No Bowl Game

[sutomcat]

Because it's not the most important game of the season.

What is the most important game of the season then? The realistic goals for most football programs are to make it to a bowl game. And to win that game.

Why treat your fans like garbage and help destroy the bowl system?

What are the odds someone who is actually going to play in the NFL is going to get seriously injured in a bowl game and end their career before it starts? The really good players can get insurance beforehand anyway.

Sorry, I think this is selfish and shortsighted.

 

[DomeStranger]

I wonder how the scouts would take that? Being a team player has got to count for something? If I was a scout, I wouldn't be impressed at a player quitting on his teammates.

 

[UnknownOrange]

What is the most important game of the season then? The realistic goals for most football programs are to make it to a bowl game. And to win that game.

Why treat your fans like garbage and help destroy the bowl system?

What are the odds someone who is actually going to play in the NFL is going to get seriously injured in a bowl game and end their career before it starts? The really good players can get insurance beforehand anyway.

Sorry, I think this is selfish and shortsighted.

Mccaffery actually has a policy that if his career were to end before the NFL due to injury he would receive $5,000,000. I definitely understand your point - I think this is just a microcosm of a greater issue that is CFB and the NFL have some big changes coming

 

[UnknownOrange]

I wonder how the scouts would take that? Being a team player has got to count for something? If I was a scout, I wouldn't be impressed at a player quitting on his teammates.

If you're teams who could be in position to draft him you absolutely ask him questions about it. From all that we've seen from LF & CM they both seemed like great young men. Time tells all

 

[Frozen]

Here's another factor - McCaffery missed time this year due to injury - what if he tore his ACL in the bowl game?

What if he tears his ACL during the draft combine? Might as well sit that out too. Not to mention NFL exhibition games.

 

[Pyle]

Here's another factor - McCaffery missed time this year due to injury - what if he tore his ACL in the bowl game?

What if everyone who had any chance at making the league just started to live in a bubble until draft day? This is wussing out at the highest level.

 

[Chip]

What is the most important game of the season then? The realistic goals for most football programs are to make it to a bowl game. And to win that game.

Not in the playoff era.

Year by year, all other bowls were going to become more meaningless. This is a big step. It could kick off a huge trend.

 

[Chip]

What if he tears his ACL during the draft combine? Might as well sit that out too. Not to mention NFL exhibition games.

I probably wouldn't play until the Super Bowl.

Although that might mean I couldn't play in next year's Super Bowl, so maybe I wouldn't.

 

[Pyle]

If it's the playoffs that's one thing. Everything else is another thing.

You're quitting on your team, playoffs or not. And quitters in my book frankly kinda suck.

 

[djcon57]

What is the most important game of the season then? The realistic goals for most football programs are to make it to a bowl game. And to win that game.

Why treat your fans like garbage and help destroy the bowl system?

What are the odds someone who is actually going to play in the NFL is going to get seriously injured in a bowl game and end their career before it starts? The really good players can get insurance beforehand anyway.

Sorry, I think this is selfish and shortsighted.

The most important game of the season, imo, is the game against the best opponent that you play that gets the most headlines/eyes on the game. But again, that's my opinion, and really the only opinion that matters here is the player. And obviously these two feel this game is not the most important.

As far as your other questions...
Help destroy the bowl system? I'm ok with that. The whole system is very boring to me
What are the odds? Obviously not 0...it only takes 1

I think college athletics are selfish and shortsighted. So...*shrug*

 

[Pyle]

Not in the playoff era.

Year by year, all other bowls were going to become more meaningless. This is a big step. It could kick off a huge trend.

Yes still in the playoff era. 4 teams out of 120 are going to the playoffs. For the other 97% of teams making a bowl game is the goal of you and your teammates. For some teams it becomes the main goal after the first loss. Because unless your Clemson, Bama, etc then playoffs are not even a possibility after 1 loss.

 

[djcon57]

I wonder how the scouts would take that? Being a team player has got to count for something? If I was a scout, I wouldn't be impressed at a player quitting on his teammates.

Mike Lombardi (of Raiders/Pats fame) was on some show this AM saying that it's an absolute non factor

 

[Pyle]

I think college athletics are selfish and shortsighted. So...*shrug*

 

[Pyle]

Trend here seems to be well unless it's the playoffs......Bullfreakingspit. By that model as soon as any team loses two games it's ok for their best players to sit because after all, it's not the playoffs and they aren't going. Might as well shell up until the combine. This is absolutely ridiculous and those who don't have a problem with it aren't looking long term. Players opting out of games to save themselves for the NFL? It's nauseating. What if AET decided you know what, Dungey's out, we aren't going bowling, i think I'll sit out the Pitt game. Don't want to get hurt. Where does it end?

