The whole underhanded free throw debate got me thinking about things in sports that look silly (within the sport) but have greatly improved and revolutionized the sport. The Fosbury Flop. The bunt. The onside kick. The Tennis drop shot Cross Country skiing free skate. All of the things look silly or even were considered unmanly in sports that emphasize speed and power yet are incredibly effective. Apparently though in basketball many big men would rather risk costing games than doing something that might appear silly.
yellow/red flags, yellow/red cards, ref hand signals ... always looks ridiculous to me. sports in general are ridiculous when you think about grown men dressing up in color coordinated uniforms and playing games.