Fagnano and Bell are out for the Wasabi Bowl

[ScottVib]

But…they will go to the senior bowl…go to the combine..go to their pro day…go to the weight room. Bowl game? Nah!

It's not apples to apples.

The difference is 32 sets of scouts/coaches etc. are there watching and evaluating in person for those events, you're building relationships and not tape. At the bowl game, you might get a handful of scouts, but otherwise you're just performing for game tape. Which you already have 12 games worth out there from this season, plus whatever practice film you want to send out.

Obviously, you'd prefer to see everyone there, and I couldn't fathom making the decision to sit out a game (of course I couldn't fathom having a legitimate opportunity at an NFL career), but comparing the bowl game to the dedicated opportunities to perform in person for the professional league or to the national championship tournament of the sport (as some have done in earlier posts trying to find a basketball equivalent) aren't apples to apples.

Regardless of who plays or who doesn't, I'm looking forward to one more chance to watch the Huskies and if nothing else, get a preview of next year's roster.

 

[Patman]

What bothers me about this is:

1. People will say “many teams have their best players sit out the bowl, it’s not held against them. ” We are not North Carolina. They are already in the P4. We are trying to get in one. They could fall on their face every season (like they did this year) and still end up in the SEC or big Ten. So them having players sit out is not the same thing as us having players sit out. They could get blown out by UConn and it won’t matter. Our B team getting blown out by Army will just reinforce people’s perceptions of us.

2. We play all our games on CBS Sports Network and ESPN Plus. The bowl is a chance to showcase the program and players on ESPN. It’s the only chance the program has to showcase to a larger audience during the season.

3. The program doesn’t play for a conference championship nor does it have access to the playoffs. So we are told we are playing for prestige, wins, and the prospect of building program momentum by winning a bowl making us more atttactive for the P4. We are basically being told the bowl doesn’t matter which means the program is playing for nothing. Kinda hard to get fans excited about that.

Based on all of the above, our NIL deals should be coming with the caveat that the team has to play in all games.

I am sorry. You committed through academics to die uconn blue. Athletes never see it that way and are far more mercenary with an eye to the outside. Uconn is a means to play their sport in as good as an environment as they can manage and if they can figure better they will. This was true when all of us were in school. Very remote through came to live and die as an athlete for ol connecticut through and through

 

[Waquoit]

You need a like for Whatsamatta U. Favorite cartoon show ever.

That arc nailed college football over 60 years ago. I remember one scene showed a couple of chemistry professors pleading for more money because they were down to their last test tube. The president said sorry but "all our money went to the new athletic facility." And then shows them a picture of the Taj Mahal.

 

[gopher2]

That arc nailed college football over 60 years ago. I remember one scene showed a couple of chemistry professors pleading for more money because they were down to their last test tube. The president said sorry but "all our money went to the new athletic facility." And then shows them a picture of the Taj Mahal.

Groucho Marx as a college president in the movie "Horse Feathers"in 1932: Do we have a stadium? Do we have a college? Well we can't afford both. Tomorrow we start tearing down the college."

 

[buddy]

Thats the point, it's not the same thing and Reed and Ball wouldn't for March Madness. There's no comparison when looking at March Madness vs a meaningless bowl game

Meaningless to whom? Not the fans whom they have begging for support.

 

[ATLDYKA]

Meaningless to whom? Not the fans whom they have begging for support.

Okay, not meaningless, but a game that has no implications on a championship drive, so still no comparison. Bell I understand as he is high draft pick, but do think Fagnano should play. I'm also in the camp of if you are thinking about transferring and have one foot out the door I would rather not have them play. I would rather play a kid who is committed to the school.

 

[nycscooby]

It’s bs that they are sitting out. They do owe it to the school and their teammates to try and go for the first 10 win season in program history. Okay aologistas, rationalize away!

 

[ATLDYKA]

It’s bs that they are sitting out. They do owe it to the school and their teammates to try and go for the first 10 win season in program history. Okay aologistas, rationalize away!

