Fournette skipping bowl game vs UofL

rick64

Heisman
Jan 25, 2007
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ESPN reporting LSU RB Leonard Fournette not playing in the bowl game in order to focus on the NFL draft.
 

trav55_rivals214556

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Jun 25, 2005
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I know it is for the best, but what a crappy teammate.

Man, I kind of agree. I don't think this is something that has happened a lot before. I understand it but so many star athletes before him have participated in bowl games. If he gets hurt he could lose out on millions but was he only going to play of this game was for the championship? And what about his teammates? They could all get injured too, but they're playing. I see both sides but some fans aren't going to be happy about this.
 
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Bluetick2100

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Don't be scared!

Real football players aren't afraid to bleed.

Do what got you the NFL shot.
 

Anon1660081258

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I call this avoiding injury, and making sure people are reflecting on your full body of work, rather than a final performance in which you were surprisingly contained. It could happen to him. I also call it selfish, and some other adjectives I'll just hold.
 

littleton tiger

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As a fan of LSU I'm o.k. with it. He's been nursing a bad ankle all year so why risk further injury in a pointless bowl game. If this was a playoff game or a Sugar Bowl against a team like Oklahoma, Michigan or USC that would be different.
 
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UKCatNnc

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As a fan of LSU I'm o.k. with it. He's been nursing a bad ankle all year so why risk further injury in a pointless bowl game. If this was a playoff game or a Sugar Bowl against a team like Oklahoma, Michigan or USC that would be different.
Bowl games aren't pointless for most fans and players. I would not want to let my coaches and teammates down. Go Cats!!
 

DCFseattle

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I think i read somewhere that he's concerned about an existing injury. You may see it as selfish, but if that's true then in my opinion he has the right to be selfish here. He has his future and his family to think about. It's not the fans' careers on the line. They can like it or lump it.
 

DCFseattle

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As I pointed out in my post if it was a CFP game or a major bowl against a respected, blue-blood program I might feel different but as it stands I think he's doing the right thing.

I'm not sure i buy that distinction.
Playoff or not, he has to think about his future. Nobody else will, clearly.
 
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Chadrock

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Jul 12, 2004
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I don't see an issue with him sitting out. If he could have gone last year, he would have. Unfortunately, it's not like one and done in basketball. If you have tools to get to $$$ at the pro level, do it. If he is selfish, then so are the countless UK basketball players who come to college for a semester then bolt for the pros.
 
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TeoJ

Heisman
Oct 19, 2001
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He hasn't had a thought about the team since half way thru his freshman year.He has not gave 100% all year,no way if i'm a GM does he go early in the draft.
 

UKCatNnc

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I think i read somewhere that he's concerned about an existing injury. You may see it as selfish, but if that's true then in my opinion he has the right to be selfish here. He has his future and his family to think about. It's not the fans' careers on the line. They can like it or lump it.[/QUOTE
Thank you for sharing this. Kind of changes my view. Go Cats!!
 

gojvc

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It wouldn't surprise me if you see sure fire NFL prospects skipping entire seasons in the future. It makes a lot of sense really - hire an agent and focus on working out and getting ready for the combine. If you know an NFL contract is in your future it doesn't make a whole lot of sense really to be playing football for free.
 

jauk11

Heisman
Dec 6, 2006
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You mean like when FSU had 12 players out when the played UK in the Music City Bowl ?

Your red rage is showing, cool it. In about ten or fifteen years people will forget what an atrocity jurich assembled at UL with his motley crew.

Besides, wrong board, go home, you are out too late.
 
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DCFseattle

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Your red rage is showing, cool it. In about ten or fifteen years people will forget what an atrocity jurich assembled at UL with his motley crew.

Besides, wrong board, go home, you are out too late.

Out too late? The hookers haven't even started squirting yet.
 
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JDHoss

Heisman
Jan 1, 2003
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I don't think it's for the best. He could go an rack up 200 yds and raise his stock. Something about lsu and these entitled guys who quit on them

His stock will be raised/lowered by what he does at the NFL combine, not a bowl game.
 

Michigan Fan

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I don't think it's for the best. He could go an rack up 200 yds and raise his stock. Something about lsu and these entitled guys who quit on them

Or he can play and end up like Notre Dame Jaylen Smith last year in the Fiesta Bowl...no need to risk injury especially if you're not 100% in a meaningless Bowl Game. Smith went from a Top 5 NFL Pick to the 2nd round and hasn't played a Down this year for the Cowboys,
 
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Michigan Fan

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We'll see how UL fans feel next year when Lamar shuts it down.

That being said, I have no problem with it.

Regular Season play....Bowl Games that are not CFP to me are just exhibitions...after watching Jaylen Smith last year in the Fiesta Bowl changed my tune on this...it cost him millions
 
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K_TIME

Heisman
Jan 2, 2003
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Which is why NFL needs to let kids go earlier from NCAA. The old thought of football requires 3 years to physical maturation...it's a different time and kids are different.

Jadeveon Clowney did the same thing in his 3rd year at USC...Fournette mailed in this year for NFL. There are plenty of examples of kids that could have gone pro after 2 years and been fine. Need to lower that eligibility bar down a year by NFL
 
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Mr Schwump

Heisman
Nov 4, 2006
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Which is why NFL needs to let kids go earlier from NCAA. The old thought of football requires 3 years to physical maturation...it's a different time and kids are different.

Jadeveon Clowney did the same thing in his 3rd year at USC...Fournette mailed in this year for NFL. There are plenty of examples of kids that could have gone pro after 2 years and been fine. Need to lower that eligibility bar down a year by NFL

Didn't get as much pub but Oklahoma had a DT skip their game with Oklahoma State a couple weeks ago to get a jump start on his NFL prep. Hate to see it but understand why.
 

Blue Decade

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Which is why NFL needs to let kids go earlier from NCAA. The old thought of football requires 3 years to physical maturation...it's a different time and kids are different.

Jadeveon Clowney did the same thing in his 3rd year at USC...Fournette mailed in this year for NFL. There are plenty of examples of kids that could have gone pro after 2 years and been fine. Need to lower that eligibility bar down a year by NFL
As you probably know, this is a negotiated feature of CBA contracts between the NFLPA and NFL owners. Although everything you are saying makes sense to me, it doesn't even enter into the contract negotiations. The NFLPA is only interested in the financial interests of its members, the current NFL players. The owners are only interested in their own financial interests. Letting college players enter the draft is a direct pathway to loss of jobs for some NFLPA members, so the NFLPA does not want to liberalize those rules. The owners have no reason to ask for it, either, since all college players will eventually be available to them. So neither side cares. It would take litigation by a college player to restart those conversations.