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- Please no inappropriate usernames (remember that there may be youngsters in the room)
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- 3/17/19 UPDATE -- We've updated the permissions for our "Football" and "Commit to the G" recruiting message boards. We aim to be the best free board out there and that has not changed. We do now ask that all of you good people register as a member of our forum in order to see the sugar that is falling from our skies, so to speak.
Comments
Could only vote up once, but can give 2 👍👍
I absolutely love this time of year, it reminds of me how much a segment of the college football fanbase maintains a twisted, sordid relationship with the players.
I am nearly 100% convinced that it has nothing to do with the fact that most of those headed to NFL, or even trying to make it, are African American. Nothing at all to do that.
It also reminds me that said fanbase has little to no influence or impact on the decisions, outcomes, and lives of these young men, which is how it should be.
Conner Riley: "Georgia is going to have players opt-out of the bowl game. This isn’t a new trend, as we saw the likes of Andrew Thomas and Isaiah Wilson do so last season."
Conner, this didn't happen ten years ago, so yes this is a new trend. Ten years ago players played in Bowl games and then went to the combine. In relative dollars it's about the same as today, so those of us who think there's still no "i" in team are not losers!
Winner: Notre Dame and its fans from now until shortly after the first quarter. After the first quarter all of the viewing world will realize, yet again, that Notre Dame should not have been in the playoffs. Apparently, the shine will never wear off of ND.
Loser: A&M and its fans. How in the world they have one loss to the number one team in the nation and are not in the playoffs is beyond reason.
I would agree with College football being a loser but I would also add the bowl system, the players, fans and schools. The college game was a mess before 2020 & all this season has done is prove how big of a train wreck the sport truly has become. Everything from recruiting to the NFL draft and in between is broken & needs to be overhauled. It's been building for years now but I actually do not have any interest in the bowl season or the CFP and likely will watch little if any of the games. Based on how I view the sport now & even though I think opting out is a bad business decision for most players entering the draft, I certainly can blame players for doing so. In reality, players opting out opens up the spot for next year's team to gain some experience so that maybe the Dawgs can win that one coveted playoff spot behind Bama, Clemson & Ohio State who will all be in the CFP whether they play or not.
I'd also add that non-championship-track bowl games are nothing new. Bowl games are like the sport itself - their significance is what we decide it is. For as long as anyone can remember, there have been bowl games - prestigious, respected ones - that didn't factor into the national championship every year. And in the years that they didn't, people still got up for them. The advent of the playoff didn't change anything - people have arbitrarily decided that games which for decades were considered the pinnacle of the sport suddenly no longer mean anything depending on their spot in a rotation. So saying the bowl game doesn't matter is not a reasonable basis for skipping out on it. The last hundred years or so of college football is proof that if these players (and anyone else making the claim) wanted it to matter, it would matter.
Remember what UGA was told a few years ago, that if you don't win your division you don't get to go, until BAMA didn't win it, then it was OK, same for Notre Dame. Liars. As someone on 92.9 the game said, it's all about a TV Show and the money to be made off of commercials. HAs nothing to do with anything else.
Congrats on being a fellow alum. The difference is you and I paid tuition and fees and perhaps housing and meals while football players bring in tens of millions of dollars in revenue. I enjoyed watching all the non-revenue sports including basketball, baseball, tennis, and gymnastics while I was a student. That would not have been possible without the revenue brought in by football players. Besides, whether the classroom has 10 students or 200 students it costs the university no more to have an extra butt in the seat for someone who is producing millions for the university. UGA has one of the healthiest athletic departments financially in the country due to football players. If a few want to make a financial decision in their own best interest, I say, “Thanks for being DGDs while you were here!”
I have a question. If a senior stays for the extra year awarded by the NCAA, does he have to be accepted and work toward a master’s degree if he has completed his under grad work?