This is just the day and age we live in. There is no justification other than this is no longer collegiate sports anymore, it is the minor leagues of professional sports. It's all about the money. It's everywhere. Why do NBA players just take games off. All athletes today are prima Donna's. I would really like to know what players back in my day really think about all this. It's ridiculous. Nothing is about pride or team comrodery any more, just selfishness and money. Period!

 

[uconnbill]

Go back to a strict amateur basis. No $ or no play.

The Supreme Court decided, and that ship has sailed, end of discussion

 

[Jimdish255]

Its hard to feel sorry for an organization that penalized Jeremy Bloom, who wasn't getting paid for football, for getting endorsement money for an entirely different non-collegiate sports nil. I knew then they were too stupid to be scared.

 

[businesslawyer]

Okay, not meaningless, but a game that has no implications on a championship drive, so still no comparison. Bell I understand as he is high draft pick, but do think Fagnano should play. I'm also in the camp of if you are thinking about transferring and have one foot out the door I would rather not have them play. I would rather play a kid who is committed to the school.

Don’t get this at all. A young man who has decided it makes personal sense to play somewhere else NEXT season isn’t capable of playing hard this season? Does a junior in high school who knows his family is moving over the summer and he’ll be in another district not want to play hard for his current school that year?

 

[Kowalski]

It’s bs that they are sitting out. They do owe it to the school and their teammates to try and go for the first 10 win season in program history. Okay aologistas, rationalize away!

It is BS, It’s one thing when bowl participation is put to a team vote. Individual players opting out just isn’t right. Are players going to start opting out late regular season if their team isn’t dong well? I hope schools will try to find a solution.

 

[ScottVib]

It is BS, It’s one thing when bowl participation is put to a team vote. Individual players opting out just isn’t right. Are players going to start opting out late regular season if their team isn’t dong well? I hope schools will try to find a solution.

They already do.. normally after the 4th game so they can preserve their redshirt and transfer. Nate Carter who transferred to Michigan State was an example of this for UConn, but its been happening throughout College Football to some degree over the last couple of seasons.

 

[uconndogs]

These kids witness first hand the money grab by their schools and coaches. What example is set for them regarding loyalty and commitment. College athletics is reaping what it has sowed. The money that used to be bowls is about to go the way of the dodo. Who is going to want to watch what will be spring practices given all the top end players that will opt out?

I continue to beat this drum. Top end college athletics is full on professional athleticism. These are professional franchises affiliated with a school, but they have absolutely nothing, zero, zilch, to do with academics or what should be a university's mission. That's fine, but recognize that what differentiated college football and basketball from the NFL and NBA is rapidly being diluted, the NFL and NBA are becoming the substitute and competition. I don't see that ending well......

 

[buddy]

Since college athletics are now play for pay, then NIL money should be given out per game played. You don't play, you don't get that percentage of NIL allocation.

 

[CTBasketball]

It is BS, It’s one thing when bowl participation is put to a team vote. Individual players opting out just isn’t right. Are players going to start opting out late regular season if their team isn’t dong well? I hope schools will try to find a solution.

If the team put it up to a vote we’d likely forgo the bowl game too. No one wanted to play in Boston. School + AD did.

 

[Stinger92860]

Worst sports cliche of all-time

I vote for rub some dirt on it

 

[Stinger92860]

Where have you been? They’ve been doing it for a while in bowl games but let’s just hammer the UConn kids lol. Please stop they’re doing what makes sense for their future. I mean the game is in December at Fenway who gives a rats ass?

If the ‘kids’ were not being paid I could support your position, but they are now professional anthletes and I expect professionals to show up.

 

[RedStickHusky]

Good thread. I also miss the album as an art form, movies that don't beat me up with social messaging, and stay-at-home moms vacuuming in pearls.

 

[uconnyankee]

So despite my apathy for this game, my son who is in the Army is convincing me to go.

As we get closer, I’m sure I’ll be more into it. But it just seems like a glorified scrimmage.

 

[businesslawyer]

If the team put it up to a vote we’d likely forgo the bowl game too. No one wanted to play in Boston. School + AD did.

