FLOPPING

(well......... i was bored and decided to write about something other than PC udates)

One thing that I really can’t stand in sports these days is the ‘flopping’ or pretending to be fouled, or exaggerating your foul just to draw a penalty. This is most commonly seen in Basketball and Soccer. Games are often decided in both of these sports by a slim point’s margin. Every point counts in these sports, and people are finding new ways to squeeze out that extra point. Flopping I am sure has been around for quite some time, but the recent rise in popularity, and acceptability is something to be concerned about. It’s not much of a mystery why people do it, nor is it a David Copperfield act when it is executed. People know exactly when and where it happens, thanks to technology showing different camera angels and speeds. People watch professional sports to be entertained by skilled athletes. So why are athletes willing to throw away their honor and dignity for the W. Is this really what people are willing to pay to see? If I wanted to watch actors I would go to a movie. Can you imagine a hockey, football or rugby player squealing in pain every time they were touched. In those sports being tough is part of the game. As a player you will definitely not earn any respect or recognition by being a ‘Sally’. I once had my hand stepped on during a rugby game, it fractured my index finger in 2 places and made the top of my hand throb with pain. Being a freshman in college and not knowing any better I approached my coach and asked him for a replacement. He looked at me deep in the eyes and yelled: “ your hand is so God damn far away from your heart. Get your ass back out there.!” Well that stuck with me all of these years, and truly taught me to toughen up and play to my full ability. I guess that’s why I cringe every time I see a professional athlete curl up in the fetal position with supposed excruciating pain. When you see a real athlete do this, you know they are not going to be walking off the field. This obviously is not the same for the athletes who have mastered the art of flopping.

I can’t say I really like basketball anyways, but it makes me absolutely despise it when I see Flopping. I find it quite pathetic when a 240 lb 6-7 beast of a man falls to the ground from a slap on the wrist, or a light bump from an opponent.
The most obvious flopping occurs when a soccer player gets touched by a defensive opponent anywhere near shooting range. He then falls down to the ground, and puts on a 5 second; one act play about how much it hurts. I don’t really understand why this became acceptable. Technology allows these plays to be analyzed and it usually shows that there was little or no contact between players. Professional soccer players are among the fittest athletes in the world, with ridiculously strong legs. I find it hard to believe that it is necessary for them to fall to the ground every time another player comes in contact with there legs. And also if it hurts so badly, I don’t understand why they are fine and dandy as soon as the penalty is given. A perfect example is during the recent FC Barcelona and Arsenal game. Arsenals only goal of the game came from an actors ability to fake a foul near Barcelona’s goal box. Perhaps these players should quit soccer and move to Hollywood. That way they would no longer have to feel excruciating pain 10 times a match.
I am not sure what the solution is to this problem except for the obvious; severe penalties for being a wuss. If you are out on the field or court as an actor and not as a professional athlete you should be taken out of the game immediately. I am sure that most referees know that flopping is ruining the integrity of once pure and honest sports. Its time for officials to get on the horn and discuss the problems so that we can weed out all of the soft players and leave the strong honest ones to play the game.
With the World Cup rapidly approaching it makes me wonder how the games will be played this time around. With the high level of athletes, and games often won and lost by a narrow one point margin, it will be interesting to see what teams will progress to the championship. Will it be the most skilled team, or the team that has actors who are willing to shamefully flop in order to draw the foul at just the right spot on the field . I personally hope the referees have their eyes open for this sort of thing. I sincerely hope that the better teams win and the teams with the flopping strategy take a long slow train back to their homeland with a disgraceful face full of tears.