Nick was in his crimson jacket, so it is all good🤔
Roll tide?
In what may be a sign of the times, a Bowl game will be folding after this year’s contest. Farewell to the LA Bowl.
Never heard of it until today. Here is it’s storied history:
2020: cancelled
2021: renamed Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl
2022-2023: renamed Starco Brands LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk
2024: renamed Art of Sport LA Bowl Hosted by Gronk
2025: renamed Bucked Up LA Bowl Hosted By Gronk
This is a good thing, right?
The LA Bowl was first played in 2021, and this is the last time it will be played.
I would characterize this more as an attempt to create a bowl game that was ultimately unsuccessful. It’s like when a TV series gets canceled after 5 episodes (when it was originally intended to be a long-running series); clearly that just didn’t work.
What is a good bowl game that is not part of the CFP cycle? Citrus? Gator?
The only way for the non-playoff bowls to stay relevant is for the bowls to offer, say, $10million award. Winner take all. Something like that. I’d watch two shitty teams compete for that. Nobody cares about winning the “recognition” aspect because there really is none.
Symbolically dangle a suitcase over the field like a Wrestlemania match.
I’m loving this idea.
He’s getting released with $25k bond. Sheesh!
I’m not sure exactly what you mean by your question, but in looking through the schedule for this year, at least, there are a number of bowl games that have the potential of a good matchup and might be fun to watch:
Bad Boy Mowers Pinstripe Bowl: Clemson vs Penn State
Pop-Tarts Bowl: Georgia Tech vs BYU
TaxSlayer Gator Bowl: Virginia vs Missouri
Kinder’s Texas Bowl: LSU vs Houston
Liberty Mutual Music City Bowl: Tennessee vs Illinois
ReliaQuest Bowl: Iowa vs Vanderbilt
Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl: Arizona State vs Duke
Cheez-It Citrus Bowl: Michigan vs Texas
SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl: Nebraska vs Utah
Trust & Will Holiday Bowl: Arizona vs SMU
So apparently the Sherrone Moore situation was that he was having an affair with a young staffer, she broke up with him on December 8, he wouldn’t leave her be, she went to the University to report his stalker behavior, they fired him for having an inappropriate relationship, he flipped out, went to her apartment, forced his way in, grabbed a knife and threatened to kill himself in front of her.
He’s been charged with:
- One count of third-degree felony home invasion, a felony. The charging document indicates this count comes with a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $2,000 fine.
- One count misdemeanor stalking related to a domestic relationship. The charging document indicates this count comes with a maximum penalty of 1 year in prison, a $1,000 fine and 5 years probation.
- One count misdemeanor breaking and entering. The charging document indicates this count comes with a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $500 fine.
I read somewhere that the University was aware he was having mental health issues prior to the firing (yet they had no HR or security presence at his dismissal).
Now the speculation begins on who the next HC will be. The regents didn’t fire AD Manuel, which I wish they had, so I wonder how many top names will actually consider working for this guy who seems to not know his ass from his elbow when it comes to drama and ethics. Well, at least the basketball and hockey teams are cruising along nicely
I’ll watch Michigan v Texas.
It just feels like these non-CFP playoff bowls have an NFL pre-season game aspect to them. It doesn’t really matter who wins. It feels more like practice and getting ready for next year. It can be ok if I’m a fan of the team, but not fun if I’m not.
They’re missing something. You need more of an Elon Musk, Bezos, etc benefactor to do one since they will likely lose money but it would be more exciting if there was an over the top cash prize component. Something worth playing for.
Don’t tell that to the players on the field. If I’m a senior on a team, I certainly want to go out on a winning note.
There is somewhat of a financial incentive, but none of goes to the players, AIUI. The conferences get money which trickles down to the schools. That’s why the Big 12 fined both Iowa State and Kansas State for declining their bowl invitations.
I could see the Saudis hosting a Bowl in their country with a gigantic payout. I know that there are contractual issues but could they make a big enough offer to the schools, coaches and players to get the top two teams to blow off the playoffs?
Almost all of these sound like satire.
Personally I’ll be watching the Four Seasons Landscaping Press Conference Bowl.
One of the rumored possibilities is Jay Harbaugh, son of Jim Harbaugh.
I hope not; he seems to be doing a pretty good job in Seattle this year.
Oh, God, I hope not. They’ve already got next year’s Royal Rumble and 2027’s WrestleMania.
I guess. It certainly used to be that way. I miss that way.
But now the bowls just aren’t prestigious like they used to - outside the major ones, they don’t even try to be. It’s not just the long sponsor names, but the “tradition” of dumping mayo on the coach. It’s meant to be gimmicky. Something to get it well known, but I don’t think a gimmicky/memeable “tradition” has longevity. I just think they need to keep looking for a new something since there is no more prestigious bowls and gimmick does not feel like the answer.
And the good juniors/seniors who are going to the NFL are opting out of them anyways. As they should.
The Saudi idea is in the right neighborhood. I wouldn’t try to attract playoff teams though, just best of the rest.
Outside the major bowls like the Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Orange, Fiesta, and maybe a few of the non-playoff bowls like the Citrus, Holiday, and Gator*, I don’t recall a time that the bowls were ever prestigious. If these bowls were actually traditional, then their loss would be sad, but I won’t mourn the loss of a non-traditional “tradition”.
*. Even then, I think the “prestige” or “tradition” was mostly that a team from a place like Michigan or Ohio could get away from the cold of a mid-western January to enjoy some days in the warm sun. At least that’s my assumption based on those more historically prestigious bowls being located in places like Florida, Southern California, or Hawaii.
You’re correct. It was fun, and it was still competitive.
It’s still fun, but it doesn’t feel competitive anymore. Only the playoff “bowl” games do, because they forced it.
So I’m trying to think of a way to make the non-playoff bowl games make the teams to actually compete and to really care about winning. It still can be, but more in a coincidental way.
Given that so many of the players that have even a small chance of going to the NFL opt out of the bowl games, that’s a difficult challenge to overcome. There would have to be some kind of prize attached other than money. Some kind of reward that gives the winning team a competitive advantage for the following season that is large enough to be meaningful but small enough to not give the losing teams a major disadvantage. I’m not sure what that might be.