Sark should have won that game, and the fake injuries aren't the reason he lost.
But that doesn't change the fact that Stanford has done it before, and it is poor sportsmanship.
In this clip, Stanford is called out by the announcers on national TV for doing it.
Shaw is a liar.
Fake injuries are traditional in college football going way back in my knowledge to the late 1940's. Mostly in the past, such tactic was used to stop the clock when a team is trying to score late in a game or before halftime and is out of or low on timeouts. Rules have been passed to prevent this and we don't see it much any more. One thing that helped with clock management and helped the fake injuries on offense go away was stopping the clock to more the sticks on first downs.
The most infamous example of faking injuries was in 1948 or 1949(?) when Notre Dame used it to beat a great Army team on a last minute drive and touchdown to end the game. The Irish were coached by the legendary Frank Leahy I believe. We didn't have TV in Boise yet, but ND games were broadcast nationally every Saturday and I as an 8 or 9 year old at the time always listened to the play-by-play. I was 8 or 9 years old and as I recall, an Irish player probably a lineman would fake injury on just about every down and stay down until carried off the field while the ND offense huddled and got ready in position on the line to snap the ball when the clock started. The injured Irish players would each stay on the sideline for one or two plays before coming back in to be injured and carried off again. The tactic worked for a score and a major ND win over Army and I haven't had an ounce of respect for Irish football since. I still remember the disgust I had listening to that game even though I was very young and just getting interested in football.
What Stanford is doing is obviously different and done for a different reason than in the past and I suspect other teams will do the same or are doing it now. Rules will have to be changed to either slow the hurry-up offenses down or prevent the fake injuries by not allowing the injured players to return to the field until say...... after the ball changes possession. It's unfortunate, but football coaches will do just about anything to win if they are allowed to and if you don't believe that, just think about the much bigger problem football at all levels is now having with spearing and the resulting injuries. A lot of that dirty play doesn't happen unless it's coached or allowed by coaches at all levels, even in pee-wee ball.
agreed tailgater.
Recent examples include Belich(c)k/the Patriots, the Jets, and the head hunting Saints ( they weren't trying to get a direct competitive advantage but we're trying to knock people out of the game).
Then you have the SI Okie State article that everyone seems to be ignoring ( more of an off the field competitive advantage).
Add to that most of the rest of college football...
Most of these coaches will try to get away with whatever they can... I don't know if Shaw & Hart told them to do it, but they definitely turned the other way.
Comments
http://www.seattlepi.com/sports/article/Stanford-coach-clarifies-Shayne-Skov-s-knee-injury-4882418.php
Recent examples include Belich(c)k/the Patriots, the Jets, and the head hunting Saints ( they weren't trying to get a direct competitive advantage but we're trying to knock people out of the game).
Then you have the SI Okie State article that everyone seems to be ignoring ( more of an off the field competitive advantage).
Add to that most of the rest of college football...
Most of these coaches will try to get away with whatever they can... I don't know if Shaw & Hart told them to do it, but they definitely turned the other way.