If the basketball team doesn’t like Newark then they get to vote on whether to play at Seton Hall? If a manufacturer decides to move its plant does a worker get to say keep my paycheck coming but I’m not going to the new place? If you are taking money for a job, where does this entitlement come from?

 

[CTBasketball]

If the basketball team doesn’t like Newark that they get to vote on whether to play at Seton Hall? If a manufacturer decides to move its plant does a worker get to say keep my paycheck coming but I’m not going to the new place? If you are taking money for a job, where does this entitlement come from?

Trust me I’m with you. I don’t like it either. But the reality is highly paid college athletes are incredibly entitled and the football bowl system is prone to opt-outs. The idea of “team” has almost been forgotten.

 

[mauconnfan]

If the ‘kids’ were not being paid I could support your position, but they are now professional anthletes and I expect professionals to show up.

Good point but still agree to disagree. The football team has multiple “paid players” not getting the hoops players money or close. If they can get to the next level that’s where their livelihoods are and the potential to change their lives not at UConn football.

 

[UConn2SF]

Bell you can understand. He's a consensus Day 2 or 3 draft pick with the most prominent all-star bowl week and the NFL combine to lock in or improve his draft position. But Joe is a fringe draft pick and only has a definite UConn combine to impress scouts. NFL draft combine or all-star game invites are not a given for him. Bad advice from his agent imo.

 

[Scoe]

I hope to see Farrar in this game he's exciting to watch as for Evers it's time, it's time to man up, you have weapons even without Bell get them the ball.

 

[huskymedic]

Bell you can understand. He's a consensus Day 2 or 3 draft pick with the most prominent all-star bowl week and the NFL combine to lock in or improve his draft position. But Joe is a fringe draft pick and only has a definite UConn combine to impress scouts. NFL draft combine or all-star game invites are not a given for him. Bad advice from his agent imo.

He has one post-season eval/game on tap so far:

 

[Rdkid]

If the basketball team doesn’t like Newark that they get to vote on whether to play at Seton Hall? If a manufacturer decides to move its plant does a worker get to say keep my paycheck coming but I’m not going to the new place? If you are taking money for a job, where does this entitlement come from?

And to add to NIL/ revenue share, they are are on scholarship and 12/27 is still the fall semester in terms of their commitment to the season. Even for a seventh year student. It’s all become transactional and me first. Still gonna root for the front of the jersey (or helmet in this case). And the kids who play to win the game. If the bowl game and record setting win is seen as meaningless, what is an indy playing for?

 

[JohnFSilver]

Okay, not meaningless, but a game that has no implications on a championship drive, so still no comparison. Bell I understand as he is high draft pick, but do think Fagnano should play. I'm also in the camp of if you are thinking about transferring and have one foot out the door I would rather not have them play. I would rather play a kid who is committed to the school.

This is the exact issue of College Sports right now. People only care about the tournament. For the last 100 games these games were fun and we wanted to go to one. Now, since it isn’t a tournament, we don’t want to play?

We have ruined college football with this playoff. Who cares who wins the CFP tournament?

 

[noeynox]

Where have you been? They’ve been doing it for a while in bowl games but let’s just hammer the UConn kids lol. Please stop they’re doing what makes sense for their future. I mean the game is in December at Fenway who gives a rats ass?

If this is the thought process? Then why does the school want its fans to buy tickets (through the school) and show up? Can't have it both ways.

 

[How Sway?!]

If the basketball team doesn’t like Newark then they get to vote on whether to play at Seton Hall? If a manufacturer decides to move its plant does a worker get to say keep my paycheck coming but I’m not going to the new place? If you are taking money for a job, where does this entitlement come from?

Here's where the comparison is wrong:

1) You are comparing a regular season game to a bowl game. A better comparison would be the if the men's basketball team decides not to play in the NIT over the Crown tournament. Would that be entitlement?

2) the schools and the NCAA have bent over backwards to make sure they are not treated like employees. Since they are not employees, the schools cannot control where and when they play, even if they are getting paid. If you were to ask UConn if they prefer this system over considering the athletes as employees, they would 100% choose to keep the status quo. So who really is in the wrong here?