Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
Listen, I understand that Mark Cuban is one of the most annoying figures in professional sports. I know that his act can grow thin with even the most devout Dallas Mavericks fan. However, his latest efforts of founding and funding a study that dissects the flops in the NBA, shows just how much of a pioneer he really is.
At a young age, Cuban was categorized as a loudmouth who rubbed a lot of people the wrong way for his constant bickering and childish demeanor. Through the years though, Cuban has learned that all of his complaining to NBA bigwigs and officials in particular doesn’t do any good. Now, Cuban is starting to be proactive whenever something displeases him.
We all dislike flopping, but unlike the ignorant folks at the bar, Cuban is investing $100,000 into a study that will determine whether capturing techniques like video can tell the difference between legitimate collisions and flops.
Hopefully, Cuban is on to something because the NBA epidemic is lightening the pockets of NBA players and turning the enjoyment of the game down drastically. Rather than sit and complain, Cuban is showing how much of a pioneer he really is with this uncanny study.
NBA commissioner David Stern knows that a problem exists — five players got fined for flopping this regular season, while seven players have been charged to the tune of $5,000 apiece this postseason alone.
Without the right technology to make the correct flop call, the referees will continue to get battered for their inaccuracy. So, NBA officials better hope that this Cuban experiment will work well and make everyone’s lives that much easier.
