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New trend of players sitting out bowl games to prepare for the NFL draft

ha I literally at the exact same time put the same thread on the RT.

I said it there, I'll say it here. Total copout horseshit move by these players. They're still on scholarship. They are bailing on their teams and its a dick move. I can see skipping next year to enter the draft but this season isn't over yet and it's a slap in the face to his school, his team, and the fans who are taking their time to travel to the bowl.

If I'm the coach I tell them to pack up their stuff and leave. Oh and you can't use the university facilities to work out.

Honor your damn scholarhsip and school.
 
It's crap. We all know it's not about education but it should be more than a minor league training system.
I get they both have had injures this year but at least stay with the team even if you are to "hurt" to play
 
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I kind of agree with the sentiment here. But, some of these kids are only playing college ball to get to the pros. If they feel that the bowl isn't worth the chance of getting hurt, it comes down to a risk management decision. Obviously, these guys are more about themselves than any idea of being a member of a team. Sadly, this may become a lot more common if it seems to work for them.
 
You get a $50,000 scholarship from the school to win as many games as you can this year and get the team to a bowl victory. That's the point of college football. You can't just quit and keep getting paid (remainder of his scholarship) ... also a lot of scholarships are funded by fans, diehards who are definitely making the trip to the bowl and now won't see him play.
 
Agree with the play or leave school idea. If you are done with the team and are only focused on your pro career, then you can go do that somewhere else.
 
(I used to be a traditionalist. Believed in the purity of college football. For that now: I go watch Harvard every once in a while)

The AD gets to sip champagne in the box during the game making a real nice salary.

The head coach baked in bonus money in his contract, in making the bowl at 6-6.

The assistant coaches are protecting themselves constantly talking to other coaches around the country for their next job, while "preparing for the exhibition game in 4 weeks after the last regular season game." Or they have already jumped ship.

The kid gets to play in a exhibition game that is more meaningless now (playoffs).

Kids, protect yourselves. Everyone else in the world is.
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defeats the excitement of bowl season and watching the best players in the best games. Incredibly disrespectful to your teammates who bust their ass just as hard without the notoriety.
 
It's an awkward situation, but it's the smart thing to do. Jaylen smith ripped up his knee in the fiesta bowl last season and cost himself millions of dollars. I'm sure lsu and Stanford sold enough fournette and mcaffrey jerseys to keep them satisfied. These guys have been the poster boys at their school for 3 seasons and didn't get a dime, I'll cut them some slack.
 
The kid gets to play in a exhibition game that is more meaningless now (playoffs).

Stanford was eliminated from the college football playoffs around mid September. So was the entire season meaningless? Why didn't he quit in October?

There is more to play for than the playoffs (thank the gods for that)
 
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I do not like it but I do understand it. If the bowl game has no other implication but pride I get it but if someone were to sit out a playoff game I would have a real problem with it.
 
(I used to be a traditionalist. Believed in the purity of college football. For that now: I go watch Harvard every once in a while)

The AD gets to sip champagne in the box during the game making a real nice salary.

The head coach baked in bonus money in his contract, in making the bowl at 6-6.

The assistant coaches are protecting themselves constantly talking to other coaches around the country for their next job, while "preparing for the exhibition game in 4 weeks after the last regular season game." Or they have already jumped ship.

The kid gets to play in a exhibition game that is more meaningless now (playoffs).

Kids, protect yourselves. Everyone else in the world is.
hqdefault.jpg

why don't they just cancel all the bowls except for playoff if they are all meaningless?
 
why don't they just cancel all the bowls except for the top 4 if they are all meaningless?
They should. But then again, tax payers and fans are footing the bill, so it won't happen.

Enjoy the regular season. Then sit back and enjoy the playoffs.
 
ha I literally at the exact same time put the same thread on the RT.

I said it there, I'll say it here. Total copout horseshit move by these players. They're still on scholarship. They are bailing on their teams and its a dick move. I can see skipping next year to enter the draft but this season isn't over yet and it's a slap in the face to his school, his team, and the fans who are taking their time to travel to the bowl.

If I'm the coach I tell them to pack up their stuff and leave. Oh and you can't use the university facilities to work out.

Honor your damn scholarhsip and school.
This x 1 million

The pussification and selfishness of athletes continues to grow - now to the college level with these 2 RBs and the RB from Tennessee earlier this year. The school should not let these players participate in the their Pro Day - let them prove themselves at the NFL Combine. Speaks to the character of the kids - would they forego playing games in the NFL if they're in contract years? I would think draft evaluators have to factor that in.
 
why don't they just cancel all the bowls except for playoff if they are all meaningless?
Because it's still fun to watch, great for the players not going to be first round picks, great for all the extra practice the young players and it sure beats watching any reality TV show.
Stop stomping your feet like a spoiled baby. It's the right thing to do for THEIR lives.
It's not like they are sitting out the Rose Bowl. They are missing the Hyundai and Buffalo Wild Wings bowl
 
Is the reason they are preparing for the draft, fear of injury or both.
Either way the mindset is counter to play the game you love and have fun...yes I know it sounds corny.

My senior year in high school my dad was privy to the fact I was going to be a 1st round pick in the MLB draft, with that, many scouts suggested to him I should forego football and hockey my senior year so as not to subject myself to injury...he looked at me and said have fun and play em all kid, you could get hit by a bus too.
 
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Bowls other than playoffs or championships essentially are meaningless - the however is obvious -

Its LIVE programming for TV! Not just TV but LIVE programming is the most lucrative product for TV these days.

This brings in lucrative cash flow to the sport.

who knows - maybe we are seeing the golden age of sport.
 
Just put in the LOI - unless injured your playing in the bowl game.
If a program gets the reputation of penalizing "future pros," good luck recruiting high caliber high school kids. You will be digging your own grave.
 
