Fournette declines to play in bowl

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billybud
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Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby billybud » Sat Dec 17, 2016 7:48 pm

LSU's highly regarded Running Back, Fournette, says that he will skip the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft....

Probably did his team a favor...I am sure that his replacement will play to win instead of playing to not get injured. A future millionaire protecting his future...or a college athlete ungrateful to his team and program?
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby donovan » Sat Dec 17, 2016 8:11 pm

He should do what he thinks is best for him. The bowl game will not be remembered two days after it is played...as will none of them save the championship game, maybe.

Other than playing football...he is unhireable.
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Spence » Sun Dec 18, 2016 1:41 pm

billybud wrote:LSU's highly regarded Running Back, Fournette, says that he will skip the bowl game to prepare for the NFL draft....

Probably did his team a favor...I am sure that his replacement will play to win instead of playing to not get injured. A future millionaire protecting his future...or a college athlete ungrateful to his team and program?


He isn't the first. He isn't 100% healthy and even if he was, if he feels that way what good is he to his team? If he isn't going to play full go, then why not let the next man up. I have a different opinion on Fournette. I don't think he is going to be a good NFL player. I think he stock isn't going to get better than it is today. He should milk that for all it is worth.
"History doesn't always repeat itself but it often rhymes." - Mark Twain

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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby billybud » Mon Dec 19, 2016 8:06 pm

Now it is McCaffrey, too, who is bailing on his team and the bowl....I now have more respect for Dalvin Cook. He will play, and play hard.
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Spence » Mon Dec 19, 2016 10:59 pm

I have more respect for the guys who play too, but I can't say I blame them for not playing when they have been hurt. Especially with all the money on the table. I do think at the end of the day, if it were my decision, I would play. But I also believe that if you can't go out and give it everything you have then you shouldn't play at all.
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Cane from the Bend » Tue Dec 20, 2016 12:09 am

I agree ... but I had Stanford beating North Carolina in my picks, because I assumed McCaffrey was going to be playing.

Well, the `Heels did lose to Duke finish out, so maybe they are still bad enough not to win, :|

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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby billybud » Tue Dec 20, 2016 10:23 am

It looks like this quitting the team before the bowl will be an ongoing trend...

Per article below:

http://my.xfinity.com/articles/sports-c ... edia_bowls
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby donovan » Tue Dec 20, 2016 10:42 am

Do you think if CFP viewership continues to drop, star players pass on bowl games, that will be the financial incentive for a reduction in bowls? If so, how quickly does it happen? Does ESPN owning almost 20 bowls play in a factor, they seem to be bleeding?
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Spence » Tue Dec 20, 2016 8:33 pm

I think that this is the first step in killing the bowls. I think we all knew when they went to a playoff that the bowls were going to die. This is just another nail.

As a side note, if I'm drafting a player and he skipped his bowl game I would question his competitiveness.
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Eric » Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:19 am

I have mixed feelings about this. I think the one position where I would make an exception for guys would be at RB. Other positions can get ACL tears, but (and you'd have to get a source on this to check me) I imagine RB is the most severe-injury prone (with respect to ankles, ACLs, etc.). QBs can get rolled up on and LBs can plant and twist, but I think the goal at this stage is avoiding the Marcus Lattimore-type injuries where you can totally shatter your knee. Part of the issue with the NFL is that there isn't much to separate a late 1st rounder and a mid 4th rounder when it comes to the RB position, so even if it's an injury where you're out three months, if you're going to miss the combine, you're putting yourself at a huge disadvantage. Even if you tear your ACL, you'll be back in 10 months, so by what, October? The NFL team is getting you at a discount, but what are you going to do about it after you sign the contract without having much of a choice?

