SPORTS
Liberty Champion/B4
Editorial:
JANUARY 21, 2014
Putting their bodies on the line
The art of the flop has taken the NBA by storm over the past few seasons, led by reigning MVP LeBron James Tom Foote tfoote2@liberty.edu
Miami Heat forward LeBron James is lightly bumped by Indiana Pacers forward David West during the NBA playoffs last season, so James and West both do the natural thing anyone in their right mind would do — wave their hands, spin around and fall to the floor in sheer agony and pain. Rather than this play being appreciated for the great skill both displayed as they fell to the floor, many have deemed this play a “flop” or even “Lebroning” by both players. What most fans do not realize about this play is that James does not even know how to flop. “I don’t need to flop,” James said to the Associated Press. “I play an aggressive game, but I don’t flop. I’ve never been one of those guys. I don’t need to flop. I don’t even know how to do it. So it doesn’t mean much to me.” Many misinterpreted what James said when he said this. But what is there not to understand? Clearly James is a talented basketball player, as well as an actor, not a “flopper” as some analysts have called him. In fact, many Hollywood actors would
not even attempt the stunts that James tries during games. Rather, they have stunt doubles who take the risk of pretending to fall or be punched in the face. So, for those who criticize James for flopping, shame on you for not applauding the risk he takes while acting. Those risks were evident when guard Manu Ginobili of the San Antonio Spurs was injured during a flop against the Boston Celtics last season. So when those athletes such as James or Ginobili make the gutsy decision to fall helplessly toward the ground and flail their arms in distress after minimal or even no contact, they put their careers at risk. These star athletes who have been taking courageous dives for the betterment of their team have been severely punished by the league for their flops. Last season the NBA and Commissioner David Stern implemented a new rule that if a play is determined to be a flop, they could fine the player a whopping $5,000. Shame on you, David Stern. This is yet again another power grab by the league and also a harsh scare tactic. Does Stern realize that these players are expected to make a living and provide for their families so that food can be put on the table?
COTTINGHAM continued from B1
Leah Stauffer | Liberty Champion
OVERCOME — Carley Cottingham is chasing her goals.
The surgery occurred in late August of 2009, just a few months before basketball season was set to begin, but sitting out never crossed Cottingham’s mind. According to her, she had to learn to shoot with her left hand, planning to make her in-game debut on Senior Night late in the season in February. Cottingham was so dedicated to playing at least part of her senior season that she was out shooting with her dad just three days after her surgery. “I missed the first three games because I was still trying to figure out what I could or couldn’t do,” Cottingham said. “The night before the fourth game, my dad came up to me and said, ‘Carley, what are you waiting for? Why are you not playing? You can play. You do it at practice, so why not in a game?’” Following the conversation with her dad,
With the outrageous fines, Stern has forced players such as James to decide between his team and family. Do you take a dive in a game to help your team, but risk that $5,000 that could be used for your child’s education? Questions like these are surely running through the minds of every NBA player. While the flop may be something new to American fans of the NBA and even the NFL, its roots can be traced back to Europe and South America in the sport of soccer. According to the Britannica encyclopedia, soccer is the most popular sport in the word. But it has not been accepted here in America because Americans fans are ignorant of the flop, as seen by the fine system implemented in the NBA. Fans across the world have accepted the beauty, technique and passion behind each and every flop their star player takes for his or her team to draw a penalty. Is it a coincidence that soccer is called the beautiful game and exhibits more flopping than any other sport? I would argue that it is not. Instead of criticizing players such as James, we should be praising him for attempting to break a barrier, which has set back sport in America for decades. In or-
Cottingham moved her debut date up from February to just the fourth game of the season, entering the game to a standing ovation. She went on to play every game for the rest of the season, earning all-conference honors for a third straight year. Her story began receiving widespread attention as she continued her senior season. The Detroit Free-Press wrote a story on her, and later, ESPN heard about her story and came out to do a story. She was featured on ESPN.com and in ESPN The Magazine, and was also being invited to a Detroit Pistons game after being named Michigan’s Hero of the Month. “(The media attention) was cool,” Cottingham said. “Cool benefits and perks have come out of it. I mean, I lost my hand, might as well do some fun stuff.” However, despite her strong play, Cottingham was not able to play basketball in college. She knew she still wanted to be involved with basketball though, and she
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THE KING — LeBron James has learned to exxaggerate slight contact. der for sports such as basketball to catch up to soccer, the flop must be embraced not only by the players, but also by the league and the American fans. FOOTE is the asst. sports editor. sent her story to Liberty women’s basketball coach Carey Green, who agreed to let Cottingham become a team manager. She is now a senior, going on her fourth year as a manager for the women’s basketball team. While she may be stuck doing the players’ laundry instead of shooting three pointers, Cottingham said she is more than happy to be a part of the team during her college career in any shape or form. Cottingham plans to graduate in May 2014 with a degree in Sport Management. However, her ambitions stretch much further than just graduating. She is currently in the beginning stages of writing a book on her story. She said it is still a work in progress, but she fully plans on finishing and releasing it. She is also interested in coaching — anything to keep her around basketball.
TICHENOR is a sports reporter.
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