Herbstreit - today's players don't "love" to play football

14Red

14Red

Well-known member
So on Saturday's ESPN college game day there was a riveting segment where Kirk Herbstreit, Des Howard, David Pollack and Reece Davis talked about the "opt outs". Kirk, Des and David all said that today's player is so different, with the NIL, one eye on the NFL, etc. Kirk then said that he feels many of today's college football players don't "love" to play football like generations past. Of course it when viral for days and many lost their minds.

I agree with Kirk 100%. Today's college football players gets SO much more than generations past, and many have little gratitude for it. Enabled I believe is the word.

Thoughts?
 
 
14Red said:
So on Saturday's ESPN college game day there was a riveting segment where Kirk Herbstreit, Des Howard, David Pollack and Reece Davis talked about the "opt outs". Kirk, Des and David all said that today's player is so different, with the NIL, one eye on the NFL, etc. Kirk then said that he feels many of today's college football players don't "love" to play football like generations past. Of course it when viral for days and many lost their minds.

I agree with Kirk 100%. Today's college football players gets SO much more than generations past, and many have little gratitude for it. Enabled I believe is the word.

Thoughts?
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Well a lot of them think they are slaves.....
 
Of course, it's all about money. When you didn't have huge pro football endorsements and contracts, you didn't have the problem. However, the introduction of lucrative deals and the promise of riches have made football a business to the players, whereas it used to be more of a business for the owners and ADs. It's even seeping down into the high schools( Mr. Ewers, for example). Leave the school, leave the team, and go to college, where you can get money for your likeness. Bowl games were the place where many players could be seen; now they are on every week. They don't need these games to showcase their talents anymore. The playoffs made the rest of the bowls more of a hazard than a benefit for the top players. They chose to look forward to their careers, rather than risk getting injured in a game that is essentially meaningless. After all, who remembers the results of this year's Gasparilla Bowl? So, they might love the game, but not on the terms that used to define loving the game, the school, and the team. After all, next year, the team and the school will be a memory. It's all about business. And don't kid yourself, if Herbstreit were offered double the salary to jump networks, he would ( as would we all). Interesting to see if his opinion changes if his kid ever makes it big. What will his advice be?
 
Let's be honest if fans want the players to have gratitude and be student athletes then treat them like students first. Think any coach would let his QB miss practice the Thursday before the big game for a key bio lab like they did back in the day? Coaches are making over $10 million a year, they want pros because it is a big business for them. Then you have the schools, they want the big $s and exposure that goes with a high profile program. If they were really about getting these kids a quality education then they would not be talking about playoff football smack in the middle of finals or making a scholarship dependent on them to graduate HS early so they can be available for spring practice. Bottom line is that everyone wants it to be a big business except when it comes to the players.

 
I've pretty much lost interest to most college sports just like I have with pro sports.

When it comes to College Football I have watched mostly games from Division 1 AA, D2 and some D3. The whole bowl season is just a joke and any player that opts out should be forced to pay back their scholarship.
 
There's some truth to both sides of this equation IMO. The core problem is that college football has ballooned into a lucrative business while trying to masquerade as an amateur enterprise. Many players are finished with the charade.

You have coaches now making over $10 million a year and this year we had two guys at MAJOR programs that were in the playoff picture until the end of the season bail for new jobs before their bowls. I agree there is less love and loyalty on the player side compared to the good old days, but in the old days graduating high school early to be ready for spring football practice was not the norm, and there was no where near the regimented daily structure that exists in every program now. I agree with Augie. The "student" part has not come before the "athlete" part for a long time, and due to the time structure around major college football there are a lot of limitations on the type of "student" most football players can be and the total value they can get out of their education.
 
tom 48 said:
www.si.com

Matt Corral injury is why Kirk Herbstreit is wrong on bowl opt outs - Sports Illustrated

Kirk Herbstreit says some players don't "love football." But it's not their fault bowl games aren't worth the injury risk.
www.si.com www.si.com
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lol, Kirk isn't wrong. And Corral isn't proof that he is wrong. A kid can get hurt at any time. If you truly love the game, you play, why? because it is what you love to do. I mean it isn't like kids are getting injured in football and then are never able to earn a living. Is there a possible financial cost, or risk? of course. But to make money the bottom line is silly.
 
