Chip: Gophers' Blake Cashman, Donnell Greene shouldn't be faulted for skipping bowl

BleedGopher

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per Chip:

The College Football Playoff is the only postseason event that truly carries any significance. As a traditionalist who loves the history of college football, it feels heretical to devalue the importance of, say, the Rose Bowl. But viewed logically, non-playoff bowl games are merely exhibitions that extend the risk for injury and possibly damage the earning potential for NFL hopefuls, especially those projected as high draft picks.

Players who elect to skip bowl games are being pragmatic, not selfish. Criticism of their decision is shortsighted.

The case of Jaylon Smith shifted attitudes in this debate. The former Notre Dame linebacker was projected as a top-five pick. Then he suffered a devastating knee injury in the 2016 Fiesta Bowl and fell to the second round, costing him millions of dollars.

He became a cautionary tale.

“I think everybody has a certain case of why they should or shouldn’t do it, and I think every case has to be handled individually,” Gophers coach P.J. Fleck said.

Cashman was the Gophers’ best defensive player so his absence will have a significant impact. He’s not considered a high draft prospect, and he might not get drafted at all. But by skipping a low-tier bowl, he’ll avoid risking an injury that could kill his NFL dream altogether.

“I can give them advice, but I’ll never tell anybody what to do,” Fleck said.

For some, the decision is easy. Others probably wrestle with it, knowing not everyone will agree with their choice.

Former Gophers running back David Cobb would have been an interesting case study. Cobb was projected as a midround pick in 2014. Questions about his speed made it imperative that he perform well in the 40-yard dash for scouts in pre-draft workouts.

He suffered a hamstring injury that season. He recovered enough to play in the Citrus Bowl, but he admitted that “I wasn’t quite myself.”

I called Cobb this week to see if he might have skipped the bowl game had that trend been more prevalent at the time. He waffled.

“It’s hard because I just want to play,” he said. “I would want to show my stuff and just be out there with my teammates. That’s the biggest thing for me: Not wanting to let my teammates down.”

He paused.

“But also knowing that I wasn’t really healthy,” he said. “You have a lot of future goals that you’ve been working for your whole life. You kind of ask yourself, is it worth it? Of course you want to play that last game. But with the trend being how it is today and more acceptable … I mean, it’s hard for me to say that I would sit out. But I definitely would have had a little more thought to go into it.”

http://www.startribune.com/college-...be-faulted-for-skipping-bowl-games/503391212/

Go Gophers!!
 

The players are paid with scholarships worth $60-$70k per year, beyond the average family income for a year. They should be required to play in every game. They shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose which games they'll play in - it is a bad trend that may get worse.
 

The players are paid with scholarships worth $60-$70k per year, beyond the average family income for a year. They should be required to play in every game. They shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose which games they'll play in - it is a bad trend that may get worse.

Yea, just like the Pro Football, Baseball or Basketball players are required to play in every game because they are played in tens of millions $’s per year.

Everyone would like them to play and most players would like to play, but they are now focusing on their career. What if you had just finished your final exams and passed all of your classes to graduate. Then they tell you that they have one more exam that everyone wants to take. If you score good, it doesn’t really help your score, but if you flunk it (get hurt in the game...) then no one will hire you. What would you do?


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The players are paid with scholarships worth $60-$70k per year, beyond the average family income for a year. They should be required to play in every game. They shouldn't be allowed to pick and choose which games they'll play in - it is a bad trend that may get worse.

Tuition/fees/books/dorm is 45k for out of state students. My takeaway from that is how absurdly overpriced college has become. An antiquated, overhead-bloated model.



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I hope my dash was properly used. Perhaps I need to go back to grammar school.
 


Tuition/fees/books/dorm is 45k for out of state students. My takeaway from that is how absurdly overpriced college has become. An antiquated, overhead-bloated model.

Students demand costly stuff, like internet access. IT operations at the U TC campus, I bet could cost a small fortune each year.
 


People seem to be assuming that playing in a bowl game cannot help a player's chances of being drafted. Everyone is focusing on the negatives "He might get hurt." "It's taking time away from his preparation for the combine."

Well, here's a thought: what if the player does play in the bowl game, and plays great? has a really freakin' great performance. winds up on Sports Center. I think that might help his draft status, or at the very least earn him a longer look by pro scouts and evaluators.

It's being presented as "only bad things can happen from playing in a bowl game." I reject that argument as patently false. Good things could happen from playing in the game. please take that into account.

If Cashman played on Wednesday, and had 20 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass break-up, are you seriously saying that would not help his draft status?

just saying.
 

Yea, just like the Pro Football, Baseball or Basketball players are required to play in every game because they are played in tens of millions $’s per year.

Everyone would like them to play and most players would like to play, but they are now focusing on their career. What if you had just finished your final exams and passed all of your classes to graduate. Then they tell you that they have one more exam that everyone wants to take. If you score good, it doesn’t really help your score, but if you flunk it (get hurt in the game...) then no one will hire you. What would you do?


