bowl practices

[NDFan537]

To answer your question, only 3 % of Div. 1 football players will make the final 53 man NFL Roster. I don't know what percentage make the practice squad, but it is limited to 8 players. They make 100,000$ per year, but they can only stay on the practice squad 3 years, before they have to be activated or dropped. That why it's so vital every ND Football player graduates.

I agree completly!!!!!!!

 

[Bubba]

Just to piggyback on the whole academics debate. It is my belief that people who argue for lower standards etc. are dreaming. While exceptions may be made in certain cases with specific players, overall the Administration of Notre Dame has more interest excelling in academics than in sports. That doesn't mean they don't want to win, but they aren't going to drop one for the other. I'm not sure exactly where ND is ranked in academics but I'm pretty sure it's top 20. Part of ND's image is the standard set for academics. This includes the student athlete. This is not going to change. So get used to it or keep rolling that boulder up the hill.

I comletely understand that ND is a University first and the concern of students should always come first. I'm not interested in debating whether standards should be lowered. My personal opinion is that standards are important, but there are exceptions to every rule...in every facet of life.

Concerning the football team....I believe it's all about money. The football team brings in revenue so that the university can work towards its actual reason for being - academics. In my mind, the problem is that ND football is relevant to college football even when it's not that good. ND has a lucrative TV contract and a deal with the BCS that pays them a cool million even when they don't make it to a BCS bowl. ND gets national attention on all of the sports networks whether they go 12-0 or 3-9. Until this changes, winning will not be as important to the administration as it might be to a fan whose only concern is the football team.

Imagine if NBC told ND that it wouldn't renew their contract because the team just wasn't good enough. Or imagine if the BCS commitee told ND that it would have to play by the rules just like anyone in a conference does. I believe ND would be searching for a solution much more aggressively because it hit them in the wallet.

I'm not saying we're not heading in the right direction. That remains to be seen. Even though the record doesn't show it, we're better off than we were 5 years ago. I hope we can get a bowl win and take a huge step towards a much better campaign in 2009.

 

[WaveDomer]

Exactly. I don't want to HEAR about their grades. It's immaterial to what's happening on the football field. If they want to be lauded for their grades than they should go to Harvard where academics are the sole source of pride. ND has good academics, great. My cousin graduated pre-med from Notre Dame....outstanding, wonderful. When I tune into to Notre Dame football I don't want to hear about grades. I don't care. These kids are being put through school on a football scholarship and they, along with the coaches, have a duty to perform. Notre Dame isn't Florida Atlantic or Baylor. The football team isn't around to go out and get paid by the Florida's or USC's of the world to have their ass kicked. Fans invest a lot of time and money into the football team. We deserve to see a winning team.

Okay, so you're playing semantics. That's an internet classic. So is your gripe actually with the NBC announcers who talk about grades during games? Or is it with the Admin who put a high value on grades and rightfully are proud of them? Also, you deserve a winning team for putting time and money into cheering? Are you serious? What is your investment? Some Saturday time on the couch? Some time on this board? A few bucks for a hat? Those players put a lot more "investment" into the program. More than you will ever dream of putting in, even if you throw in some extra bones for that ND desk lamp. Nobody deserves a winning team just for being a fan and buying some gear. These kids put in a ton of time working hard on the field and off the field. That includes high school.

You should root for Harvard or Yale if, as long as everyone is on the Dean's List, you don't mind seeing 0-12, 3-9 or 6-6 football teams. The last time I checked this particular area of the board is about Fighting Irish Football not Notre Dame Student Athlete GPA's.

No, I am fine rooting for ND and knowing that grades are important and that winning football games is great too. But I don't expect anything or think I deserve it at the expense of a kid's grades. Also, you're right, this is an ND football board. But ND is a school. Grades kind of come with that situation. Root for a pro team if that annoys you. Not to mention that my post was a response to your post... about grades.

Wrong again. I didn't say that was bad logic and I didn't say that school shouldn't be their first priority. I said that I don't believe that doing well in school excuses away their performance on the field. I used an analogy (analogy definition | Dictionary.com). There are plenty of single mothers out there working forty hours a week, raising a kid and going to school. They don't make execuses.

Yeah, an analogy allows a comparison. Check that dictionary link. No you didn't say school shouldn't be their first priority, but you seem to think it shouldn't be a priority over football. Nobody is saying that good grades excuse bad performances on the field. What people are saying is that grades are important because they are students. And it's not right to ask kids to sacrifice grades to put a winning product on the field. And hooray for the single mother. That's called real life where they need to make money to pay bills while taking care of kids. We're talking about football. If ND doesn't win it means we're mad, but the consequences are really not as dire as a single mother not making the rent.

I can take criticism--valid criticism--with intelligent counterpoints that may actually sway my opinion. Hell, I can even take pointless criticism but the tone of my response to that kind of criticism is going to be a bit more acerbic.

I don't think you can take it. That's why you complain about me "lecturing" you and "not knowing what you're about." Give me a break, it's a criticism of a post, not a criticism of your life.

 

[NeuteredDoomer]

A body in motion...

