Bogey
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Simply this.
Fake defensive injuries
- Thread starter SwarmingRound
- Start date
Backstreetbuzz
Ramblin' Wreck
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Just let the DLs, who are rotating in and out anyway, fake the injuries. Problem solved.
Northeast Stinger
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Anyone remember when there was no shot clock in college basketball? Dwayne Morrison came to Tech and didn’t have the horses to keep up with any of the great teams on the schedule so he played keep away on offense. I think the goal was to slow the game down and win 14-12 on a last second basket. Most fans hated it, even chanting during games BORING BORING. But it was within the rules and gave Tech a shot at winning.
UNC had their own version, which was quite elegant, called “the four corners offense.” They would trot it out late in a game when they had a lead and just play keep away, unless the other team made a mistake and left the basket open for an easy layup.
Point is, rules are rules, and taking advantage of them in unorthodox fashion has been around in sports for as long as I can remember. Seems like every four years some Olympic sport has a rule change because someone was “getting away with something” that was completely within in the old rules.
UNC had their own version, which was quite elegant, called “the four corners offense.” They would trot it out late in a game when they had a lead and just play keep away, unless the other team made a mistake and left the basket open for an easy layup.
Point is, rules are rules, and taking advantage of them in unorthodox fashion has been around in sports for as long as I can remember. Seems like every four years some Olympic sport has a rule change because someone was “getting away with something” that was completely within in the old rules.
roadkill
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That is, in fact, against the law, and if caught, punishable with fines or even jail time. No analogy with "faking" injuries.
UgaBlows
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It’s a big FU to the opposing fans, and there’s nothing anyone can do about it. What if without those extra breaks our defense would have been too gassed to hold UNC to a fieldgoal at the end or gotten beaten on the hail-mary play, is a win worth it for you?
Techastrophe
Jolly Good Fellow
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The only difference is the likelihood of punishment by the corresponding authorities, which is obviously the only concern for some people.
RonJohn
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The NCAA rules basically say there is no punishment for faking an injury.
You are totally misunderstanding my position. I am not in favor of using this tactic. However, it is the current rule, the current enforcement of the rule, and the current way that the rule is being used across college football. GT could take a moral stand and not utilize the tactic. That would have zero impact on the rule, or other teams use of the rule. It would put GT at a disadvantage and accomplish nothing other than a sense of moral superiority. If a team faked injuries after every single play for an entire season, at least that would accomplish getting the rule changed.
My position is that the issue is with the rules, not the way teams are exploiting the rules. The rules need to be changed. GT does not need to be at a disadvantage, and possibly lose additional games, until the rule is changed.
roadkill
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One is against the rules/law, one isn't. Not sure how I could spell it out any clearer to you. Yet you think the only difference is punishment.
Techastrophe
Jolly Good Fellow
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That's what a rule is. When you have the rule "don't fake an injury to get a free timeout" there is a punishment for faking an injury to get a free timeout. When you don't have that rule there isn't a punishment, there is just an expectation of sportsmanship.
PapaV
Georgia Tech Fan
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Integrity. Character. Sportsmanship. Ethics. … ‘89 alum here, and I was embarrassed of our team. Reflects poorly on our university. “Just because others do it” is a lame argument - and reflects poorly on those making this excuse. Ask yourself what it teaches the players about life and how to conduct themselves. What example are we setting for the students (and all other fans) that witness this? We are supposed to be developing leaders, right? We are better than this, or we should be…. All alums should call on the administration to FIX IT!
stinger78
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I’m all for integrity in sports. How is it a lack of integrity to do what is not illegal? Are we saying that tactic may not be illegal, but it is unethical? If so, I can understand that - especially to the extent it was employed by us yesterday.
Techastrophe
Jolly Good Fellow
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Its pretty ridiculous to demand that the NCAA explicitly ban every conceivable act of unsportsmanlike conduct. Pausing the game when an athlete is injured doesn't need clarification to exclude fake injuries. You've been pretty clear in your position that if anyone gets away with an unsportsmanlike practice, we should do it too, and take no responsibility for our own behavior because if we do something embarrassing and don't get punished then the issue is with the rules. I understand your position and I disagree.
stinger78
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So here’s my companion question: It is not illegal for an offense to run pre-called plays at such a rate that doesn’t allow a defense to call its own plays and get set for the next play. However, is that ethical?
To me, the core issue is a substitution rule and putting the ball in play rule issue. That could be fixed by having the umpire stand over the ball for a certain time to allow for both units to get set. This could be suspended in the final minute when seconds are critical.
To me, the core issue is a substitution rule and putting the ball in play rule issue. That could be fixed by having the umpire stand over the ball for a certain time to allow for both units to get set. This could be suspended in the final minute when seconds are critical.
roadkill
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Huh? So in your analogy, a violation of the tax code which can result in punishment is the same as faking an injury, which doesn't, so they are equivalent? I can not understand your logic here.
Techastrophe
Jolly Good Fellow
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That's not equivalent to faking an injury. When an athlete claims he is unable to get off the field promptly and needs officials to suspend play for his own safety, there should be no doubt whether the claim is legitimate.
stinger78
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Did I say it was equivalent? I said they are both potentially unethical. How is it ethical not to give your opponent an opportunity to get set? It’s desired by the rules - that’s the purpose of substitution rules. Running extreme tempo is (pretty clearly) subverting the spirit of the rules.
Techastrophe
Jolly Good Fellow
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You're trying a little too hard. I said that claiming an exemption under false pretenses and claiming an injury timeout under false pretenses are only different in the expectation of punishment for the cheater. If that's all that matters to you, then they are the same.