If we get “Will Grier’d“ in the upcoming years

Basically if we have a star player sit out the bowl game, and it ends up costing us the game, how we will view that player going forward? Will we still refer to them as “VFL”? Does it depend on the extent of the bowl?

Just curious as to how the masses of VN will feel, because I’m sure it’s going to happen to us at some point.

Remember what people said about Jalen Hurd? I would think something like that.
 
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Agree... speaking of which and a bit off topic but did Mariota sit out the most important game in years for the titans because he could risk further injury? In other words he was capable of playing yet didn’t want to risk injury? I mean in football the next play could be anyone’s last.... if he sat it out while capable of playing I hope he didn’t receive a paycheck for that game. Their are inherent risks with many peoples jobs, I’m guessing most people can’t go to their bosses and say “ hmm I’m not going to work today because I don’t want to risk hurting myself but I still expect to get paid, thanks!”
The report is that he didn't play because his whole right side was feeling "numb and tingly", not because he didn't want to risk further injury. In other words, he didn't think he would be effective.
 
While I understand to some degree, when does it stop? What if a player wants to sit at some point in the regular season? Describing a football game as “meaningless” is somewhat subjective.
 
I would argue that bowls are more important. Fans spend money to travel and support the team. Home games are easy for fans and few go to away games.

That said...it's the kid's life. He goes to college to increase his income potential. Let him sit if he fears an injury that could ruin that.
 
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I am a WVU fan and I applaud Will. To throw away potential Millions for a meaningless Bowl Game is stupid at best. If you were in final four, it would be different. Means nothing. He gave his time to the Eerrs and needs to get on with it. Your question is entirely based on weak premise of being a VFL would be more important that providing for your family for life. Get over your self.
 
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If a player is in that position, then good for them. They're looking at a good career in the NFL, so let them sit out and next man up.
 
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High draft picks help the team more than a MCB or Camping World Bowl win. If its not the playoffs then sit all you want. good decision.
 
Unless of course his college let him attend there for free under the agreement that he would play football for the college team
Which he did for 3-4 years while the school made millions thru the football program.

I'm not saying to pay em. Different discussion. But I'm not gonna begrudge a kid for looking at the big picture.
 
The way I see it is it give the backups an opportunity of a lifetime. An opportunity to prove themselves and more in game reps for next season. I see it as a positive but I know I’m weird. Not everything is a personal attack on you.
 
I think we need to worry more about getting Saban’d, Smart’d, and Mullen’d. Will Grier did a whole lot Will Griering twice to Tn in his career and we had no answer. I doubt we have a player good enough to skip a bowl game in next two years.
 
For any real competitor there is no such thing as a "meaningless" game.
I do hate that bowl games aren't what they used to be, i.e. no longer a reward for being one of the top teams in the country, but now it just has to be considered your 13th or 14th game, which you lose out on by being lousy. It doesn't make them less meaningful than any mid season non-conference game after you've lost a couple. They count. They're on your final record. They affect final rankings. Any real competitor cares about these things. Not to mention the absolutely miniscule chance that your going to suffer a career-ending injury. I could rant for hours on why I despise the whole sitting out thing, but I won't.
I'll just say this: my dad's influence made me a sports fan many years ago, but if I were a youngster today I doubt I'd care about sports at all, and this issue is one small example why.
 
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I think the same could be said for those guys being recruited in high school and their team mates don't have a chance to play at the next level( college). Did they just use their mates for a meal ticket? How about a G5 HC who gets a P5 job but cant bring his whole staff and leaves before the season is done? Didn't he use his coaches as a meal ticket? Life aint fair... I would hate the situation (especially if it cost our Vols a victory) but I haven't ever had anybody offer me millions so I cant tell what I would do.
There have been many, many pros play in bowl games. Where does it stop, do you say "I'm not going to play in the last two games because we have nothing to play for? I'll be going "pro" at the end of the season. It looked some of our guys might have had that opinion this year. I can't speak for coaches. At least Coach P met his obligations last year or so it appears. Obviously you can argue he should have Bama as soon as he cut at deal with UT. Then Sabin ,(does he spell it with an in or en), could have laid 100 point on us with a clear conscious.
 
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Honestly if it's a meaningless bowl game I could care less.
Times have changed and bowls being meaningful have changed. Used to be just a handful of bowls, most all played Jan 1. A reward for a good season. And more meaningless then because the champions and polls had already been decided. Basically a party trip.

In the late 30’s, Tennessee went undefeated, untied, and unscored upon.. unanimous national champs, but took a trip to the Rose Bowl and lost. In those days, nobody on the team was even thinking about preserving their body for the NFL. Money wasn’t there like it is now.

Now I think the games have more meaning in that the polls are still fluid until after the bowls, and the fans want to see their teams at full power.

Bama, Clemson, Norte Dame, and Oklahoma sure didn’t have any good players sit out. Just think of the scorn that would happen. Let’s hope we don’t have any players sit out for the same reason as those 4 teams!
 
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You're a little late to the party. That had already been cleared up. I knew they had some suspended. Didn't realize he was one of them. Thanks though.

Dexter Lawrence could have gone pro after last season and was projected as a potential first rounder. He came back to play this year out of a sense of commitment to his team. Kind of the opposite of the uninformed point you were trying to make.
 
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Interesting question, one I've thought about during this bowl season with what seems to be more folks sitting out due to moving into the next phase. I get it and understand the thought process behind the kids not wanting to take a chance of getting hurt. But really, it doesn't seem like the right thing to do. They made a commitment to the team, along with that comes an obligation, they should see it through....I guess that's where I land on the subject.
 
I still have utmost respect for Derek Barnett coming back and playing in his bowl game.

Players who sit out are selfish in my opinion. Their teammates who helped them get to where they are deserve to be at full strength in the bowl game. To sit out, is downright disrespectful to them. There are a bunch of guys who will play their last game in their college uniform, the least you could do is suit up and try and make it memorable for them.

Truly good players will find a way to rise to the top in the NFL. They don't need to sit out. The liklihood of getting injured could happen at any time in the season, including your first game in the NFL. Its a never-ending risk. If you are good and prove your worth you will get your money in that 2nd contract, not the 1st.

Selfish is schools making huge chunks of money off players while forbidding players to capitalize in any shape or form. Schools protect their right to monetize players. Turnabout is fair play. So a player should be free to protect his future earning potential by sitting out a bowl game that's basically meaningless. An injury jeopardizing said player's ability to have a post-college career deserves more than an, "I very sorry. Best of luck going forward" and all that jazz. Either offer some of that money you got from his playing for your institution or shut up. Or have self-righteous and judgmental fans pool their money to help him out until he finds alternative employment. Or again, shut up.
 
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There are 41.....…...countum' 41 Freakin Bowl Games
And when the numbers are in, I would bet attendance (NOT tickets sold) were at an ALL time low this year.
Did you see the shots of the stands in some of those Bowls......embarrassing.
Bowl Games produce a few (mostly walk throughs - little to no hitting) practices and helps save Coaches jobs.
And they also typically lose money for the University attending.
I would love to see a 6-6 team say, no thanx we're staying home! Of course the fanz, that don't go anyway would go crazy!!
 
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