Skipping Bowl Games really hurt the two RBs

[Briancuse]

YOU DIDN'T PLAY DIVISION 1 FOOTBALL, Al Bundy.

I played on a couple of different levels, football is football, if you played scared, you are going to get hurt.

 

[leftytg]

Look, I'm not trying to be cavalier. However, the students are agreeing to play for the schools, and the schools are giving them a scholarship and a platform to market themselves to NFL teams. The schools probably won't take this sitting down, and at some point they may start partially revoke the scholarships of students that choose to sit out of bowl games.

The student's don't get paid, and honestly, I think that they should. However, under the current system, the schools are "paying" them to play by giving them scholarships, and in the future, the schools will likely be paying them for real. A lot of that money comes from the conference, and the conference relies on, among other things, money from bowl games. Well, if the best players start sitting out, then fewer people will watch, ad revenue will fall, and the schools will receive less money. I think that schools could try to prevent this behavior, and the only real weapon the school would have in that scenario is revoking the scholarships of the students that refuse to play. I'm not saying that this is right, wrong, or neutral. I'm just saying that this is a real possibility, and I won't be surprised if it happens.

this is so laughably naive. You think people get all up in arms about a school restricting a transfer? Just wait until a school tries to revoke a scholarship for a player sitting out a bowl game. Not to mention, what the heck will it accomplish? The kid sitting out is already a high round choice. Are you suggesting the school is going to sue the player for the retroactive cost of the scholarship? Good luck with that. Kick the kid off the team after he has declared? You're only going to hurt your APR score and your ability to recruit. Most all high school recruits hope/expect to be draft picks. If your school gets the rep of spitefully lashing out at kids sitting out to protect their draft status, then that will be a very real deterrent in attracting elite high school talent.

Almost everything about this system is tilted in favor of the schools. These kids come in and sacrifice their bodies and, in many (most) places get herded into easy majors for the express purpose of keeping them eligible. Coaches like Saban and Harbaugh push to get players medically disqualified for dubious reasons. Under performing players get pushed out to free up scholarship slots. They give their lives to football, while the schools make billions. Many of them will have injuries that will follow them for life due to the pressure to push through and stay on the field (look at the toradol abuse at schools like USC). Now a few guys stand up to this tilted system and decide to sit out a meaningless bowl game - which only exists as a vehicle for making everyone but the player more money - and I have to listen to wannabe athletes and fans who see athletics like a Disney movie whine about commitment to the team and a lack of heart and loyalty.

Commitment goes both ways. If Fournette, alone, is bringing all these supposed eye balls to the game (which is what is posited, as the argument is that Fournette's absence means fewer eyeballs which means lower ad revenue [I find this highly dubious, but we'll go with it]), then compensate him for that. I bet he is more likely to play if there is a real commitment to him.

 

[cuse309]

You know why he dropped, he got hurt, its football, it happens.

Doesn't that kind of make the point? Had he not played, he likely goes first round early second, and makes a lot more money. Money he'll never get back.

 

[Briancuse]

Doesn't that kind of make the point? Had he not played, he likely goes first round early second, and makes a lot more money. Money he'll never get back.

He should have checked his crystal ball to see if he was going to get hurt or not.

 

[tbonezone]

Injuries are a part of the game, the Washington kid got hurt during his pro day, you don't just skip games because you are worried about getting hurt.

if you dodge a contest simply cuz you're afraid of getting hurt then URA

Definition of coward

1. : one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity ex : a coward who deserted his troops
   
   

 

[leftytg]

if you dodge a contest simply cuz you're afraid of getting hurt then URA

Definition of coward

1. : one who shows disgraceful fear or timidity ex : a coward who deserted his troops
   

I see you are one of the sports as Disney movie types.

With that mentality of cowardice, you must have been a lot of fun to go to school with.

"here, eat this earthworm, or else you are a coward"
"go cross this busy highway, or else you are a coward"
"if you don't go punch the principal in the face you are a coward"

If I told you to get into the ring with an in-his-prime Mike Tyson - for no compensation - would you be a coward to refuse?

Enough with illustrating the absurdity of calling a player a coward for making a rational and economically correct decision - by your own definition it is supposed to be "disgraceful" fear or timidity. There's nothing disgraceful about safeguarding your earning power by skipping a glorified exhibition.

