A bad trend is starting...

[Capt. Tuttle]

That already happens. For those who can afford it. Or for those who have someone to foot the bill...

I believe that the policies insure draftability, not draft status.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

Agreed. And why just skip the bowl game if you're worried about hurting your draft prospects? Why not just skip games in October and November too? Football is a violent game, you can get hurt. You can get hurt in practice too. Hell Sidney Jones of Washington tore his achilles at his pro day.

I think it's really bad when a QB skips a bowl game. he's the leader of the team. I wouldn't draft that guy if I were an NFL GM and I'd think twice if it were any other position player as well.

You would not be a GM.
NFL players sit out meaningless games all the time, to avoid injury.

 

[corpjet]

What if seniors got a cut of the cash from any Bowl Game they played in? Encourage guys to stick around, no concerns about eligibility anymore.

Hate this idea and hope it never happens...if you pay them at al it will be for the course of 4 years...

 

[Chip]

Agreed. And why just skip the bowl game if you're worried about hurting your draft prospects? Why not just skip games in October and November too? Football is a violent game, you can get hurt. You can get hurt in practice too. Hell Sidney Jones of Washington tore his achilles at his pro day.

I think it's really bad when a QB skips a bowl game. he's the leader of the team. I wouldn't draft that guy if I were an NFL GM and I'd think twice if it were any other position player as well.

It's probably the NFL guys that are telling him to skip it. You're still proving yourself in Oct and Nov so it's not as easy to start skipping them early.

This should really only impact a handful of projected first rounders whose draft status wouldn't change based on the bowl.

If it ever got to the Dungey level, then yeah, shut down the bowls.

 

[CuseCPT]

Hate this idea and hope it never happens...if you pay them at al it will be for the course of 4 years...

Fair enough. Do you hate the idea of paying players in general?

 

[leftytg]

and just how many players suffer career ending injuries in bowl games ? more likely to be involved in a car accident before the draft is my point .

you are being disingenuous. Career ending injuries aren't the main concern. The far bigger concern are injuries that would impact draft stock. THOSE injuries are far, far, far more common than a car accident before the game. For many players, their initial draft contract is the biggest one they will get. They have every incentive to try to maximize that. If you blow out a knee, pick up a concussion, or any number of other injuries you can dramatically alter what round you are drafted in. Jake Butt fell all the way to the 5th round. On a smaller scale, having to heal an injury puts you back on training to get to peak physical condition for the combine. There is an inordinate amount of emphasis on the combine, and if you are nursing an injury and come in low on speed, strength, or explosiveness numbers your draft stock can fall.

 

[bpo57]

You don’t skip in October because those games count. You skip in late December for exhibition games. The same way a coach wouldn’t go for it on 4th and 6 in October but will in the Tax Slayer Bowl.

And you’re insane if you think a good GM is passing on top 10 talent because he chose to skip the bowl game.

I just think it's different if you're the QB. Kudos to Darnold for playing.

Btw plenty of meaningless games played in November too for a lot of these teams as well.

Lastly I watched several bowl games this year where teams were playing their tails off. They sure as hell didn't treat it as an exhibition game. Exhibition game? lol

 

[bpo57]

I love all the "well if I were a GM I wouldn't draft such and such" chest puffing out that goes on whenever this topic comes up. Guess what? You aren't a GM and never will be a GM. But seriously, go on and tell us how you'd draft. We're so interested.

I can say that real, actual GM's who build teams for a living and whose jobs depend upon their success don't seem to have a problem with the practice - at least judging by the top 10 selections of McCaffery and Fournette. It's almost like NFL GM's can distinguish between players choosing to sit out a glorified exhibition game players who supposedly quit on their teams.

lol you know what GMs think but the rest of us can't have an opinion on the matter. okee-doke.

 

[bpo57]

But the team, the fans, and the University, are not paying Jake Butt the millions he lost out on. So what does he get for being loyal? He gets an injury that drops him into the fifth round, and misses out on what may be his only payday. At some point, the player has to think about securing a life changing amount of money that can secure his own future, and secure the futures of his kids, and his kids kids.

