APG, you and I may be watching the same game but are certainly seeing it differently. My view of what Shane Battier is doing is putting his hand right in front of his opponents eyes. Not a basketball play. No reason to do this except to block the opponent's vision. I guess you think this is somehow a basketball play. I do not. We are going to have to agree to disagree on this one.
I also think Battier does more flopping than anyone not playing soccer and am not fan of this tactic either. Do we need to agree to disagree on this one, too?
Also IMHO there are basketball terms which I believe are being misapplied here. Wherever I have played baskeball, 'face guarding' was a defensive tactic where the defender attempted to prevent the offensive player from getting the pass by guarding him face to face and moving everywhere he went. It never had anything to do with putting your hand over the opponents eyes. Also, the term 'hand in the face' was not intendend to be about illegally blocking your opponents vision. It means to be up close and usually to jump with the shooter with your hand up but it is easer to say 'get up in his face' or 'put a hand in his face'. Sort of like when someone is closely guarding you and jumps up and tries to block your shot then offensively when you still make the shot, you have given the defender a facial and the proper taunt is 'in your face'. I like to use that expression as often as I can
