“Water Breaks” aka “Ad Breaks” are here to stay. The networks will demand them as part of the next TV contracts with the big leagues.
I brought my son to see Argentina play (I think against Ecuador) several years ago in a friendly in the US. There was a blizzard-like snowstorm, and they were all out there in shorts, making slide tackles. I was very close to Mascherano when he came out for the second half and he had a splint on his finger. He just put it all out there, without regards to the weather and that it was a friendly. Soccer players, maybe particularly of the South American variety, are tough (I guess Brazil divers are maybe an exception).