Bowls other than playoffs or championships essentially are meaningless - the however is obvious -

Its LIVE programming for TV! Not just TV but LIVE programming is the most lucrative product for TV these days.

This brings in lucrative cash flow to the sport.

who knows - maybe we are seeing the golden age of sport.
So after we lost two game this year, every player with NFL aspirations should have quit.
This is so far off base and BS...this is not what playing sports is all about.
 
If a program gets the reputation of penalizing "future pros," good luck recruiting high caliber high school kids. You will be digging your own grave.
Holy Shite...
We've come to the point where playing in bowl games is a penalty...WTF
 
Be like Willis MacGahee. If you're that concerned about an injury, take out an insurance policy. If you get hurt, you can either collect on the policy, or just enter the draft anyway and have a nice NFL career.
 
If coaches can leave team then players should have same right.
Huge +1.

These are exhibition games, nothing more. Bunch of tough guys in here would never say the same thing if it was them or their own kid.

Jaylon Smith got a $900K insurance payout for the privilege of losing almost $20MM from where he fell, and may never play again.
 
because there way too many bowl games that are basically meaningless. When you have a system that is more like participation trophies now rather than goals to be reached and something meaningful acheived well now you see that players are feeling it isnt worth the risk anymore. Its something that just didnt happen overnight, its been working toward this
 
If a coach leaves before the bowl game, I'm pretty sure he's not welcome back on campus to prepare for his new job. Revoke the schollie now, no using Stanford's facilities to train for the NFL.
And his agent would gladly pay for him to use other training facilities to protect his meal ticket.

You're also forgetting that Stanford will 1000% use McCaffrey's NFL standing in future recruiting/promotional efforts just like we do. So they better be willing to forgo that to have a guy play in a bowl game.
 
this is a tough situation to take an opinion on since I am not a high caliber athlete.

I can comment from a worker perspective. If I have given notice at work and have 2 weeks left, am I going to work 60-80 hours a week the last 2 weeks with weekend work if there is no incentive? Probably not. I am more likely to transition my work and put in a basic 40 hours a week.

These kids are on scholarship and most likely finished their fall semester. If they are not coming back for the spring, what repercussions are there? They played while on scholarship but are now withdrawn from school (or graduated). What do they have to prove in this exhibition game where they risk injury from a coach who knows they are gone and may not care about how he uses them. of course, with a big bowl game performance they can help their draft status.

Now in baseball the kids get drafted in June during the College World Series tournament. If a player is drafted in the 1st round of the draft will he opt out of the college world series or play differently? Will he not head first slide into a base or will a pitcher all of a sudden go on a pitch count? If the Yanks draft a pitcher will they tell the college coach how to use him? What if a drafted pitcher blows out his arm in the CWS and needs Tommy John surgery?
 
And his agent would gladly pay for him to use other training facilities to protect his meal ticket.

You're also forgetting that Stanford will 1000% use McCaffrey's NFL standing in future recruiting/promotional efforts just like we do. So they better be willing to forgo that to have a guy play in a bowl game.

the latter is a very good point.

As for the 1st point, then let McCaffrey's agent pay for a private gym
 
Didn't Lebron James just sit out a regular season meaningful game to get some rest? Yet some of you have a problem with kids who don't get paid preparing for the biggest day of their lives!
You are all a bunch of whiny hypocrites! If they were your sons you'd urge them not to risk their future for a meaningless game.
 
Didn't Lebron James just sit out a regular season meaningful game to get some rest? Yet some of you have a problem with kids who don't get paid preparing for the biggest day of their lives!
You are all a bunch of whiny hypocrites! If they were your sons you'd urge them not to risk their future for a meaningless game.
stop with the don't get paid nonsense
 
Hypothetical situation:

McCaffrey get drafted by the Jets. In his 3rd year not surpisingly the Jets go 2-8 to start the season (ok so this is not hypothetical--haha its OK I'm a Jets fan). He is up for a new contract and has played well enough to earn a good salary.

does his agent tell his coach he needs to sit out the last 6 games so he doesn't get hurt for next year? Is that where we are headed next?
 
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Didn't Lebron James just sit out a regular season meaningful game to get some rest? Yet some of you have a problem with kids who don't get paid preparing for the biggest day of their lives!
You are all a bunch of whiny hypocrites! If they were your sons you'd urge them not to risk their future for a meaningless game.
Any son of mine will respect the commitment they've made to the team and play..;if your afraid of getting hurt get a dog,.
LeBron comparison is ridiculous
 
Hypothetical situation:

McCaffrey get drafted by the Jets. In his 3rd year not surpisingly the Jets go 2-8 to start the season (ok so this is not hypothetical--haha its OK I'm a Jets fan). He is up for a new contract and has played well enough to earn a good salary.

does his agent tell his coach he needs to sit out the last 6 games so he doesn't get hurt for next year? Is that where we are headed next?
It's not even close to apples-to-apples because he would have been paid for those first 10 games. As much as we want to pretend "college education and a few thousand" is a salary, it isn't nearly at the same level as what he would have already earned in your scenario.

And if he actually didn't show up for games, he wouldn't continue to get paid and if he didn't show up for enough games he wouldn't accrue the final year of service that would result in him becoming a free agent.

That's not even accounting for the "unofficial" ways things like this play out currently. Do you think any dinged up pending FAs on the Browns are going out of their way to keep on playing hurt for the privilege of earning these final losses?
 
Big time college sports are what they are- a business. Especially for those who might be high draft picks.


Not too endearing to their teammates, but that's what this has morphed in to.

Those guys decreasing their 40 times by a 10th can be worth millions. I don't like it, but I get why they do it.

These dudes aren't in college anymore. They are professionals now.
 
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