The Rational RefDrama queens' ham acting on the pitch worthy of TV soap operas
Antics of players trying to draw a penalty borders on the absurd as brazen overacting sometimes fools match officials
Whenever a cunning player goes to ground with the slightest contact from an opponent, if at all, he will roll over several times, scream in agony and behave as if auditioning for a role in a television soap. Have such players no shame in displaying their poor acting abilities instead of showcasing attractive skills?
Judging by the increasing number of drama queens on the pitch, the suspicion is that many players love watching daytime soaps. These corny shows are peppered with dreadful overacting where a fatal gunshot does not usually trigger instant death, but a panoply of bizarre body movements that are fabricated to show the "talents" of wannabe actors.
So when prima donna players who are well versed in this exaggerated form of acting finally hang up their boots, they should perhaps consider becoming soap stars.
Perhaps this is overstretching it, but the truth is there are plenty of ham actors out there. Match officials roll their eyes because they know players are trying to deceive them, gain an advantage and get an opponent or two sent off.
During international week, there was plenty of player theatrics, including the Sweden and Austria World Cup qualifier where both teams were vying for the crucial runner-up position behind group leaders Germany.
Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakır was apparently deceived following a confrontation between Sweden's Johan Elmander and Austria's Marko Arnautovic.