 

[djcon57]

Trend here seems to be well unless it's the playoffs...Bullfreakingspit. By that model as soon as any team loses two games it's ok for their best players to sit because after all, it's not the playoffs and they aren't going. Might as well shell up until the combine. This is absolutely ridiculous and those who don't have a problem with it aren't looking long term. Players opting out of games to save themselves for the NFL? It's nauseating.

Well...If they did, I'm not happy about it as a fan, but I get it.

Are any South Carolina fans paying for Marcus Lattimore's rent these days?

 

[Pyle]

Well...If they did, I'm not happy about it as a fan, but I get it.

Are any South Carolina fans paying for Marcus Lattimore's rent these days?

Does he live on campus? Then yes. Free meals in the dining hall? Then yes.

 

[djcon57]

Does he live on campus? Then yes. Free meals in the dining hall? Then yes.

Not sure if serious.

Do you know who Marcus Lattimore is?

 

[Chip]

Yes still in the playoff era. 4 teams out of 120 are going to the playoffs. For the other 97% of teams making a bowl game is the goal of you and your teammates. For some teams it becomes the main goal after the first loss. Because unless your Clemson, Bama, etc then playoffs are not even a possibility after 1 loss.

I'm not defending anything.

I'm saying that the star players aren't going to care as much if they're not in the playoffs.

This won't be a one year phenomenon. It will expand. Whether people like it or not is irrelevant.

 

[Bayside44]

I'm not defending anything.

I'm saying that the star players aren't going to care as much if they're not in the playoffs.

This won't be a one year phenomenon. It will expand. Whether people like it or not is irrelevant.

And it's going to expand from blue chip stud types to anyone who overvalues themselves. Not gonna be good.

 

[Pyle]

Not sure if serious.

Do you know who Marcus Lattimore is?

I hadn't brought myself up to speed no, I was talking in general terms. Now that I'm familiar with Lattimore what is the relevance to our discussion? Because he got hurt in college? It happens, people get hurt working construction. happens. Based on what I saw Lattimore wasn't hurt in a bowl game anyway so what is the point here?

 

[djcon57]

I hadn't brought myself up to speed no, I was talking in general terms. Now that I'm familiar with Lattimore what is the relevance to our discussion? Because he got hurt in college? It happens, people get hurt working construction. . . . . happens. Based on what I saw Lattimore wasn't hurt in a bowl game anyway so what is the point here?

Just the dirt worst false equivalence here. Remind me when construction workers (A) can make millions a year or (B) have an average career span of 3 years.

The point is these players don't give a flying what you (or I) think.

 

[OrangePA]

I'm not defending anything.

I'm saying that the star players aren't going to care as much if they're not in the playoffs.

This won't be a one year phenomenon. It will expand. Whether people like it or not is irrelevant.

Another example of the play-offs fundamentally changing college football.

And I for one don't really like it.

It forces the fan - and the players - to focus on a few teams to the exclusion of many others and to the exclusion of some great bowl games.

There was a time when SI devoted its College Football Issue to every team in Division I college football. Every conference and every independent was reviewed.

Now all we get to read about are the top 25 teams.

And frankly it gets boring reading about Ohio State and Alabama and the like.

In the short term the play offs are fun. But in the long term it will reduce fan interest in my opinion.

 

[bcubs9497]

Just the dirt worst false equivalence here. Remind me when construction workers (A) can make millions a year or (B) have an average career span of 3 years.

The point is these players don't give a flying what you (or I) think.

Pretty much right.

 

[Frozen]

According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, Leonard Fournette's insurance policy is such that if he played in the bowl game and suffered a career-ending injury, he would collect a tax-free payment of $10,000,000.

Play the game, sweetheart.

 

[MSOrange]

Leaving a year early is one thing. Leaving before the season is over is another thing. All I ask is that the player completes the entire season. If you're ok with a player leaving 12 games into a 13 game season, are you also ok with him leaving 7 games into it?

I get why they are doing it but that's how I feel. Don't fault players at all for leaving early but at least put in a full season while you're there.