Skipping bowl game season begins

[Pakuni]

This obviously didn't hurt the draft stock of McCaffery and Fournette, so expect to see more players skipping their team's (meaningless) bowl games this year.

https://sports.yahoo.com/texas-left-tackle-connor-williams-203709280.html

Last year began a trend of NFL draft prospects skipping their bowl games. This year it continues.
Texas left tackle Connor Williams, a junior with a year of NCAA eligibility remaining, announced today that he will enter the 2018 NFL draft and will not play in Texas’s bowl game.
“My family and I have decided it is my best interest to forgo the bowl game and my senior season to begin preparing for my professional football career,” Williams said. “One of the reasons I worked so hard to come back from my injury was to help the team reach its goal of playing in a bowl game, and I’m proud we were able to accomplish that. I will continue to support my teammates in their efforts to finish the season strong.”

[MU82]

I highly endorse this. Stay healthy, use college just as college used you, get rich.

If it's the beginning of the end of bowl games (which it probably isn't), all the better!

All those who thought McCaffrey and Fournette would be punished couldn't have been more wrong. Meanwhile, the Michigan TE got hurt in his bowl game and went several rounds later, costing him serious scratch.

Except for the playoff games, bowl games are for suckers! I won't watch one second of a single one of them.

[TAMU, Knower of Ball]

Another reason why college football is stupid. Don't understand the appeal

[Mr. Nielsen]

Another reason why college football is stupid. Don't understand the appeal

I'm speechless after that, as I view it the greatest thing in the world!! 

[GGGG]

I'm speechless after that, as I view it the greatest thing in the world!! 

Ditto.  I will watch a regular season college football game before I watch any other regular season game of any sort.  (Unless I have a rooting interest in another game.)

[jficke13]

4 hours of minor league football stretched out by the incomprehensible decision to stop the clock for almost any reason, no thank you.

Good on everyone skipping their bowl games if they project as a 1st or 2nd rounder. The upside of a dominating performance in an exhibition game doesn't cover the downside of injury before the draft.

[MU82]

4 hours of minor league football stretched out by the incomprehensible decision to stop the clock for almost any reason, no thank you.

Good on everyone skipping their bowl games if they project as a 1st or 2nd rounder. The upside of a dominating performance in an exhibition game doesn't cover the downside of injury before the draft.

All of this.

And any coach who really "loves" his players, as they all claim to, would applaud any high draft pick's decision to skip an Xmas time exhibition game. In fact, he should encourage them to do it.

[MU82]

I'm speechless after that, as I view it the greatest thing in the world!! 

Do you really think the Beef O'Brady Bowl between two 6-6 teams that both finished in the second division of their conferences is "the greatest thing in the world"?

You're not a very discerning sports consumer, eh?

[Mr. Nielsen]

Do you really think the Beef O'Brady Bowl between two 6-6 teams that both finished in the second division of their conferences is "the greatest thing in the world"?

You're not a very discerning sports consumer, eh?

Come on, I'm not talking about the Beef O'Brady Bowl. I'm talking Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Cotton, Peach, Orange, Citrus, Outback, Holiday, Sun Bowl for starters. I will be on my college hoops as well. I have multiple TV's in my man cave! 

[Mr. Nielsen]

4 hours of minor league football stretched out by the incomprehensible decision to stop the clock for almost any reason, no thank you.

Minor league football? By that you must not like college hoops by that statement.

[Jay Bee]

Skip the Bowl Game, pull their scholarship. Simple as that.

[GGGG]

Skip the Bowl Game, pull their scholarship. Simple as that.

Won't happen.  Coaches won't do it.  The PR sh*tshow would be a disaster.  Probably wouldn't survive the lawsuit anyway.

[naginiF]

Minor league football? By that you must not like college hoops by that statement.

I think the difference is that CBB is 30(ish) game season where one or two losses don't ruin your season (unless you are a Marquette fan then an OT win against the wrong opponent spells DOME) and there is a tournament where, except for a 16 over a 1, we routinely see anything happen.  Versus football where 95% of the teams have no chance of any glory at all.....i'm not talking title, i'm thinking more of an opportunity to compete at an elite level or knock off a top 15 program.

