Flopping - It's Not Just In Soccer

Flopping is the "art" practiced by athletes in team sports of dramatically falling to the floor or the ground following minimal or even no contact from a close by opponent. A small touch to the back turns into a dive to the ground and writhing around like a player was shoved and injured.

Why do they do this? Primarily it's to try and get a foul or penalty on the opposing team because often that can turn directly into great opportunities for points or it can mean forcing a player to the bench.

Soccer has an unfortunately well earned reputation for this type of behavior. It's one thing that a lot of U.S. sports fans say the dislike most about the sport actually. I have to agree, you see it a lot. Heck, some countries even specialize in it - I'm looking at you Italy. But I don't like it.

But guess what? It ain't just soccer. No way. Basketball in particular has a lot of floppers.

Just this week, none other than LeBron "King" James was fined by the NBA for flopping in a playoff game against Indiana. See the story and the video of the flopping HERE.

The NBA itself knows this is a problem in their league. So much so that they've posted an official Flopping video on YouTube that shows flopping happening and saying what will be penalized. And flopping goes on all the time in the NBA. Check this video HERE.

So why bring this up? Two reasons:

1) I just want to hold the mirror up to a lot of self-righteous sports fans (you know who you are) who criticize soccer for it's flopping. Yes, it happens in that sport. Most people don't like it. But guess what? It happens everywhere, in particular in traditional U.S. sports like basketball.

2) It brings up the question of cheating. Flopping means many pro athletes are willing to cheat to get an advantage. And, many fans are willing to put up with it as long as it's their team getting the advantage. The first fans to boo when the opposing team flops are the first to express delight when their player does so and gets a positive result.

So, where is the line on cheating? Flopping suggests that its doing whatever you need to do in the flow of a game as long as you're not caught. Is that right? Maybe. After all, players wouldn't flop if it didn't regularly produce results - as in, a shot on goal, free-throws, ejection of an opponent. Maybe not because, well, it's CHEATING. And as for fans, where is the line. Do the masses put up or even emulate the spirit of cheating that they view in sports during normal life? If so, what does that mean? Is fan behavior on flopping in athletic contests indicative of something broader?

European Soccer Players Are Also Actors

Between loyally watching Team USA Soccer and now following the new Seattle Sounders FC MLS team, I'm really starting to dig soccer. It's not on par with college football or basketball for me, but it's a cool sport with a lot to offer. Did you see how Team USA just beat the best national team in the world? Team Spain. That was cool.

However, while I'm no expert on soccer (or "football" as it's accurately called everywhere in the world but the U.S.), I do have eyes and after seeing a lot of soccer over the last few years, I've come to the conclusion that...

European soccer players are pussies. Yep, you hear me. Wimps.

No, I don't mean they're not athletic or talented. Clearly they are - more so than most players in the USA or other parts of the world. I'm not talking about talent or results. I'm talking about that time honored (and very accepted) practice in soccer of players absolutely flopping - rolling around in agony on the pitch as if injured at the slightest touch from an opposing player in hopes of drawing a foul. Its epidemic and I see it most with European players. Not exclusively mind you, but mostly.

In the NBA, they have flopping too, and it's bad. But, it's usually only the stars that benefit from this. This is not great OK, but when you compare it to soccer...it's a different story. Any fool out on the soccer field can fake an injury to draw a foul and it happens a lot.

What's funniest is when one of these jokers fake a horrific injury, rolling around like someone cut their leg off from the shin down - sometimes even being carried off the field on a stretcher - they suddenly and miraculously get better and are again charging around like nothing happened within a minute or two. What a farce!

OK, rant over. I still like soccer a lot and I'm eager to see how the Sounders and Team USA do this year and next as World Cup 2010 arrives.