Summer Quandaries: Soapbox--Flops, Foul Protests and Rip-Throughs

http://celticsgreen.blogspot.com/2014/09/sq14-42-soapbox-flops-foul-protests-and.html









It has come to mind that the common theme running through most of these “Soapbox” posts is things that detract from the enjoyment (at least mine) of watching the game.  Today’s culprits all bring a pained look to my face and the thought “just get on with it!”  One is inherent to sports and the other two are curious evolutions of the league’s attempt to restrict misbehavior.  (Rather like Congress, morality, and out litigious society.)

The histrionics following a foul call have been a growing problem.  Unfortunately, long gone are the days of The Chief stone faced, turning away from the obviously confused and mistaken referee (with Tommy Heinsohn going berserk at his ringside commentator’s seat while Mike Gorman attempts to defuse this latest stroke threat).  In spite of “the preseason of league intolerance” recently, today’s players offer Emmy-worthy displays of anguish that usually last at least as long as it takes the referee to report the proceedings to the courtside recording agents.  The broadcasters rush to show the mini temper tantrums which, of course, does nothing to inhibit the display.  You can almost hear the screams of the director in the truck bellowing “Get LeBron’s face in a closeup!;” and yes I realize that this only happens once or twice a season since that is how often the Queen offends is called.

Basketball is an emotional game, as are almost all sports, and I am not suggesting that players should behave as automatons (although I think the typical stoic response of Parrish or Duncan plays a real mind game on the opponent.)  I’m just suggesting that reasonable limits be put on this outburst, preferably some that are measured and consistently applied.  One idea is that the reporting referee turn back to the court after giving the player’s number and offense.  Then, if the offender is still demonstrating, the referee should start a three count (verbal,visual, and obvious, but pointedly without rancor lest the ref become escalator), with a technical to follow if the display continues past the count.  Any further protest should only come through the captain on the court, which should allow for any actual confusion or questions to be resolved.  Perhaps this “immediate formal” continuation protest should be limited to a player not involved, and made to a referee other than the one who made the call.  This gives both referee and player a cooling off period but allows for a reasonable route to continue discourse.

The next two irritants have evolved out of efforts to limit contact.  Outlawing the hand check made defending perimeter players much more frequently a confrontation in the paint.  So much so that setting up to take the charge became prevalent (which prompted the inner arc to inhibit trying to take a charge at the basket [which all driving players arrived at eventually]).  Next up, selling the charge.  Now the actor’s guild begins training for launching 200+ pound weight-lifters flying backwards in scenes worthy of the best action-movie explosions.  Gimme a break.  Now referees not only have to watch contact on the shooting arm, but also the angle of the jump, the lean and feet of the defender, the degree of contact, and the reaction/over-reaction of the defender.  The 220 pound chiseled -muscle Dwayne Wade has been knocked ten feet by a sideways brush from a 180 pound guard jumping to avoid him.  Say what?

Players have become so bad that the league is reviewing game tapes to retroactively penalize flopping.  The penalty--after a warning, $5K, $10K, $15K, and on the fifth violation $30K.  If you hit a half dozen then “a penalty that is reasonable under the circumstances.”  The “floppers” around the league, and there are many, probably hit the hardwood a half dozen times a game due to contact that probably wouldn’t get a second glance on the subway.  There were 24 violations in the first season employing the anti-flopping rule.  So perhaps one out of every 3-400 actually get tagged as a flop, and the two players that hit the two count and received a $5K fine--they paid a fine equal to less than a thousandth of their salary, while employing this tactic on a regular basis.  Some deterrent.

This is wrong on many levels.  .  They fool the refs into making bad calls.  These calls impact games.  They take good players, often the best offensive player, off the court due to foul trouble.  And any penalty comes well after the fact.  Flopping incites the fans by fooling the fans into thinking the referees made a bad call, another factor degrading the viewing experience.  I rather like the idea of allowing the team captain on the court to request a review, or perhaps give each coach three challenges a game.  Let’s let the referees make the consequences apply immediately.  Flopping should be a player control foul just as charging is.  No pocket-change (NBA style) fine, make it a personal foul penalty just like the flopper is trying to “perform” onto the offensive player.  Now that would be a call reversal!