Auggie said:
Let's be honest if fans want the players to have gratitude and be student athletes then treat them like students first. Think any coach would let his QB miss practice the Thursday before the big game for a key bio lab like they did back in the day? Coaches are making over $10 million a year, they want pros because it is a big business for them. Then you have the schools, they want the big $s and exposure that goes with a high profile program. If they were really about getting these kids a quality education then they would not be talking about playoff football smack in the middle of finals or making a scholarship dependent on them to graduate HS early so they can be available for spring practice. Bottom line is that everyone wants it to be a big business except when it comes to the players.

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I agree to an extent, but let’s not act the players don’t have it pretty good. There isn’t a college student around that has it better than football/basketball players at major programs. They have every right to profit off work outside of football, but the plantation metaphor is flawed.
 
Hammerdrill said:
lol, Kirk isn't wrong. And Corral isn't proof that he is wrong. A kid can get hurt at any time. If you truly love the game, you play, why? because it is what you love to do. I mean it isn't like kids are getting injured in football and then are never able to earn a living. Is there a possible financial cost, or risk? of course. But to make money the bottom line is silly.
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They’re also exhibition games. I don’t have a problem with opt outs. I also don’t have a problem with NIL deals requiring full participation.
 
Hammerdrill said:
lol, Kirk isn't wrong. And Corral isn't proof that he is wrong. A kid can get hurt at any time. If you truly love the game, you play, why? because it is what you love to do. I mean it isn't like kids are getting injured in football and then are never able to earn a living. Is there a possible financial cost, or risk? of course. But to make money the bottom line is silly.
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That attitude is so outdated in this world of " Money is the only important thing." Most of these players couldn't care less about going to class or college in general. They are there to get ready for a pro career - to get paid. It might be nice to think that the love of the game is the primary factor, but that's for the second and third stringers. It's all about the cash today, in football and in business.
 
tom 48 said:
That attitude is so outdated in this world of " Money is the only important thing." Most of these players couldn't care less about going to class or college in general. They are there to get ready for a pro career - to get paid. It might be nice to think that the love of the game is the primary factor, but that's for the second and third stringers. It's all about the cash today, in football and in business.
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I think my last sentence wasn't clear. The argument is that Kirk is wrong, because kids can get hurt and not earn millions. If you love what you do, the money doesn't really come into consideration. Their argument that not earning millions is the one and only thing that should be considered, just doesn't make sense. It really isn't a black and white situation.
 
'If you love what you do, the money doesn't really come into consideration."

I agree but, unfortunately, the money is too good for them to take a chance. They will still do what they love to do, but get paid millions to do it. The idealism of sports has been ruined.
 
I can't think of a much worse to end your college career on than quitting on your teammates. Please don't use the word "opt out". They quit. And for most of them, they'll regret that decision someday. Guys get hurt working out getting ready for the draft. It's just unfortunate that players don't value the game like they used to.
 
My question in these situations always is who created the problem? the adults in charge or the kids? The kids are not the one's signing off on this stuff. It's adults in charge. People in their 40s, 50s, 60s who are in competition with each other and using the kids to help boost their own social and or economic standing.

Watch or listen to South Carolina Men's Basketball Coach Frank Martin's "rant" about adult's being horrible at being adults. Kids will do what adults let them do.

Don't get me wrong I hate the phrase opt out as much as the next person but why then is nothing being done to stop it? Where's the policy? Where's the rule? Where's the device to stop it from happening?
 
scbuckeye99 said:
My question in these situations always is who created the problem? the adults in charge or the kids? The kids are not the one's signing off on this stuff. It's adults in charge. People in their 40s, 50s, 60s who are in competition with each other and using the kids to help boost their own social and or economic standing.

Watch or listen to South Carolina Men's Basketball Coach Frank Martin's "rant" about adult's being horrible at being adults. Kids will do what adults let them do.

Don't get me wrong I hate the phrase opt out as much as the next person but why then is nothing being done to stop it? Where's the policy? Where's the rule? Where's the device to stop it from happening?
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- South Carolina head men's basketball coach Frank Martin.

You are a S. Carolina guy now right? I think this rings so true.

I often question myself if I have changed or the kids? But it is the kids because of the parenting. Do not get me wrong, we have always had punk kids, and I am sure there were times I was one of these kids. However, by and large kids today have zero consequences and are not held accountable as they should be.
 
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