Hey folks - as a member of the DawgNation community, please remember to abide by simple rules of civil engagement with other members:
- Please no inappropriate usernames (remember that there may be youngsters in the room)
- Personal attacks on other community members are unacceptable, practice the good manners your mama taught you when engaging with fellow Dawg fans
- Use common sense and respect personal differences in the community: sexual and other inappropriate language or imagery, political rants and belittling the opinions of others will get your posts deleted and result in warnings and/ or banning from the forum
- 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.
- Please no inappropriate usernames (remember that there may be youngsters in the room)
- Personal attacks on other community members are unacceptable, practice the good manners your mama taught you when engaging with fellow Dawg fans
- Use common sense and respect personal differences in the community: sexual and other inappropriate language or imagery, political rants and belittling the opinions of others will get your posts deleted and result in warnings and/ or banning from the forum
- 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.
Amid changes to college football, what keeps Dawgs fans watching?
System
admin
Amid changes to college football, what keeps Dawgs fans watching?
Change seems to be the only constant in college football lately.
Comments
Great article Bill. I agree with most all of the points raised by you and your friends/family. I wish there were some guardrails/stipulations with the NIL & transfer portal, but like has been stated, I don't think any meaningful restrictions would stand up in the courts.
But bottom line is I loved the season and thought there were a lot more competitive games to watch this year. As an UGA grad, I'll always be cheering for the Dawgs and following college football wherever the game leads. I guess it's just in my blood!
Me?…I'm ready to "throw the baby out with the bathwater". More inclined to agree with what your brother says, but I am very close to saying let the pros have it all. They can fund the entire thing and have complete control over their very own farm system (but I'm sure they are happy with the current arrangement). They just need to remove the Georgia name before they do, nothing "Georgia" about it all.
I'd would be happy with walk-ons at this point, someone that loves and is loyal to their school…that is what built CF. The full scholarships etc. could come later as the talent builds - or not. Time for the colleges to stand up to this madness.
My 2 cents.
If college football keeps going down this path it will mirror the NFL where mediocrity reigns. But the NFL has proven that mediocrity can be compelling.
I have been a die hard Dawg fan since I watched UGA beat Alabama and Bear Bryant my freshman year 21-0. I will continue to watch and pull for the Dawgs, no matter the college football landscape. I take more exception to the current transfer portal than NIL. I believe opening the portal before all games and playoffs are over should be abolished and more guardrails put in place. Sometimes I think these kids make rash decisions and a little cooling off time after the season is appropriate. @Eastmandawg says go with all walk ons. No thanks. How would that fix things as they are now. That would not guarantee loyalty. Kids would still be ready to enter the portal if not satisfied with playing time, etc. Fix the tampering with players before they enter the portal and limit portal times. As long as I can make it to a game, watch TV or listen on the radio, I will follow the Dawgs.
Meaning… if there are not any teeth put into the current state of what they call CF these days, I would be happier with what I mentioned below.
The joy, love & passion is being slowly **** away with a game I grew up loving. Have been a dawg fan "long time now".
Notice that no matter what the fans say in the article and the author of the article itself….
One thing is glaringly missing…WINNING!
If your team starts losing because of this crap, the tune will change about "I just love cfb. I cheer for those representing my school." Etc. Fans will not pony up per seat minimums, then ticket prices soaring, and donations having to be atronomical…fans will leave in droves when the programs are average at best.
Again, no matter what is said…Winning is NOT the priority for these fans. And don't tell me it is. Go back and read the comments…Winning is not mentioned. It is a money discussion and ESPN plus the NCAA have ruined the sport. Tired of it. NIL and portal sucks! Period!
To: CTD
If you don't think the fans quoted want Georgia to win, you're sadly mistaken. But they're mostly UGA grads or lifelong fans and they've supported the Dawgs for decades even when the teams weren't winning big. That's the mark of true FANS.
As long as you win, everybody's happy and will fill the stadiums. The minute you start losing, the bi*ching starts, the empty seats start showing up on TV, tix prices drop, revenue drops and you're on a race to becoming an also ran. The cycle of life in CFB. (Clemson stopped their stadium expansion plans.)
It's time quit trying to stop it and go full pro. Hell, UGA could IPO the Dawgs.
I don’t think the players care as much about winning as before, and it shows. Kirby will be gone in 2 or 3 years, and be a GM for an NFL team.
Thank you for a great read Bill. As an older guy who has loved college football since boyhood, my biggest issue right now is the instability. It’s worse than professional football. I don’t have a problem with paying players. It’s the lack of contracts that seems to be the problem.
I also worry about what is being lost in college football that I loved—the life training that good coaches offer. It is becoming all about the money. As we’ve seen in the NFL where some famous players end up impoverished late in life, this kind of money and a lack of maturity can led to ruined lives. Perhaps I have an idealized sense of college football of yesteryear, but I miss seeing the loyalty to your school and a focus that is beyond the football. I’m just an old guy nostalgic for times that maybe never were.
Another excellent article from Bill King. It kind of encapsulates all the mixed feelings I have about college football right now. Sometimes I feel pretty negative about everything, and wonder if my enthusiasm will endure. But in the end, who am I kidding? I just love it too much, and there's really no doubt that I'll keep coming back, and keep watching. But I do wonder about the younger fans. Given the transient nature of today's game, could their enthusiasm possibly be as deep seated as it is for me, Bill King, his brothers, and the rest of us who graduated before any current students were even born?
I say a player that receives a NIL deal with a school, it should be a two year obligation. In addition, if a player enter the transfer portal the first time, they go wherever they like and play immediately. If they enter the transfer portal for a second time or more...they should have to sit out like in theold rule and tlose a year of eligibility.
Good article Bill and I find it crazy how much our game has changed with NIL. We will have fun telling our grandkids how in 2014 the great Todd Gurley was suspended 4 games and had to do 40 hours of community service for selling autographed memorabilia which is totally acceptable today. It’s all definitely insane….or was it more insane 10 years ago? Go Dawgs!!!
Dawg fan since 1965 as a 10 year old. Enjoyed watching kids progress from freshman to seniors. I guess I’m just getting old but the game is not th same to me anymore. All th money and players/coaches moving to greener pastures. Not getting our season tickets this year so it will be a bit different.
Bill, I wish there were still writers around such as yourself. As usual, very in-depth, thought provoking, informative and well written. Go Dawgs!