Basketball and soccer, are sports that are well-known for having players that will, shall we say, exaggerate their reactions to contact with opposing players. A practice known across the sports world as flopping.
While most fans have come to expect and tolerate a certain amount of flopping. We may need a new term to describe the stunningly shameless flop executed by a basketball player from Liberty University on Sunday.
Flop of the century pic.twitter.com/e8miDehN02
— Chandler King (@chandlerlking) March 10, 2019
The guilty player is Liberty forward Scottie James. Was there contact? Sure. Did the elbow maybe graze the side of James’ face? Yes. But having an elbow graze your face, in no way justifies acting as though your body has just been fired out of a catapult.
Several people on Twitter were displeased with overblown reaction:
Can a basketball player get a red card for a flop?
— Peerless Poff (@JBPDayton) March 10, 2019
Worst flop ive ever seen. Basketball in 2019. #liberty #lipscomb
— Adam Miezin (@amiezin) March 10, 2019
If you aren't watching Liberty-Lipscomb, you're missing a great game, but you also missed the most incredible flop I've ever seen in a basketball game.
— Dennis Bakke (@dwbakke) March 10, 2019
After the Liberty flop, I would like to propose a SIMULATION TECHINCAL FOUL in basketball.
Can’t mess with the integrity of the game like that. No-calls don’t stop simulation and never will. It’ll keep happening until the floppers receive their due punishment!— Nicholas Hodell (@nicksportsfan) March 10, 2019
While the officials did not assess Lipscomb with a flagrant foul, they did call an offensive penalty which gave Liberty the ball back.
A reward which basically ensures that flopping will continue for a very, very long time.
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn
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