Welcome home, fellow Gator.

The Gator Nation's oldest and most active insider community
Join today!
  1. Hi there... Can you please quickly check to make sure your email address is up to date here? Just in case we need to reach out to you or you lose your password. Muchero thanks!

No Bowl Games Needed Next Year

Discussion in 'RayGator's Swamp Gas' started by georgeburns2, Jan 4, 2024.

  1. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

    88,954
    26,796
    4,613
    Apr 3, 2007
    It's easier just to chime in on other threads that have been started on that same subject.
     
  2. savannahgator5220

    savannahgator5220 GC Hall of Fame

    2,507
    214
    198
    Apr 3, 2007
    Savannah Ga.
    96 I get that. But getting the fans into the stadium is better for the bowls than having them stay home and watch the game. A little revenue is better than no revenue for the host city.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  3. TrueGator

    TrueGator GC Hall of Fame

    2,328
    1,001
    2,063
    Nov 11, 2014
    For someone who works for the network which owns a virtual monopoly on bowl game coverage, that's an interesting perspective.
     
    • Agree Agree x 3
  4. gatorwalrus

    gatorwalrus GC Hall of Fame

    3,507
    910
    1,873
    Sep 24, 2022
    I actually like the bowl games are week 1 of the following season. Could make a whole offseason event out of bowl selection is a part of schedule announcement. Bringing them to week 1 fixes all of the other issues of opt outs and meaningless exhibitions.
     
    • Like Like x 2
    • Informative Informative x 1
  5. tigator2019

    tigator2019 GC Hall of Fame

    1,465
    2,577
    1,873
    Dec 25, 2018
    In my head--- UF
    • Informative Informative x 1
  6. RayGator

    RayGator Administrator Emeritus

    55,316
    4,219
    2,678
    Apr 3, 2007
    Lakeland, Florida USA.
    • Fistbump/Thanks! Fistbump/Thanks! x 2
    • Funny Funny x 2
    • Best Post Ever Best Post Ever x 1
  7. g8orbill

    g8orbill Old Gator Moderator VIP Member

    126,092
    57,364
    114,663
    Apr 3, 2007
    Clermont, Fl
    there will be bowl games - espn owns the rights to all the vowl games and will need the advertising revenue
     
    • Like Like x 1
    • Agree Agree x 1
  8. INGATORSWETRUST

    INGATORSWETRUST GC Hall of Fame

    16,825
    1,115
    1,328
    Apr 8, 2007
    Florida
  9. TrueGator

    TrueGator GC Hall of Fame

    2,328
    1,001
    2,063
    Nov 11, 2014
    By my count, ESPN aired 32 of the 42 bowls this year.
     
  10. GATORAJE

    GATORAJE GC Legend

    535
    54
    258
    Apr 8, 2007
    That was 2006
     
    • Agree Agree x 2
    • Informative Informative x 1
  11. tommyuf21

    tommyuf21 GC Hall of Fame

    7,494
    205
    258
    Apr 8, 2007
    Have the FCS teams go to the bowl games. Those kids won't opt out.
     
    • Funny Funny x 1
  12. 96Gatorcise

    96Gatorcise Hurricane Hunter

    15,743
    26,028
    3,363
    Aug 6, 2008
    Tampa
    They barely draw 5000 fans for home games. How many do you think will show up to watch?
     
  13. chunks1

    chunks1 GC Legend

    509
    101
    1,843
    Jan 2, 2014
    At least we are ahead of the curve.
     
  14. TrueGator

    TrueGator GC Hall of Fame

    2,328
    1,001
    2,063
    Nov 11, 2014
    The one where we then annihilated OSU 44-14. I watched that game with an Ohio State fan. He kept bragging about how OSU had the "Best Damn Band In the Land." I told him in the second quarter, "Maybe, so, but, you have, at best, a distant "Second Best Football Team in the Land."
     
  15. RealGatorFan

    RealGatorFan Premium Member

    15,058
    7,725
    2,893
    Apr 3, 2007
    More than Miami can draw.
     
    • Winner Winner x 1
  16. SeabudGator

    SeabudGator GC Hall of Fame

    1,137
    718
    2,153
    Apr 23, 2014
    That being true, let’s thought experiment this. Rutgers vs. OSU. Rutgers gets a chance to knock of OSU! OSU best players are thinking NFL (you can blame them all you want but reality is these kids are looking at their future and risk/reward, which is what we all do). Rutgers kids are playing to win, teammates, and for the joy of football - most of those kids are not thinking NFL!

    People behave within their experience and the lower level teams or FBS play for team, brotherhood, and the chance to win. We as Gator fans do not want that from our Gators - we want championships with elite talent - that is NFL bound. Those kids are looking for championships and paydays, not brotherhood.

    I hate to say it but Kirby at UGA seems to have the closest to both worlds. Elite players largely committed to the program and dominating. God I hate to say it… This is not binary but a needle to thread where you get elite talent to commit to a larger cause. I think Billy has the right idea but not sure he surrounds himself with the folks that take that elite talent to their maximum potential in a choppy, noisy world.
     
  17. Gatorrick22

    Gatorrick22 GC Hall of Fame

    88,954
    26,796
    4,613
    Apr 3, 2007
    Let's just say if the bowls make someone money they will continue to have them regardless of the quitters (opt-outs) at the end of the year.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  18. 4everaGator

    4everaGator GC Hall of Fame

    2,324
    1,925
    1,948
    Aug 3, 2010
    Central Florida
    Definitely. 2008 was vs Oklahoma when Tebow was robbed of the Heisman. We played Michigan after the 2007 season and lost (same year they lost to Appie St)!
     
  19. lerxst6

    lerxst6 GC Hall of Fame

    1,010
    205
    1,873
    Apr 11, 2007
    Naples
    This notion has been out there for years. Conference championships dilute the meaning of regular season, playoffs dilute the bowls, now extended playoffs seem to really dilute to the point of questioning their viability at all. For the majority of “average fans” I think it does.

    I never believed it before but the number of opt outs seems to indicate the truth in it. In the last decade our handful of decent years led to several good players not playing in our bowl game.

    I still can’t believe the backup Texas QB opted out for TP and his team was in playoffs.

    Speaking for myself - my interest in the sport I’ve loved watching the most for 3 decades is minimal now. And back then I didnt just watch UF and other big teams. I used to watch whatever Thursday night game - Fresno State, Colorado State, whatever. Would watch most bowl games too.

    Sure I will still watch a UF bowl game with opt outs. But I have very little interest in other teams bowl games when I know most of the best players aren’t playing.

    Overall health is the sport is broken IMHO.

    OK end of old guy rant.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1
  20. awells05

    awells05 Sophomore

    91
    37
    1,893
    Apr 23, 2009
    Vero Beach, Florida
    Maybe the bowl will need to give up some of that money to incentivize players to play in a bowl that means nothing. For example, a million$ for the game mvp. $50k to all starters. Something like that might help players want to play in games that dont matter.
     
    • Agree Agree x 1