OT: Clowney sits. Spurrier calls him out.
Clowney told his coaches last minute that he was too sore to play. Spurrier's response - If Clowney "wants to play, we will welcome him to come play for the team if he wants," Spurrier said. "But he if doesn't want to play, he doesn't have to play. Simple as that."
October 6th, 2013 at 2:45 AM ^
And then get scrutinized and punished by the chesty NFL, a league with rampant collusion.
October 6th, 2013 at 2:55 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 3:03 AM ^
Boy, you're really showing yourself capable of grasping the point.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:06 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 7:33 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 3:05 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 8:23 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 2:45 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 2:50 AM ^
He is not allowed to go get paid for a job he clearly would have been deemed qualified for last year. He is a legal adult. You call this liberty?
The NFL operates as a cartel in virtually every legal definition of the word.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:04 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 3:12 AM ^
Does the current system use players for their gain with giving each player an equal cut? Sure. So do many things.
And there it is. The fairness-by-commonality fallacy.
Also, when waiting for promotion in my job, I am not performing acts that often end in damanged knees, concussions, ruptured achilles, etc. nor is there a window that will close in between the ages of 35-40 to realistically do it. And you criticize my analogies? Yours is incredibly daft.
But hey, defend the policy. Set by the same league recently found to go on an oil-industry like crusade to discredit science on concussions because it was better for their bottom line, human lives be damned.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:18 AM ^
and attend college via student loans. It's the safest way for him to better himself in life.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:19 AM ^
Or play professionally when he is ready and get paid. That's kind of the issue here, bud.
October 6th, 2013 at 7:50 AM ^
The NFL has determined that a certain amount of time post-high school is a qualification for employment in their organization. So? Employers make these determinations all the time, and they have the right to do that.
He can go play in Canada or elsewhere if he wants employment. He doesn't
To have the right to the specific job with the specific employer he chooses. None of us do.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:22 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 3:43 AM ^
Are you so dopey that you think I have an obligation to refute any difference you can name between actual slavery of 150+ years ago because I pointed out that a menality in plantation owning is similar? You are that literally challenged?
There is blatant exploitation of physical activity with a cartel-like approach to market manipulation. Is it EXACTLY like slavery? Of course not. This should not have to be spelled out for anyone. Is it similar enough that it's fair to protest and expect a lot more from the establishment in the year 2013? Yes. A million times, yes.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:58 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 8:30 AM ^
Hey mods, Bolivia is very nice this time of year. Our friend might like to visit.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:44 AM ^
At the end of the day, I am calling it a safe bet that you worship college football. It is a huge part of your life. Almost anything that would prevent a drastic disruption of the apple cart for a life passion may be rationed as an acceptable method.
October 6th, 2013 at 4:11 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 8:34 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 9:21 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 10:29 AM ^
but thank you for making this statement. You said it very clearly from a position of moral authority.
College football has gotten way off the edcuational mission, and bloated department budgets, coaches and AD salaries, and gilded facilties. The simple fact is, a D1 scholarship to play football cannot be akin to slavery. Why would there be thousands of high school atheletes competing to get those scholarships otherwise.
October 6th, 2013 at 4:08 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 8:28 AM ^
I agree with much of the point you are trying to make. But you are doing a very bad job of making that point. Schools/conferences/broadcast networks/bowl official hacks/the NCAA are all making obscene amounts of money on the labor of players. It is a very reasonable position to believe that the labor, which is the entire source of that revenue, should receive a greater share. But referring to people who don't agree with you as "Wal Mart" is not the pinnacle of effective debate technique.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:34 AM ^
If he wants NFL money, he has to make his choices within the rules of the system. You will find a lot of folks who agree that those rules aren't always fair. They may even be exploitive to an extent. However, it is not comparable to slavery.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:38 AM ^
Exploitive to only an extent? They are making young men with exceptional abilities at a young age put serious risks to their health and future earnings potential because they enjoy the free promotion of future players at the college level and want an optimal (and free) developmental system. That is shamefully exploitive.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:44 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 3:48 AM ^
on pee wee football.
October 6th, 2013 at 3:51 AM ^
The Wal-Marts taking over MGoBlog has not been the greatest development.
October 6th, 2013 at 5:59 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 9:47 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 6:23 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 12:13 PM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 4:01 AM ^
People who say HS football should be abolished will probably be viewed as being on the right side of history within 30 years. That's my main thought.
The people leaving comments on ESPN concussion articles like "This ain't soccer pussy! They know what they're gettin' into"? Yeah, I don't see that lot ever being remembered as terribly wise. Let's be honest.
October 6th, 2013 at 4:04 AM ^
then what?
October 6th, 2013 at 8:06 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 6:24 AM ^
Slaves got nothing these brats get 20,000+ in free education and the free exposure that gives them the chance to make millions.
October 6th, 2013 at 7:01 AM ^
If they worried so much about their bodies, they should just sit out for three years and patiently wait for the draft.
The NFL is exploiting a system, sure, but these young men are NOT slaves. They can walk away from the game at any moment. That is a horrible comparison.
October 6th, 2013 at 8:50 AM ^
If you have to make up facts to carry on you have lost the argument.
October 6th, 2013 at 9:13 AM ^
If he wants to protect himself for the NFL, fine. Then he should leave the team. The expectation when you're on a team is that you play, whether you have a potential NFL career or not, whether there is a growing sense that college players should get some sort of compensation, or not. His education is his form of payment, as the rules currently stand. He may not appreciate that, as some players see college as purely a stepping stone to professional football. I don't know Clowney personally, so I don't know whether or not he values his education. He's ultimately just hurting himself because what's valued out there - in football, in work of all kinds, in society - is pushing yourself and being a team player. And judging from the comment above about all the different maladies he's had, he's not playing for the team. He's playing - or not playing - for himself.
October 6th, 2013 at 4:56 AM ^
You seem to have a great passion. Go follow it. We all like college football and don't consider it slavery, ok? Cool.
October 6th, 2013 at 7:00 AM ^
Here is the exchange courtesy of someone who has a YouTube account:
October 6th, 2013 at 7:28 AM ^
but i think i agree with spurrier on this one and his manner of talking about it was not over the top. that kid has tons of talent but is loafing his way through his last season to get to the NFL. assuming the rib injury is the real reason, it appears that all else with him is reasonably healthy. even if he wasn't going to play, he should've at least suited up.
October 6th, 2013 at 7:40 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 8:09 AM ^
October 6th, 2013 at 9:36 AM ^
Greed is good. Take care of you and your loved ones first and foremost. No one else is going to take care of you and you shouldn't expect it.
October 6th, 2013 at 8:36 AM ^
"So far he has had a stomach bug for unc and it was too hot. Bone spurs for uga and vandy and another stomach bug appeared for UCF. Now he has a sudden surprise rib injury where he can't dress. He is either incredibly unlucky or something is fishy. Hopefully the first. Pray he is back at 100% next week"
October 6th, 2013 at 9:30 AM ^
i think we can pretty much put to rest the idea that spurrier was out of line when he gave a mild answer to a question put to him. nobody is that hurt, and i'm sure he's in the weight room doing what needs to be done as well.
clowney sounds like perfect material for the lions: talent + selfish head case. hopefully both he and the lions can put that behind them.
October 6th, 2013 at 9:33 AM ^