Does The End Justify The Means?

[pbmax]

Even if the rule required the faked injury player to stay out of the game until the next series, there is nothing that would stop a team from putting player number 45 on the gameday roster out there for a play and have him feign injury after 1 play. If he has to stay out for 1 series, who cares because he wouldn't play anyway?

Sure, but does the DC want to run the risk of a player who would not otherwise play to be in the for one down just to get a free timeout? He can't just go out there and fall down like he injured himself while jogging on the field.

Unless he's a former soccer player.

[sharpe1027]

Even if the rule required the faked injury player to stay out of the game until the next series, there is nothing that would stop a team from putting player number 45 on the gameday roster out there for a play and have him feign injury after 1 play. If he has to stay out for 1 series, who cares because he wouldn't play anyway?

I doubt that anyone would play scrub players "just in case" they need to fake an injury. It is more likely that the guy they want to sub would fake the injury (e.g., if they are in nickel and need another LBer, than the 3rd DB magically gets hurt and a LBer comes in....)

[AtlPackFan]

I think every injury play should be extensively reviewed in the booth

...and if the replay booth decides the player was faking an injury, allow the other team to beat the player until he IS injured!

[Smeefers]

In last night's Rams/Giants game, the Giants obviously feigned injury to slow down the Rams no huddle offense and get their goal line package into the game. There is no way the officials could have made the judgement to penalize the Giants despite the fact there was a lot of laughing on the Giant's bench. This was a critical game situation that could have changed the direction, and possibly the outcome of the game. What if this had been a playoff or Super Bowl game?

My frame of reference for thinking about thiss is two similar baseball plays.

Last year, Alex Ridriguiz of the Yankees dramatically feigned being hit by a pitch when replay showed the ball hit the knob of his bat. He was awarded first base. When questioned after the game, Alex without hesitation said, "Whatever it takes to win".

Last week Darwin Barney of the Cubs was hit by a pitch. The ball rolled into fair territory, and the catcher picked it up and tagged Barney. The ump ruled the ball hit Barney's bat and called him out. When Barney was asked why he didn't put on a big act because replay showed he was hit, he replied, "I didn't want to disrespect the game."

Back to football; It seems to me that there needs to be a rule that would make it unprofitable for a player to fake an injury in a goal line situation.
1. Allow only that player to be substituted for?
2. Require the player to remain out of the game for the rest of that series or more?
3. Charge a timeout like after the two minute warning?
4. See to it the player has a valid reason to leave the game with an injury when he returns? ( I remember Super Bowl I and how the Packers handled Fred Williamson's cheap shot on Boyd Dowler.)
5. Do nothing because cheating to get ahead is acceptable in our society?
What do the rest of you think?

You know what I was saying to myself just the other day? Man I wish Football had more rules. There is positively not enough rules in football and every time they add new ones it adds to the game, not takes away from it.

[Guiness]

I doubt that anyone would play scrub players "just in case" they need to fake an injury. It is more likely that the guy they want to sub would fake the injury (e.g., if they are in nickel and need another LBer, than the 3rd DB magically gets hurt and a LBer comes in....)

Exactly. Do you want that guy out there, even for one play?

MM sees a scrub LB come in that that is going to take a fall in case they need it, and you can be sure they're going to be running the next play right at him!

[Scott Campbell]

In last night's Rams/Giants game, the Giants obviously feigned injury to slow down the Rams no huddle offense and get their goal line package into the game. There is no way the officials could have made the judgement to penalize the Giants despite the fact there was a lot of laughing on the Giant's bench. This was a critical game situation that could have changed the direction, and possibly the outcome of the game. What if this had been a playoff or Super Bowl game?

A couple of phantom pass interference calls would clear that right up.

[sharpe1027]

Maybe we've been looking at this the wrong way. They could make the no-huddle illegal except in the final five-minutes of the half/game.

[Fritz]

The allusion to soccer is a good one. I love the game they call football in Europe - but I much prefer watching the women's game, because not only do they have hot bodies, the men have ruined their game with the ghey fake injuries. They're so obviously fake, so wussish, that I despise those so-and-so's. They absolutely wreck the game, take away any semblance that it's real competition - they're pussing their way to an advantage. So, so unmanly.

