Jefferson and Elliott gone to NFL, will not play in bowl

The coaches has lost the team, just don't play in a bowl and get embarrassed,

Best LB, best DB, best OL do not want to play.

Let's move on to Volleyball, those girls really want to play for their school.
 
Everybody needs to stop listening to a bunch of pay sites and rumors. They're making money off all this and don't have an incentive to get it right.

Let the smoke clear and let the kids actually make the decision before you start freaking out.
 
I think this is BS. These players didn't accomplish squat FOR THE TEAM and now are bailing. Too bad there isn't clear language in the scholarship allowing for some sort of penalty if you QUIT the team and/or drop out of school before the bowl game and/or the spring semester ends. This is truly now becoming a joke. We all know why they are here and the pretense of student-athlete should be ended once and for all. These guys are mercenaries as are the coaches. The fan base is the final refuge of school loyalty and I'm beginning to wonder why it matters at all anymore.

And get those kids off my lawn too! Ha...

Yeah, I'm sounding crotchety...
 
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Since they didn't accomplish "squat", why would one be mad that they walk away?

Malik, Conner, and Elliot didn't accomplish anything, so wouldn't you want them to leave?

They're not slaves to the University, so I feel they have the right to abandon their scholarship if they want........... Just like any other student on scholarship who quits school to pursue a career or go smoke weed down by the river.

Just my 2 1/2 cents.
 
bystander said:
The fan base is the final refuge of school loyalty and I'm beginning to wonder why it matters at all anymore.
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Pretty much said it all right there

As stated above, let's all wait until it's official for all the guys declaring..... but they're bailing on the program if they skip the bowl game. IMO that would include Conner injury or not. If he's ready to play, he should play. If he is hurt why play the past 2 games? Oh yeah, to show the nfl what he's worth to them. My bad. That's more important than the team apparently

When a douchebag of a human like Zeke Elliott says he wouldn't skip a bowl game to turn his back on his teammates, it gives you a good picture of what kind of person WOULD skip a bowl... "Screw you guys, I'll get mine"
 
LonghornCatholic said:
Since they didn't accomplish "squat", why would one be mad that they walk away?

Malik, Conner, and Elliot didn't accomplish anything, so wouldn't you want them to leave?

They're not slaves to the University, so I feel they have the right to abandon their scholarship if they want. Just like any other student on scholarship who quits school to pursue a career or go smoke weed down by the river.

Just my 2 1/2 cents.
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Because they were given a free ride, didn't lead the team to any meaningful upside and then leave as soon as it is convenient. That seems very clear to my way of thinking. I thought about it and realized I wasn't happy for them and I wasn't neutral about it so that leads me to my comment. Life goes on. Just saying what I think about it. I don't have to like it. They don't have to care. It is what it is.

I think it is unfortunate to use the term slave. That's not what I was thinking at all. Be true to your school is what I was thinking along with your teammates.
 
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I think there is an angle here; if Texas gets destroyed by their bowl opponent because we are missing three All-American caliber players does it impact recruiting? Will the recruits know that the team was gutted? I suppose the coaches would let them know but it just seems stupid then to even play the game.

"Well, you know, we won 6 games so we qualified for a bowl game but lost 40-0 because our three best players opted out."
 
For a 6-6 team a bowl game is an exhibition... For young players it's important.
If you're proven NFL worthy ... what's the point of risking your career in the Cactus Bowl?
 
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bystander said:
I think there is an angle here; if Texas gets destroyed by their bowl opponent because we are missing three All-American caliber players does it impact recruiting? Will the recruits know that the team was gutted? I suppose the coaches would let them know but it just seems stupid then to even play the game.

"Well, you know, we won 6 games so we qualified for a bowl game but lost 40-0 because our three best players opted out."
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I don't think it does. Sitting out the bowl game has now become a thing at all the programs, not just Texas. That said, a bowl loss cannot be blamed on the absence of certain players.
 
Crockett said:
For a 6-6 team a bowl game is an exhibition... For young players it's important.
If you're proven NFL worthy ... what's the point of risking your career in the Cactus Bowl?
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this

Also, Malik and Elliott did make an impact. It's a team sport. And the defense did plenty this year. These guys are finalists for the top player at their position this year. That's based on performance, not potential.
 
Crockett said:
For a 6-6 team a bowl game is an exhibition... For young players it's important.
If you're proven NFL worthy ... what's the point of risking your career in the Cactus Bowl?
Click to expand...


I understand what you are saying but it could trickle down to sophomores that are elite players. The entire bowl system could be in question other than the playoffs. Just going with a possible extreme logical progression on this.
 
