In the “real” world, if a worker decides to quit, leave, exit, not return…whatever lingo that you want to use….you stop getting paid…period…no salary, no benefits, no anything. It makes perfect sense. However, in the collegiate world….somewhat real……college football players are playing both sides of the coin…..
…When a high school player signs a scholarship contract, the school agrees to provide that player with all that is needed to succeed …in football and throughout his days at the school…..the athlete agrees to follow all the rules of that university and to give his “all”
….when a player determines that they are going to “sit out” a bowl game…or any game for that matter….immediately, that player should be removed from the squad, from the dorm, not permitted to use any of these luxurious benefits. He has QUIT…plan and simple….his choice….sooo…..send him on his way….instantly and permanently and drop all of his huge benefits
…those benefits are really something….after some research, analysts who dig deeper than most into the “real” cost of a football scholarship…i.e. not just the tuition, room & board, food all year long of the highest quality, but academic tutors available at all times, medical attention all year long upon request at ANY TIME…not just when sick or injured….but aches, pains, pulls, stretches of any kind; dietary “counselors” continually checking to ensure that the athlete is ingesting the proper type/amount of food; weight room consultants, free tickets to all games…including bowl games…..maybe I’m missing some areas….but each and every facet of the football player’s life is softened due to their football skills (which are high)…and are developed by coaching staffs of 10-15 highly paid coaches(isn’t that total cost divided by the number of participants)….the cost for all these benefits comes close to $100,000-$125,00 per player….soooo…..the expectation is that the player, will in turn, play to the best of their ability for all the scheduled games and if a .500+ team, the bowl games.
…Now I realize that the schools would NEVER have the willingness or fortitude to implement such a policy…it would have to be enforced by the NCAA so ALL schools would follow this simple idea…..if you quit (refuse to play in any game/practice)…you go. If you’re afraid of being injured and ruining your “certain” pro career…that’s your judgment…you’ve quit….every choice we make in life has consequences…good & bad….so leave immediately and start paying the bills yourself while living someplace else, eating someplace else, not having tutors, advisors, coaches hovering over you like bees over honey constantly….and to be honest….I don’t think that the NCAA would do it either…they’re making too much money with the current system….why rock the money boat? Isn’t college intended to prepare the students for REAL life…the next 40+ years of their life? Try that at your job….I’m NOT going to do this or that because…name any reason….see what happens to you.
…btw…the next time players start clamoring to be paid…..I would remind them that all these services have a cost attached to them…if the individual player WAS paid , he/she would then be responsible for paying for all services listed above with his/her own money… so unless the students were paid $100,000+….they’d be borrowing money…OR….not using all those services. They better be careful what they are asking for from the schools….that getting paid directly MAY actually cost them…
….another point….schools are cheating many of these athletes in the classroom—some students come into the colleges/universities ill-prepared for the academic rigors….they are only there to play football…..soooo…schools have some of these students take the lowest classes in one department one year, then the following year..he takes the lowest classes in another dept, repeated in the 3rd & over and over again in the 4 or 5 year academic career. How valuable is that degree… other than making him eligible for 5 years of football? If a football player doesn’t earn a “real” degree not one of “general studies”, the football team should have 1 less scholarship for the following 4 years for each of these type of non-degrees. I know I’m a huge sports fan….but the primary purpose of colleges is to prepare the students to be productive citizens in society after college. How many college football players will really have a career in pro football? If they don’t make it in the pros…..what then…will they be productive members of society?
….while I’m on a college football kick…..the newly instituted 4 game tryout exemption for red-shirt players is absolutely ridiculous…either you ARE sitting out for a year and not playing OR you are playing…you don’t’ get 4 games of “freebies” as they use currently. This rule fosters players “jumping” schools after they show- case 4 game performance. Whatever happened to the idea that college was a 4 year process…not 5, 6 or more years with multiple stops along the way.
