Like most of you, I really love NFL football. Unfortunately, sometimes there are trends that develop throughout the league that not only concern me, but anger me! I've really noticed lately just how much "flopping" NFL players are doing on the field, and it makes me sick! The fact is that players in the NFL have been doing this for a long time. There have been many instances where a player did a little bit of acting to try to draw a personal foul. It happens in all contact sports and is just part of the game. However, with all of the high definition television cameras that are present at sporting events it's becoming all too obvious just how bad the problem is becoming. In the NBA, the problem got so out of hand that in 2008 that the league had to institute a no flopping policy and promised to issue fines where it was a clear cut case of players over-acting in attempt to draw a foul. The action was too little, too late after giving the NBA Championship to the San Antonio Spurs, the league's worst offenders. Worse yet the Spurs were always crying for fouls while they were committing some of the nastiest fouls I've ever seen. I haven't been able to watch the NBA since, and I fear the NFL will suffer similar loss of fanbase if they don't take action soon. Fortunately, karmic justice has moved swiftly to punish these Robert DeNiro wannabes in the two worst incidents I've seen this season: On November 21, Richard Seymour of the Oakland Raiders was penalized and ejected for an open handed shove (I can not qualify the action as a "punch") to the facemask of Pittsburgh Steeler quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. The league also fined Seymour $25,000 for the hit(?) later that week. After the contact, "Big Ben", one of the league's tougher quarterbacks, was on the ground and in the fetal position in nearly record time. Two weeks later, "Big Ben" found himself on the ground in Baltimore with a severely dislocated nose after a play which resulted in no fines, ejections, or penalties. NFL Game Center: Oakland Raiders at Pittsburgh Steelers - 2010 Week 11 Two weeks ago in Seattle, Seahawks quarterback Matt Hasselbeck (one of the most notorious whiners in the league in my opinion) was running down the field with his arms stretched high in the air celebrating a touchdown pass to wide receiver Brandon Stokley. Saints linebacker Scott Shanle gently nudged into him and Hasselbeck was on the ground, writhing in pain and clutching his shoulder like detective Martin Riggs before he popped his shoulder back into place. Last week Hasselbeck was in visitors locker room at Soldier Field with his Seahawks hopelessly trailing the Bears by four touchdowns. NFL Game Center: New Orleans Saints at Seattle Seahawks - 2010 Wild Card Weekend Although justice was served in both these instances, I feel the league needs to adopt a policy similar to the NBA before we can't tell the difference between American football, and that other sport they call football in the rest of the world. The NFL has a lot of labor issues to work out this off-season but I hope they can get this problem ironed out as well. We've all heard that the NFL stands for Not-For-Long, or the No-Fun-League, but I really hope we can add the No-Flopping-League to the list by next season.
I really hope that NFL players don't begin to flop around like prissy soccer players. And whoever does? The other players need to squash that crap quick, on the field.
even that holding call on the punt return in the steeler raven playoff game this year. ya it looked like holding, it also helped the guy flopped to the ground.
