Opting out of bowl game

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btowngopher

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Are we thinking anyone opts out? Big Dan maybe? Guess I’d be surprised a little bit if Mafe did.
 













I'm A Maroon 2! said:
Im guessing if guys are willing to play in the senior bowl, they'll play in this game as well
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Senior Bowl and a real bowl game are really nothing a like. The Senior Bowl is closer to like a mix between a football camp and the combine than it is a real football game.
 

I hope they all play but I am sure a handful of the NFL caliber players opt out:

Mafe, Big Dan, maybe Otomewu.
 

Look at the last bowl the Gophers played in. 5 Gophers were drafted in 2020 following the Outback Bowl.

Chris Williamson (7th round), Carter Coughlin (7th round), Tyler Johnson (5th round), and Antoine Winfield Jr. (2nd round) played in the Outback Bowl.

Only Kamal Martin (5th round) didn't.
 



corcorangopher said:
Anyone coming back next year should also opt out. Don’t risk a significant injury for this. Maybe play only walk ons. Take the practices but don’t risk good players In the game.
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This is the part where we flip the switch from caring deeply about the bowl game to thinking of it as a meaningless exhibition game.

The seniors who aren't coming back should play. So should the guys entering the draft early. Big Dan should play every damn down. This is the culmination of a successful 2021 season. The last game of 2021 and not the first game of 2022. A bowl game is promised to none - ask the long list of "blue blood" schools who didn't make one.

Y'all are far too cold in your thinking about injuries and evaluating players for next year and stuff. Go play ball. It's the last time some of these guys will get a chance to do that with their friends, whether they are getting drafted or going on to grad school. I assure you many more of our guys are thinking this way than sweating injuries.
 
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I'm going. It'll actually be the easiest one for me to go to so I for one am glad it's in Phoenix
 
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fmlizard said:
This is the part where we flip the switch from caring deeply about the bowl game to thinking of it as a meaningless exhibition game.

The seniors who aren't coming back should play. So should the guys entering the draft early. Big Dan should play every damn down. This is the culmination of a successful 2021 season. The last game of 2021 and not the first game of 2022. A bowl game is promised to none - ask the long list of "blue blood" schools who didn't make one.

Y'all are far too cold in your thinking about injuries and evaluating players for next year and stuff. Go play ball. It's the last time some of these guys will get a chance to do that with their friends, whether they are getting drafted or going on to grad school. I assure you many more of our guys are thinking this way than sweating injuries.
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I think any senior who wants to play should absolutely play. They've earned it. I'm with you there 100%.

As far as every one who is entering the draft, I disagree. I just think these guys have so much to lose. It's not just about devastating injuries, it's even about small injuries. The Senior Bowl is 1 month away and it could be the difference between millions of dollars for these guys who have already given their bodies, time, future health to the U of MN. If they want to play, I'd love to have them. If they opt out to focus on their future, I think it's too easy for me and a little selfish to judge them for opting out. I'd be shocked if their teammates would be let down by them opting out.
 

gopher8 said:
If they're going pro I think it would be tough to say -- "yeah, come play with the team and risk getting hurt against a 6-6 West Virginia team in a baseball stadium in Phoenix".
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By this logic, Nebraska players should have all opted out around September 15th. As soon as you are eliminated from winning the conference, the games are "meaningless."
 

I'm A Maroon 2! said:
Im guessing if guys are willing to play in the senior bowl, they'll play in this game as well
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There’s no reason not to play in The Senior Bowl unless you’re a sure fire top 10 pick, as you get access to NFL coaching/ personnel for a whole week and they get access to you as well -a few years ago, the OL from St. John’s Ben something, shot up the draft boards when he was there due to the practices he had against D1 talent -and went in the 3rd round (?) - great way to showcase yourself/talents.

also playing in a bowl game presents the following benefits: be with your teammates one last game, camaraderie and playing a sport you love one last time before it becomes your vocation- players play, that’s what they do.
 
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I hope everyone makes the decision that is in their own best interest. I think one aspect fans that expect nobody to "quit" on their team miss is that it's better to have someone out there that is 100% fully invested either because it's their last time putting on the pads or because it's a chance to make a name for themselves than have someone out there who has "don't get hurt" at the front of their mind. The Senior Bowl and/or NFL Combine will be the biggest job interview some of these guys will ever have. Conner Olson and Coney Durr have been Gophers for 6 years. Esezi Otomewo has been a Gopher for 5. If any of those guys (as examples) want to maximize their chance to be healthy and in peak form for the Senior Bowl/Combine/Pro Day instead of playing in a bowl game...I would hope everybody would understand and thank them for what they did as Gophers. I know as a society we can't reach a consensus on almost anything, so I won't hold my breath on that.
 

gopher8 said:
If they're going pro I think it would be tough to say -- "yeah, come play with the team and risk getting hurt against a 6-6 West Virginia team in a baseball stadium in Phoenix".
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I mean we just asked everyone going pro to play against a shitty wisconsin team
 

howeda7 said:
By this logic, Nebraska players should have all opted out around September 15th. As soon as you are eliminated from winning the conference, the games are "meaningless."
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Yeah I don’t get it
 



Bob_Loblaw said:
Senior Bowl and a real bowl game are really nothing a like. The Senior Bowl is closer to like a mix between a football camp and the combine than it is a real football game.
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Correct. I was responding to anyone worried about them sitting out because of a fear of injuries. The senior bowl is quite competitive, especially the practices for guys to prove themselves. No worries about any of them playing in the bowl game, especially after opting out as a team last year.
 


RogueGopher said:
Look at the last bowl the Gophers played in. 5 Gophers were drafted in 2020 following the Outback Bowl.

Chris Williamson (7th round), Carter Coughlin (7th round), Tyler Johnson (5th round), and Antoine Winfield Jr. (2nd round) played in the Outback Bowl.

Only Kamal Martin (5th round) didn't.
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Wasn't Kamal nursing a nagging injury?
 

like it or not, that is the world we live in.

college football players have been given more rights and privileges - a free transfer, NIL, etc.

the draft-eligible players are competing for draft position that can mean millions of dollars in future revenue. so, skipping the bowl game, signing with an agent and going to a training facility might give them an advantage in preparing for the combine and draft.

in the end, each player has to make a decision that they can live with - and is best for their interest.

If a Gopher player gets hurt in the bowl game, and that means they don't get drafted, or they drop several rounds in the draft, is the U of MN going to compensate them for lost revenue? Nope.

(maybe a bad) analogy: it's your senior year of college and you get a job offer before graduation. do you wait until after graduation, or grab the job offer? I guess it depends on how good the offer is, and how bad/much you want/need the money.

weighed against all of that:
I'm a fan and I want to watch these guys play one for game for the Gophers.

I can be disappointed if a player skips the bowl game, but I will never criticize them for making a decision that they feel is right for them.
 


salzie said:
I looked into it this morning, but flight alone was 7-800.

for me, it's not worth it.
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Yeah I thought maybe I leave the kids at home, fly in that day, stay, fly back next day but…. pricy.
 

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