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This argument doesn’t really hold up because a scholarship is null and void once they declare as is the case with a pro athlete’s contract when they retire.

I don’t know these guys’ injury situation but I’m moreso surprised by the fact that guys who aren’t guaranteed to be drafted are making the jump but it’s their choice at the end of the day. Hopefully it works out for them.
 



This argument doesn’t really hold up because a scholarship is null and void once they declare as is the case with a pro athlete’s contract when they retire.

I don’t know these guys’ injury situation but <b>I’m moreso surprised by the fact that guys who aren’t guaranteed to be drafted are making the jump </b>but it’s their choice at the end of the day. Hopefully it works out for them.

Often when things don’t make sense there is more to the story. DG is injured. Maybe Blake is, maybe he isn’t, and maybe the timing of his announcement is or isn’t coincidental. We will never know, but I agree it is surprising.


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By Chips logic though not just are all but the playoffs games meaningless, but a large proportion of the regular season as well. If the bowl games are meaningless why would any teams regular season games to qualify for a bowl game or achieve a better game carry any meaning?

These guys can do whatever they want of course, but to pretend that it doesn't have an overall effect on the health of the game is not being honest. The game of college football was built by all those that played it before these guys. College football is a juggernaut. It doesn't just provide the current guys with free school, but also exposure and fame. Much of that is due to the guys that have played it before them, guys who played in big games and small. Meaningless and important. But again the current guys don't owe anything to anybody but themselves, but let's not pretend that their decisions only impact themselves.
 
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By Chips logic though not just are all but the playoffs games meaningless, but a large proportion of the regular season as well. If the bowl games are meaningless why would any teams regular season games to qualify for a bowl game or achieve a better game carry any meaning?

These guys can do whatever they want of course, but to pretend that it doesn't have an overall effect on the health of the game is not being honest. The game of college football was built by all those that played it before these guys. College football is a juggernaut. It doesn't just provide the current guys with free school, but also exposure and fame. Much of that is due to the guys tat have played it before them, guys who played in big games and small. Meaningless and important. But again the current guys don't owe anything to anybody but themselves, but let's not pretend that their decisions only impact themselves.


I honestly believe that Chip, deep down, writes this bs because he is hoping the Gophers lose. And he knows, by these guys not playing, it makes winning that much more difficult. Sorry Chip, your wishes have been foiled.
 

upon further thought:

if you want to play pro baseball or hockey, you do not have to go to college - or pretend to go to college. there are other routes available.

If you want to play pro basketball, you probably have to go to college, but only for 1 or 2 years if you're good enough. And, if the G-league ever becomes a viable option, then that will present another route.

But, if you want to play pro football, you have to go to college for at least 3 or 4 years. No other options. And the NFL sits back and counts the money, while they reap the benefits of a free player development system. That is the bigger issue.
 



I honestly believe that Chip, deep down, writes this bs because he is hoping the Gophers lose. And he knows, by these guys not playing, it makes winning that much more difficult. Sorry Chip, your wishes have been foiled.

Chip is probably the most pro-Gopher writer in the TC media. I highly doubt he is cheering for the Gophers to lose.
 

I guess I don't understand's Chip's point. The bowl game is meaningless for the sole reason that it doesn't effect who wins the playoff. So why was the Gopher/Illinois game important or sadly even the Gopher/Badger game? Those games were important to the fans, but so is the bowl. I am interested in watching and in us winning.

It is sad to think our bowl game and ultimately most our regular season games are not important to the players. But I suppose guys like Ed Oliver and Bosa packed it in well before the bowl season to prepare for their careers. Guess it makes you think even more so what the point of shelling over thousands of bucks for tickets is.
 

I don't like this bailing out for bowl games.

If a player is on scholarship and is physically able to play, then he should be required to put on a jock strap, lace em up and fasten the chip strap.

Imagine a top rated player playing for a bad team, decide to call it quits with one or two games to go.

Not acceptable.
 

upon further thought:

if you want to play pro baseball or hockey, you do not have to go to college - or pretend to go to college. there are other routes available.

If you want to play pro basketball, you probably have to go to college, but only for 1 or 2 years if you're good enough. And, if the G-league ever becomes a viable option, then that will present another route.

But, if you want to play pro football, you have to go to college for at least 3 or 4 years. No other options. And the NFL sits back and counts the money, while they reap the benefits of a free player development system. That is the bigger issue.

Considering the curious popularity of the NFL, a league of cartpetbaggers and money chasers that have zero loyalty to their tribalist fans, even if a few college players act like professional NFLers and do what’s in their own self interest and sit out a “meaningless” bowl game college football will still thrive.

