Sitting out of bowl games?

[Buckley99]

I keep hearing about players, slated to go high in the draft, deciding to sit out of their bowl Games to mitigate their risk of getting hurt. So, a couple questions...

1. Do you agree with decisions made by guys, like Christian McCaffrey & Leonard Fournette, to sit out?

2. Do you think that it will have an impact of when they are selected in the draft?

3. What do you think the schools/NCAA will do, if anything, to keep players from sitting out bowl games in the future?

[flywise]

I dont agree withthat type of decision
I think their teammates will probably lose any respect they had for them
And nothing will be done with NCAA OR DRAFT positions

[Cajun Blake]

If LF was 100% healthy , I have no doubt he would be playing in the bowl game

He's been nursing a serious ankle injury since August and decided against surgery hoping the ankle will heal before the combine

Sadly the injury occurred before the first game (Wisconsin) because Les was notorious for running 80-100 play full contact scrimmages during game week. LF has not been the same since

[DKirk]

I don't know that I would do it but they are playing in a meaningless game that could possibly cost them millions. Coaches make business decisions and leave before the team plays in the bowl game. I believe both have been playing with injuries also.

[bphillips]

Absolutely, an injury could cost some of those guys several million.

[mjhaverkamp]

I don't blame the guys that are playing in bowls that mean nothing, it seems it is an everybody gets a ribbon for participating deal anymore. If you were slated to go in the first three rounds of the draft and make millions of dollars would you risk injury to play in the play dough bowl ?

[dustoffer]

I dont agree withthat type of decision
I think their teammates will probably lose any respect they had for them
And nothing will be done with NCAA OR DRAFT positions

/\/\ This. They signed on to play football for their school, on a scholarship free (or near-free) ride. Me? If I was king for a day, they'd get no academic credit and no transcripts, but then with the multi-million contracts, they surely don't care.

[lakefork]

I don't know that I would do it but they are playing in a meaningless game that could possibly cost them millions. Coaches make business decisions and leave before the team plays in the bowl game. I believe both have been playing with injuries also.

^^^All that needs to be said. What would you do if you were playing in the Dollar General Nowhere Bowl and you are an early draft prospect? If you're in the playoffs, most would play but can't blame them if they don't.

NCAA has a problem on there hands but part of the problem is having bowls with a 5-6 record vs one with a 6-6 record. Its like HS football when a 4-6 team goes to the playoff BC there's only 6 teams in the district.

[SolocamShooter]

It's a team sport. Obviously they aren't team players if they'll sit out and leave their team hanging.

[topduarte]

Nope. This is a team game and all they lol for is $$$

You got a scholarship and now u skip out on your teammates and school.

[skeeter]

personally, I think if you go to a college on scholarship, and decide to sit out or quit to go into the draft, you should have to pay for the years you attended that school.

[panhandlehunter]

I got no problem with it. It's all about the $$$.

[rtp]

I have no problem with it. The schools have made millions off of these guys so the whole he got a free ride is a mute point. If a guy is projected to make millions when drafted high in the first round, I have no problem with him protecting himself from injury. Most of these bowl games are meaningless anyway.

[TildenHunter]

Sitting out of bowl games?

1.) yes
2.) it sure will impact their status if they get hurt
3.) they made this happen with their 4 team playoff. The NCAA deserves everything they get. They are still going to make millions up millions this bowl season. Don't think anyone (including fournette and mccaffery) are going to influence if someone goes to see a bowl game.


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[Buckley99]

I understand that some of the bowls might not be big-time bowls but some of these guys have received nearly $200k worth of a free education and to me, that warrants your full effort until you graduate.

In addition, what happens when they get to the NFL? Are they going to sit for the remainder of the season when they are surely going to miss the playoffs?

This is part of the reason hockey has recently become my favorite sport. These guys are sitting to avoid getting hurt and hockey players are getting into fist fights on ice skates in meaningless games during contract years because it might spark a turnaround in that game. And they do it because that's how they taught to play as kids.

It's a different world and I'm off my soapbox.