 

[tbonezone]

what's absurd are your comparisons. they all signed up and put on the pads to play football for the season. that season ends after the last game. whether someone thinks it's meaningless or not is irrelevant . for some teams the games are essentially meaningless after week 4. if you are medically cleared to play then you put on the pads and play the last game.
and if tyson or BAMA is your last opponent then give him your best shot . or at least go down swinging . otherwise i said it above.

 

[Hoo's That]

I genuinely hope that every player projected to go in the first 3 rounds next season, whose team is playing in the PayDayLoans.com Bowl or any other second tier bowl, sits out next season. Start getting all these stupid bowls to go away and force the NCAA into a 16 team playoff because no one wants to play in sh!tty bowls.

Or, maybe they could let the bowls give a payout to the winning team/reduced payout to the losing team.

Way too many meaningless bowl games, just let all teams have extra practice time, and have a real playoff like the other football divisions do.

This is not on the NCAA, it's on the conferences. The NCAA gets a grand total of $0.00 from D-1A football from when it begins in late August until it ends in January. India-noplace would be more than willing to conduct a championship at the D-1A level since the TV contract will make what it gets from the CBS bball contract look like chump change. The P5 conferences, on the other hand, don't want to change anything because they get all the money from D-1A football, especially the playoff. They would lose the playoff's TV money to the NCAA and they want to keep all of it. I can easily imagine that the P5's contract with ESPN does not allow for more money if the playoffs expand before a certain date, otherwise they would have already expanded. Another reason for the lack of expansion is that the SEC and the B1G did not want to throw a lifeline to the ACC at a time when "everyone" was convinced the ACC was about to implode. Now, the Big XII is floundering and closer to imploding than the ACC was and the SEC and the B1G don't want to throw the Big XII a lifeline when Bevo and the Okies would become available with the implosion. More playoff spots mean less of a chance of implosion.

If you keep in mind that the NCAA gets $0.00 from D1-A football, you'll understand why they have no remorse in dropping the hammer on any football program like USC-w and Bama (both of whom were punished about football violations), some of the biggest football blue bloods. You don't think UNC-CHeat football fans realize that, too?

 

[Briancuse]

Have to ask them. Maybe they are not the astute business minds the other 2 are.

It really hurt the Adams kid who went 6th.

 

[tbonezone]

imagine storming the beach of normandy and some fellow soldier says :
"you guys go ahead i'm staying on the boat. i've got a great job waiting for me back on wall street" good luck with that line. you signed up you fight.

 

[HOFCeluck]

The fact is kids will sit out bowl games until GMs make it clear that it's going to affect their draft stock.

 

[Cuse'91]

imagine storming the beach of normandy and some fellow soldier says :
"you guys go ahead i'm staying on the boat. i've got a great job waiting for me back on wall street" good luck with that line. you signed up you fight.

Are you really comparing a meaningless secondary bowl game with D-Day?!

 

[Briancuse]

I love the meaningless game argument, you might not care about Lsu's bowl game, that fanbase does, the players and coaches do. If Syracuse by some miracle found themselves in a halfway decent bowl game, and Dungey said, " Its been real guys, I am looking after my professional interests and sitting out the bowl game" There would be a meltdown on this board.

 

[tbonezone]

Are you really comparing a meaningless secondary bowl game with D-Day?!

so perhaps the coach should just sit his all the players down day one and ask who's not planning on playing the BOWL GAME for selfish reasons.
let you know right off the bat the commitment and type of guy next to you.

 

[Cuse'91]

so perhaps the coach should just sit his all the players down day one and ask who's not planning on playing the BOWL GAME for selfish reasons.
let you know right off the bat the commitment and type of guy next to you.

Yeah, because the fate of humanity is at stake if they don't play in a college football game...

 

[Briancuse]

Yes I can. How many times do you hear about teams that "mail it in" or just "aren't up for the game"?

That happens all the time, sometimes you have a team that was supposed to contend for a national title and they wind up in a lesser bowl game and they don't play as hard as they should, but at least they suited up for the game.

 

[cuse309]

imagine storming the beach of normandy and some fellow soldier says :
"you guys go ahead i'm staying on the boat. i've got a great job waiting for me back on wall street" good luck with that line. you signed up you fight.

Because storming Normandy with bullets whizzing by your head, is just like playing a football game. I'll apologize to all the veterans of actual war that may be on this board for you.

 

[cuse309]

so perhaps the coach should just sit his all the players down day one and ask who's not planning on playing the BOWL GAME for selfish reasons.
let you know right off the bat the commitment and type of guy next to you.

