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Bowl game- opt-out vs playing

Gransapo said:
Nick Saban has a clause in his contract that mandates that Saban and Alabama meet each February and calculate the average salary of both the three highest-paid SEC head coaches and five highest-paid coaches nationally. If Saban’s total salary is lower than either of those two averages, his pay will be raised to match the higher one.

Yet the players are applauded to play a bowl game where they get no compensation and possibly jeopardize they draft status ($$$$$$)? That's dumb as ****. The players should sit out and prepare for the draft. Anyone advising them oppositely should be fired and sued for malpractice.
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What if others are advising them to sit out but they're still choosing to play?
 
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As best as I can remember, and correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it Christian McCaffrey who was really the first big name to say “fūck it I’m not gonna play in the bowl game.”

I remember thinking at the time, what a douche bag. My initial feelings at the time were that it was a punk move, especially for a good head coach and honorable man, like he had at Stanford.

Since then, I’ve come around to the fact that people are just trying to protect their future paychecks, so I honestly couldn’t point fingers because those guys were not getting paid at that time, or not much, and especially if they didn’t go to the big bag SEC schools.

I think somebody already mentioned it, but maybe now there’s more of a financial incentive with NIL? Or other possible financial incentives, that, along with their insurance policies, would make it somewhat more financially reasonable to take the risk? I don’t know.
 
I wasn't intending for this to be about what's "right and what's wrong".

This was moreso intended to be a discussion about what caused them to make their decision to play while most would now expect them to sit out in their situation?

Why'd they decide to play?

I don't have an answer. But I suspect it's something to do with the culture Saban has preached and built for the last decade plus. Willing to put the team ahead of your self.

It's just intriguing to me to see his players, who aren't in the playoff, make the decision to risk themselves to play in the most meaningless bowl game in their careers when they are surefire top 10 picks.
 
OriginalCanesCanesCanes said:
As best as I can remember, and correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t it Christian McCaffrey who was really the first big name to say “fūck it I’m not gonna play in the bowl game.”

I remember thinking at the time, what a douche bag. My initial feelings at the time were that it was a punk move, especially for a good head coach and honorable man, like he had at Stanford.

Since then, I’ve come around to the fact that people are just trying to protect their future paychecks, so I honestly couldn’t point fingers because those guys were not getting paid at that time, or not much, and especially if they didn’t go to the big bag SEC schools.

I think somebody already mentioned it, but maybe now there’s more of a financial incentive with NIL? Or other possible financial incentives, that, along with their insurance policies, would make it somewhat more financially reasonable to take the risk? I don’t know.
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Fournette was the first one right before McCaffrey. It was the year after Jaylon Smith teared his ACL and LCL in Notre Dame’s bowl game and went from at Top10 pick to the second round.
They were both injured during the season so their reasoning made sense at the time.
 
RickRollU said:
Fournette was the first one right before McCaffrey. It was the year after Jaylon Smith teared his ACL and LCL in Notre Dame’s bowl game and went from at Top10 pick to the second round.
They were both injured during the season so their reasoning made sense at the time.
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Do you remember if Fournette and McCaffrey both declared for the draft the same year?
 
I guess each player has to do whatever is best for them but no way in **** I would opt out when my boys were going to war.
 
Arent both kids millionaires for playing for Bama? Shall we start making them pay money back if they sit out without just causse?
 
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Who cares? It’s the players decision. You can’t praise them for “getting money” for choosing X school/NIL and then dog them for sitting out a bowl game, so they don’t risk money.

The business set of the sport has finally made its way to the players. Either sit back and deal with how it is, or give them a bonus for playing in the game.
 
RickRollU said:
Yeah for the 2017 draft. Fournette went 4th and McCaffrey 8th!
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Thanks.

For some reason, I don’t remember being angry about Fournette doing it, just McCaffrey. I must’ve been thinking at the time that Fournette, who had had a history of injuries if I’m not mistaken, had a better rationale than McCaffrey, who was just not going take any chance at all. But like I said, my thinking has evolved over time on that, at the end of the day it’s their decision.
 
You play because you give your team a better shot at winning. Those guys you call teammates, most aren't going on to the next level. You sweat together, hurt together, and won and lost together. Nobody wants to go out a loser and if they lost while you sat out, you'd feel like ****. It's brotherhood and the spirit of competition. You'll never feel bad for making the choice as there's no I in team. It's your last hurrah, with your boys, for your school that put you on the map, and the coach that believed in you. Make it count.
 
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Headhunter said:
1/2 the ***** on this board here dont even know why these kids would choose to play in their last game of college football
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You are correct and you could also say the following.

1/2 the ***** on this board don’t realize why these kids sit out a meaningless exhibition game when they have millions on the line.

If you can’t see both sides, you aren’t being honest with yourself.
 
I dont know if im the only one but Bryce Young to me aint a 1st rd qb.

Now Will Anderson yea.

Bryce Young is gonna be like 5'11-6'0 190-195 ......i dont know i dont think his game translates.
 
When we move to 12 team playoff, we should see less players sitting out on top 12 teams because they could still win the CFP if they win their bowl and advance.
 
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