a safety for the NFL’s Houston Texas since 2019. He made his professionalfootball debut in 2018 with the Arizona Cardinals. He joined Arizona as an undraftedfree agentafter playing forMissouri Western college.

The most talentedcouples in sport

TheSimone Biles& Jonathan Owens union increases the list of athletes that have fallen in love and formalized their compromise. The round of marriageis notcommonly reached by sports couples.As it happens with common people, the breakages are common.

Examples of the latter scenario are the ones ofLindsey Vonnand Tiger Woods, andCaroline Wozniacki and Rory McIlroy. Both coupleswere made up of successfulathletesthat were not able to replicate their prosperity in their relationship. However, others madeit, so, here you have the ongoing most talented couples in sport.

Sanya Richardsand Aaron Ross

Sanyaand Aaron got married in 2010. Theircombined honors include Richards’ 5 Summer Olympicsand 7 World Championshipsmedals, and thetwo Super Bowl ringsthat Ross has conquered with the New York Giants.

Mia Hammand Nomar Garcia Parra

The most accolated American female soccer playerand a Boston Red Sox Hall of Famer: an explosive combination. Mia andNomarare husband and wife since 2003. This family boastsHamm’stwo FIFA World Cup wins with the United States Female National Team and Garcia Parra’ssix-time All-Star.

Nadia Comaneciand Bart Conner

Since 1996, Bart and Nadia are husband and wife. Maybe just Comaneci’s talentwould be enough to be at the top of the list, as the Romanianwas the very firstgymnast to get a perfect score at the Olympic Games as well as having achieved 9 Olympic medals. On the other hand, Connerwas not either commongymnast: he conquered 2 gold Olympic medals and 3 more (1 gold and 3 bronze) at the World Championships.

SteffiGraffand Andre Agassi

Two tennis Superstars in the same house, leading a family. Steffi and Andre have, together, 30 Grand Slams. They got married in 2001 to become one of the most iconic sports couples. They are parents of two children: Jaden and Jaz Elle.

Among the high-profiles survivors of Nassar’s sexual abuse are Olympic gold medalists Biles, Aly Raisman and McKayla Maroney. The three of them recently testified how USA Gymnastics, Olympic officials failed to protect the victims and take the claims seriously. They also criticized how the

The agreement also includes a “restorative justice program”, in which survivors will have a significant say in how USA Gymnastics deals with future allegations of sexual abuse. Nassar was sentenced in federal court in 2017 to 60 years in prison for possessing child sex abuse material. In 2018, however, he was sentenced up to 175 and up to 125 years in two separate Michigan courts for abusing female gymnasts.

Biles, TIME’s Athlete of the Year for moving the mental health conversation forward

This week, it was announced that Biles was TIME’s Athlete of the Year, a decision that highlights how the conversation around mental health in sports is changing. The 24-year-old was set to make history at the Tokyo Olympics but she decided to withdraw from her single events after citing mental health concerns.

While it’s true that athletes are widely judged in terms of wins and losses, TIME considered that “this year demonstrated how athletes are uniquely positioned to propel mental health to the forefront of a broader cultural conversation.”

Amid the social media storm, she returned for her final event, winning the balance-beam bronze. “Biles’ assuredness in speaking her truth and taking ownership of her fate offered permission for athletes and non-athletes alike to talk more openly about challenges they’d once kept to themselves,” Time wrote.

Biles has been considered the GOAT in her sport since she made her Olympic debut at Rio 2016 and won four gold medals. Since then, she has won several titles and she has four skills named after her, all combining flips and twists.

In an interview with New York magazine, Biles was candid about what she went through during the Olympics, where she withdrew from the finals after feeling the “twisties”, the sudden loss of spatial awareness, during her vault performance. She went for a 2.5 flip and only completed a 1.5, which was clearly a sign that something was off.

“Sometimes it’s like, yeah, I’m perfectly okay with it. Like, that’s how it works. That’s how it panned out,” she explained about her withdrawal to the publication. “And then other times I’ll just start bawling in the house.” Here, check out her full declarations.

Simone Biles: “I should’ve quit way before Tokyo”

Biles said she is still processing what happened at the Olympics. However, she is sure that the experience has taught her a lot. “Everybody asks, ‘If you could go back, would you?’ … I wouldn’t change anything because everything happens for a reason and I learned a lot about myself — courage, resilience, how to say no and speak up for yourself.”

Despite that, she is open about her issues that led her to quit right before everything she was preparing for. “If you looked at everything I’ve gone through for the past seven years, I should have never made another Olympic team,” Biles said to the publication. “I should have quit way before Tokyo, when Larry Nassar was in the media for two years,” she added.

