The NFL is taking a serious stance on players faking injuries. But just how far can the league go? A memo was sent to teams Wednesday threatening harsh punishments — including fines, suspensions and even forfeited draft picks — if players feign injuries to gain a competitive edge.
This came following the Giants-Rams “Monday Night Football” game in which Deon Grant and Jacquian Williams collapsed to the turf with cramps. The resulting injury timeout prevented the Giants from having to burn a regular one and allowed them to reset their defense against the Rams’ uptempo, no-huddle offense. New York won 28-16.
But how can the league monitor something like this? Although video of Grant and Williams was shown on prime-time TV, it was more circumstantial than conclusive evidence.
Not to mention this kind of stuff happens all the time. And it’s not just in football.
Last year around this time, Derek Jeter was criticized for faking being hit by a pitch. He was doing what he believed it took to win a ball game. Is that cheating or being smart?
Grant denied any gamesmanship, but even if he was faking, he was doing what it took to win.
It makes sense that the NFL doesn’t want this type of conduct to be something coaches are teaching, as Rams linebacker Bryan Kehl — an ex-Giants player, has accused his former team of doing. But when a player is in the heat of a game, winning is all that matters, and it’s all part of the game.
– Scott Gleeson
