Seriously, is there anything the B1G isn’t ruining in college football anymore?
The USC Trojans will not hold a traditional spring game at the conclusion of their spring practice in April.
USC is latest Big Ten program to opt out of their spring game, joining Nebraska and Ohio State. In the SEC, the Texas Longhorns also opted out. A trend that could more and more common. With tampering running rampant in college football, programs are unwilling to showcase their team to a national audience and that includes other schools.
So let me see if I understand this:
- Program and coach celebrate poaching high caliber athletes from other programs.
- Program gains credibility using poached players (except USC)
- Program cancels spring game because they don’t want other programs doing what they do best.
Kind of sounds like the cheating spouse who insists on knowing their other spouse’s every move, then accuses them of infidelity only so the cheating spouse has more opportunities to cheat. I think I’ve seen this before.
Meanwhile, in Chapel Hill, Bill Belichek is grinning and thinking “this is going to be fun”.
Anyway, today’s question for you all:
Keep the G Day game, or scrap it?
Honestly, this could be the annual “if you don’t want to be here, then leave” game for Kirby’s roster management, so I could see Smart sticking with it, but that’s just my opinion.
Keep it. I don’t go anymore because the parking and traffic are worse than a normal game day.
I’m sure the Just for Men spokescoach is not going to watch any spring games with his collective guy to identify players for them. Same for Ruhle, the Boy Wonder and the Hamburglar (I think that should be Sark’s new nickname).
It’s amusing but you might be looking with too cynical an eye.
What’s amusing is the idea that there’s such a thing as “too cynical” as a Georgia football fan. That’s literally our fanbase’s lifeblood. Hell, I think it drives college football fandom.
I heard a podcast that described a new off season model
spring games turn into June OTAs
One transfer period at the end of spring semester – May 1-15
This allows for the team to be set, no more insane Decembers for coaches/players, and still keep the practice time spring practice provided.
I like it, cuts down on some of the chaos. The only reason spring games got big – the devil (ESPN).
Less for the fans … I didn’t realize I needed less Georgia football in my life.
The only people who will see the OTAs will be the Silver Circle donors.
I think we should have the game and at halftime the big screen shows highlights/stats of various “targets” from among the programs not having spring games.
The fans then vote on which one Kirby is to go out and “poach.” Whoever wins, that players coach’s head is shown on a baby’s body crying/whining.
Not having spring games could backfire on some of these schools. Players are looking for NFL exposure. Also, during the game have the big board showing the NFL commissioner announcing first round Georgia players. Especially during football season when there is a big recruiting weekend.
Doesn’t matter to me. I have to admit that I started recording the spring game when it’s televised (vs watching it live), but that I usually end up deleting it as it’s boring the way they’re set up and am unable to watch the entire game as I lose interest in watching a game that’s not really a game. Also, it’s another opportunity for unnecessary injuries to occur, so cancelling it doesn’t hurt my feelings. If I were someone that just wanted to tailgate and be in the stadium no matter what (albeit without the electricity of a real gameday), I might want to keep it, but that’s not me.
I enjoy going to Athens for G Day because it’s light tailgating, we get to see Athens again, and we get to see friends we usually only see during football season. But as long as they keep scheduling it on Masters Saturday, I won’t go. I don’t have badges but from Thursday to Sunday in the first full week in April, my focus is on the Masters. I’ll watch the G day game on my computer while the golf is on the big screen.
I say keep it. It is great for folks with young kids and is really the only way economically some of our fans can get in the stadium with their family to watch the Dawgs. If those chickenshit coaches don’t want people scouting their rosters, take it off TV. That last sentence was a joke.
I like the idea of playing a controlled scrimage or game against and FCS oppent.
That’s never going to happen.
a FCS oppent.
We haven’t been to G Day since ‘18. My daughter was little and wanted to wear her UGA cheer uniform. Now she’s nearly thirteen, doesn’t care about cheerleading, and loves softball and basketball. A lot has changed. If they keep doing it I’ll watch. But at what point is the once power hungry NCAA going to come off their totally hands off approach and stop Anything Goes college football model. There’s a happy medium between Todd Gurley being suspended for being paid for an autograph and what we have now. And the fact that the people who run the sport pretend to not understand that is maddening and ruing the game fast.
Sadly, I am to the point I don’t care either way.
I thought they’d eventually price me out of the Spring Game but it looks like they’ll just make content scarce in an attempt to FOMO me into their plans to use me as an ATM from August to February. Good Luck WorldWide Leader – I’ll end up walking away.
I might not have another 40 years in me but the 2022 season will go a lloonngg way to being satisfied with the Dawgs and it’s already paid for…
1000% keep it. It’s fun, gives fans a taste of football in the spring (which is all we need) and a chance to see the new guys run around and hit. This shouldn’t be so hard.
College football is pissing me off.
We used to attend picture day and the G Day game every year. Now I could not care less. If it somehow helps not to show your hand too early, go ahead and dump the game. It does nothing for the brand. It generates only incidental revenue, if that. Unless you can better monetize it why bother? Oh wait, we could auction off individual play calls, where the high bidder gets to call their play. From a predetermined menu of choices of course. Now we’re talking. Hold the auctions well in advance of the game to drive up bids. For additional “donations” to the Hartman fund the winning bidder gets their photo on the screen. For a little (okay a lot) extra send them a photo of their face on the scoreboard in Sanford stadium. Want to watch from the sidelines? Five thousand dollars gets your name in a random drawing for a coveted few spots. See, we might can make this work.
I’m for keeping it…
A thought crossed my mind as to why (besides the poaching scenario) coaches are not having spring practice. Is it a play by coaches that if there is no spring practice, players that are on the transfer fence may opt to stay thinking they still may have a chance of starting or playing time when fall practice begins?
That’s exactly what this is about. If you have an incomplete idea where you stand on the depth chart, you don’t know if you should enter the portal.
Control freaks gonna control.