Hi Steppen,
Shorting is not as straightforward as most investors believe.
There is a SeekingAlpha article that provide a lot more depth into the different methods for shorting a company and how to profit from it. Can't seem to locate it right now.
But one example is that sometimes big funds purchase shares not because they believe in the company, but rather there are big fees to be earned by providing the market with additional share count liquidity.
Another example is that a funds begins stockpiling shares in anticipation of shorting (due to share liquidity concerns).
The point is that there are numerous ways to directly/indirectly own shares, thus making it difficult to truly understand the underlying motive of any investor, whether short and/or long.