ProdigalHorn said:
Everybody needs to stop listening to a bunch of pay sites and rumors. They're making money off all this and don't have an incentive to get it right.

Let the smoke clear and let the kids actually make the decision before you start freaking out.
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Agreed!
But in general, this practice of skipping bowl games by players, in my mind, is unacceptable. The rest of the team would like a bowl win and certainly does not want to get embarrassed because their best players walked on the last game. This really comes down to character, or lack thereof. Where does it stop? Do they coast late in a losing season because they are afraid of injury? That certainly did not happen with any Texas players, but it could.

Finish what you started and be true to your teammates. When players bail at the end of the season one must wonder how committed they were during the entire year. Was it all about them? To some it certainly appears so. I have no problem with players going out early for the NFL. That is often a smart move and a personal and business decision. But finish your last year commitment to the program, teammates and fans. Your participation and coaching are the reasons for you opportunity to go pro and since you committed to the current year, honor that commitment.

Question to players who want to walk on the bowl game; would you do so if it was a NC game? Well, if not, winning the bowl game in question may be just as important to some of your teammates. And certainly important to the future direction of the program that helped provide the opportunity in front of you.This is not just a Texas problem, but I would have hoped that it would not, and will not, rear it's head here. (If Conner is not comfortable with the rehab of his knee and he has already jeopardized his heath in the last two games, and feels that he is on borrowed time, I could understand that, maybe.)

Does anybody wonder what would have happened if Vince had bailed out on his last bowl game? And many players before and after him?
 
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As I said on another thread:

What is the definition of a meaningless game? It seems to me that if you are not playing for a playoff team, an argument could be made that it is a meaningless bowl game. After all, what would there be to be gained?

Taken to the extreme, let's say that a third year player with NFL potential has a good season highlighted by stellar games ten and 11. By the measure of not risking his draft status, should that player shut it down (after game 11) because for him, there is no additional upside? It's not as outrageous an argument as one might think.

These guys came to the University on a free ride and they made a name for themselves. I'd like to see them follow through by playing in the bowl game, but that's just me.
 
Only way to stop NFL prospects from bailing on a meaningless bowl game is to scrap all the bowls and go to a 32-team playoff bracket. This would not help Texas this year, but since the top 32 teams have a "chance" to win the NC, I bet everyone on those teams would stay and play. Only the top 32 teams would get to play after the regular season ends. Everyone else goes home. No BS bowls.
 
bystander said:
I understand what you are saying but it could trickle down to sophomores that are elite players. The entire bowl system could be in question other than the playoffs. Just going with a possible extreme logical progression on this.
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I would have the same opinion if we were Top 10 and going to an important bowl.
 
The fact that a lot of people don't seem to care much about this season would be more worrisome to me if I cared about this season. The Horns can live with apathetic fans (at least in my donor level) but if the players stop caring ... that's a trend we can't live with long term.
 
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Crockett said:
For a 6-6 team a bowl game is an exhibition... For young players it's important.
If you're proven NFL worthy ... what's the point of risking your career in the Cactus Bowl
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Because it is a team sport. You are being selfish at the expense of your teammates who do care, who are supposed to be your brothers. They are betraying the loyal fans who support their school even through the era we are now in. They are letting us down too. They are being selfish. They can leave for the NFL at the end of the their 3rd year of eligibility, but the are quitting their teammate, the fans and their school if they walk away before then season is over.
 
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In a 6-6 season, a bowl game is 15 additional practices to get ready for the coming year and make some hard decisions on players that are on scholarship and need to make room for new blood.
Seniors can have a last harraugh as most never make it to the NFL so they have no risk of career loss injury.
Enjoy the ride it ends all too fast.
 
I think each and every game is vital FOR THE PROGRAM. Even close or moral victory type losses to top ten teams matter though I hate the moral victory type rationalization. And if the Alabama's and Oklahoma's field a full roster during the playoffs while we field a skeleton team devoid of all top talent then the gap is widening. This is more a view from the overall aura or buzz about the program and getting hammered because our players are openly saying our games are no longer important because we are not on that level just doesn't feel right to me.
 
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KBBAKER said:
Only way to stop NFL prospects from bailing on a meaningless bowl game is to scrap all the bowls and go to a 32-team playoff bracket. This would not help Texas this year, but since the top 32 teams have a "chance" to win the NC, I bet everyone on those teams would stay and play. Only the top 32 teams would get to play after the regular season ends. Everyone else goes home. No BS bowls.
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Easy solution. Given the players something to play for. A trip to Mobile, AL isn't really reward. 6-6 or 7-5 teams don't deserve a reward. A true playoff would give players something competitive to play for.
 
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