A little bump on the bum and we all go goo-goo ga-ga over it.
Footballers ( not soccer players ) gets trashed around all the times and we hardly bat an eyelid. Life isn't fair. No wonder non TT players perceived us as cotton-candy people ( soft and fluffy all the times ).
well this isn't a fair comparison. Soccer players are tough as rocks, even if some of the dudes "flop". Soccer is an absolutely brutal, yet beautiful game. I'm glad to be a "retired" amateur soccer player. It's just too dangerous on the body with so many unpredictable elements in the game, like a 6'4'' 200 Lbs monster coming at you full speed.
At least in table tennis, the unpredictable elements are simply a well placed shot across the table. Nothing too dangerous. I'm looking forward to another 30+ years of table tennis.
Not to mention, the table tennis community, as a whole, is much nicer than the soccer community. At least here in the united states. No one has ever tried to fight me while playing table tennis. Can't say the same for soccer.