She is referring to the sexual abuse she and more than 160 other gymnasts experienced from the former USA Gymnastics team doctor, who was convicted in 2018. “It was too much. But I was not going to let him take something I’ve worked for since I was 6 years old. I wasn’t going to let him take that joy away from me. So I pushed past that for as long as my mind and my body would let me.”

Alongside former teammates McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman and Maggie Nichols, who also were abused by Nassar, Biles recently testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee about the FBI’s handling of claims against him.

Despite being the undisputed favorite for the individual all-around finals, Simone Biles removed herself from the first day of individual competition to focus on her “well-being” as put out in a statement by the USA Gymnastics twitter account. The 24-year-old had previously mentioned feeling under a lot of pressure on her social media accounts on Sunday. Many star athletes, like former USMNT forward Landon Donovan, have come out in support of Biles decision to put herself first above any competition or unwanted pressure.

Landon Donovan is no stranger to needing to look after oneself, Donovan took a break from soccer in 2013 and other sports stars have had to do the same. In the world of sports pressure, it is very common for athletes to succumb to the media, social, and peer pressure that comes with the fame of being a pro athlete. In Uruguay, for example, three professional soccer players have taken their lives in the last six months. Being able to spot when a person is in need is extremely important and hopefully professional sports will do more to avoid this unwanted pressure athletes are forced to deal with. Here is a list of professional athletes who needed to take time for themselves.

Landon Donovan

As mentioned before, Landon Donovan took time off from Soccer in 2013, at the time the USMNT World Cup hero stated he “needed time for himself”, Later it was revealed that Donovan was dealing with depression, Donovan stated in an interview: “I was burnt out, and getting up and going to training every day was really weighing on me. I never wanted it to be that way. I think a lot of players, a lot of athletes feel that way at times. I think they’re scared to say it because it shows perceived weakness. It shows your coach that you’re not completely committed like all coaches want. It shows that you’re human, and sometimes people don’t like to see that. But I realized that if I stayed on that path, it was just going to get worse and worse. I didn’t want that. I didn’t want to live my life that way.”

Tiger Woods

In 2009 Golfer Tiger Woods took a break from the sport he loves to focus on salvaging his marriage after it was revealed that the golf great had various affairs with many women. Woods divorced in 2010 and continued to have incidents that have been cause for concern, most recently a near fatal car crash in February of this year.

Naomi Osaka

Tennis superstar Naomi Osaka stated having “long bouts of depression” after she won her first major tournament, the U.S. Open in 2018. Osaka took to social media to express what she has been going through and how she tries to deal with it.

Michael Phelps

Swimming legend Michael Phelps came out publicly and admitted to not only having issues with depression but feeling suicidal. “I’ll be the first to admit my mental health has been scarier than it’s ever been throughout all of this, so I can’t even imagine what other people are going through,” he told The Insider. Phelps coups by having a strong exercise routine and being able to “control what he can”.

Andrés Iniesta

Spanish World Cup winner Andrés Iniesta sought professional help after feeling uneasy and feeling that “nothing was right”, after the 2010 World Cup. “When you need help, you have to look for it: at times it’s necessary. People are specialists; that’s what they’re there for. You have to use them.”

Serena Williams

Tennis legend Serena Williams battled depression in 2006 and 2010 following injuries and health concerns. “I definitely have not been happy. Especially when I had that second [foot] surgery, I was definitely depressed. I cried all the time. I was miserable to be around,” Williams had said. Williams took a break from Tennis to seek help for her depression and injuries and has been a spokesperson to cause awareness for the struggles many people face through depression.

However, the sports community was shocked over the last few days after Biles brought to surface a subject that has beentaboo for a long time- mental health. Behind the fame, success, and accolades, athletes can be often dealing with a lot of pressure, and Simone Biles made it clear she needed to prioritize her mental well-being before competing.

From the very first minute in which she set foot in Tokyo, the cameras, headlines,and expectations were all over her as she was heavily favored to become an Olympic champion again and break multiple records. However, Biles won’t be competing at the individual all-around finaland is in doubt for next week’s events.

What happened to Simone Biles?

Despite being the undisputed favorite to be dominating on Thursday’s individual all-around final at the Olympics, Simone Biles removed herself from the event. Only one day before, she had also withdrawn from the team all-around final for the same reason – focusing on her mental health.

“After further medical evaluation, Simone Biles has withdrawn from the final individual all-around competition at the Tokyo Olympic Games, in order to focus on her mental health,” the USA Gymnastics‘ statement read. “We wholeheartedly support Simone’s decision and applaud her bravery in prioritizing her well-being. Her courage shows, yet again, why she is a role model for so many.”

Simone Biles came into the Summer Olympics carrying loads of expectations on her shoulders but they proved costly.“We have to protect our mind and our body, rather than just go out there and do what the world wants us to do,” she said after pulling out from the team final. “I had to do what’s right for me and not jeopardize my health and well-being.”