Now…..to college football on the field…out of the upteen bowls (41 now…I think)….the two that have mattered the most were the semifinals…
….Clemson just had too much speed in the key offensive positions of running back & wide receiver. Notre Dame just couldn’t match up with the Tigers and fell 30-3. After witnessing the extreme difference in speed, one MUST hand it to you Coach Brian Kelly (ND)….he directed that slower team …with a tough schedule ….to a 12-0 mark prior to the Clemson game.
….As everyone expected, Oklahoma needed to score about 50 points with the Crimson Tide committing several turnovers for OU to beat Alabama. OU’s defense was seldom “tight” though most of 2018…..they just outscored people. Alabama jumped on the OU defense immediately and coasted to the 45-34 win. The game really wasn’t that close….Bama surged to a 28-0 lead and then seemed to lose their intensity…naturally. It actually was rather humorous seeing Nick Saban throw a temper tantrum with his club far out front late in the 1st half. It’s fine to demand discipline at all time but that holds true for the coach himself also.
…..reactions to some of the other mini-bowls…
…..sure Michigan got crunched…4 of their best players “sat out” to protect themselves for the draft…Florida from what we saw..Florida would no doubt still have beaten them (speed factor again) but…take away Florida’s best 4 players and it would have been a different looking team.
….what a horrible mismatch…Army with 10 wins…and a very narrow loss to Oklahoma dominated Houston 70-14. Army was playing their reserves throughout most of the 2nd half. It looked like Houston had NEVER practiced against the Army run-style offense. Army should have been invited to a much more distinguished bowl.
….the Cheeze-It bowl….Wow….it was cheesy…in my opinion, neither of these teams were “bowl” teams. Cal was 4-5 in conference play and TCU held a 6-6 mark entering this game. TCU 10 California 7 in OT…this was a “battle” between two very average teams. TCU who had the chance to win it in regulation…replaced their regular place kicker for the possible winning FG attempt…it was missed. In the OT, the regular place kicker Jonathan Song, got the opportunity and kicked a winning 27-yard field goal. There were 6 interceptions in the 1st half alone, a sideline interference called on the SID, a game that appeared to be more like a Frosh HS football game than 2 bowl teams competing on a high level.
,,,,its strange…. the press keeps promoting the proliferation of more and more bowls…yet…when these weaker bowls are filled with average teams…and the games truly reflect the skill level of the two average teams—more miscues, average speed of players, more turnovers, yada-yada-yada…..the same press ridicules them for their play…they got what they paid for in my book.
Moving to winter sports…
….Chaminade may have another one! After David Lee’s solid 12 year career in the NBA(you can’t last 12 years without being good), Bradley Beal already in his 7th year @ Washington, and Jason Tatum still growing in his 2nd year in the NBA, Chaminade currently has another “hot shot” come along. Luke Kasubke, 6-6 Jr, is carrying a 22.6 average. According to StLToday, he’s shooting 34 of 41 from beyond the arc…that’s tough to believe—83%. Sometimes those HS stats are off a bit…especially on missed shots…BUT not off …is the fact that he scored 50 points against Parkway North on Dec 27, dropped in 31 the next night. He competes in the MCC so he’s facing quality teams each conference game. I have a particular interest in Kasubke…..I coached his Mom (Michelle Hennon Kasubke) @Rosary High. She was the best girls player that I ever coached @ Rosary. When she graduated, she held all the scoring Records there. Keep your eye on him!
….somethings different in Lebanon, Ill…for the first time in 53 years, there is a new Men’s Basketball coach @ McKendree University. Harry Statham was removed of his duties after 52 years and 1152 wins at the end of last season. Chris Foster, former coach @ Truman State, was named to take over the men’s team. As the league jumps into its heavy conference schedule, the Bearcats are 1-1 in conference and 5-6 overall.
….NCAA basketball rankings begin to mean something after New Year’s day….some new teams sit in that Top-10+2 at this point….@#5 Nevada (11-1)…I don’t anticipate this team hanging in that Top 10 long; @ #10 Va Tech (11-1); #11 Texas Tech (11-1); @#12 Auburn (11-2)….try keeping an eye on these newcomers….
Happy New Year to ALL! …thoughts from you bowl games, college players “sitting out” for fear of injury in bowl games…..or anything else…. Wishing you a great 2019!