Back in the day, there were only one or two bowl games that really mattered for the national championship. Even New Year’s Day games were “meaningless” if they didn’t have one of the top two teams involved. And outside of the 1984 Holiday Bowl, none of the other bowls played a role at all.
So why is our game against Michigan meaningless while nobody said that in 1976 when we lost three games and had to play in the Liberty Bowl?
In 1976, there were 12 bowl games.
Today there are 47.
And in 1976, nobody was saying, “I think I’ll sit out this game and not risk injury or my NFL future”, although part of that obviously is because back then professional football didn’t offer near the lifetime security it does now.
I think this sort of began when Melvin Bratton blew out his knee in the 1988 Orange Bowl and it cost him probably a million bucks in NFL money.
As far as meaningless bowls, I’ll just note that Alabama fans on this board have used the meaningless excuse for losing to Utah and Oklahoma even when most starters played.
I think meaningless has become a cliche to substitute and downgrade what used to be prestigious game because it was rare.
As far as players sitting out well…..l was a member of the ensemble in JC, prestigious for the singers. I got a scholarship for it - meaning if the director said, “We are singing at the nursing home on Thursday night”, l was there, period. It meant l attended graduations where I wasn’t graduating - because l was on scholarship and made a commitment until l was done.
And for anyone who wants to say singing is not as dangerous as football that’s true, but l had to get to many venues on 2-lane rural roads that have killed many a singer, too.
I agree they are not meaningless, but because the money now is in television and not ticket, sales, television has been calling the shots now for 50 years.
