Bryce Love to play in all star game

[JohnR34231]

I was a little surprised to read this considering his decision to skip the Sun Bowl, but I guess he feels the need to impress the pro scouts and show them his ankle will hold up.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/de...r-accepts/

[winflop]

Someone needs to explain to me how this is in any way consistent with Love's "focus on being completely healthy and prepared for the 2019 NFL Draft"

Irwin is playing too...

[qwerty49]

Irwin too.  I guess 20 days (or more likely 2 weeks, given a few days to practice) makes a big difference in their recovery timeline.   Perhaps the only thing that can be deduced is at least the injuries are not the kind that keep you on the sideline for 6 months.

OTOH the article mentions a Wazzu guy who accepted last year and didn't play due to a Holiday Bowl injury, so there's that.

[Phogge]

Oh boy.

[JohnR34231]

Someone needs to explain to me how this is in any way consistent with Love's "focus on being completely healthy and prepared for the 2019 NFL Draft"

Irwin is playing too...

Not sure about the completely healthy part, but perhaps being prepared for the draft involves impressing the pro scouts in an all star game.

[donkey687]

Someone needs to explain to me how this is in any way consistent with Love's "focus on being completely healthy and prepared for the 2019 NFL Draft"

Irwin is playing too...

Not sure about the completely healthy part, but perhaps being prepared for the draft involves impressing the pro scouts in an all star game.

Who knows when they committed to this game (i.e. potentially before the season started) and who knows if they will really play in it?

[Hurlburt88]

Doesn't make sense to me.  If willing to participate in all-star game, why not participate in at least a few plays in our bowl?  Or maybe show up for the honor but not play? I struggle to think scouts care significantly about all-start game performance given the public body of work and thorough combine testing yet to come.

[JohnR34231]

Doesn't make sense to me.  If willing to participate in all-star game, why not participate in at least a few plays in our bowl?  Or maybe show up for the honor but not play?  I struggle to think scouts care significantly about all-start game performance given the public body of work and thorough combine testing yet to come.

I thought that was what games like this (and the Senior Bowl which this one is apparently a clone of) were for. They are a chance for players to impress the pro scouts and hopefully improve their draft positions.

[Leftcoast]

Stanford ticket sales for the Sun Bowl must be cratering.  The AD now has the unenviable job of getting fans to care deeply about a game when many of our best players seemingly don’t.  I bet some fans are asking for their money back.

The Sun Bowl has moved from being a showcase for the 2018 Cardinal playing at their peak to a scouting event for next year’s players.  Forget attending, it’s now a game that casual fans (might) watch on TV.

[winflop]

Stanford ticket sales for the Sun Bowl must be cratering.

Not likely. Bowl game ticket requests were due before these announcements were made. Stanford got its money but I can imagine some fans are lighting up Muir's inbox. I'm really glad I'm not going, and going forward it makes me even less likely to buy tickets for anything that isn't an NY6 bowl. Heck, with the players bailing out of those too, even that might be a question mark.

[Phogge]

I am running to my bookie and taking the six points and Pitt.

[OutsiderFan]

Stanford ticket sales for the Sun Bowl must be cratering.  The AD now has the unenviable job of getting fans to care deeply about a game when many of our best players seemingly don’t.  I bet some fans are asking for their money back.

The Sun Bowl has moved from being a showcase for the 2018 Cardinal playing at their peak to a scouting event for next year’s players.  Forget attending, it’s now a game that casual fans (might) watch on TV.

This is why I said ESPN's bet on bowls isn't going to matter.  I haven't watched a single bowl game so far other than the Vegas Bowl, but that game basically turned me off the rest of them, because since that game, it has become clear how little meaning they have for the players. Harry sat out for ASU and their Frosh DPOY also missed the game for some family issue.  They got really hammered in a game it was clear meant nothing to them. 

The whole backdrop of the bowls is they are being put in front of us because ESPN thinks we're stupid. 

I'll watch Stanford and Pitt like I would watch a Spring practice and because I haven't seen Stanford play since the Utah game (thanks, Larry).  I'll watch Cal out of curiosity, but I won't watch Oregon, Utah, or WSU in their games.

