ESPN reporting that if Minnesota's player boycott holds and they decide in the next 48 hours to not play in the Holiday Bowl, then NIU would be invited and would likely accept.

They way they are acting I hope the bowl rescinds the offer and takes NIU.

We don't deserve it but I won't say no to more NIU football

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One of the benefits of going bowling is all the extra practices a team is allowed between the end of the regular season and the game itself.

I'm curious on how much extra practice the Huskies will have missed out on if Minnesota does decide not to play.

This can go very well or horribly bad for Minnesota, will be interesting to see how it plays out.

If the boycotting players are 'right' and those ten guys are found innocent and falsely accused (a la Duke lacrosse case), they look like geniuses and are held up as an example of solidarity.. But if they boycott the game and no one plays AND those accused guys were found guilty of those crimes, then the whole thing will set that program back years.

(12-16-2016 09:16 AM)Stay Cool Wrote:  We don't deserve it but I won't say no to more NIU football

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At this point you deserve it more than Minnesota does. They do not deserve it either with the way they are acting.

(12-16-2016 09:40 AM)Motown Bronco Wrote:  This can go very well or horribly bad for Minnesota, will be interesting to see how it plays out.

If the boycotting players are 'right' and those ten guys are found innocent and falsely accused (a la Duke lacrosse case), they look like geniuses and are held up as an example of solidarity.. But if they boycott the game and no one plays AND those accused guys were found guilty of those crimes, then the whole thing will set that program back years.

The criminal aspect of this case already played out. The players were not arrested and the prosecutor declined to authorize charges.

Ah, you're right. I tried reading up on it too fast.

Not sure what to make of it.

Sidebar: Isn't the story on NIU boards that the team had its own near-revolt in the lead up to their Poinsettia Bowl beating in SD last year? Would this be like a return to the scene of the crime or a chance for the coach to redeem himself and just make it a fun trip, win or lose? Intriguing. Bowl should give Minn a hard deadline and then gather the Huskies. Game program already printed, I hear.

(12-16-2016 11:34 AM)MacLord Wrote:  Sidebar: Isn't the story on NIU boards that the team had its own near-revolt in the lead up to their Poinsettia Bowl beating in SD last year? Would this be like a return to the scene of the crime or a chance for the coach to redeem himself and just make it a fun trip, win or lose? Intriguing. Bowl should give Minn a hard deadline and then gather the Huskies. Game program already printed, I hear.

The shame is that the Holiday Bowl is a fairly significant bowl.

The bowl will probably turn out to be a disaster, probably on the field, at the box office, on television, etc.

Sad for the innocent victim, Washington State FB team.

Quote:Isn't the story on NIU boards that the team had its own near-revolt in the lead up to their Poinsettia Bowl beating in SD last year? Would this be like a return to the scene of the crime or a chance for the coach to redeem himself and just make it a fun trip, win or lose? Intriguing.

Oh it certainly is. Rod Carey can totally redeem himself!

If offered I hope we turn it down.

It would be nothing but a total disaster for us. WSU would have a huge advantage over any opponent considering they would have all their practices, a short trip, plenty of time to review game tape and get better, etc.

New article just came out. Seems the players denied a meeting with the main people, as they wanted to go to the regents first -- which no word on what came of that, but the president said they're going to stand by their decision, even though it wasn't criminal (gang bang emotionally harming said gal). Looks like Carey's going to have to suit the troops up, even though it's not official yet -- the wind sure seems to be blowing in that direction.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/sto...ity-values

Gophers setting a new low in team solidarity.

What I find shocking is how everyone on the team is willing to risk their playing career and education when the facts of the case don't make the suspended players out to be all that sympathetic. I'm guessing that pretty soon after the suspensions were handed out that some influential guys in the locker room were loyal to the suspendees and walked out, and since all the sudden almost a quarter of the roster is off the team other teammates followed. No one wanted to be "that guy" who stayed behind and was a traitor even if they're on the right side of the issue from an objective stance. Group dynamics are a powerful force, and the idea of "well they can't pull all of our scholarships can they?" sounds like decent enough protection in the heat of the moment.

Either way, an NIU-Wazzu matchup has blowout written all over it. Like BG-Tulsa GMAC Bowl blowout.

Yeah it likely would be a blowout (nothing will be as bad as that Tulsa game). But NIU would be the valiant disbanded crew who got back together one more time to bail out the bowl and compete after the Gophers embarrassed themselves in blind support of their tag-teaming (at best) buddies. And it would save the game announcers from having to discuss the whole sordid affair in detail. Nobody would hold the blowout against NIU. And the Holiday has a solid payout.

I hope they get in! If nothing else 2.8M is nothing to sneeze at to add to the MAC bowl windfall.

Looking more and more likely, MN will boycott (as of THIS morning):

http://www.espn.com/college-football/sto...uspensions

Now looking unlikely.


http://m.startribune.com/gophers-players...ection=%2F

Aaaand.... Gophers flinched. They'll play.

http://www.espn.com/college-football/sto...liday-bowl