Bruce Arians on skipping bowl games: “That would concern me”

Fournette, who missed four games this season with an ankle injury, announced he will not play in LSU’s bowl game and signed with Roc Nation Sports agency on Monday, giving up his college amateurism status.

“I don’t know where all this is going, but I don’t think it’s going to change”. Otherwise it won’t even feel like a real gift.

McCaffrey’s decision triggered a national debate on the subject. This trend of leaving early separates the integrity of the sport and makes college football look like a money game. Obviously those two players have done enough for their universities. But it could potentially cost them millions.

McCaffrey and Fournette apparently want to avoid the fate suffered by Notre Dame’s Jaylon Smith, who tore his anterior cruciate ligament and lateral collateral ligament in the Fighting Irish’s Fiesta Bowl loss to Ohio State after the 2015 season. Rather than the $20 million top 10 money, he signed for nearly $20 million less. “He spent a lot of time with us not practicing”. Not all but one. “For three years, Christian has not only been a great player, but a great teammate, as well”, Stanford coach David Shaw said in a statement. And we’d be right. Bowl games have similar value to All-Star games – they can show a player in a different light, against a different offense/defense and against a different level of competition. Both star running backs will be cheering on their teammates from the comfort of the sidelines. Because that league chews up and spits out running backs like they’re sunflower seeds.

This is a guy who plays close to 100 games of the highest caliber basketball a year and has done so for 13-plus seasons.

This is another step in the emergence of the empowered college athlete, and Fournette and McCaffrey are taking the first steps towards a new option players hadn’t considered before.

It completely rips away the spirit that the bowl games. It has happened to other college players. Take pity on me if I take pity on Shock Linwood. What? Are you going to quit the team Game 1? Who do you draft? Sit out, get healthy, see you in a few months.

The NFL is ruthless, man.

“Leonard and McCaffery. have both done plenty for (their) team and the program”, LSU quarterback Danny Etling told the Times-Picayune on Tuesday.

“I like the position I’m in”, Patrick said. Way to take a stand, Clark!

“You can’t just say, I hate you, (my) teammates, I’m thinking about myself only”. No matter what the other Stanford and LSU players say there has to be some animosity there. In the meantime, let’s imagine a new world awaiting college football: An 11-game regular season, with no conference championships, preceding a 16-team playoff at eight sites.

It’s a selfish move. “Because you have to win the next game to do anything”. Maybe they love it more, so they’re protecting themselves in order to play that game they love as long as they can.