Stop, Flop, and Roll

I know this has been discussed over at the fanhouse, and even SI mentioned this in their rumors and rants section. But, I'm actually happy to see this. It sounds like the NBA is seriously considering the possibility of giving officials the option of charging "flop" offenders with a technical foul.

via Floridatoday.com:

"The NBA is considering giving referees the option of whistling players for technical fouls if they deem that a player has flopped in an attempt to get a call. FIBA, the governing body of all international basketball, already gives such latitude to its referees. Other sports such as soccer and the NHL already allow their referees to penalize players for purposefully falling in an attempt to deceive the game officals."

One idea behind this potential rule change is to stop players from preventing what would be spectacular plays by jumping underneath them to draw a foul. In recent years, players have discovered (and I'm sure coaches have begun coaching) the art of drawing the charge. More and more, blocking fouls are not called, and charging is called when a player falls to his back after taking a little bit of a shove. Yeah, there are arguments either way, and I'm sure there are legitimate cases when a charge is rightfully called. The NBA needs dazzling plays to keep its popluarity and quite honestly, (and I understand the need for the rule) but I hate the charging foul. Imagine if Jordan would have been called for a charge in what Marv Albert famously coined as a "spectacular move". Nowadays, those types of plays are being prevented by floppers and the refs that agree with their antics.

The Floridatoday.com article also speaks about this:

"The NBA gained popularity decades ago because of the dazzling plays at the rim when players aggressively attacked the rim and finished with high-wire theatrics. But more and more these days, it seems as if players seem hesitant to drive down the lane because of defenders running under them and falling to the floor as if a runaway locomotive has hit them. In the split second that a referee must make a call, the decision often goes in favor of the stationary defender -- something that almost deters players from driving down the lane."

I agree with the NBA that if a player tries to purposely draw a foul by falling over "by accident", well - that player deserved to be punished in some way. I guess a technical foul is a good way to start. We'll have to see how this rule comes in to play, as mentioned at the fanhouse, I'll believe it when I see it.

Since we're talking about floppers, let's give respect to the man who reminded me most of my fishing days. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the greatest flopper of all time: