OT: Christian McCaffrey Skipping Sun Bowl
Christian McCaffrey has decided to skip the Sun Bowl so he can prepare for the draft.
http://www.espn.com/nfl/draft2017/story/_/id/18310396/christian-mccaffr…
Fournette is doing the same thing with LSU's appearance in the Citrus Bowl. Will this be the new normal for high-profile potential draft picks whose teams are playing in lower-tier bowl games?
December 19th, 2016 at 10:19 AM ^
I would have an issue if either team were in the CFP and sat out
December 19th, 2016 at 10:26 AM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 11:02 AM ^
Eh. People will slam them with silly platitudes like the one you just mentioned but this move makes sense for them. These are pointless games and all those guys will get is a few hundred dollars in SWAG. If either gets injured, they risk losing millions of NFL dollars. It makes little to no sense for them to play in these glorified exhibitions so they can line the bowl sponsors pockets.
December 19th, 2016 at 11:23 AM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 11:45 AM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 11:56 AM ^
He should risk ending up like Jalen Smith for the Sun Bowl?Why is it his responsibility to increase the rest of the team's draft stock?
December 19th, 2016 at 12:11 PM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 12:18 PM ^
To play devil's advocate, it's a team sport. Maybe the other Stanford players should've gotten better so that McCaffrey wasn't literally the entire team.
December 19th, 2016 at 12:31 PM ^
OOOO-SNAP!!
December 19th, 2016 at 12:45 PM ^
Shoot, those football players should have just gotten better!
December 19th, 2016 at 1:19 PM ^
I think it's a wonderful and selfless gesture, giving his fellow running backs more of a chance to play.
December 19th, 2016 at 2:09 PM ^
Will be awesome to see if anyone can step up in the Sun Bowl and then extend that productivity to the Spring game and hopefully a starting position next fall.
Seriously, McCaffrey has been there so long...it was almost a team favor to not declare for the draft last year. He makes close to $0 being on the team with great risk of health.
December 19th, 2016 at 6:21 PM ^
That's funny, pretending that you or anyone else is going to watch this game now that McCaffrey isn't playing.
It's a bummer, I had been looking forward to it.
December 20th, 2016 at 6:55 AM ^
These are emotional topics with good points on either side and no matter what side your on someone will tell you your wrong. So I am gonna side with the team and your brothers through thick and thin who helped you when things got there darkest at different times all year.
You might even get points from the team you are about to play for and show them you will not bail or play so you won't get hurt when your up for a new contract.
December 19th, 2016 at 11:50 AM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 12:15 PM ^
What about players that decide to go to the draft early? Are they letting their team down?
December 19th, 2016 at 12:47 PM ^
In some respects, yes - leaving early for a draft is letting down their team. However, the staff and other players at least have an entire offseason to retool and adjust their style/schemes.
Announcing just 1-2 weeks before a game that you are out-the-door doesn't give them much time to adjust and can also severely hurt morale.
December 19th, 2016 at 1:35 PM ^
More important than their respective teams, these players have let ME down. Would have been nice to know this before submitting my bowl picks.
Dicks.
December 19th, 2016 at 2:15 PM ^
Most likely it was announced way earlier to the team...like probably at least 2 weeks ago. The whole team supports him according to the teammate tweet in the article and the coach supports him.
Not announcing it earlier means that the opposing team was wasting time preparing for him.
Also, not sure if you should speak for the team that it is being let down when someone declares early. Most team members probably understand and are supportive. Do you consider them part of the team or only those that run the administration that can benefit financially?
I think it is more the case that fans are let down when players declare early.
December 19th, 2016 at 12:40 PM ^
absolutely!
December 19th, 2016 at 12:51 PM ^
Really... he got his and to hell with those who helped him get there!
December 19th, 2016 at 1:16 PM ^
I get the desire to portray taking the moral high ground stand, but honestly put yourself in the kids position. Life is sometimes about risk vs reward and looking out for one's self is not always a selfish move. Here's another thing to consider, if these kids put an end to half of these nonsensical bowls by simply opting not to play in them, then more power to em!
December 19th, 2016 at 1:41 PM ^
Suppose you have worked for a manufacturing company for 4 years, and next month you have a large order due. Well guess what, your lotto numbers finally hit and you are now 10 million dollars richer. Are you telling me that quitting the next day instead of staying on the job until that order is filled would make somebody a bad person?
December 19th, 2016 at 1:52 PM ^
"Hi, boss. I just won the lottery, so I'm quitting today. But it's cool if I continue to get paid for another couple months, and I can still come in and use the company computers to work on my investments, right?"
December 19th, 2016 at 2:53 PM ^
that's an interesting response. Hadn't thought about it from that perspective. While I still side with the players on this, wouldn't it be something if the universities in these cases were like "OK, you don't have to play, but pack your sh*t and leave". You know everybody would raise holy hell about that!
December 19th, 2016 at 3:07 PM ^
And TBH, I think the universities would have every right to tell the player to leave. Part of my objection is based on what some are calling meaningless platitudes (ironic from a fanbase that reveres Bo's "the team, the team, the team" speech) but also, the school is providing a year's worth of education, health care, and access to the training and resources needed to pursue that NFL dream - all for nothing except that you fulfill your obligations to the football team. If you won't fulfill your obligations to the football team, why does the school owe anything further? You can bet McCaffrey will be at their pro day, but why shouldn't the school say, "if our obligations are only standing in the way of your draft stock, then you no longer need any of our services"?
December 19th, 2016 at 4:23 PM ^
however, it's next to impossible to ever side with these organizations when you know of the obscene amounts of money they all make off of these kids!
December 19th, 2016 at 5:27 PM ^
"Hey boss, I just won the lottery and was also offered millions of dollars at my dream job so I'm quititng my unpaid internship today. But is it cool if continue to not get paid for the rest of my time, and I can continue to be a pretty positive image for recruiting the next great computer programming interns?"
December 19th, 2016 at 2:21 PM ^
What do you mean he got his and hell with the others? He will probably financially support many in the future who got him to the NFL, in addition to being an ambassador for the Cardinal program providing indirect financial benefit to the program. He already has helped the program tremendously maintain and increase value.
The college contracts are different than the pro contracts. You are allowed to leave under certain circumstances in turn for not being paid for your efforts. The school would prefer this and not have to pay the players than the alternative. The school then just loads up on as many recruits as possible to fill the gaps.
December 19th, 2016 at 1:01 PM ^
because skipping an exhibition in a team sport is not the same as ignoring loyalty, selflessness, etc. outright.
Why should Christian play in this game? If anything, it gives some of the less heralded backs behind him more opportunity to play. And for those saying "it helps his teammates get scouted more" for the NFL. Do you really think scouts care less about any other game than the bowl games? You so often see good teams roll over and die in these pointless games (Florida '16, Houston '17) because they are wholly unmotivated to try hard.
December 19th, 2016 at 1:53 PM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 2:17 PM ^
Ah, a personal attack - seems like a good way to win a philisophical debate
December 19th, 2016 at 3:14 PM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 7:52 PM ^
And what other "silly platitudes" should we ignore in life? Loyalty, Selflessness, Humility, Honor, Faith, Respect, ....
Definitely faith.
December 20th, 2016 at 8:15 AM ^
December 20th, 2016 at 9:40 AM ^
Faith can mean many things to many different people.
Yes. I know.
I'm not a fan of belief absent evidence. I try not to engage in it in any respect if possible.
I don't have "faith" the sun will rise tomorrow. I have a belief supported by the preponderance of evidence from my lifetime that the sun is very likely to rise tomorrow.
December 21st, 2016 at 4:21 PM ^
December 22nd, 2016 at 7:45 AM ^
I disagree.
In the aspects of life where there is insufficient and/or conflicting data it's perfectly fine to just say "I/We don't know" and to admit to yourself that decisions in that realm are just coin flips not supported by any evidence.
No need to make up a fake certainty.
December 22nd, 2016 at 5:09 PM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 12:15 PM ^
at what point do you "shut it down". Realistically, all but 10 teams were out of contention for the CFPs the last few weeks of the season and a prospect's draft status/future has been at risk for "meaningless games". For Peppers and a few others, there is certainly risk even in playing in the Orange Bowl, which is essentially now a meaningless game for them, other than supporting their school and team.
December 19th, 2016 at 12:16 PM ^
at what point do you "shut it down". Realistically, all but 10 teams were out of contention for the CFPs the last few weeks of the season and a prospect's draft status/future has been at risk for "meaningless games". For Peppers and a few others, there is certainly risk even in playing in the Orange Bowl, which is essentially now a meaningless game for them, other than supporting their school and team.
December 19th, 2016 at 12:24 PM ^
I just can't figure out exactly when Michigan v. Florida State became meaningless, whether it is played in September or December. That just does not correlate with what my train of thought has always been regarding college football. I felt like Michigan v. Texas meant a lot in 2004, even though they "were not playing for anything." It looked like it meant a lot to both Braylon Edwards and Cedric Benson, specifically, both first rounders I believe.
December 19th, 2016 at 12:53 PM ^
that started with the BCS has severly diminished the value of all bowls not involved in the playoff. This was inevitable. Sure, teams still want to win. But the value of winning is significantly less than it was before.
December 19th, 2016 at 1:03 PM ^
Rose Bowl was six years after the BCS started.
December 19th, 2016 at 2:23 PM ^
And before the playoff.
December 19th, 2016 at 2:30 PM ^
does that distinction matter? What has changed? Neither Michigan nor Texas were playing for the NC and would not have been even if there was a playoff. What has changed now?
December 19th, 2016 at 7:44 PM ^
The value of bowls became diminished when we started have more than 20 or so. We have too many bowls and generally speaking the teams that play in those games tend to already be losing money and going to a bowl tends to lose more money for the school.
December 19th, 2016 at 12:41 PM ^
Peppers can still raise his draft stock quite a bit with a big showing in the Orange Bowl
December 19th, 2016 at 12:54 PM ^
December 19th, 2016 at 1:18 PM ^
It makes little to no sense for them to play in these glorified exhibitions so they can line the bowl sponsors pockets.
I'm sure that you never complained about the Sun Belt officiating in the Alamo Bowl. I'm sure you never said a word about Lloyd's triumphant Citrus Bowl exit. I'm sure you didn't upvote the Malik McDowell comment below, or ever laugh at Sparty for not being bowl eligible. After all, they're the smart ones for not taking part in a glorified exhibition to line a sponsor's pockets. I'm sure you won't be watching the Orange Bowl. I'm sure you didn't care about beating Florida last year. I'm sure you haven't turned on a bowl game this year, nor will you.
Anyone who starts putting any stock in anything that happens during bowl games, cheering the wins, complaining about the reffing in the losses, or acting in any way like the games matter to any degree, has no business just waving off the quitters for blowing off their team.