Most of these players have insurance policies though that would cover projected losses.
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Eric » Wed Dec 21, 2016 12:23 am

I used to think bowl games were important when I started watching college football about 15 years ago (not just the big ones like the Rose, but even the early ones). I realize the introduction of more games has cheapened them even more, but even in decent-profile games like the Citrus Bowl, guys are treating them as if they're just exhibition games.
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Cane from the Bend » Wed Dec 21, 2016 1:07 am

And now, Baylor RB Shock Linwood is skipping the bowl game, in favor of looking forward to the nfl.

Spence & Donovan pretty much posted my thoughts here.

What I wonder about, is how much other people's influence has to do with the decision to not play. Are these kids listening to future agents in waiting? Are they listening more and more to the media? Are their parents pulling the strings? --- And if that is the case, how much has the media, or agent courting the player, influenced the minds of the "concerned parental figure"?

This is not generally something a kid playing for his career would consider, without a 3rd party chattering in his ear.

I personally suspect a lot of this has to do with the media. It feels as though they are involved somehow. And, yes, I too believe it has to do with their desire to stifle the ratings of the Non-Money Bowls, in order to start weeding them out.

Preferably, I'd like to see other Sports networks start picking up a couple of these bowl games, and help to weed out espn.

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Cane... [__]

"It is only impossible until it has been accomplished." ... then it becomes standardized ...

Success is measured by results; whereas Character is measured through the means by which one achieves those results . . .

It seems the Rapture did come for two worthy souls:
In Memory of Grandpa Howdy
In Memory of Donovan Davisson

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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby billybud » Wed Dec 21, 2016 6:03 pm

For guys who will be drafted in the first four rounds, it is a business decision.....I have seen it coming.

You work from the time that you are 13 towards a career in the NFL and a multimillion dollar payday....A chance at a good life, a house for your mom, do you risk it all in what amounts to an exhibition game?
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Spence » Wed Dec 21, 2016 11:06 pm

billybud wrote:For guys who will be drafted in the first four rounds, it is a business decision.....I have seen it coming.

You work from the time that you are 13 towards a career in the NFL and a multimillion dollar payday....A chance at a good life, a house for your mom, do you risk it all in what amounts to an exhibition game?


I get that and I agree that it can be a risk. Still, you do all the work to play the game and play it at a high level. I know that some guys, even if they play are in full protection mode. That even though they play they aren't giving their best. Kind of like the pro bowl in the NFL. I don't think personally that I could do it. I would have to play. They games are the reward for all the work. Of course no one was offering me a contract to make it a job for me. I would like to think that wouldn't matter to me, but I can't say for certain that I would feel the same if a jumbo contract was staring me in the face. I do know that if a was drafting a player for an NFL team and all other things were equal, I would pick the competitor over the guy who opted out. I want the guy that goes the extra mile, the guy that leaves it all on the field every time.
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Re: Fournette declines to play in bowl

Postby Cane from the Bend » Thu Dec 22, 2016 1:45 am

Right, Spence ...

That is what has happened to the nfl, where more & more, the players are focusing primarily on their individual personal contraction, rather than the commitment to the franchise they agreed to play/perform for.

Players want to think of themselves as the franchise, instead of being a team member, which is why there is so many turnover contracts. True, millions are on the line; and the team franchise management hasn't exactly approached this with much respect, either, when trading players contracts for potential better prospects.

But, when some players say things such as, "Well, I could catch more balls, but I'm just not feeling happy", you are telling the franchise & fan-base whom support you, that you don't care about them, you are selfish and want to be elsewhere ... in my opinion ... Goodbye then.

The downside for a team, is that they have to negotiate sending that player some place else, in order to free up your salary cap ... because this slouch is taking up your payroll, and you cannot do anything about it, contractually, until you find someone who is willing to pay his buyout.

That being stated ... I think I'll just continue to stick with College Football.

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Cane... [__]

"It is only impossible until it has been accomplished." ... then it becomes standardized ...

Success is measured by results; whereas Character is measured through the means by which one achieves those results . . .

It seems the Rapture did come for two worthy souls:
In Memory of Grandpa Howdy
In Memory of Donovan Davisson


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