You let the Giants openly laugh and get away with one, it'll catch on and as soon as a coach wants his team to have a break he'll instruct player X to go down with an "injury." Next thing you know there are even more game stoppages, more television commercials, more gamesmanship, and soon disease breaks out all over the world. This will undermine an already-shaky world economy, and soon starvation will run rampant in heretofore prosperous countries. There will be a run on natural resources, a war will break out, and a desperate small country or group of economic terrorists will drop a nuclear bomb. The US will retaliate, which will cause Pakistan and Russia to retaliate, and one fine Sunday around noon instead of watching kickoff you'll be watching a mushroom cloud blossoming over your hometown.

Something must be done.

[pbmax]

The allusion to soccer is a good one. I love the game they call football in Europe - but I much prefer watching the women's game, because not only do they have hot bodies, the men have ruined their game with the ghey fake injuries. They're so obviously fake, so wussish, that I despise those so-and-so's. They absolutely wreck the game, take away any semblance that it's real competition - they're pussing their way to an advantage. So, so unmanly.

You let the Giants openly laugh and get away with one, it'll catch on and as soon as a coach wants his team to have a break he'll instruct player X to go down with an "injury." Next thing you know there are even more game stoppages, more television commercials, more gamesmanship, and soon disease breaks out all over the world. This will undermine an already-shaky world economy, and soon starvation will run rampant in heretofore prosperous countries. There will be a run on natural resources, a war will break out, and a desperate small country or group of economic terrorists will drop a nuclear bomb. The US will retaliate, which will cause Pakistan and Russia to retaliate, and one fine Sunday around noon instead of watching kickoff you'll be watching a mushroom cloud blossoming over your hometown.

Something must be done.

Just let me know how I can blame the NCAA for this and I will get to work on the radio.

[Fritz]

The NCAA is behind everything.

They hired Oswald, then Ruby. Didn't you know that?

[RashanGary]

Should the catchers stop pulling their glove quickly back over the plate a little to make it look more like a strike?

Should defensive players stop pointing at the OL when they knew they jumped first?

Should DL stop exaggerating the hold after they were held?

Should QB's stop lying on the turf longer after a possible late hit?

Should WR's stop pushing off while making it look like they aren't?


Faking injury is a bit far, but hey, it's effective. No different than pissing off a huge guy, then he gets out of the car, road raging, you step out with a small bat hidden behind your leg and destroy his knee. Bigger is nice. Better feels good. Smarter wins.

[bobblehead]

Rodriguez is a jerk, Barney was a fool (unless the ball hit is hand while attempting a swing, in which case you need to know the special rules).

As for your list, I would add #1 (with the caveat that if the offense substitutes, the defense can as well) and #2 (specifically stated that the player can't return until there is a change of possession). #3 is too harsh for legit injuries, and you can't prove otherwise. With the rash of injuries these days, nobody would have TO's left at the end of the game. 4 is a judgment call that is too much burden to place on the refs.

And there it is. I have met both ARod (baseball) and Jeter. Jeter is a prick. ARod is a nice guy. When that shit happened and the media chortled it up I said "if it had been ARod people would say he was a cheater. ARod tried to swat the ball out of the first basemans hand during a tag. The media crucified him. Man the media drives perceptions sometimes.

[MadtownPacker]

Faking injury is a bit far, but hey, it's effective. No different than pissing off a huge guy, then he gets out of the car, road raging, you step out with a small bat hidden behind your leg and destroy his knee. Bigger is nice. Better feels good. Smarter wins.

So you got away with this shit? Fucking loony.

But on to the subject, winning by being a lil bitch taints the victory IMO.

[bobblehead]

Also -- I tend to fall into the camp that if you disrespect the game, the game (and its fans) will disrespect you. ARod might be a HoF worthy baseball talent, but he's also a HoF jackass...he's earned that.

See my post above. Granted my time was about an hour around each guy. Jeter wouldn't sign an autograph, while ARod was signing about 3 a minute while trying to play blackjack. Don't believe everything you read.

[bobblehead]

You know what I was saying to myself just the other day? Man I wish Football had more rules. There is positively not enough rules in football and every time they add new ones it adds to the game, not takes away from it.

In honesty this should have

/thread