The rockets would suffer the most for anti flopping. Martin,scola.and lowry are some of the best floppers in the league.
I actually really like this idea -- I am just not sure I want the in game refs making those calls during the game. The NBA is a lot faster than futbol and the refs have less sight lines to the contact. I think it is a better idea to give the reviewers the opportunity to slow down the game and make a thoughtful analysis and decision on whether or not something was a flop.
I hate that the players do it but they are just exploiting what the league allows. The refs need to be held accountable too. So fine the player and ref, only on the most obvious flops. And fine only the player if he flops and the ref doesn't call it.
That's hilarious "some guys are Bosh" -- watching the playoffs this season, I often find myself very happy Bosh did not come to Houston. He's very talented, but I always find myself wanting to punch him in the face. However, to your point about how it is hard to tell if someone flopped or not -- I agree with you, but sometimes it is very obvious and there is not a judgement call involved (like L. James tonight). By giving the league the chance to review tapes of potential flops and by only penalizing the definite flops the league can avoid bad in game flop calls and can still do a lot of good in minimizing flops, bad calls and bad basketball for us fans to watch.
How about Stern gets banished from the league for being a dirty commissioner and we examine the refs more closely and not just fine but prosecute certain officials with biased calls. Have up to 25 year prison sentences for those that call consecutive rigged games after review? The refs the biggest problem to the game.
I don't think lebron's flop was so bad, the defender had 2 hands on him on the perimeter, clear foul, Lebron was just highlighting it to the refs. Dirks flop on the rebound with 2 minutes left was much more egregious IMO, not to mention the 4 or 5 times he would drive wildly and flail his arms with no contact.
I'm all for absolutely any kind of league mandated regulation regarding flopping, but this is what I think could work: The league would have to come up with a rigid definition of a flop. After a game with supposed flops a team's front office can petition the league to review the specific instances. The league then reviews and rules accordingly. There should be a specific limit implemented for each player, say 5. The first 5 should call for absolutely no action against the player, chalk them up to old habits or amnesty. Starting with the 6th and every single subsequent offense the player should not be fined but suspended WITH pay. Why? Well, I think its become pretty obvious that monetary punishment does little or nothing in this league. What this would do is implicate all related parties EXCEPT the player while placing external pressure on them. The front office doesn't want to pay players to sit out and the fans don't want to pay good money to see members of their team sitting out because of flopping. This would eventually (well, hopefully) attach a selfish connotation to flopping. For vain, image sensitive stars and superstars being labeled as selfish and soft would intrinsically effect their income more so than any fine that could be levied by the league (endorsements/sponsorships). For up and comers, the precedent will hopefully be set early and flopping would become a non-issue. And for the players with integrity and most of the blue collar guys, well, flopping was already a non-issue. What's more, I could see guys playing with more tenacity and toughness and playing through 'fouls' that would now elicit a flop. Basically, it takes the flopping issue out of the leagues hands (besides defining and ruling) and puts it into each individual organizations. Sure, a team could dismiss it, as it should be their right to do so. But take the Rockets, just as an example, and say no one within the organization pays any mind to this new rule. Other front offices start sending Stern video of Scola flopping, and suddenly Scola is out but is still being paid. Next thing you know, its Lowry, then Kevin Martin and so on. Obviously, it would behoove them to get the word to the coaching staff and to the players that they'll have to stop flopping and just play through contact and until they hear the whistle. And, although the fans can't directly interact and communicate with players, I'm sure the all powerful internet will let their voices be heard if the front office pressure isn't enough. Also, to all of those who say flopping isn't a big deal. You're wrong. It is utterly detrimental to the game. I know that's probably a pretty bold statement even to those who are against it; while I know that flopping is by no means praised I hear far too often that it's 'gamesmanship.' It isn't. But, I guess that's for another debate.
If they ever do, many the Euro and South American players will be bankrupt before the regular season ends...:grin:
great clip, that is what JVG is talking about, not so much the drawing a charge, and yeah Kev Martin would be in trouble..... watch the last 3 seconds of game 2, and Wade take the last second shot, Dirk defends it perfectly and Wade hits the deck like he has been shot and actually holds his head while on the ground.... this behaviour by superstars is a joke!
In soccer the ref can give a yellow card for flopping -- if the player keeps doing it he can get thrown out of the game.
Have a live reviewer watching the game, and have him send a signal to the refs if he sees an obvious flop. Give the flopper an immediate technical foul, and the other team the ball. DD
Bottom line: Any of the ideas people are pitching in this thread would be better than the current situation. Best solution would just be not to call it. But it is hard to tell sometimes without replays. At this point I just want to see SOME sort of effort to reduce it.
I'm not buying the argument that it is hard to detect a flop in live action. More than half the time, we fans watching the game on TV can tell that a player flopped without having to go back to the replay. These guys are standing a few feet away, they should have the advantage. If soccer referees can do it in live action (where it is arguably much harder to tell -- much greater distance involved and more physical sport), basketball referees should have no excuse. Heck, NCAA refs don't seem to have a problem ignoring non-existent fouls, so what is the problem for NBA refs? It's never going to eliminate the problem completely, but it would sure make things a lot better.
Great points but to fix it would require the commissar to admit there is a problem with the officiating. =(
I believe the league itself is making good money. How about sending 2 more refs per game to make the right calls. The whole purpose of the extra referees is not to blow the whistle, but to reverse bad calls. (my point being that 5 referees with whistles could completely slow a game down to a halt) By that, I mean a couple extra set of eyes at the baselines where they could watch loose balls out of bounds and have better positioning so that they do not have to run up and down the court while trying to decipher what's going on.
