04/18/24
July 12, 2011
Female Soccer Players Do Less Diving: The New York Times has found a study that shows female soccer players simulate injuries much less often than their male counterparts. "We can say that men writhe on the ground looking like they’re injured more than women, almost twice as often," said Dr. Daryl Rosenbaum, the lead author of a study published this month in Research in Sports Medicine.
Only confirms what I've been saying about soccer players for ages: Brilliantly well conditioned athletes that are abject wussies.
posted by Tinman at 02:22 PM on July 12, 2011
Apparently male soccer players need to play more like girls.
posted by hincandenza at 03:34 PM on July 12, 2011
So women have more honor and behave sportingly and better than their male counterparts.
In other news, the sun will rise tomorrow.
posted by Drood at 06:02 PM on July 12, 2011
Only confirms what I've been saying about soccer players for ages: Brilliantly well conditioned athletes that are abject wussies.
Wait, what?
posted by lil_brown_bat at 10:18 PM on July 12, 2011
Ha, was watching the cup with my daughter, early game last week, can't remember which. Anyways, I made the comment that if a man on the Italian team or Spanish team had suffered the same foul that the woman just had, they'd still be on the ground rolling around like they just lost their spleen.
My daughter just looked at me and deadpanned, "or Mexican."
Cracked me up.
posted by tselson at 11:48 PM on July 12, 2011
The constant diving, falling on the field in apparent agony, and ridiculous antics down those lines in men's professional soccer is one reason I don't routinely watch the game, even though I enjoy the sport. It seems every time a player is touched they roll around on the field, screaming, and it's embarrassing to watch. It's also one of the reasons soccer players don't always get the respect they should for the demanding sport they play.
posted by dyams at 08:11 AM on July 13, 2011
I'd like to see less diving, but some of it adds to the sense of aggrievement that helps fuel my interest in sports. Brazil's Erika acting like a scoundrel made the U.S. victory sweeter.
The soccer leagues really should hand out fines or yellow cards after matches for players caught in particularly egregious acts of simulation. The embarrassment of being identified as divers would deter the practice.
posted by rcade at 08:17 AM on July 13, 2011
rcade gets points for use of the word "scoundrel".
posted by lil_brown_bat at 08:47 AM on July 13, 2011
Erika got off that stretcher mighty fast once it was off the field. I can't remember if they had her strapped down or not.
My thought is: if a stretcher is called for in a situation like that, the player ought to be strapped down tightly on it, with their arms bound at their sides. Then the medics should carry the stretcher to the player's team sideline and put it down and walk away from it.
The direction to the player would then be: get your crafty self out of that strappage on your own, Houdini, and you can go back on the field whenever you want.
posted by beaverboard at 08:49 AM on July 13, 2011
I can't remember if they had her strapped down or not.
They did. Once they were along the endline, Erika sat up, unstrapped herself, and leapt off the stretcher. Pretty amusing.
posted by Errant at 03:42 PM on July 13, 2011
I think diving should be a red cardable offence. No exceptions. If the player dives, instead of a warning, yellow... Send the fucker off.
That'd cut down on these assholes doing it, and it's a massive problem as every single football fan I know hates it. (Myself included.)
Punish the assholes and perhaps the beautiful game can be again.
posted by Drood at 05:10 PM on July 13, 2011
Are they afraid Marta will scold them?