If it goes whole hog into the professional realm and schools start paying players, allows yearly free agency, and the leagues become extremely uncompetitive (which would happen overnight) etc I can see it’s star dimming but the current issue of a few guys sitting is pretty minor IMO. Enough go undrafted and it will solve itself.
 


upon further thought:

if you want to play pro baseball or hockey, you do not have to go to college - or pretend to go to college. there are other routes available.

If you want to play pro basketball, you probably have to go to college, but only for 1 or 2 years if you're good enough. And, if the G-league ever becomes a viable option, then that will present another route.

But, if you want to play pro football, you have to go to college for at least 3 or 4 years. No other options. And the NFL sits back and counts the money, while they reap the benefits of a free player development system. That is the bigger issue.

100% agreed and I shouldn’t be expected to buy tickets or donate either.
 

Considering the curious popularity of the NFL, a league of cartpetbaggers and money chasers that have zero loyalty to their tribalist fans, even if a few college players act like professional NFLers and do what’s in their own self interest and sit out a “meaningless” bowl game college football will still thrive.

If it goes whole hog into the professional realm and schools start paying players, allows yearly free agency, and the leagues become extremely uncompetitive (which would happen overnight) etc I can see it’s star dimming but the current issue of a few guys sitting is pretty minor IMO. Enough go undrafted and it will solve itself.

If ever got to that point, I could see the non-scholarship model potentially gaining in popularity with fans. That's another thread though.
 

If ever got to that point, I could see the non-scholarship model potentially gaining in popularity with fans. That's another thread though.

For me there wouldn’t be much incentive to follow and cheer for a second tier pro league. But, maybe you’re right. Maybe a salary cap model/revenue sharing model would make it viable and more competitive than today. But, once you go down that rabbit hole...
 

People seem to be assuming that playing in a bowl game cannot help a player's chances of being drafted. Everyone is focusing on the negatives "He might get hurt." "It's taking time away from his preparation for the combine."

Well, here's a thought: what if the player does play in the bowl game, and plays great? has a really freakin' great performance. winds up on Sports Center. I think that might help his draft status, or at the very least earn him a longer look by pro scouts and evaluators.

It's being presented as "only bad things can happen from playing in a bowl game." I reject that argument as patently false. Good things could happen from playing in the game. please take that into account.

If Cashman played on Wednesday, and had 20 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass break-up, are you seriously saying that would not help his draft status?

just saying.

So professional scouts only watch ESPN for player evaluation? The player draft status will be based upon their body of work and a healthy combine performance, not a chance superstar performance in a non-championship bowl game.


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People seem to be assuming that playing in a bowl game cannot help a player's chances of being drafted. Everyone is focusing on the negatives "He might get hurt." "It's taking time away from his preparation for the combine."

Well, here's a thought: what if the player does play in the bowl game, and plays great? has a really freakin' great performance. winds up on Sports Center. I think that might help his draft status, or at the very least earn him a longer look by pro scouts and evaluators.

It's being presented as "only bad things can happen from playing in a bowl game." I reject that argument as patently false. Good things could happen from playing in the game. please take that into account.

If Cashman played on Wednesday, and had 20 tackles, a sack, a forced fumble, and a pass break-up, are you seriously saying that would not help his draft status?

just saying.

I’m sure the scouts are dying to see how Cashman plays against the triple option...
 

On Dec. 11th at 3:55 PM, Cashman posts on Facebook that he is skipping the bowl game. One hour later, the Srib story goes live. Man, what a coincidence.
 


Chip is probably the most pro-Gopher writer in the TC media. I highly doubt he is cheering for the Gophers to lose.

There is a 98 year old Strib/830 employee that takes offense to that statement.
 

I don't like players sitting out the bowl. I think mostly because I think you are letting your team down. In DG's case I guess with the injury it changes things and I guess we don't know about CAshman he could have an injury. But if you are healthy and choosing not to play you are choosing to let your team down and that goes against everything I was taught growing up and in sports.

With that said, they are adults and they can make their own decisions. I think it says a lot about their character and maybe some pro teams think that too, idk. Just because I wouldn't make that decision doesn't mean they should be forced into playing. It does put a smear on their gopher career in my eyes though.
 

Considering Cashman played half his time here gratis, he’s paid his dues and then some. One of the better defensive and special teams players the Gophers have had. Thanks Blake, and good luck.
 

I'm not sure if it would be possible to set up legally and contractually but I'd like to see some sort of system where if players skip their bowl game, they are forced to repay their scholarship into some fund that is either donated or used to pay for medical care to former college athletes. That way sure-thing top NFL picks can skip their bowl game without feeling like they still owe something, players who would be late draft picks have an incentive to play, and some money goes to a good cause.

Both Greene and Cashman are special situations though with Greene being hurt and Cashman having played without a scholarship and potentially being injured/suspended that we don't know about. But in a normal situation where a fully healthy player who had a scholarship his entire time on the team, I would view them very differently for skipping a bowl game and it would be hard for me to think of them alongside legendary Gopher alumni, no matter how good they were on the field.
 




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