Is standard practice for a writer/columnist/sports reporter to insult their readers? Well that's what you did Conner. So let me criticize you. Your opinion makes you the loser here. You insulted the fan base and that makes you lower than slime. The players QUIT on their team, university, coaches and fans. Its about ME is their mantra. I am tired of being chastised for voicing my opinion on them QUITTING. They get tons of extra perks that a regular student does not. Guess who pays for that with millions of dollars....the FANS you insult. File your idiotic opinion under moronic. You are the loser Conner. Hide behind that keyboard... fraud.
Well, I hope we dominate Cincinatti - we certainly would've had it been a "normal" game and not a bowl game.
Sorry, but the whole "shared", "co-champion" crap is BS. It wasn't like Cincy was dominating every team they played:
You're in a "lower league". Don't pretend that you would beat the "big boys" of Ohio State, Clemson and Bama. If you beat Georgia, it'll only because of the opt outs and lack of prep/enthusiasm. Bama would shut-you-out.
That being said, I look forward to the game and DO hope we dominate.
Not sure though what the difference in playing in the Senior Bowl and playing in a New Years Day bowl. Both are opportunities to get hurt. Both are opportunities to compete and get noticed. One is for yourself and the other is for your school.
How's your chin feel, Connor...you took a lot on it. These commenters are spot on. ...mostly. The game of college football has certainly evolved. My peeve is scholarships for essentially three-year students playing football knowing they are treating UGA like a prep school for the NFL draft after junior year. Few see the value of an education and degree...some do. I worked my way through UGA as a private photographer for the University. Long nights developing film and printing photos for the coaches. Few opt-outs back then..actually none as I recall ,except for injury. Players and coaches looked forward to bowl games. They capped the season as a highlight. Maybe this is the business of football...much like my business. The perks were zero for me and all favored college players. I recall the dean coming in one class and excusing a high-profile player to practice for an upcoming game. The prof was livid. Money talks....let's face it. NFL payouts are enormous. Now legislation pending that will actually pay players at the college level..that will involve agents. Connor? Take it easy on us fans. We know a thing or two about football ourselves. Some of the posters are extremely knowlegable and have invested heavily in the life of this game. Players opting out (quitting) bowl games, except for injury, should be banned (full-stop)...just another opinion, Connor.
I find it funny that he says that there are several players that have opted out but at the same time accepted bids to the Senior Bowl. I'm sorry, but isn't that another game with another opportunity to get hurt? It seems to me that playing with the team that got you the opportunity to even THINK about going pro deserves your loyalty more than a bunch of people you don't know, playing for a "coach" you aren't familiar with.
Surely I must be missing something here.
It is ridiculous to say my opinion is hogwash when you spout nonsense like they deserve to quit on their team. They deserve to complete the season in which they signed on and finish that season with their team representing their University and putting on a show against a solid opponent.
Understand the difference of opinion Connor; after all, it's a sports blog. But calling those who disagree with you "losers" and "weak" is beneath you. I get it. You come from the fan boy school.
But your argument that players have "earned" the right to quit on their team because they played during a pandemic, is nonsense. The whole team played through the pandemic. What's that have to do with bailing? Are they afraid of getting COVID in the next 11 days? By your metric, the whole team could just say never mind, we're not playing and they would have all "earned" the right. That's just silly.
But this "opt out" (nice word for it) mania definitely brings out differing opinions. What would sports be without some good-natured arguing?
For me, there's one question that answers itself, and sheds a great deal of light on the subject: If UGA was one of the four playoff teams, would these 8 players not be playing? Check on AL, ND, OSU for their opt-out lists.
And if the answer is yes, these dudes would be playing, then that's the answer. They're not playing because there's nothing in it for THEM. At least in their mind.
Preparing for the NFL? The Peach Bowl is in 11 days. The NFL draft is 123 days from today. That's a crock.
Could they be injured? Yep. Could have against Missouri, Florida, blah, blah, blah.
It's fine. They're not playing. Cincinnati's not complaining about 4 DBs being out, for sure. At least these GA "opt-outs" have made somebody happy, other than themselves.