[DC 86]

This will pose quite a dilemma for coaches.  They want and need the best players, but i'm certain that it drives them batsxxt crazy when they see CMAC or Fournette quit.

No doubt you are right that the trend of players quitting pre-bowl games drives coaches batsxxt crazy.

As I'm sure the players at Houston felt batsxxt crazy at Tom Herman having left for Austin while they played their bowl game, as I'm sure the players at Western Kentucky felt batsxxt crazy at Jeff Brohm being in West Lafayette while they played their bowl game, as I'm sure the players at South Florida were batsxxt crazy at Willie Taggart having departed for Eugene while they played their bowl game, etc etc.

So the chickens have come home to roost.

I don't like seeing Fournette, McCaffrey, Linwood bail on their teams pre-bowl, but it's the height of hypocrisy for Mark Richt and other coaches to decry that the practice has spread to players since it originated with coaches. It is inconsistent for there to be some degree of moral outrage at players quitting but shrugs at coaches quitting. Players have a lot to lose (ask Jaylon Smith and Willis McGahee), coaches staying on the job for a few more weeks is inconvenient but doesn't carry direct, immediate multi million dollar downside.

My feelings on McCaffrey's decision are somewhat ambivalent although generally I feel disappointed at his decision, but it does surprise me that the precedent set by coaches abandoning their teams pre-bowl games isn't viewed as likely having paved the way for this emerging practice.

[DC 86]

This will pose quite a dilemma for coaches.  They want and need the best players, but i'm certain that it drives them batsxxt crazy when they see CMAC or Fournette quit.

No doubt you are right that the trend of players quitting pre-bowl games drives coaches batsxxt crazy.

As I'm sure the players at Houston felt batsxxt crazy at Tom Herman having left for Austin while they played their bowl game, as I'm sure the players at Western Kentucky felt batsxxt crazy at Jeff Brohm being in West Lafayette while they played their bowl game, as I'm sure the players at South Florida were batsxxt crazy at Willie Taggart having departed for Eugene while they played their bowl game, etc etc.

So the chickens have come home to roost.

I don't like seeing Fournette, McCaffrey, Linwood bail on their teams pre-bowl, but it's the height of hypocrisy for Mark Richt and other coaches to decry that the practice has spread to players since it originated with coaches. It is inconsistent for there to be some degree of moral outrage at players quitting but shrugs at coaches quitting. Players have a lot to lose (ask Jaylon Smith and Willis McGahee), coaches staying on the job for a few more weeks is inconvenient but doesn't carry direct, immediate multi million dollar downside.

My feelings on McCaffrey's decision are somewhat ambivalent although generally I feel disappointed at his decision, but it does surprise me that the precedent set by coaches abandoning their teams pre-bowl games isn't viewed as likely having paved the way for this emerging practice.