One persons bad behavior is another's just behavior. and the casting aside of scholarship athletes when a better option comes along is not "perceived". It unfortunately is real. As is the sense amongst fans that most of these bowls are simply ESPN programming created to serve the pockets of ESPN, coaches/ADs and conference commissioners.

I have no issue with these guys sitting out. You and others do. and I buy the you owe it to your teammates argument except when the teammates endorse the decision. I simply can not buy the loyalty to the program argument when it is not a two way street.

I simply have to disagree with folks on this one. Doesn't make me right or wrong. Just disagree.

I support their decision even if it is to protect their pro value. The programs protect their long term value by cutting players and ending their scholarship. Both sides simply looking out gor themselves. What is justified for the program is justified did he player / employee.

Robert, I agree with just about every point you've made in this thread. I think my cousin in Knoxville would, too! ;-)

There's an article in today's (1/4) The Record by Ralph Russo of the A.P. on possible changes to the bowl system.

Based on the article, it appears that,in the future ,there may be a slight reduction in the overall number of bowls and the number of bowls a conference can lock in.
The lock in reduction is due in part to conferences not having a sufficient number of bowl eligible teams to fill all their bowl slots.

The article points out that there are a lot of people involved in college football who feel that all bowl eligible teams should be in a bowl.
This includes coaches who use the practice time for underclassmen player development.

One interesting point.
There's no mention of changing bowl eligibility to 7 wins.

I was merely pointing out what Mr.Russo's article said about people involved in college football,as it pertains to going to bowls.

No question the points you raised are valid.

Going to bowls is also a recruiting tool.

By my count, and I'm probably off on these estimates, there were 40 bowl games with 80 teams. Using the Bobcats roster, 40 players were draft-eligible (either red-shirt junior or older). If I apply that percentage, that means that 3,200 players who played in bowl games were draft eligible.

Of those, we are talking about a miniscule number who chose to sit out their bowl games due to their potential NFL future. Hell, only roughly 210 total players get drafted. We are not talking about a mass exodus of players who will refuse to play bowl games in the future.

I respect those of you who have strong opinions about being loyal to your team, but I will not fault McCaffrey and Fournette for their decision to sit out.