It is better for a team to do one thing and do it very well, rather then try to do fifty things all poorly. FIRST is often a game of compromises. You must make tradeoffs when you design the robot.
Some teams choose to hang and they did. While most of the teams that I saw at VCU played defense before they hung, after seeing some of the crazy robot designs posted here (The shimmy, anyone?) I think some teams would like to get to the bar before it becomes unavailable
It is not a cheap strategy by any means and as to them receving awards, think about it this way: They set out to build a robot that hangs. It hangs well. Mission accomplished. Let the accolades rain down.
I've always believed that being who I was will not limit me to who I will be. That's what keeps me trying to learn more and become a better person. Otherwise I would've settled being someone ordinary and not care about anything around my life. - Ken Leung [more] 
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