This TCU Stuff....

[Mike Damone]

Wish I had something better to talk about, but I don't. 0-12 does that to you. And as a diclaimer to all you frog fans, I know you're better than us, and beat us 20-13, and all that, scoreboard, we're just jealous, etc. But....

Taking a look over at the frog board, I am absolutely shocked and baffled that they are completely buying into this excuse. I mean NO ONE is questioning it. Either they are all in on it, or are the most naive, brainwashed fans I've ever heard of.

Honestly, when has academics ever had this much bearing on athletics. For goodness sake, Duke-a much more respected academic institution than TCU or SMU, takes their players out of school for basically a month during the NCAA tournament. As do any schools that make it deep in the tourney. And don't give me this "finals" stuff. They are tests that usually make up 30% of the final grade. They're not exactly scheduled to take the bar exam on Dec. 18. They've probably made their players miss tests on a wednesday or thursday that counted more towards their final grade than finals.

TCU has probably forced their players to miss more classes than any other university in college football this year due to week games. On top of it all, they want to move to a conference where their players in all sports will be on the road a ton!! Think how much class will be missed when they have a wednesday night basketball game at BYU or Utah.

If I was on their football team, I'd much rather work my schedule around a game during finals than to play on Christmas Day a few thousand miles away where my family probably can't afford to fly and stay. But that's just me.

Plus, it doesn't look good when they are declining to play the highest ranked team they would have faced all year.

[Nacho]

Don't get to worked up about it. It's just an excuse to play in the FW Bowl.

[Hoop Fan]

clearly an excuse to play in FW Bowl, but the whole academic thing is a joke like Damone points out. Everyone knows it but the propaganda machine that this the FFF is usually in total collective denial.

[echothat1]

If TCU had beaten Southern Miss, and the Fiesta Bowl (or other BCS bowl bid) had just happened to coincide with final exams, I'm sure TCU would still have complained and rejected the invitation....hee hee hee :shifty:

SMU!!
CUSA!!
USM!!
FTCU!!

[Mike Damone]

I think they know that if they go to the GMAC bowl, no fans will show. That will look bad if they ever are in a position to get a BCS at-large birth. They also know if they get beat, they will look like more of a fraud.

BUT, if they stay at home and play a weaker opponent, the fans will show up, of course. And they will probably win and can sit back and say they would've whipped Miami (Ohio) or even Miami (Fla) given the chance.

I do think this is a slap in C-USA's face and probably signals their exit. If C-USA was still trying to keep TCU they'd be working with them more and the invite might of never happened. Instead, its a 'you-know-what' measuring contest where TCU is letting C-USA know its too good for them and C-USA is saying don't let the door........

[EastStang]

Like I said before, ESPN wanted two top twenty teams playing in this bowl and they dictated the invite to GMAC. No doubt the organizers would have preferred Louisville for fan base and attendance, but ESPN wanted the match-up. TCU may find that by saying no to this bowl, they'll get snubbed on national tv no matter what night they play and no matter who they play.

[Mustangs35SMU]

I say kick em out and dont give them the pleasure of leaving! Hint hint not givin em a bowl game would be a pleasure for SMU fans for sure

[Charleston Pony]

let's assume there is integrity in TCU's decision NOT to play during exam week. Wouldn't the next logical thing be for them to try to work out a deal to play Boise...the highest ranked opponent they could possibly play? Isn't that what GOOD teams want to do to earn respect?

I wonder if negotiations are underway to try and pull that off? The question is: which one of tose teams is going to be willing to give up a "home" bowl game to play at the other team's place? Let's put the shoe on the other foot. If Boise wants to lay claim to being the best non-BCS program, why not agree to travel to Ft Worth and let Tulsa play Ga Tech on the blue field?i

[Mike Damone]

All indications are that they will play Air Force in the Ft. Worth Bowl. The funny thing is, Miami-Ohio is now #11 in the BCS, right behind #10 Miami-Fla. I hope the GMAC Bowl is able to land #19 Boise for their game as rumored. Now that's a game with some interest.

Of course, then C-USA would have to give either TCU or Louisville the shaft. Wonder which one has pissed them off the most? Might have to use the computer ranking to figure that one out.

[Hoofbeat83]

i couldn't have said it better than MD or any of you on this thread. i'll add that i think they are freaked out that their 15 minutes of fame is over and they're looking for an extra few minutes.

i truly couldn't care less if they bolt to the MWC or if we do/don't schedule them in the future if they do split.

hey, but guys, i remember our beloved school not being particularly graceful (or grateful) when invited to the sun bowl after the 1983 or 1984 season (help me out here guys) when we thought we should be going to a 'better' bowl. we looked like crybabies just like they do now. geez, what i wouldn't give to be playing in the sun bowl now.

i think that some of the more logical and humble tcu fans remember what it was like to have our record and be wishing for any bowl. they are the ones that are gentlemen (or women) and come on our board to say 'great game'. those fans i would miss competing against. but for all of those pop offs in frogdom that dis SMU as beneath them, i hope they get to see what it feels like real soon.

[True Colors]

A lot of them feel high and mighty right now because they have had a brief few years in the sun. Most of them either have forgotten(or would like to forget) how totally pathetic they were during the 60's, 70's, 80's and 90's(til Fran came along and saved them).

In any case, I am interested to see if they would keep up this smug attitude if it actually meant that they would not be bowling this year. Methinks that all that hot air and cries about "STUDENT athletes" would quickly turn into some serious outrage, and the "principles of academics" would be thrown out quicker than you can say "horned fraud."

TC

[Stallion]

I've thought of the same thing all week. Don't some of you remember the 10-1 (about 5th ranked) 1983 team with only a 15-12 loss to UT pouting about a Sun Bowl bid to El Paso against Alabama who proceeded to thoroughly embarrass that team 28-7. BTW over that 4 year period when we posted the best record in College Football the only other losses were by only 2,3, 6 and 9 points.