[winflop]

Stanford ticket sales for the Sun Bowl must be cratering.  The AD now has the unenviable job of getting fans to care deeply about a game when many of our best players seemingly don’t.  I bet some fans are asking for their money back.

The Sun Bowl has moved from being a showcase for the 2018 Cardinal playing at their peak to a scouting event for next year’s players.  Forget attending, it’s now a game that casual fans (might) watch on TV.

This is why I said ESPN's bet on bowls isn't going to matter.  I haven't watched a single bowl game so far other than the Vegas Bowl, but that game basically turned me off the rest of them, because since that game, it has become clear how little meaning they have for the players. Harry sat out for ASU and their Frosh DPOY also missed the game for some family issue.  They got really hammered in a game it was clear meant nothing to them. 

The whole backdrop of the bowls is they are being put in front of us because ESPN thinks we're stupid. 

I'll watch Stanford and Pitt like I would watch a Spring practice and because I haven't seen Stanford play since the Utah game (thanks, Larry).  I'll watch Cal out of curiosity, but I won't watch Oregon, Utah, or WSU in their games.

Maybe the market will fix this. When top players opt out of bowl games = fewer eyeballs, ticket sales, etc. = less ad money = less willingness to pay for media rights and so on. But it's gonna take at least half a decade. Not sure I have that much patience.

[stupac2]

Three weeks is absolutely in the reasonable timeframe for a recovery to go from partial to complete.

[JohnR34231]

Stanford ticket sales for the Sun Bowl must be cratering.  The AD now has the unenviable job of getting fans to care deeply about a game when many of our best players seemingly don’t.  I bet some fans are asking for their money back.

The Sun Bowl has moved from being a showcase for the 2018 Cardinal playing at their peak to a scouting event for next year’s players.  Forget attending, it’s now a game that casual fans (might) watch on TV.

This is why I said ESPN's bet on bowls isn't going to matter.  I haven't watched a single bowl game so far other than the Vegas Bowl, but that game basically turned me off the rest of them, because since that game, it has become clear how little meaning they have for the players. Harry sat out for ASU and their Frosh DPOY also missed the game for some family issue.  They got really hammered in a game it was clear meant nothing to them. 

The whole backdrop of the bowls is they are being put in front of us because ESPN thinks we're stupid. 

I'll watch Stanford and Pitt like I would watch a Spring practice and because I haven't seen Stanford play since the Utah game (thanks, Larry).  I'll watch Cal out of curiosity, but I won't watch Oregon, Utah, or WSU in their games.

I don't think they are on because ESPN thinks we are stupid. I think they are on because ESPN thinks we would rather watch them than reruns of Gilligan's Island. We'll see what happens, though.

[JJJ]

Isn't it also possible that actually playing in the game may be a game-time decision, but that it would be worth it for both Love and Irwin to be with the scouts/coaches/whomever else to learn some of the drills/terms/expectations along with fellow rookies-to-be? Not participating would give others a head start.

[qwerty49]

I am running to my bookie and taking the six points and Pitt.

I parlayed the points and the under. Thereby guaranteeing that Stanford wins 52-17 LOL.

[Phogge]

Was Gilligan “friends”with Mary Ann or the old lady?

[Mick]

My theory on why Love is playing in the All-Star game but not the Sun Bowl is that BLove had an amazing year -- last year.  This year, he struggled, and it's certain to affect his draft status.  If he can break one or two long runs during a post-season game AND have a great combine, it might materially improve his draft status.

His odds of breaking the long runs are much higher at the All-Star game, for the following reasons:

  1) The All-Star games (by definition) only allow for limited playing time together.
  2)  Certain formations and blitzes are not allowed
  3)  He will be running behind near-All-America players at every position
  4)  The defenses won't just be keying on Love, they'll have to contend with terrific players at every position. 

It makes more sense for Love to participate in the All-Star game.

[BobK]

Here's my theory: Love's operation will prohibit him from actually playing but he will be attending.