Another irritating development is the swing-through foul.  You know, the move on which Paul Pierce all but took out a patent--swing your arms and the ball through an arc whacking the defender’s arm, preferably both arms, to “draw” the foul.  The offensive player is obviously instigating the contact, why not call this a player-control foul?  At the very least let an offensive-instigated contact go as a no-call.  While we are at it, something needs to be done about the driving players jumping backwards or sideways into the defender.  That’s gotten totally out of hand.  This stuff is just nuts.  I think I’m starting to see red!  Wonder if I can throw this keyboard through the window.  Oh, never mind, back away from the ledge, deep breaths, deeeep breaths.  There, that’s better.

Thanks for listening.

Only 22 more days until training camp begins.





bob
MY NOTE:  What made me shake my head is that the league said that "rip throughs" were now offensive fouls, but didn't call them as such.  Huh?  Didn't you send the memo out to all the refs before the season started?  Unfortunately, our league has already taken a turn towards soccer, where players fall like they had been shot by an elephant gun at the slightest touch. Post-game reviews are worthless, as are those paltry financial penalties being assessed against players who make so many millions per contract.




.

The circle in the paint is part of the problem. Instead of being able to focus on how contact is initiated, refs are having to look down at their feet to see where the line was breached or not.

And the NBA is a talented player's paradise. If you're Lebron, Wade, [insert star player here], then refs will give you more benefit of the doubt than guys like Phil Pressey.


KJ

KJ - have to disagree on the protected circle under the rim. That was one of the best rules they have added in recent years, in terms of both protecting the player driving - and penalizing a lazy defender.

In the school yard, no one takes a charge that deep in the paint for fear they would end up with a knee in the nether regions and probably a punch in the face when the two men were back on their feet. In the NBA it was a lazy way for big lugs like Reggie Evans or Rick Mahorn to seem to be better defenders than they really are.

As for rip throughs, I guess it is all down to the position of the player and the defender. A defender should be in full control of his body at all times and if, in the motion of going for a shot - my arms with the ball make contact with your hands / arms, then you were TOO CLOSE to me in the first place and it should be your foul. On the other hand, if I am posting you and and you have an arm bar on my back - you should not be able to turn and rip through that legal arm bar and get a foul on me.

Basketball is a hard game to officiate. I dont see how adding more automatic rules that take the discretion of the ref out of play make sense.

Heck...

If they have to review it AFTER the game (most likely) and see that it is an outright flop. SUSPEND the player 1 game. That will put an end to it real soon. And if the same player is found to have "acted" a second time double the punishment to 2 games...... and double it again to 4 on the third offense.

Betcha the FLOP will go the way of the dodo bird with in 1 season.

beat

The more the public wants entertainment, the more theatrical the game has become. The more theatrical the game has become, the more steps the league has to take in order to prevent the theatrics from getting out of hand. I'm just waiting for the time when the All-Star Month features a "Spike the Ball" contests. Or even "Spike the Opponent" contests.

Sam

Tim Duncan is one of my favorite players, but he whines and complains about calls quite a bit. Others may complain more, but he's hardly a stoic about calls like Robert Parish was.

I think there's a natural tendency to dislike firebrands and prefer stoicism as far as players are concerned. But I believe the overall makeup of a team can determine the need for one or the other. For instance, if a team were completely comprised of stoics, would it have the "fire" to compete at the highest level? And what about the coach? Is it more desirable for a coach to be a firebrand (Hi Red) or a stoic (welcome to Boston, Brad)?

My guess about my latter question would be that coaches in general have had to tone it down as the league has matured. Red got away with bloody murder, not only with the abuse he dished out to referees but also with his tirades to the league office. Somehow, I can't see that happening today without major consequences. Pop has become my model for modern day coaches, and I think he does a pretty good job of not "popping" off all the time but also not refraining from protesting calls when warranted.

Sam