Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1517388
6 APRIL 2024 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED FAN FORUM WHEN DO GAMES STOP MATTERING? At what point of the season do games stop mat- tering? Did the Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl matter to the Irish players? For some players yes and others no. I wish every Irish player had suited up for the game, played to the final whistle and tried to complete a 10-win season. I know I'm old school, but I believe if you sign up for something you should finish it. I also know it will never go back to the "good old days" but I do need something explained to me. This season, the Irish (and other programs) had many players opting out of their bowl game. From Sam Hartman to Audric Estimé, the Irish lost many playmakers heading into the Sun Bowl. Each season Notre Dame tells us, it's only about making the playoff and winning the national champi- onship. If that is the case for the Irish, can someone explain this to me? Why after the loss to Louisville, did the players opting out of the bowl game choose to finish the regular season? The Irish were elimi- nated for any national championship consideration and the remaining games "didn't matter," correct? I can't figure it out. Is it to get more game film for the pros, or other college teams interested in their talents? That's the only reason I can come up with. Please explain. Thank you! Chris Brown Brandon, S.D. Mr. Brown, since star running backs Leonard Fournette (LSU) and Christian McCaffrey (Stanford) opted out of their schools' respective postseason contests in 2016 this has become an expected — if not accepted — part of the bowl season. The ma- jority of bowl games these days are nothing more than glorified exhibitions, so it makes sense for those preparing for the NFL Draft to sit them out to avoid injury. However, doing so in the middle of the season makes much less sense. More likely than not, opt- ing out in the middle of the season would be looked upon much less favorably by NFL teams and would hurt a player's draft stock. With the arrival of the 12-team College Football Playoff in 2024, we will likely see fewer opt-outs. For what it is worth, during the past 10 years, not a single player bypassed the four-team CFP for their personal interests. ACADEMICALLY SPEAKING You guys do such a marvelous job. I look forward to receiving the magazine every month. A suggestion: why don't you do an article about the academic side of the ND athletic experience? One thing you do nicely is to refer to recruits' decision to attend ND because of their long-term prospects. I think many outsiders — especially on the boards — don't understand how the university makes its choices in recruiting athletes nor do they know about how it follows up on its promises dur- ing the ensuing four years. This isn't just a matter of helping students find eventual jobs. Rather, it's all about integrity. This has been an essential part of Fr. Jenkins' leadership, and I know for a fact that it will continue with Fr. Dowd. I'm very pleased that Marcus Freeman under- stands and is committed to this principle. As col- lege football collapses under the weight of profes- sionalization, it will be interesting to see how ND responds. I doubt very much that we will go along with the semi-pro track to which college sports are trending. The interesting question is about our options. A. James McAdams William M. Scholl Professor of International Affairs Department of Political Science University of Notre Dame Notre Dame, Ind. Professor McAdams, thanks for the kind words and your interest in our publication. We will defi- nitely take this into consideration. There is no de- nying the power of the "4 for 40" — four years at Notre Dame set you up for the next 40 of your life — recruiting tool. How this fits into the evolv- ing landscape of college sports — which includes name, image and likeness, the transfer portal, unionization, etc. — will be fascinating. The good news, as you noted, is that the man currently in charge of the Irish football program gets it. "Notre Dame is not for every high school recruit, but it's for more than those that realize," Marcus Freeman said of his recruiting approach in Feb- ruary. "It's easy to go to the perennial private, Catholic schools, find the best players and say, 'Hey, come to Notre Dame.' They understand Notre Dame. They're at a school that values spirituality, academics and those things. "But I've really tried to go to those places or see the young people that don't realize they are Notre Dame kids, but they are — to show them what makes this place so special. To show them the endless possibilities that Notre Dame provides." BE HEARD! Send your letters to: Letters, Blue & Gold Illustrated, P. O. Box 2331, Durham, NC 27702 or e-mail to: sdowney@comanpub.com On Feb. 20, Notre Dame announced that it was happy to be part of EA Sports College Football '25 video game. "After nearly two years of work with EA Sports, we're proud to announce that our fans around the world will be able to play as the Fighting Irish in the upcoming col- lege football franchise," director of athlet- ics Jack Swarbrick said in a statement. "The work that EA Sports is doing to provide over 11,000 college student-athletes opportu- nities to benefit directly from their name, image and likeness is a first-of-its-kind un- dertaking, and we're proud to have been involved in the process." Here is how some Irish fans responded to that news on our message board at BlueandGold.com. PAIrish: So they waited 3 years for ND to approve to be included in NCAA 25 to bring the game back again. Makes sense. Mizzo: My thoughts as well. "The game cannot be made without ND in it." I will use that for the rest of my life. BlessedMother: Regardless, it's a great development, and it proves why ND football does not need to join a conference. Jaebird: I am 48, and I am definitely getting this game. I was feeling kind of like a deadbeat. This thread has helped me feel better about this decision! Although I was going to get this game no matter what. FightinMike87: Let's hope they've got the "Here Come the Irish" and Dropkick Murphys kickoff intro to go along with a digital version of the new configuration of ND Stadium since the last time the NCAA game was on shelves, too! NJNative140: Good for all involved. Players deserve it. Zzzzcoach: But, but, but … ND is irrelevant. Lol FROM THE WEBSITE .com .com JOIN THE CONVERSATION AT BLUEANDGOLD.COM! New subscribers: Use Promo Code GoIrish2024 To SAVE 25% off your first year!