And the Oscar goes too.....

In many sports there is an element that has emerged that lends itself to much criticism. Depending on who you are pulling for in the game or match. It is present in soccer, basketball, football, I am talking about the "flop", the "sell, " hamming it up, diving, or whatever else you want to call it (faking is probably the most accurate). This is an attempt by a player to draw a penalty on his opponent by exaggerating a reaction to real or perceived contact.  The media spend a fair amount of time on flopping in basketball. I remember seeing contact exaggerated as far back as 1993 by the Pacers Reggie Miller in the NBA finals against the New York Nicks John Starks. In the NBA playoffs this year there has been some mention of even "King" James Lebron selling the foul. If you go to YouTube you can find numerous videos dedicated to the "flop." Like this one.

But nowhere is the flop more apart of the game than in soccer. It would seem that soccer players are either  super fragile and possess incredible recovery abilities or very calculating actors. In one moment a kick in the shins leaves the player writhing in agony as if his leg is broken, the next he is smiling and chasing after the ball as if nothing has happened. It creates an interesting dynamic to say the least. Professional athletes are supposed to be strong and tough. They spend hours everyday working out and have the drive and determination to be among the best in their sport. I would think that these men would be above acting as though they have been mortally wounded every time someone from the opposing team bumps into them. You hear players say that it is about gamesmanship. There is an element of gamesmanship though. In an attempt to take every advantage available the ghost foul has become apart of every basketball game and certainly every soccer game. It communicates the athletes desire to win at all costs but may come across to the fans at home, with their large flat-screen TVs and crystal clear HD programming, a willingness to cheat to gain an advantage.

Growing up and participating in sports I remember seeing several videos about good sportsmanship. One involved a player on a basketball team correcting a referee when the ball went out of bounds and the ref mistakenly gave the ball to this players team. The player knew he had been the last person to touch the ball so he let the ref know even though it may have cost his team the game. If this player had used the current flopping mentality he wouldn't have said anything and let the ref make the wrong call. I know a youth league basketball game has very little riding on it. There are no million dollar contracts or advertising deals on the line but maybe something even more valuable is on the line. If it is acceptable for top level athletes to lie about a foul at the top level of competition (which does affect million dollar contracts and advertising deals) what message is that sending our kids about little league games and life. Hopefully not what Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill are implying here.