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Watch the ball player brought down to his knees
'Twas by contact, or for the referees?
See the tall man on the seat of his pants
Amid all the boos and ill-tempered chants
No mas!, came the call from the league's big brass
We think this acting is quite poorly passed
As a foul, a blatant breaking of rules
Do you think you can play us all for such fools?
Flopping and acting starting next season
Will give the NBA a very good reason
To review and decide in a flash
That you must fork over some cold and hard cash
(Of what doth this blogger write? Read it and weep: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3416579)
Top 10 Floppers
In honor of the NBA's decision to start fining players for the age-old practice of flopping, here is a top 10 list of the biggest floppers I've witnessed in the 25+ years I've been a fan:
10. Danny Ainge - If there was one thing fans could count on, it was that Ainge would wind up on the seat of his pants from minor or no contact almost every game. The bigger the game, the bigger the flops.
9. Larry Bird - Yes, the Bird Man was one of the greatest players to play the game, but the man had a penchant for the flop. He spent a lot of time on the ground for a Bird.
8. Sam Cassell - Over his 19 seasons with eight different teams, Cassell has steadily built a reputation for the flop. He might be the record holder for most flops in different uniforms!
7. Raja Bell - Why? Watch the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xNN9ZiH38fs
6. Robert Horry - He's one of only nine players in the history of the game to win seven or more NBA championships. While he's hit some pretty clutch shots to help his teams win those titles, he's also perfected the flop...especially while setting a pick.
5. Andrei Kirilenko - This modern-day flopper can be credited with bringing the flop issue to the forefront. During this season's playoffs, Kirilenko stole a game for his team with a classic flop against Houston. Check it out:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3hSaX7zNCMY
4. Dennis Rodman - Rebounding was Rodman's forte, but not far behind was his tendency to overreact to contact.
3. John Stockton - Mr. Assist seemed to need assistance getting up from supposed fouls a lot during his 19-year career.
2. Bill Laimbeer - This Pistons Bad Boy loved to rile a crowd, not to mention his opponents. If flopping was a fine art, this guy would have a shelf full of Academy Awards.
1. Vlade Divac - Growing up in Serbia did little to teach this big man to stay on his feet. What was that? It looked like Divac was fouled by Shaq's jersey! The proof:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DgPHIT61FfU
(Dis)honorable mention:
Manu Ginobili, Steve Nash, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shane Battier, Karl Malone, Matt Harpring, Kevin Johnson
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Friday, May 2, 2008
New Army Policy Benefits NFL Rookie
In case you lost interest by the time the NFL Draft rolled around to the seventh round last weekend, Caleb Campbell, a safety from Army, was chosen by the Detroit Lions with the 218th pick of the draft.
Unlike professional-caliber athletes of the past from the military academies, Campbell is the first Army football player to benefit from a new policy that will allow him to play professional football while fulfilling his military commitment as a recruiter and in the reserves. Campbell will spend his Tuesday off days from the Lions visiting local high schools and working as a recruiter.
If his football career lasts longer than two seasons, Campbell will have the opportunity to buy out the remaining three years of his active-duty commitment in exchange for six years in the reserves.
Roger Staubach and David Robinson would likely have loved a deal like that.
Critics of the new policy call it unfair to Campbell's classmates and fellow soldiers. Now, critics argue, someone else will have to take Campbell's place if his unit is deployed to Iraq.
This argument is weak.
If Campbell's unit is sent to the Middle East or wherever else, Joe Blow and John Doe in his unit are going to see combat whether Campbell plays for the Lions or not. Nobody's going to replace Campbell who isn't already expecting to be deployed to Iraq.
If there was a military draft in place, then the critics' argument would be stronger. If a military draft was in place, I would suspect the new military policy regarding professional athletes would be reversed to what it was before: five years of service BEFORE the big bucks and limelight of pro sports.
Now all Campbell has to do is make the team.
Unlike professional-caliber athletes of the past from the military academies, Campbell is the first Army football player to benefit from a new policy that will allow him to play professional football while fulfilling his military commitment as a recruiter and in the reserves. Campbell will spend his Tuesday off days from the Lions visiting local high schools and working as a recruiter.
If his football career lasts longer than two seasons, Campbell will have the opportunity to buy out the remaining three years of his active-duty commitment in exchange for six years in the reserves.
Roger Staubach and David Robinson would likely have loved a deal like that.
Critics of the new policy call it unfair to Campbell's classmates and fellow soldiers. Now, critics argue, someone else will have to take Campbell's place if his unit is deployed to Iraq.
This argument is weak.
If Campbell's unit is sent to the Middle East or wherever else, Joe Blow and John Doe in his unit are going to see combat whether Campbell plays for the Lions or not. Nobody's going to replace Campbell who isn't already expecting to be deployed to Iraq.
If there was a military draft in place, then the critics' argument would be stronger. If a military draft was in place, I would suspect the new military policy regarding professional athletes would be reversed to what it was before: five years of service BEFORE the big bucks and limelight of pro sports.
Now all Campbell has to do is make the team.
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