 

[Legacy]

Limiting this response to just the importance of graduation for the individual student football player:
1. A college degree doubles your annual earnings. That amounts to just over $1 million in a lifetime.
2. Only 1.8 % of NCAA college seniors are drafted by the NFL.
http://www.3c4a.org/Counselor Resou...articipate in INTERCOLLEGIATE ATHLETICS.pps#6
3. The value of a fourth round draft position is approximately $400,000 per year.
4. The average NFL career is 3.1 years, making the fourth rounder on average about $1.2 million. (ND players typically have longer NFL careers and have a better chance at getting drafted.)
5. Less than half of NFL players have college degrees. Clearly, some degrees are more valuable and marketable than others.
So, for the individual football player who is not getting drafted in the top 3 rounds of the NFL draft, a college degree is more important and their chances for success are much better with a degree. Notre Dame optimizes those chances for success.

 

[NDFan537]

I thought we were talking about bowl practice that got lost somewhere in the mix.

 

[WaveDomer]

I thought we were talking about bowl practice that got lost somewhere in the mix.

Well, bowl practice being missed because of exams. So the academic debate is pretty valid in this thread, I think.

 

[ARALOU]

I remember "WAY BACK WHEN" college football was students playing football. Not football players playing students. Exams come before football practice. Why do you think that there are NCAA rules regarding grades? Even though some choose not obey them. AH, what do I know?

 

[NDFan537]

yeah my bad i forgot that was the discussion. You are right

 

[jfjkd01]

Practice makes Perfect, But only if it's Perfect Practice

Quote: Bruce Lee.................

 

[Dizzyphil]

Practice makes Perfect, But only if it's Perfect Practice

Quote: Bruce Lee.................

"...I know it's important, I honestly do but we're talking about practice. We're talking about practice man. (laughter from the media crowd) We're talking about practice. We're talking about practice. We're not talking about the game. We're talking about practice. When you come to the arena, and you see me play, you've seen me play right, you've seen me give everything I've got, but we're talking about practice right now."

Quote: Allen Iverson

 

[WaveDomer]

Practice makes Perfect, But only if it's Perfect Practice

Quote: Bruce Lee.................

"Be like water, my friend."

This isn't Bruce Lee, but I've always liked, "If someone tries to hit you, move." Sifuism.

 

[IrishAddiction]

Alright fellas, here is the big reason why notre dame is going to miss 1/3 of its bowl practices......recruiting. So im really not going to argue it. Im sure exams played a role too, but charlie is using the time to recruit another top 10 class....names like Teo, Jenkins, Moore, Gaffney, Opurum, and Curtis are still out there, and they are all very hottly contested right now. Sorry guys, but i still think this team will end 7-6 even without the practices. Floyd and Smith are both back and good to go. Recruiting is of utmost importance at this time of year, especially seeing that we are in a lower tier bowl game. Link below about it, talks about barr a little in it to.

Hansen: Weis still hard at work recruiting - Notre Dame Central- nbcsports.msnbc.com

 

[scoutgod]

Hansen: Weis still hard at work recruiting - Notre Dame Central- nbcsports.msnbc.com

so.... it wasn't about grades.

 

[IrishAddiction]

so.... it wasn't about grades.

Pretty much....no it wasnt. Im sure charlie threw that out there as a reason but i dont think charlie cares if his guys are getting 4.0 or 2.5 GPAs, as long as they are passing. Graduate from ND, and your doing alright. Even if you need a tutor to get you through the college. It will give the guys time to study and should help on the finals, but his real reason for not using all the days practicing is because 1. recruiting is vital and has saved charlies ass so far, and 2. we are in the Hawaii bowl and should kick the crap out of them.

*Note-"should" is underlined because i dont know what to expect after the pitt game with this team, but like i said in my previous post, Floyd and Smith are back for the bowl game

 

[mooneytostle]

Pretty much....no it wasnt. Im sure charlie threw that out there as a reason but i dont think charlie cares if his guys are getting 4.0 or 2.5 GPAs, as long as they are passing.

That is definitely not true. Before Weis, the Notre Dame football team had never achieved a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. Since he came on as coach, they have achieved a 3.0 EVERY semester. he definitely cares about grades.

Weis' decision to not use all of the bowl practices will be critiqued after the bowl game. If Notre Dame wins - I'm sure it will soon be forgotten. If Notre Dame loses - he will be chastised for his inability to get his team ready to play and beat inferior competition...again. I will never downplay the importance of good recruiting in college football, it is huge. But if this team comes out flat and lays another egg, the very little confidence I have left in Weis will be gone for good.

