Fair point. However, it had more to do with ESPN trashing ND for a month straight in their (successful) efforts to get 5 SEC teams in. Every time you turned on any game, ND involved or not, they were trashing ND. They kept trying to compare them to Miami, when rational ND fans knew they should both be in. Not 5 SEC teams including Alabama and Oklahoma which were massively overrated and struggled down the stretch.
After ND got the news the first thought was there is no way I am going to let the same company that trashed me for a month make millions off my brand in a bowl game. Thats like saying bend over and take it and then say thank you. NDs answer was, we don't need you. Don't blame them. Many ND fans felt the same way and the only way to fight back was in their pocketbook.
But I get what you are saying. There were some advantages missed by playing in a bowl. But when you were screwed by the one entity trying to profit off you right after they screwed you and you have two hours to decide....I at least understand it.
I want to caveat that what I say below isn’t meant to be a personal attack on you, I appreciate you willing to politely banter with an opposing fan base. I would tell any Notre Dame fan that they should be ashamed of their HC.
To quote Eminem: “What’s the difference between us, we can start at the *****.” **** would freeze over before Mario Cristobal would voluntarily skip a chance to get his players another football game. The only way I understand it is by looking at it from the perspective of a spoiled rich kid who got told
“No” for the first time in his life. Whatever similarities UM and ND may have - it ends there. If the situation had been reversed and Miami got jumped by ND for the last playoff spot, and you told Cristobal that UM should skip the bowl game in protest- Not only would you get laughed out of the room, he would probably punch you in the face.
I have more respect for loser Mike Norvell than Freeman. FSU got absolutely hosed worse than Notre Dame when they got left out of the final 4. Did they sit out? No, they still accepted the bowl game and got their *** kicked. Some people argued they should have refused to accept the bowl game in protest. Those people have no balls.
So I would say that among all football teams in cfb, only Notre Dame would go so far as to to be so childish, spoiled, and entitled as to pass up a major bowl game. I mean even the justification that you did it to punish espn is just icing on the cake. Your team and fanbase is so delusional you think that a multibillion dollar corporation like Disney is going to give a rats *** that you didn’t accept the bowl game. And what was the desired outcome? It will sting so much they won’t ever do that again? Not a great plan.
I say this as a grown man and a parent, I would pull my son off of a team if his coach refused to play in the consolation bracket of a tournament because he felt he got cheated. The game isn’t for him. Any HS recruit who saw Freeman rage quit on the season like that and still voluntarily chooses to go there does not have the mindset of someone who loves football and competition. Go ahead and pay your money and get those soft shouldered 5 star recruits - that’s exactly how Jimbo Fisher built a FSU team full of 5 star athletes that folded at the first sign of adversity.
I really hope there is a huge swath of the Notre Dame fanbase that was disgusted by Freeman. At least it would show that most of your fans still have balls and dignity.
![Kn[]_[]ckles3o5](https://data.canesinsight.com/avatars/m/6/6575.jpg?1518149361){kind=avatar}
