New Risk to Having Spring Game: MVPs head to Portal
Colorado receiver goes for 150 yards and 2 touchdowns in Spring Game .... celebrates by heading to Portal.
Prime got rid of a lot of his teammates from last year so I am sure it is a unique situation, but I could definitely see this becoming a thing as someone uncertain if they really will start has breakout Spring Game and looks to cash in on NIL.
Someone get the collective to cut O'Leary a check ASAP!
April 24th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
Damn beat me to it.
Ha Hah!
seriously though, this is sort of a problem for teams. You have constant free agency. Grass will always be greener and the moment someone develops they gone.
It works the other way too. Kids may realize they won't be starting and go down to a school that needs them.
This is only a problem because Colorado is essentially a DII program right now. I don’t think we need to worry about countless experienced veteran players on good teams jumping to other good teams because of their spring game performance. I mean come on. Spring games are often less serious than most practices. Archie Griffin played in OSUs.
Someone’s going to give you massive NIL because you showed out in your spring game? At Colorado? Against the vaunted 1-11 Colorado defense? NIL and free agency are going to forever change football but this is pretty low on the list of worries for serious programs. Is Benjamin Hall getting offers from Bama? Clemson coming for O’Leary?
April 24th, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
I think Deion will make the most of this unfortunate situation. Hey, when life gives you Lemonious-Craigs, you gotta make Lemonious-CraigAde!
if a new coach can come in and push players out the door, I think it’s great that remaining players leave if they have a better opportunity.
Exactly this! Kid might already know he doesn’t fit into the plans at Colorado or he might not feel connected to the new coaches. Neither of those are his fault. Why not give him the chance to play somewhere where it could be mutually better?
This is exactly what happened according to CU insiders. He had already planned on leaving before the Spring game, but Deon still wanted to get him some play and show him off.
This isn't a situation where the kid had a monster game and THEN decided to go elsewhere after the game. Seems like the kid was honest and Deon was a decent dude. Not sure how many other coaches would have done that for a star player.
...and leaving they are because since April 15, Colorado has had 17 players enter the portal including several starters. I know, I know they started on a 1-11 team but that's a tough look to start a season losing that many players from Spring ball
Our equipment guys do NOT someone with the last name Lemonious-Craig.
Going to be fascinating how Deion's gimmicks are going by the end of the year when they're staring 3-9/4-8 in the face. There's a real chance they start 1-5 with that schedule. Maybe Travis Hunter can be the bandaid cover like Kenneth Walker was for Mel, but it remains to be seen. I think its going to take a few years until Deion sees success, unfortunately he runs his mouth so much he's setting unrealistic expectations for himself.
there’s no way they win 4 games this year with that schedule. it could get ugly early.
Gimmicks? Runs his mouth?
Have you not paid much attention lately?
His first meeting with the team saying he is only bringing “Louis Vuitton luggage” from the portal, telling the media he only recruits QB’s from 2-parent homes and he wants his defensive players from 1-parent homes, Tim Brewster acting like a drill sargent, Colorado being a social media national champion this off-season? This is all in his first 5 months on the job.
I mean it’s not too hard to see come late-November pointing and laughing at all that stuff. Michigan’s fanbase is no different towards Mel Tucker.
April 24th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
Not sure which is bigger, his mouth or his hat.
April 24th, 2023 at 11:01 AM ^
The saving grace for Deion is that he's came into Boulder with a lot of runway. They almost literally can't get any worse. A coaching staff comprised of myself, Brian Ferentz, and Homer Simpson could've gotten the same results that Colorado had last year, so their fans will probably be grateful for anything even resembling competitiveness.
April 24th, 2023 at 11:58 AM ^
I am not sure who looks more out of place:
I wouldn't put it past Sanders that he asked the wr to go in portal, for program spotlight and notoriety. You can say it's a negative headline, but it remains to be seen. For if Craig returns, all it did was benefit program by keeping it in national discussion. And, Sanders could encourage identifying your full NIL value using portal, and then paying them (or not).
Before you laugh at the idea of it being deliberate by Sanders, Madonna did deliberate headline grabbers to get notoriety, and Rodman learned from her and would do the same (after playing hide the salami with her). They would both do outrageous tasteless things to get press, and then after the public disgust wore off, the notoriety stuck.
Not saying that this is what it is, but am saying its plausible. I guess we will know if he leaves.