What makes you think the teammates felt it was selfish? I've heard no evidence of that, but have heard evidence that the decisions were supported by the team mates.

 

[cuse309]

I love the meaningless game argument, you might not care about Lsu's bowl game, that fanbase does, the players and coaches do. If Syracuse by some miracle found themselves in a halfway decent bowl game, and Dungey said, " Its been real guys, I am looking after my professional interests and sitting out the bowl game" There would be a meltdown on this board.

I would absolutely melt down for selfish reasons. However, I would totally agree with him. I melted down when Tyler Lydon signed with an agent because I wanted him on the team next year. I also understand his decision to forgo the next two years to make life changing money.

 

[pacusewife]

At the end of the day, it's a personal decision that I doubt is made lightly. All choices have consequences and I'm sure that is factored into the decision making process. I just don't see these players flippin' the double bird to their teammates while skipping a bowl game.

This is a life changing experience that I will never have first hand experience with and I try to reserve judgment because I'll never know how it feels to have my life goal and millions of dollars dangling in front of me.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

The fact is kids will sit out bowl games until GMs make it clear that it's going to affect their draft stock.

Then the moralist who didn't draft the superstar loses his job because he can't beat the team who did.

 

[HOFCeluck]

Then the moralist who didn't draft the superstar loses his job because he can't beat the team who did.

True. It just takes one GM to make the rest Lok bad.

 

[Capt. Tuttle]

what's absurd are your comparisons. they all signed up and put on the pads to play football for the season. that season ends after the last game. whether someone thinks it's meaningless or not is irrelevant . for some teams the games are essentially meaningless after week 4. if you are medically cleared to play then you put on the pads and play the last game.
and if tyson or BAMA is your last opponent then give him your best shot . or at least go down swinging . otherwise i said it above.

No. Bowl games are, by definition, post season.

 

[tbonezone]

oh i'm sorry . the bowl game win or loss goes on next season's record ?

 

[OrangePA]

What if their last game was already a win. Now, they could finish the season with a loss.
Maybe only teams that lost their last game should go to bowl games, so your made up logic can stand up.

Your logic is impeccable.

Maybe I should clarify what I meant.

One of my points about the bowls season is that bowl games afford teams the chance to play in the post-season, and to win their final game in the post-season. They are named champions - they receive a trophy - and they get to dunk their coach with Gatorade. That's fun.

I recall how much fun it was when the 2010 team dunked Marrone at Yankee Stadium, and how after all the work and intensity the team let go and fully embraced Marrone on the sideline. It was great.

That is a far different experience than winning a final regular season game.

It seems to me that much of what we hear from our players is their desire to play in a bowl game.

It apparently means a lot to them. Why? Because it is an accomplishment of sorts. It allows them to travel to hopefully an interesting place and to be showered with a bit of attention and some decent gifts. And, it affords them a chance to play a national game and to get a trophy.

I know that going to a bowl game means a lot to me. I want to go the game and I want to see the Orange play no matter how little prestige might be attached to the bowl.

I still recall how enjoyable it was watching the Troy Nunes and the Orangemen defeat KY in the Music City Bowl - it was a fun game and a nice to win. I remember being in Phoenix when Pasqualoni's 2001 team beat K-State - I recall watching the OL jump into the pool in centerfield of Bank One Ballpark.

So I like bowl games and I don't get off belittling the ones that are not the Orange/Sugar/Fiesta/and Rose Bowls.

What I don't like is the apparent effort to consolidate college football - where only a certain number of teams matter. I have no doubt it's being done for money. The BIG and the SEC and the others are greedy and don't want to share. And so there is a real effort to marginalize all of the bowl games other than the ones involved in the play-offs.

And in my opinion, that's a bad idea. Because removes one of things about college football that I have always liked - the vast number of teams that matter in some measure

I don't like that Sports Illustrated no longer includes in its College Football Edition a squib on every team and conference. All that is listed now are the Top 25 teams - the usual suspects. I don't really need to read about Ohio State and Alabama - to the exclusion of the smaller programs.

I believe that it is less important to identify the college football NC by playing two extra games that it is to include the entire college football universe in the process. In my opinion, the traditional method for naming the national champion was just as accurate as the system utilized now - maybe even more accurate.

I think that in the end this trend will hurt Syracuse University even though we are in a great conference.



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