I'm surrounded by primarily Kansas, Nebraska, Missouri and ND alumni.  I get the the ND/Nebraska fans are holding on to history, have a ton of tradition built around the games, and have had some flashes of success (insert Heisy's "you don't get ND football" rant here) but I have yet to get anyone from KU or Mizzou to explain why they care about the games or the outcome. 

[Pakuni]

Skip the Bowl Game, pull their scholarship. Simple as that.

Pull the scholarships of guys already leaving school?
That'll learn 'em.

[naginiF]

Pull the scholarship of guys already leaving school?
That'll learn 'em.

Beat me to it.  We totally should've pulled Henry E's scholly after his last MU game.

[Lennys Tap]

(unless you are a Marquette fan then an OT win against the wrong opponent spells DOME)

If a near loss to a cupcake spells DOME to an MU fan would it spell AUDITORIUM to a Harvard grad?

[naginiF]

If a near loss to a cupcake spells DOME to an MU fan would it spell AUDITORIUM to a Harvard grad?

*GD Jesuit education!*

Edit:  Did i just frantically check my other recent posts?  Yes.  Am i sure they are grammatically correct? No 

[Tugg Speedman]

Skip the Bowl Game, pull their scholarship. Simple as that.

You cannot as scholarships are for the full year.  So the "pulling" begins after the school year is over.

Besides anyone that sits for the bowl game probably leaves school that day to go to Florida or Arizona to start training for their pro-day and the combine.  So they already left.

(Crowder left Milwaukee the day after the E8 loss to start training for the NBA combine)

[GGGG]

You cannot as scholarships are for the full year.  So the "pulling" begins after the school year is over.

Besides anyone that sits for the bowl game probably leaves school that day to go to Florida or Arizona to start training for their pro-day and the combine.  So they already left.

(Crowder left Milwaukee the day after the E8 loss to start training for the NBA combine)

NCAA bylaws state that if a player does not complete the season, they can be forced to pay back the scholarship.  But in this case, the school would have to sue for payment.  And they would killed for it.  Will not happen.

[jficke13]

Minor league football? By that you must not like college hoops by that statement.

Nope. I find the level of competition for most major conference D1 college hoops games to be far greater than *most* NBA regular season games. If I want 3.5 quarters of coasting, motion, and 3 point shots, I'll tune into a December - March NBA game. I'm amazed at the level of athleticism and talent that even the last man on the bench has in the NBA... but I don't find the product as engaging.

Of course, there's always the exception that proves the rule where an epic NBA game makes me look like a fool, but that applies to minor league football too.

[DegenerateDish]

I would be fine with Connor Williams in a Bears uniform next year. I think he'll be a stud LT.

[MU82]

Come on, I'm not talking about the Beef O'Brady Bowl. I'm talking Rose, Sugar, Fiesta, Cotton, Peach, Orange, Citrus, Outback, Holiday, Sun Bowl for starters. I will be on my college hoops as well. I have multiple TV's in my man cave! 

Well, a couple of those bowls do matter, I'll give you that. The rest are 4-hour exhibitions.

[MarquetteDano]

I understand why these student athletes do it however if I was a GM I would wonder what kind of team player I was drafting.  Maybe they take a "game off" near the end of the season knowing they are going to be a free agent the next season.

[Galway Eagle]

You cannot as scholarships are for the full year.  So the "pulling" begins after the school year is over.

Besides anyone that sits for the bowl game probably leaves school that day to go to Florida or Arizona to start training for their pro-day and the combine.  So they already left.

(Crowder left Milwaukee the day after the E8 loss to start training for the NBA combine)

Crowder played in the elite 8? New to me

[MU82]

I understand why these student athletes do it however if I was a GM I would wonder what kind of team player I was drafting.  Maybe they take a "game off" near the end of the season knowing they are going to be a free agent the next season.

This was a sentiment many expressed last year after Fournette and McCaffrey decided to skip postseason exhibition games. However, there is a lot of time between Jan. 1 and the draft, and they spent months training hard, had great workout for GMs, and showed they were serious about being pros. Each was drafted in the top 10, and each has helped a likely playoff team this season.

I seriously doubt any smart GM will have the concerns you mention - as long as the players follow up their college careers by showing NFL teams how serious they are about being NFL players.