Gophers likely to decline bowl invitation if offered per Greder

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">News: <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gophers?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc^tfw">#Gophers</a> sound likely to decline a bowl invitation — if one comes their way. <br><br>Coach PJ Fleck said Saturday: &quot;The thought of your son on Christmas morning having a box lunch sitting in their room because they can’t go anywhere. That’s Christmas?&quot;<a href="https://t.co/o2HP5Vt495">https://t.co/o2HP5Vt495</a></p>&mdash; Andy Greder (@andygreder) <a href="">December 20, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 


Other than about 12 bowls. Better for any team not to play this year
 


Good.

They don't deserve it and it doesn't have anything to do with Christmas, even if that's the angle they want to play.

They're not good enough. Not even close imo.

To go would be the ultimate participation trophy in action for Fleck and his team.
 


If it was a normal year, where the players would be able to enjoy the experience... it might be worth it just for that. It would also be an opportunity for more practices and game experience.

It's not a normal year, though.
 

Not going would be the correct call this year. Losing record, covid still raging, pack it up start preparing for next season.
 

Brett McMurphy is reporting "a number" of Big Ten teams are declining bids, and more bowls will be canceled tomorrow. Certainly sounds like the Gophers are done til '21.
 




Although I always enjoy watching the Gophers play I could totally understand declining a bowl invite this year and being done with the 2020 season.

Guessing there are going to be lots of bowl games that can't find teams to play. Think most players and coaches are ready to be done till next year.
 

I haven’t read closely but isn’t the biggest reason to not go simply that they won’t get many practices because of how late this is decided?

The 15 practices wouldn’t exist. It would be like 2-3 max. No parades, nothing fun.
 

Penn State will not play in a bowl.

This might just end up being Ohio State, Northwestern, Indiana and Iowa.
 

MRJ said:
Good.

They don't deserve it and it doesn't have anything to do with Christmas, even if that's the angle they want to play.

They're not good enough. Not even close imo.

To go would be the ultimate participation trophy in action for Fleck and his team.
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Had the Gophers played a typical 12 game schedule with non-P5 tuneups they likely would have at least gone 6-6. This team was average Quick Lane Bowl caliber and almost had a sneaky good year if a couple overtimes had gone our way.

I agree with the team not accepting a bid.
 



Usually the bonus is the month of extra practice, but it is already December 19th. This year you’re lucky to get 2-3 practices before you start game prep.

decline the bowl. Let everyone go see their families and relax. Come back and train for 2021.
 

bonin21 said:
Teams under .500 should not go to bowls, and with Covid makes sense to shut er down.
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Right seem like there is too many bowl games and they keep wanting to add more? do they want every team to play a bowl game in the future? Think we up to 41 bowls so 82 out of the 130 teams or 63% of teams get to go to a bowl currently
 

MRJ said:
Good.

They don't deserve it and it doesn't have anything to do with Christmas, even if that's the angle they want to play.

They're not good enough. Not even close imo.

To go would be the ultimate participation trophy in action for Fleck and his team.
Click to expand...
😝
 


Never turn down a bowl - and never give up your crossover game to play Wisconsin in Madison.
 

I think Fleck's quote says it all: do you really want your son sitting alone in a hotel room, eating a boxed lunch, unable to go anywhere, do anything, see anything? Everything will be closed up.

The hell with that. Why? Why does a 3-4 team "deserve" the bid, in the first place?


It would be absolutely silly to accept a bowl bid, at this point.


Let it be done.

Let the nightmare and the mental pressure put on players and coaches, be done for the year.

Go home, be with your families.
 

And I would say: don't allow organized team activities until some point in March, maybe even April.

Let us get well out in front of the virus, with the vaccines. Have a late May, early June "spring ball".
 

Virtually every bowl projection has the Gophers in a bowl. Seems a lot of teams made proactive statements that they would not accept a bowl bid already. I would think the NCAA and ESPN would have needed a commitment by some deadline (late last night?). I would have let the players decide. In general players play for love of the game. And B1G, ESPN, and UMN athletic dept will take any payday they can get.
 


corcorangopher said:
Virtually every bowl projection has the Gophers in a bowl. Seems a lot of teams made proactive statements that they would not accept a bowl bid already. I would think the NCAA and ESPN would have needed a commitment by some deadline (late last night?). I would have let the players decide. In general players play for love of the game. And B1G, ESPN, and UMN athletic dept will take any payday they can get.
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F ESPN. They can go suck a big one.

Bowls are going to be a big ACC/SEC fest, which is all they care about anyway.
 

At the same time, if the Gophers were 5-2, would they be so quick to turn down a bowl bid?

Fleck's concerns for the players may be genuine, but in a normal year, if a team goes to a bowl near Xmas, they would still be missing Christmas with the family.

And when you take a D1 scholarship at a major school, you have to know going in that you are going to miss out on some things that 'normal' students experience. that is the trade-off for the scholarship and maybe a chance for a pro career.

on some level, this sounds like Fleck and the coaches just want this season to be over.

I can appreciate that it has been a difficult year - but part of coaching is dealing with difficult situations.
 

Bleed just posted a new thread -- it's official, they will turn down any bid this year.
 

May as well decline your CFP- playoff invitation too while your at it. At 3-4, declining a bowl bid is a little presumptuous.
 

short ornery norwegian said:
At the same time, if the Gophers were 5-2, would they be so quick to turn down a bowl bid?

Fleck's concerns for the players may be genuine, but in a normal year, if a team goes to a bowl near Xmas, they would still be missing Christmas with the family.

And when you take a D1 scholarship at a major school, you have to know going in that you are going to miss out on some things that 'normal' students experience. that is the trade-off for the scholarship and maybe a chance for a pro career.

on some level, this sounds like Fleck and the coaches just want this season to be over.

I can appreciate that it has been a difficult year - but part of coaching is dealing with difficult situations.
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That’s probably true and why Indiana and northwestern are playing in bowls while Minnesota and penn state opted out.
At the same time Washington missed their conference title game and opted out.

different people can do it different. They wouldn’t be wrong for playing and they aren’t wrong for opting out
 

If they are looking for another team to fill a spot. Army would be a good pick. Much higher record than many who took a bowl spot.
 

MplsGopher said:
And I would say: don't allow organized team activities until some point in March, maybe even April.

Let us get well out in front of the virus, with the vaccines. Have a late May, early June "spring ball".
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Spring runs to June 20, so plenty of options timewise. Spring semester ends May 12...could practice right after.
 

#2Gopher said:
If they are looking for another team to fill a spot. Army would be a good pick. Much higher record than many who took a bowl spot.
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Army got bit for being independent this year.
I think they were contracted into that bowl as their only option then it got canceled.
 

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