The Bowl Ultimatum, A College Football Commentary

by Ben Bramhall, Guest Writer

College football players are skipping bowl games. This has been a recent hot topic of debate among athletes, coaches,executives, analysts, commentators, and fans. This issue really exploded onto the scene two years ago when Stanford running back Christian McCaffrey and LSU running back Leonard Fournette, two elite college football players, decided to shock the sporting world by announcing that they would be forgoing their bowl games.  Since then, many more college players have done the same.  And my God…did people lose their freaking minds.  Everywhere, folks began scrutinizing and criticizing these young men for “showing disloyalty towards the school that raised them” or “abandoning their teammates” or “letting their biggest fans down.”  Many still do, and I’m just here to say this:  let’s cut the crap.  Warning, I may not be what you want to hear, but need to hear.

Show Me the Money

To college football fans:  look, I  get it.  You love your team and you love winning.  Who doesn’t?  I’m the same way as a long-time Penn State football fan.  And I understand how upsetting it must be that your team’s best player or players are skipping the bowl games.  You want your team to win and certain players skipping the game put your team’s chances in jeopardy.  Here’s my issue:  these bowl games are about as important and meaningful as the point system on the show Whose Line Is It Anyway?  And to quote Drew Carey, “everything is made up and the points don’t matter.”  College football after the regular season has become inflated to the teeth with pointless bowl games.  I mean, c’mon.  Do you honestly care about the Cheez-It Bowl between TCU and Cal?  How about the Music City Bowl between Auburn and Purdue? Even if these games turn out to be solid, what’s the point?  What do the players get?  A pat on the back?  Some stupid looking trophy?  Bragging rights about a game everyone will forget about in a week?  If we’re being honest, these bowl games serve only one purpose:  MORE MONEY, BABY $$$.  All the advertising revenue that the schools and NCAA get for doing these games makes it a no brainer to do so.  Now, the college football playoffs are a different story.  Winning the national championship will forever be a memory to cherish.  It will be bragged and boasted about for years, as opposed to this year’s Outback Bowl (but hey, free bloomin’ onions, right?) 

Oh, don’t worry, I know what you’re about to say. “Well, the NFL cares!  They will see this as players not wanting to commit and they won’t draft them!”  Allow me to enlighten you, they really don’t care.  All 32 NFL teams have done their homework on players WELL before the bowl games even get sniffed.  To quote a Power 5 college assistant coach,“The reality is that the NFL doesn’t care. At the end of the day, it’s about taking the best player, and they don’t see that (skipping bowl games) as a big negative the way a college coach sees it.”  These NFL franchises want the best players that the college ranks will offer, and more importantly, they want them healthy.

HEALTH!!!  This concept brings me to my next point, Jaylon Smith.  Notre Dame fan or not, any football fan should know this name.  He was the most dominant linebacker in the college ranks and a surefire top 5 pick in the 2016 NFL draft.  Well he was…before the bowl game.  Smith would play in the…wait…hold on…I have to look this up because the game wasn’t memorable.  Ah, here it is, the Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl.  During the game, he would tear both his ACL and LCL in one of his legs. Not to mention the fact that there was possible nerve damage to his legs as well.  So, in just a split second, this guy went from surefire top 5 pick and earning millions of dollars to possibly never playing the game again and not earning a cent…but hey, that Battlefrog Fiesta Bowl was such a monumental moment in football history and his sacrifice was worth it right?  Notre Dame lost 44-28…smh. Smith got lucky that the Cowboys decided to make a gigantic gamble and draft him in the second round. 

Hey, second round, that’s not bad.  No, it isn’t, unless you factor in that the difference in money potentially earned between a first and second round pick is, as Donald Trump would say, “huge.”  According to a Forbes chart, Smith most likely lost about $30 million (best guess, it’s probably more).  Hell, he just started playing again, last year.  And while he’s done alright, he may never be the player he once was or earn back the money that could’ve been his.  “It shouldn’t be about the money, it should be about the love of the game.” Ok Saint Peter, I would love to see you turn down a chance to earn that much money and never have to worry about providing for your family.  Unless you’ve been in that situation, we have no right to judge.  You also have no idea what an individual may have to deal with on a daily basis.  Maybe the young man comes from a poor upbringing?  Maybe the family depends on the success of this young man?  That’s a lot of pressure, and while these young men most likely love to play football, their love for the sport alone isn’t going to put food on the table or a roof over their heads.

Now, to some of the critics’ quotes.

“They are showing disloyalty to the school that raised them and advertised for them.” 

