No Bowl Game Is Irrelevant, Regardless Of What Some Say
Hogwash! That's what I think about the comments of some fans, and media folks alike on social networking-I hate the term social "media" because it is NOT media at all, it's a networking site for people- or on television and in print that bowl game are irrelevant unless it's the FBS Bowl Championship series.
Let me say this again, that thought is hogwash, wrong and just plain ole stupid.
While many of the top athletes from teams like Alabama may choose to sit out their schools upcoming bowl game because they are projected as potential high round draft picks in the coming NFL Draft and they don't want to risk injury, these games are still important.
Why are they important, well for the returning players at every bowl participant school it's the chance to get more practice time and a game for younger players who will replace the departing starters and stars next season.
There's no way to properly judge how important that can be for the players, and coaches in evaluating those young athletes.
But there's a reason even bigger than that why every single one of these games is, and should be considered important.
Some of these young men playing college football come from tough situations, having grown up with little to no family or having had to escape areas where gangs and trouble awaited them on every corner.
Yes, there are just as many that come from solid homes and didn't have issues, but what of those who have no family and no real place to go for the holidays.
Getting the opportunity to go to a bowl game gives these young men something to look forward to and it also allows them to legally earn gifts given by the bowl games for their participation without violating NCAA rules.
Some bowl games give gaming consoles, others such as The Belk Bowl, sponsored by Belk give gift cards where the players can go purchase clothes or other things they might not normally be able to afford, or get as gifts for the holidays.
So the next time you think, or hear someone say a bowl game is irrelevant or not important because it's not in the playoff, tell those people that while it might not be important to them, it is to other people who are not as fortunate as themselves.
Happy Holidays!
