Notre Dame players reportedly no-go bowl game

this is great news, but perplexing nonetheless. Why would players turn down an opportunity to keep playing football. Moreover, regardless of what bowl game you go to, you get free things and get to stay for a prolonged period of time in a nice city. Weird.

My understanding is that a number of senior leaders would rather start preparation for the NFL combines than go through Bowl prep with the coaching staff either in limbo or out the door. Plus, UCLA's players haven't gone to a bowl in awhile or at all while Notre Dame's players have done it and would have to go to a much lesser bowl.

I was disappointed back in the day when UCLA turned down an invitation to play a bowl game in Boise. But I can see why ND wouldn't be too fired up with their coach canned and a 4 game losing streak leading them to Mobile, Alabama.

Right now I'm hoping for anything, anywhere, against anyone.

Wow, a tiny bit of good news to offset an abominable weekend. I hope to have the chance to watch ATV (and probably Price) play one more game and witnessing Paulsen commit one more personal foul.

Is our team still allowed to practice prior to being guranteed a bowl spot if we're bowl elegible? Army/Navy doesn't happen until 12/13 and could have implicaitons on sending us to a bowl as soon as six days afterward.

was just on rivals and a ND mod said this isnt true because they havent met with the players yet and that the players have no decision in the matter.

the AD will decide, but he's listened to the team before on bowl games.

close call, but ultimately, i have to say this UCLA football team does not deserve a bowl bid. declining sends a message that there is vast improvement still to accomplish. current offense is so horrendous, i shudder to see them against even a fired up Mountain West Team. lastly, a 6-7 final record would look like crap.

C'mon Charlie, use your head. This team NEEDS the extra practice time and a bowl win can be great momentum going into next year, even against a wac or mac team.

If we do get a bid, I would love to see Rick and Norm let loose some of the freshmen who havn't gotten time for a few series. I feel like giving them a little bit of a taste will help offseason proceedings.

It would be good to be in a bowl game so that Craft can start and show that his hard work and team orientation were rewarded.The extra practice would be valuable. VB and his plant need to get some sensitivity training as do some of the other posters.Jon,it would be good if you had a way of deleting some of the posts that are really beyond reason.

We ain't going. Fold up the tent and complain about the last minute of the last game for another 9 months.

Which bowl? Most bowls want some kind of regional tie in.

Enjoy the Toilet Bowl.

It's a matter of pride for Notre Dame.

I remember back in the Lou Holtz era they would always say they would turn down anything but a major bowl build, that Notre Dame does not settle.

But on top of that, the players probably feel some kind of allegiance to Charlie Weis. If the program decided to accept a lesser bowl, I'd bet Jimmy Clausen wouldn't even play.

I don't see where Notre Dame thinks that they are good enough to turn down anything. They haven't won anything since Lou Holtz was there. I could see if this was a team that was consistantly good being upset, but Notre Dame is not a good team. Good recruits do not equal a good team. This will land a lot of top notch recruits. Lose a bunch of games in a row, and then quit on the season.

Charlie Bucket said: "close call, but ultimately, i have to say this UCLA football team does not deserve a bowl bid. "

Well, I don't know about "deserve" or not. You could probably make the argument that no 6-win teams deserve a bowl bid, and they should shut down some of the lesser bowls. But the system is in place such that plenty of 6-win teams get into bowl games, so there's no reason why we shouldn't be one of them. The Pac-10 from 1-9 was freakin tough this season (I'm not counting WSU).