That immediately raised concerns about her participation in the individual all-around competition, which began to seem unlikely. Therefore, the USA Team’s statement confirmingher withdrawal from Thursday’s events didn’t come as a surprise.

Olympics events in which Simone Biles can still compete

Despite missing the individual all-around final, Simone Biles is still qualified for four more events next week and her participation woulddepend onhow she feels over the next few days.

The USA Gymnastics have stated she will continueto be evaluated daily before determining whether or not she will compete in next week’s finals. As of now, Simone Biles has four events ahead of her: the vault, floor, uneven bars, and beam events. However, both the superstar gymast and the USA Team willdo what’s right, which is prioritizing her mental well-being, embracing a topic that should raise awareness in the sports world.

The 24-year-old Columbus, Ohio native made a mistake during the vault competition, which resulted in a lower score of 13.766. Biles performed a vault with only one-and-a-half twists, which she was supposed to land at two-and-a-half twists. Biles knees also buckled on the landing and almost fell.

Simone Biles later left the stadium with her trainer and a member of the team’s medical staff, rumors of an injury began to surface, but when Biles returned to the floor it was announced by the team that she had withdrawn from the team finals competition leaving Team USA with only three athletes to compete. The medical staff announced that Biles suffered a ‘mental issue’ and as a result the heavily favored U.S. Women’s gymnastics team had to settle for the silver medal. Now Biles chances to compete in the individual competition is in doubt.

Simone Biles in doubt for individual competition in Summer Olympics

With Simone Biles forced out of the team competition, all the focus is now on whether the star gymnast will compete in Thursday’s individual competition where she was a heavy favorite to win various gold medals.
According to the Team USA staff, “She (Biles) will be assessed daily to determine medical clearance for future competitions.” Biles has qualified for all five individual event finals – the all-around, floor exercise, beam, vault, and uneven bars.

On her Instagram account on Sunday, Biles had mentioned that she was feeling the pressure of the upcoming competitions posting, “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…the Olympics is no joke!”

Prior to the start of the Olympic games Biles admitted to having depression after it was revealed she was sexually abused by former Olympic team doctor Larry Nassar, who was charged and convicted and is serving life imprisonment.

Sunday’s qualificationsaw the defending champions struggle as the Russian athletes claimed the first spot in the qualifying. Biles and the US are still favorites to succeed on the team’s all-around, but they’ll have to deal with pressure.

Qualifying’s results could have a positive impact inthe USA tobounce back and finish strong in the gymnastics team’s final. Here, check out the date, time, and how to watch the Tokyo 2020 Women’s Artistic team all-around final.

Tokyo 2020 Women’s gymnastics all-around final: Date

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics Women’s artistic team all-around final will take place on Tuesday, July 27. The Russian athletes who compete as the Russian Olympic Committee did a good job in the qualification, but the USA will try to prove its strength again with Simone Biles expected to shine like in Río 2016.

Tokyo 2020 Women’s gymnastics all-around final: Time by State in the US

ET: 6:45 AM
CT: 5:45 AM
MT: 4:45 AM
PT: 3:45 AM

TV Channel in the US to watch Tokyo 2020 Women’s gymnastics all-around final

Tokyo 2020 Women’s gymnastics team all-around final will be broadcast in the US by NBC, USA, and CNBC, whilePeacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC Sports App, and FuboTV will live stream the event.

Biles is one of the favorites to win gold medals in the events that she is competing this year in Tokyo 2020, although the US team finished their qualifying round behind Russian athletes on Sunday. Biles herself showed some problems, such as stepping out of the mat in the floor exercise and in the vault.

Still, the US squad has qualified for the finals, which will take place on Tuesday, July 27. And, despite her errors, Biles finished atop of the individual standings and has qualified for the individual finals for every apparatus: vault, floor exercise, balance beam and uneven bars. And she will try to take gold medals as she did in Rio four years ago.

Tokyo 2020: How many Olympic medals does Simone Biles have?

Biles currently has five Olympic medals: four gold and one bronze. These medals include three individual golds for vault, floor exercise and the all-around competition; one gold medal in the team event and one individual bronze for balance beam. The only event where she didn’t succeed was the uneven bars.

In Rio 2016, Biles set an American record for the most gold medals won by a woman in gymnastics in a single Olympics. She also tied Gabby Douglas, her teammate at the time, as the only American gymnasts to win gold in the individual all-around and team at the same Games.

If Biles finally wins more medals in Tokyo, she could break several records. For example, she could become the first woman to win back-to-back Olympic gold medals since 1968. Also, she could tie the record for the most gold medals by any gymnast (male or female) in Olympic history.