This is the message being sent to every dedicated fan in college football today by those so called superstars who refuse to play in their Bowl games. We as fans can often be the first group to be crucified for not showing up to watch sometimes horrible teams, yet more times than not we are there. We show up in droves by the thousands to support what we once thought were those who loved the game; only to find out it's the love of money that drives their passion. I am one of the most passionate fans The Good Lord has ever put on this earth, and i'm sure many of you feel the same way! We prepare for Saturday spending hundreds of dollars a week and countless hours to see to it our TEAM is made to feel supported and loved. We as fans deserve better than anyone else ,to have all of the team that we loved and supported all year long to show up at their Bowl . For those that are all of a sudden too good to show up for us for one game, after we supported you for an entire year, you are basically saying: Sorry Fans, Piss on you. YOU don't mean anything to me!!!!! Who is the real looser in this whole mess called Bowl season. It's the Fan. I love the Blue and White, but I pray our players never turn their backs on us as Fans. I can not and will not support a team who will not show some class and at least say thank you Fans by playing in a Bowl game!!!!! GBB:angry:
You Fans Don't Mean a Thing to Me!!!!!
- Thread starter pickled cat
- Start date
Absolutely! How many Fans do you know that will continue to go to Bowl games to support a mere shadow of the team they know. This will eventually ruin the entire bowl experience, if not the entire collage football support system;{ Fandom}!! This is very dangerous for collage football!
I can understand the concern about getting hurt and there are mixed feelings about it, but I don't know of anyone who played in a bowl game and got hurt and didn't get a shot at the pros. I'm sure it's happened but not very often, I Iike what Garrett for A&M said about Fournette. If it were me I think I would play because there are others who could take that stance and are not doing it, they are going to play, If it's meant to be you will be in the NFL. I couldn't even be on the sidelines during the game if it was me if I decided to sit out the bowl game, however it's his decision and he has to live with it. I don't like his decision but that's just my opinion, playing college football at a major university is a dream for most kids and a bowl game is an experience I'm sure most of them would never trade for anything.
With insurance policies in place for players like fournette no reason at all to be sitting out. In fact if I was A GM this would deter me from drafting a player., it's a me first attitude that I would not welcome to my team.
We pay premium $$$$$$$$$$ for bowl tickets, and I think that is fair. But we also attend to see the best players and teams in college football. Fans are not getting their money's worth when a player sits it out. But like the OP said, I guess fans don't mean a thing to players who sit and are fully able to play.
Schools make millions off these players. When the player puts himself first he's the selfish one? I'd like to see the stars play but it's not an insult to me if they don't. They're looking out for themselves, which the schools and NCAA aren't doing it all that often.
I wonder how many of these saintly fans would risk losing 5-20 million dollars to play in a bowl that means little as far as the season and standings are concerned. I think the number one thing that some fans like to do is snivel.
If they don't make those"millions " how do you think the schools continue to have a football team or other sports that football supports???
lol. OP do you feel the same way when a player forgoes his senior season to play in the NFL? or how about when 2 to 5 UK basketball freshman leave after 1 year to go to the NBA? how about when Cal convince Jamaal Murray to skip his senior season of HS to attend UK. was Murray being selfish to his HS teammates? how about when South Carolina's QB, Bentley, skipped his senior season of HS to go to college? was he selfish as well. get off your high horse. 90% of these bowl games are basically meaningless, moneymaking exhibition games for the sponsors and the cities they are played in... all off the backs of these kids...
oh and i almost forgot. how do you feel about the coaches who bounce early from their bowl games to coach a new team?
oh and i almost forgot. how do you feel about the coaches who bounce early from their bowl games to coach a new team?
You didn't almost forget, you were saving it for your closing argument-----not a bad strategy, LOL.
I went to UK's Senior Day and it was half full, if that, at kickoff....by the end of the game, basically no one was left.
So, forgive me for not really worrying about players "insulting" fans.
So, forgive me for not really worrying about players "insulting" fans.
