“The flop is a longstanding Duke defensive strategy. It consists of illegally stepping/jumping into an opposing player’s path and melodramatically falling over backwards, often while screaming, upon the slightest contact. The flop is executed throughout each game for the twofold purpose of covering for teammates who are beaten off of the dribble and assessing the opposition with undeserved fouls. Despite being a purported ‘point of emphasis’ for NCAA officials in recent years, Duke players continue to feast off of this illegal ‘play’ with impunity.”

–The Truth About Duke Encycopedia.

In coverage of the apparent violence that ensues from protests outside both conventions, silliness such as XBox seizures aside, it’s worth considering that the Flop is a tactic that has application in politics as well as sports, and that some are quite good at flopping.

This is a detailed anatomy of a Flop, in action, at last week’s Democratic convention in Denver. You may have seen selected photos of what appeared to be police brutality in some media.  The media aren’t necessarily interested in telling you the whole story, just the story that sells papers.  But you couldn’t see all of the photos, until now.  In every respect, a classic Flop.

Via Classical Values.

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