Of course by today's standards of outrageous tastelessness, Madonna and Dennis Rodman wouldn't even move the needle.
We've come so far!
April 24th, 2023 at 11:06 AM ^
Hey now, I didn't always agree with her stunts back then even if they were in vogue, because they were borderline shameless, but she is a true blue UM alumna so we all gotta stick together. And at the end of the day she did live to tell about her misbegotten youth, which is the important thing. I'm not even a huge fan of her music, so this isn't the rantings of a fanboy trying to justify my love of her.
this was my first thought...it's the money scene from a pretty cheesy 70s sports movie, even by the standards of 70s sports movies.
robby benson - after a season of abuse from the coaching staff - has just come of the bench late in the second half to save a game, and now the coach (think bobby knight, only without knight's sometime sese of humor) wants to cozy up to him.
at the time, i remember wondering how he'd even be able to "play anywhere he wanted." suuuuuuuch different times.
as often happens, digging this up took me down a youtube rabbit hole. so i just watched a few other clips from this movie (they're all on youtube), and i'd forgotten that the the basketball scenes are pretty good. and robby benson appears to be a) doing his own scenes, b) quite good, and c) approximately 4'-8" tall.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:10 PM ^
And Annette O'Toole back then--yes, please.
Why did my mind immediately think that this was a thread about Kramer and Newman playing Risk during a spring game?
Football players now have market power to search for better wages. This is how a functioning labor market is supposed to work in a free-market society. College football programs are really no different than any other profit-seeking firm and we need to remember this.
Can we add functionality to mute "prime" "prime time" "deion" "colorado"?
I have a feeling, due to shameless self-promotion and Aflac commercials, we'll hear a lot about those topics in the upcoming season.
Anything that happens at CU probably shouldn't be taken as indicative of the rest of CFB this year but, yeah, when you come in talking shit about the guys who remained you can't expect a lot of loyalty. He was their top receiver in terms of catches (and second in yards) last year so it's a hit for them. I'm sure they'll survive but morale can't be great to see a guy ball out and then bail after all the excitement.
Pretty sure there's a 8 or 9 tweet minimum when posting a thread on Colorado football.
April 24th, 2023 at 10:11 AM ^
There's some common sense here.
First and foremost, I wish the player (Lemonious Craig) the best as he reaches his decision.
Second, just a thought - what defense was he catching balls against? How strong is that defense? Were his receptions athletic and the result of his abilities - route running, accurate throws, good hands - OR - poor defense?
The Portal is here to stay, and - just adds spice to parts of the year that were "more stable" prior to changes in the Transfer rule.
April 24th, 2023 at 10:23 AM ^
I hope the young man didn't cut his toes off to spite his feet
April 24th, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
What a neon bright middle finger to Neon Deion. I love it!
This kid was probably disgusted the way Sanders "cleaned house" and he is giving Coach Prime some instant karma.
April 24th, 2023 at 10:50 AM ^
Wouldn't become (as much of) a thing if NIL deals were to include buyout clauses, but apparently the NCAA frowns upon that.
I'm sure there are quite a few coaches and administrators who aren't concerned about that, and if NIL is between the player and a private business it's far from obvious to me what the NCAA could or would do about it.
April 24th, 2023 at 11:44 AM ^
I think NIL is so “wild, Wild West” that there’s little, if anything, that can be done from an NCAA perspective to contain it. It would seem that the nightmare Mark Emmert left will be that gift that keeps on giving for a very long time.
And, I have no problem / issue with players receiving NIL compensation for use of their representation / person. My concern centers around pay for play and the impact rogue boosters can have.
April 24th, 2023 at 11:38 AM ^
I'm just shocked that there hasn't yet been discussion about this kid being name MONTANA LEMONIOUS-CRAIG. I mean, sure, he's no Storm Duck, but that's still an all-name team name right there.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:00 PM ^
(delete) The O'Leary joke was already utilized earlier in thread.
April 24th, 2023 at 12:21 PM ^
I don’t think Colorado knew about this in advance
Hard to believe this has Deion’s approval but his son had no idea
You reap what you sow
https://www.outkick.com/colorado-receiver-leaves-colorado-deion-sanders-after-monster-spring-game/
April 24th, 2023 at 12:22 PM ^
Hmm, I wonder if teams will shift to making the Spring Game private. No need to draw more attention to the up-and-comers.
this news yesterday was bizarre.
Im thinking he could end up at USC.