What about all of the players that sustain such injuries from September through November? I guess they shouldn't have suited up either.

 

[OrangeDW]

I am an elite basketball prospect but I’m not going to play any basketball until I’m getting paid because I might land on someone’s foot and sprain my ankle. Or I might play with sucky teammates who make me look bad. Only individual workouts of me doing super cool two ball dribbling drills in place, and super cool shooting drills featuring amazing stepback jumpers with no defense on me(no landing on feet remember!). You can measure my arm length and evaluate my skills on drills, but good luck guessing on how I actually play the game because I choose not to compete or play with anyone else.

 

[bpo57]

You would not be a GM.
NFL players sit out meaningless games all the time, to avoid injury.

You wouldn't be either.

Equating a meaningless NFL game ie team heading into the playoffs and nothing to play for with a bowl game is stoopid. Maybe because we haven't been to a bowl game in a while that some of us have forgotten what it's like. Most teams take these games very seriously.

 

[bpo57]

I am an elite basketball prospect but I’m not going to play any basketball until I’m getting paid because I might land on someone’s foot and sprain my ankle. Or I might play with sucky teammates who make me look bad. Only individual workouts of me doing super cool two ball dribbling drills in place, and super cool shooting drills featuring amazing stepback jumpers with no defense on me(no landing on feet remember!). You can measure my arm length and evaluate my skills on drills, but good luck guessing on how I actually play the game because I choose not to compete or play with anyone else.

Exactly. Why does any pro prospect play in a NIT game or a fairly meaningless conference tournament game? Where do u draw the line?

 

[tbonezone]

as a qb why even take a snap on a 3rd and 25 ? chances of completing the 1st down are slim and you risk injury on a meaningless down.
the message is "i put my own interests above those of the team". and frankly who'd want to play with that guy anyways.

 

[NKR1978]

as a qb why even take a snap on a 3rd and 25 ? chances of completing the 1st down are slim and you risk injury on a meaningless down.
the message is "i put my own interests above those of the team". and frankly who'd want to play with that guy anyways.

Fournette and McCaffrey seem to have no issues with their teammates.

 

[DeGrozz]

and just how many players suffer career ending injuries in bowl games ? more likely to be involved in a car accident before the draft is my point .

When the difference between being picked @10 and being picked at @20 is $5M on your first contract, it's worth it being cautious. The injury doesn't even have to be career ending, but a bad ankle sprain/concussion/shoulder sprain/etc can impact combine performances, workouts, and draft stock leading to the loss of millions. That doesn't even take into consideration guys like Jaylon Smith who likely lost 8 figures on his injury...

 

[CuseCPT]

I love people throwing shade at 20 year old kids, many of whom come from the kind of poverty most of us will never experience, who just spent 3 or 4 years putting their health and safety on the line to entertain us and enrich their coaches and administrators. It's absurd.

Look dude, I know you're one game away from pulling your whole family out of poverty, but think of the fans!

 

[cuse309]

I am an elite basketball prospect but I’m not going to play any basketball until I’m getting paid because I might land on someone’s foot and sprain my ankle. Or I might play with sucky teammates who make me look bad. Only individual workouts of me doing super cool two ball dribbling drills in place, and super cool shooting drills featuring amazing stepback jumpers with no defense on me(no landing on feet remember!). You can measure my arm length and evaluate my skills on drills, but good luck guessing on how I actually play the game because I choose not to compete or play with anyone else.

Yeah, but that's not even close to what happens in these situations. These guys all have at least 2 full regular seasons of games that they played.

 

[corpjet]

Fair enough. Do you hate the idea of paying players in general?

Yes from the stand point (in Syracuses cases) they are getting a $250k education. In turn would they like to get paid then turn around and have to pay the school for their studies? I bet most wouldn't go for that or would they?

 

[bpo57]

I love people throwing shade at 20 year old kids, many of whom come from the kind of poverty most of us will never experience, who just spent 3 or 4 years putting their health and safety on the line to entertain us and enrich their coaches and administrators. It's absurd.

Look dude, I know you're one game away from pulling your whole family out of poverty, but think of the fans!

