Well those guys can legitimately cry. I’m talking about the 99% of falls that are witnessed during a game and they pop right back up after the theatrics. Makes me sick.
I agree with you about the theatrics in principle. 99% is greatly exaggerated, though. In fact, in what little soccer I watch these days in 99% of instances they just get up and keep on playing, and it’s the remaining 1% that makes for the theatrics. Perhaps it’s different in your region.
Google “soccer injuries” images and you’ll see lots of bad injuries. I don’t know how that compares to other “physical contact” sports.
There was a recent case where an Arsenal player got a two-match ban because of a dive he took to get a penalty. They really are trying to address the diving issue, and it's definitely much better than it was a few years ago.