So you are comparing players leaving after a season is over to leaving during the season and bailing on their teammates that helped them become the player they are. Scholarships are for one year and a player has the right to leave when that year is over. Just like coaches can pull a scholarship after the season if they wanted to. Choosing to sit out the final game and not completing the season seems like a player is breaking a contract with the school for that athletic scholarship.
If it becomes an epidemic with tons of players choosing to not play in bowls, maybe the NCAA should start telling the players that if you stop honoring your scholarship then you can no longer attend school and benefit from the academics, housing, food, and training equipment. Ultimately fans will stop attending bowls and they will get rid of the bowls and only have the playoffs. That will cost the major conferences millions of dollars.
I mentioned it previously that the only real solution will end up being letting the schools pay for insurance for players that are projected to go high in the NFL Draft.
Last edited:
That's not the point. The schools use these kids to make millions of dollars and in some cases hundreds of millions. My point is that it shouldn't cause an outrage when a player looks out for himself for a change. A few players have a chance to make millions themselves and they don't want to risk that opportunity to play in a bowl game.
Levi, they got a free education, and yes, it's very expensive to go to college. I know, because I have three grand children at UK. How many players that were going to the pros after a bowl game, have been hurt in the bowl game, and it caused them to go lower in the draft? I have been following football a lOOOOng time, and I can't recall anyone.
When I was in the Air Force, I sure in Hell would not like that type of person as my wing-man in combat. Man-Up and be a Man, Fortunette, and in other Wussies.
OLD STOLL FIELD GUY!
McCaffrey (sp) would seem to be a better example for your point of view, his family seems to be in much better financial condition than most of these players. I agree that collecting on a million dollar insurance policy instead of having to dedicate all your time to succeeding in the TOUGH NFL wouldn't be that bad an option to me. And as pointed out several times, very few players lose their career from being injured in one ball game, which is why the insurance option is even a option-----but it does happen.
The reason I think it's garbage is because these guys have multi million dollar insurance policies and are afraid to get hurt. So If you get hurt you're probably going pro anyway but if you can't, you still get a GAURANTEED $5 million. Fournette and McCaffrey are huge public figures in their area, they both go to good universities, so getting handed $5 million and probably an easy good paying job isn't enough? I understand there's hundreds of millions in the NFL but not playing in a bowl game when you're already being gauranteed millions is selfish.
We will see how you feel about that when your favorite players decide to stay home for your next bowl game!
Totally different circumstances, I believe these people still seen their teams through to the end of the year. Minus the Coaches leaving which I also don't like. If your team loses the first 7 games of the year why even play the second half of the year they are meaningless. What if Cals players decide they don't want to play in the SEC tourney because they don't want to risk being hurt, or worse yet, forgo the NCAA tourney because they are all going pro. Don't think BBN would stand for this more than once!! It's about finishing what you start!
If Boom decided to sit out the Gator Bowl, it won't affect my interest whatsoever. Benny Snell will do just fine and Jojo Kemp will be stoked to get Boom's carries. Leonard Fournette sitting out doesn't affect my interest whatsoever, and Derrius Guice is just as much fun to watch. There's always someone who wants to step up and show what they can do.
I will assure you my opinion about a person's freedom to look out for their own economic future will not change. Now if the bowl game is a final four game then that is a different matter and a different decision. This is not a game anymore fellas, it is a business and these players are making business decisions. Your ideas about the good old days are just not pertinent anymore. This is a product of capitalism.
This kid is refusing to perform for my enjoyment cause he's worried about providing a future for his family...
How very selfish of him!
How very selfish of him!
I agree with this a thousand times over. I can see why players and coaches live their lives around the big dollars. I really do. But things were better before everything in life revolved around who could grab the most money the fastest and easiest. I assume most of the younger posters may not get it but life goes by waaay too fast. Money is an awesome thing to have (I can only guess) but things have changed a lot in the recent past and I'm not sure that the overall picture is good.
I have mixed feelings on this. LIke everyone else I love the team I pull for and live and die with every win or loss, but I am a fan. I am not the one who works my tail off for 3-4 years to reach a lifetime goal. Like it or not, many, if not most of these kids signing D1 and especially P5 scholarships just know they are heading to the league in 3 years and they only sign with our beloved teams because they can't right out of HS.. A bad injury could cost them millions, much more than their insurance policy would pay. So I can see them not wanting to take that risk in a final bowl game. The school has made enough in jersey sells to more than pay for their scholarships. But as a fan I want to see them come out and play for my team.