Who said anything about the fans? More about their teammates. McCaffrey and Rosen pulling their family out of poverty?

 

[CuseCPT]

Who said anything about the fans? More about their teammates. McCaffrey and Rosen pulling their family out of poverty?

I would never fault a teammate in a situation like that for taking care of their future.

Even for kids that come from middle class families it is still life changing money and the culmination of a dream, that according the NFLPA only 0.2 percent of all high school football players will ever make. A first round picks signing bonus is more than a third round players total contract in most cases. You're talking about leaving millions of dollars on the table if you get hurt playing in a system where everyone else is already getting beaks wet except you.

Until we stop pretending college sports are some kind sacred bastion of amateur athletics instead of a billion dollar industry, I expect this kind of controversy to continue but that doesn't make it sane.

 

[CuseCPT]

Oh, that coach that recruited you and told your mom he would watch out for you? Yeah, he's gone. Got a new contract with a bigger school, he's sorry he couldn't say goodbye face to face but he had a chartered jet to catch. It's just business, son. Don't take is personal.

Oh, you want to protect your future livelihood? You selfish, entitled piece of trash! Suit up and make us some money, son. Those boosters pay us good money to watch you play.

 

[bpo57]

Oh, that coach that recruited you and told your mom he would watch out for you? Yeah, he's gone. Got a new contract with a bigger school, he's sorry he couldn't say goodbye face to face but he had a chartered jet to catch. It's just business, son. Don't take is personal.

Oh, you want to protect your future livelihood? You selfish, entitled piece of trash! Suit up and make us some money, son. Those boosters pay us good money to watch you play.

Hey there are plenty of things wrong with college sports, the NCAA etc. Now you're starting to branch out into other areas when you talk about coaches leaving etc.

My dispute here is more about the notion that bowl games are exhibitions and also that when a QB decides not to play that it really hurts his team.

In terms of bowl games, I watched nearly all of them after Christmas Day and basically each one was played with plenty of intensity. The winning teams were fired up and took it very seriously. Imagine the cyber space that would go unused here if nobody on this site talked about SU being bowl eligible? I went to Dallas/Philly yesterday. That was an exhibition game. Bowl games are not exhibition games. Not by a long shot. Just because some SU fan has no interest in a particular bowl game doesn't mean that's the same for the participants.

When a top level QB doesn't play that lets the whole team down. The likelihood that a QB would have an injury that would materially alter his draft status is probably one in ten thousand and that risk could easily be insured against for one game. But heck if the player is that worried about such risk then why was he playing in November?

 

[Moontan]

I love people throwing shade at 20 year old kids, many of whom come from the kind of poverty most of us will never experience, who just spent 3 or 4 years putting their health and safety on the line to entertain us and enrich their coaches and administrators. It's absurd.

If you were to consider the 3-5 years as an internship where you get to show off your skills to potential employers, while at the same time being given an opportunity to study for a backup career in case your pro sport sports dream was just that, a dream... then the current system isn’t all that bad, now, is it?

And, for all sports other than American football, there are other avenues to chase the dream that do not involve college.

 

[CuseInNOLA]

I am an elite basketball prospect but I’m not going to play any basketball until I’m getting paid because I might land on someone’s foot and sprain my ankle. Or I might play with sucky teammates who make me look bad. Only individual workouts of me doing super cool two ball dribbling drills in place, and super cool shooting drills featuring amazing stepback jumpers with no defense on me(no landing on feet remember!). You can measure my arm length and evaluate my skills on drills, but good luck guessing on how I actually play the game because I choose not to compete or play with anyone else.

Clearly there is a much higher risk of getting injured playing football than basketball, right? Can you turn your ankle? Sure. But much more likely to get hurt in a sport that is literal high speed human collision.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

You wouldn't be either.

Equating a meaningless NFL game ie team heading into the playoffs and nothing to play for with a bowl game is stoopid. Maybe because we haven't been to a bowl game in a while that some of us have forgotten what it's like. Most teams take these games very seriously.

Bowl games are stupid. It's just a money grab.
I would be a great GM, because I wouldn't think like an entitled fan.