I actually would somewhat agree with this argument…if the players actually earned a salary.  Truth is, they don’t, and it has been a capitalist dream for the NCAA and schools across the country.  These institutions are raking in millions and millions of dollars off the backs of these college athletes, and they don’t receive a penny of it (at least not that we know of…or legally).  I feel that this is a more than enough “thank you” to these schools and the NCAA.  And please, don’t throw the “they’re receiving a free education” excuse at me.  As we saw with UNC, it’s pretty clear that not every program actually cares about their star players’ educations.  On a side note, one big reason I want players to start earning salaries is so I can get more NCAA football games (I’m a selfish individual, sue me).

“These players are abandoning their teammates and their team.” 

While a true statement, it is an unfair one to make.  At the end of the day, these players are acting in their own self interests. Whether that’s making millions, supporting the family, or whatever, they have goals to reach.  This is simple Humanity 101:  all humans are inherently selfish.  Yes, you too, are selfish.  It’s what drives us and our capitalist mentality towards success. Now, if you’ve ever said the above quote, I want you to think about something:  have you ever left a job or workplace for a better career opportunity? Wouldn’t you be abandoning your co-workers or boss by doing so?  Isn’t that selfish of you?  The answer, YES!  But guess what, that’s ok.  Nobody should fault you for acting in your own self-interests.  Now, if none of this applies to you in any way, shape, or form, and you’ve only acted in the interest of others for your entire life, then I admire you.  However, you’ll have to forgive me if I have some doubts concerning your honesty.

“These players are letting their biggest fans down.” 

Now, if you’ve bought a ticket for your team’s bowl game and you’ve just found out that your favorite player(s) are skipping out, then yeah, I can understand your frustration.  There needs to be a “buyer beware” clause or even a refund option at some point to relegate this predicament because someone could make a case of false advertising if it keeps up.  But, if you are simply watching this on T.V. at home, a friend’s place, or your favorite Buffalo Wild Wings, then pump the breaks for a second. The worst thing that can happen is that your team disappoints…life goes on.  It also sounds like you feel that it is the obligation of the player to please and care about you, the fan.  It’s not. Also, do you honestly care about the player?  After they are done with college ball, are you going to follow them into the NFL? Speaking to an acquaintance of mine who is a big Gamecock fan, he once told me that “once a player leaves USC, I couldn’t care less about what happens to them.”  Damn, that’s harsh!  I’m not saying that any of you would make this same statement, but do any of you follow NFL football?  Do you follow former college football players once they make it to the NFL?  If you don’t, is your mindset really different than what my friend said? 

Granted, I went to a Panthers preseason game against Houston last year, and was amazed by the amount of orange I saw around me in support of Deshaun Watson.  That’s true love if I’ve ever seen it, and many of these people were Panthers fans.  When Watson scored a touchdown, the entire stadium went wild.  You would’ve thought that it was a Clemson game. It showed me how much some Clemson fans appreciated Watson and his astonishing contributions to Clemson football. Don’t get me wrong though, because I’m sure there are many Clemson fans that think like my Gamecock friend.  If you have the above mindset, I advise you to ease off your judgements.  Remember, at the end of the day, these college football players don’t owe you anything.

Now, if the individual is someone who is graded as a mid/late round pick for the NFL draft, then it might not be a bad idea for him to play in a bowl game.  While it is still a risk, it would give thema final opportunity to showcase their talents and possibly raise their draft stock.  I also have no criticism for any players who have high draft grades and decide to play.  While I may disagree with the decision, it is ultimately theirs to make and not mine.

If this all came out as harsh, I apologize, but it needed to be said.  At times, we forget that these college athletes are humans, just like us.  They are making business decisions that they and others believe will be beneficial to their future, much like we do for ourselves every single day.  An individual’s well-being and personal success should always trump that of a simple, yet beloved game. 

Agree or disagree?  I want to hear your thoughts and opinions on this subject. Or, if you just want to talk about random football stuff, I’m always down for some good football talk!

Bramhall was born, raised, and currently lives in Spartanburg, South Carolina. He attended Wofford College, and now works as a social studies teacher at Spartanburg High School.  He is currently finishing up his masters in school counseling at Gardner-Webb University.  However, his true home might as well be the state of Pennsylvania.  He is a huge Penn State Nittany Lions football fan.  He’s also the Philadelphia Eagles’ biggest fan, which used to be a miserable life of “what ifs” and “oh so close” moments.  But after his team won the Super Bowl, he is now a god among men and is never wrong about anything football.  If you didn’t like the Philly Special, he doesn’t like you.  The 76ers are cool, too.  #TrustTheProcess