It is very simple to see why the average American sports fan hates soccer. In a country where football dominates and MMA gains popularity yearly, there is little patience for a bunch of fully grown men acting like babies.
When did soccer turn into this?
I suppose, if I were to look back decades, I would find players flopping in an attempt to win a free kick, but at no time can I recall such a prevalence of this disturbing trend. Today, instead of actually reacting to a foul, it seems that the slightest touch means the end of the world for some of these players. The graze of an opponent's leg, an elbow a mere six inches from one's face, all of these are presently turned into episodes so full of writhing and wailing that anyone watching would be left to expect that there must be a broken leg or nose.
There is a simple solution to this epidemic, in fact there are a few.
You see, as a part of a supremely wired generation, we have more access to information than ever before. This means that we no longer have to accept what our eyes, at full speed and from a singular angle, saw; now, through the advent of instant replay and an army of high resolution cameras, we are able to see, from every angle, exactly what transpired.
This makes the answer very simple. If you want to stop the flops, fine the floppers. If FIFA were to have an individual watch a replay of every game and fine any flopper $25,000, how long do you think this epidemic would persist? If this is too harsh, how about imposing a five minute penalty for any player needing the "magical" water or medical attention during the course of a game? Simply take them off the field and have them watch as their team plays down a man while they recover. How fast do you think the writhing and wailing would last then?
If it were up to me, I would take it a step further. Since the referees are connected via microphone to someone, have FIFA place a referee upstairs who is watching the same feed as the average viewer. After any call, as the center ref is walking slowly towards the player down, quickly relay whether it was a foul or a dive. If it was a foul, play it as is; if it was a dive, instant yellow. If the ref upstairs cannot determine which it was by the time the center referee arrives at the spot, then play it as called.
As a fan of the beautiful game I am not asking FIFA to callously overlook protecting their assets. What I am asking is that they move soccer back to a time when it was a game of equals battling it out with skill, athleticism and drive, not acting lessons.