 

[KeepItCatholic]

holy hating on Notre Dame...lol. I would just like to throw out there that a team doesn't necessarily need to practice all 15 times, a spread out 10 practices is plenty time to work on the basis of what you would like to accomplish. The team has been playing week in and week out for about twelve weeks now, not to mention the countless preseason camps and practices, if the team is not ready to play by now, five more practices will not get it done, they have had ample time to prepare, It will come down to more on the coaches analyzing and breaking down the film and game preparation by both sides of the ball, its just time to get out there and get it done. You can review game film at any time over this break, ten practices is plenty of time to prepare

 

[NDMontana]

Okay, so you're playing semantics. That's an internet classic. So is your gripe actually with the NBC announcers who talk about grades during games? Or is it with the Admin who put a high value on grades and rightfully are proud of them? Also, you deserve a winning team for putting time and money into cheering? Are you serious? What is your investment? Some Saturday time on the couch? Some time on this board? A few bucks for a hat? Those players put a lot more "investment" into the program. More than you will ever dream of putting in, even if you throw in some extra bones for that ND desk lamp. Nobody deserves a winning team just for being a fan and buying some gear. These kids put in a ton of time working hard on the field and off the field. That includes high school.

Let me tell you about another "internet classic": Somebody posts lucid thoughts. Another poster reads those thoughts and makes the decision to tell the original poster what their own words meant. The original poster restates their thoughts in an even more succinct manner--for the benefit of those beneath the level of events. Finally, the person trying to put words in somebody else's mouth resorts to referring to somebody clarifying their own thoughts as "arguing semantics".

That's rich. Thanks for the laugh.

I don't understand how I can be more direct than saying that I'm sick of other posters falling back on the grades or admissions excuse. Or wait, did I say that? Hmm....I think it was in the post. You're a selective reader.

As far as deserving.....well, yeah we do deserve it. We watch NBC, we buy the gear and those sources of revenue fund the football program and provides those students with scholarships. I'm sure I don't need to tell you that private institutions don't receive subsidies and therefore count on fund raising and the generosity of fans and donors for everything. While it's true that state institutions fund raise and enjoy the benefits of donations, they also have the luxury of being subsidized by the government.

No, I am fine rooting for ND and knowing that grades are important and that winning football games is great too. But I don't expect anything or think I deserve it at the expense of a kid's grades. Also, you're right, this is an ND football board. But ND is a school. Grades kind of come with that situation. Root for a pro team if that annoys you. Not to mention that my post was a response to your post... about grades.

Well here's where you and I differ. I don't find solace in the players' academic achievements while I'm watching Notre Dame suffer a loss to Syracuse or being embarrased by USC. I guess I'm missing the part where I should applaud mediocrity on the football field. Sounds like Harvard or Yale logic to me.

Yeah, an analogy allows a comparison. Check that dictionary link. No you didn't say school shouldn't be their first priority, but you seem to think it shouldn't be a priority over football. Nobody is saying that good grades excuse bad performances on the field. What people are saying is that grades are important because they are students. And it's not right to ask kids to sacrifice grades to put a winning product on the field. And hooray for the single mother. That's called real life where they need to make money to pay bills while taking care of kids. We're talking about football. If ND doesn't win it means we're mad, but the consequences are really not as dire as a single mother not making the rent.

Let me restate this again--as clearly as possible for you--I DON'T THINK PLAYING LOUSY, UNINSPIRED FOOTBALL SHOULD BE EXCUSED AWAY BECAUSE OF SCHOOL. Get that? You even stated that in the second sentence. Who asked the kids to sacrifice their grades? I said I would prefer not to here fans or coaches continue to fall back on that as an excuse. I said I don't care what their grades are....do you? Football is reality for a lot of the players who wouldn't be able to afford Notre Dame without their scholarships. That's pretty real to me.

I don't think you can take it. That's why you complain about me "lecturing" you and "not knowing what you're about." Give me a break, it's a criticism of a post, not a criticism of your life.

I can take it. Am I not here, responding? Also, note how I said my responses to unintelligent posts are met with a more acerbic tone on my part.

 

[NDFan537]

Bottem Line Grades are important and more important even than winning games at ND. That being said we have a rich tradition in winning with the smartest guys around. It does take time to build a program, and it is harder here, but that is what Charlie signed up for and I expect him to do what is nessasary for us to compete for a BCS bowl every year and a NC most of the time. I will support him and give him one more year but really we need to squash this thread because what it is allowing us to do is make excuses for why we have been bad.

What it takes to win:

Be the Best in every fascet of the game; It has been done here plenty as we are all aware. It will be done again! It is up to Charlie and his staff(whom ever he chooses) to decide if they want to be the guys to do it!

 

[IrishAddiction]

That is definitely not true. Before Weis, the Notre Dame football team had never achieved a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. Since he came on as coach, they have achieved a 3.0 EVERY semester. he definitely cares about grades.

Weis' decision to not use all of the bowl practices will be critiqued after the bowl game. If Notre Dame wins - I'm sure it will soon be forgotten. If Notre Dame loses - he will be chastised for his inability to get his team ready to play and beat inferior competition...again. I will never downplay the importance of good recruiting in college football, it is huge. But if this team comes out flat and lays another egg, the very little confidence I have left in Weis will be gone for good.

I stand corrected. I probably shouldnt have said charlie doesnt care about grades, but im sure that football is at the forefront of every decision he makes, including maintaining GPAs. It helps recruiting just as much as winning. But i still believe the main reason for the days off is primarily recruiting. We would use all 15 days if playing for the national championship, and charlie wouldnt be worried about the finals.