Sure its selfish on their part, but we are talking about life changing money being a 1st or 2nd round pick in the NFL. But it isn't anymore selfish than me wanting to see them play and risk a serious injury to win a bowl game that doesn't matter much at all to anyone other than the 2 teams and fanbases involved.
My thoughts are this, if their teams had made the playoffs, would they sit those out?
Sure its selfish on their part, but we are talking about life changing money being a 1st or 2nd round pick in the NFL. But it isn't anymore selfish than me wanting to see them play and risk a serious injury to win a bowl game that doesn't matter much at all to anyone other than the 2 teams and fanbases involved.
My thoughts are this, if their teams had made the playoffs, would they sit those out?
This is a very recent development at UK, previously if our first string RB had decided to sit the second stringer wouldn't be anywhere near Guice's talent, or the #2 (or three or four) talent we have behind our starter now. It just started happening when the AD finally noticed how the hundreds of thousands of dollars he was saving by scrimping on the "recruiting room", recruiting budget, coaches salaries, etc etc was costing us millions in attendance and donations, brought to a head by the strike.
Do you think it's wrong for them to be selfish? Should they play simply because the fans want them to?
Those saying no one has been injured and lost out must not pay much attention
Just last year a first round pick from notre dame suffered a very bad injury and lost millions
Just last year a first round pick from notre dame suffered a very bad injury and lost millions
As for an example, Jaylon Smith got injured last year in Notre Dame's bowl game. His fall in the NFL draft cost him about 18 million dollars. You can get insurance, but the policy is for 1 million dollars. I get it, I would love to see them play, but I understand their decision and although I don't like it, it is what it is. I think as a fan base, I think we should be more concerned about what went on at Minnesota. Those players were going to boycott the bowl game because they didn't like something the university did as far as discipline. I believe we are going to see players hold a school ransom in the very near future by refusing to play and it actually happening.
No they should play because they are getting an athletic scholarship to play. No play no free schooling, housing, food, etc.
The schools and the ncaa are making a whole lot more money off of them that what what the scholarship costs.
If they do, then you move on to your backup just like you would if the starter rolled his ankle in the warmups.
That's not mentioned anywhere in his original post. But your post is pretty flawed.
Every company I've ever worked for (the NCAA and colleges are basically businesses) makes a whole lot more off of me than the cost of paying and insuring me. That's just part of business. Using the experience you gain and making something better of yourself when you move on is what it's all about. I'm sure the players are getting a lot more value in their 4 years than I am in the same time period. They then can use that experience toward a good job or if they are good enough, they can make millions playing a game.
I believe an out of state student's 4 year degree at the University of Kentucky runs at least $160,000. That doesn't include all the extras that athletes receive. For instance, UK out of state athletes receive about $14,000 in stipends in their 4 years. Then throw in the value of the training, coaching, exposure, food, and clothing (probably other things as well) and that 4 year scholarship is valued at likely way over $200,000. Not bad for taking a few classes and being trained to be a better football player.
I still say that if they refuse to play in the bowl then they aren't fulfilling their obligation for their athletic scholarship. I think they should lose all the benefits that the scholarship offers. That means no more schooling, housing, food, and training. Seems kinda harsh, but it is what it is.
You make a good point and I don't disagree but if a player is gonna sit out the bowl game, he's defintely gonna leave after that season so he would only lose all of those benefits for about four months. Plus if a school basically fired him, wouldn't the player missing the last four months of class hurt the schools APR?
I don't know, what is the % that have palyed in bowl games the last 10 years and risked their careers. I would guess it is upward of 99%. I would say that is about the percentage any of us would do
I agree. These players have already been compensated in a fair trade for education for play. Leaving the team hanging should be considered breaking that contract and the player held financially responsible... you know, since these guys are gonna make Millions anyway. Fair is fair. If the player wants to act like a POS, the school should oblige in kind.
