RT @slmandel: Caught in the act. RT @TheBigLead: The Cal Bears embarrassingly blatant faking injuries to slow down Oregon (video) http://bit.ly/bk3ktC
RT @slmandel: Caught in the act. RT @TheBigLead: The Cal Bears embarrassingly blatant faking injuries to slow down Oregon (video) http://bit.ly/bk3ktC
From the video this looks pretty bad. And if I were to lay odds on what went on here, it would probably be on the order of 90 – 99% odds he was faking.
However, there are certain injuries that would manifest in a manner similar to this. Where you get up from a play, are just fine, go to make a specific movement, and it is only when you go to use that muscle / tendon in that way that you discover a problem. Muscle cramps can be massively debilitating but not necessarily instantly so and can or will occur with small movements just outside your standard range. I can think of a few other ways this might legitimately happen.
So with that in mind, he was probably taking a dive, and if he went back in after only one play (this video doesn’t speak to that) there is almost no way he wasn’t taking a dive. But it is at least possible this was a legitimate injury. So I would argue it is a bit much to be casting aspersions on the entire Cal Bears football organization over this one incident with no specific proof that he was not actually injured other than that it appears highly questionable. Which, no argument, it does. Without more corroborating evidence though, it is possible he was hurt.