The perks of going to a bowl? Some pretty nice swag
Getting to play one more game in a season is fun, sure. But if you’re a player, the bowl gift is a pretty nice perk about getting to the postseason.
The Sports Business Journal compiled a list of all the bowl gift packages that players will get this postseason.
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The usually curmudgeonly NCAA allows schools to give $550 worth of gifts to 125 participants per school. Per the article, participants can additionally receive “awards worth up to $400 from the school and up to $400 from the conference for postseason play, covering both conference title games and any bowl game” (championship rings, I’m guessing, would fall into that category).
Here’s the Hokies’ haul from the Russell Athletic Bowl:
- $420 shopping trip to a local Best Buy (To be spent during the team’s official store visit. Balance not used that day will be forfeited.)
- Timely watch
Watches are among the most popular gifts among the bowls. Nineteen give away a Fossil watch. Eight more give away a Timely watch. Four more give away Tourneau watches. (Sidebar: do people really use watches these days? Cell phones tell time, don’t they?)
Here’s what the rest of the ACC is getting (with gift suites, you get a set amount to spend in a gallery of stuff):
- Discover Orange (Florida State): Gift suite, Tourneau watch
- Chick-fil-A (Clemson): $300 gift card, Fossil watch, Russell Athletic Chick-fil-A Bowl hat, Russell Athletic travel bag, Chick-fil-A gift card
- Hyundai Sun (Georgia Tech): Timely watch, Majestic fleece, Top of the World cap, coin, Helen of Troy hair dryer
- Belk (Duke): Shopping trip to Belk department store, Fossil watch
- Franklin American Mortgage Music City (N.C. State): Gift suite, Fossil watch
December 4, 2012 - 11:55 AM
Cue blog commenters complaining about athletes being pampered in 3 … 2 … 1 …
The NCAA is a hypocrite of an organization. They go after rogue boosters, tattoo artists, and coach who gives free car ride, but allows this shenginans. Shame on the NCAA. That’s why nobody in their right mind should take the NCAA seriously. Every time the NCAA threatens action, schools shoul wave the bowl gifts in their face because their own rule allows it.
Futhermore, I think that university presidents and athletic directors need to band together and tell the NCAA to get lost.
This reminds me of a zinger senator John Kerry once told Bush during the 2004 election, “Listening to you talk about the economics is like Tony Soprano telling law enforcements how to enforce the law.”
The zing has a grain of truth in there, and it’s amazement to me how so hypocritical the NCAA is. Nevin Sharpio is probably rolling on the prison cell’s floor, and laughing hysterically. It’s probably why he got away with throwing cashes, parties, prostutites, and flauting everything that the NCAA pretends to hate. It’s the NCAA that is the problem, not the rogue booster, not the bowl executives, but the NCAA and their double-standard wheeling and dealing.
The NCAA pretends to care about students-athletes, but in reality, those players are performers and are doing it for free while AD and coaches are raking in million of dollars. The NCAA benefits as well through March Madness, licensing through EA sports, and all of that while the student-athletes are barely getting by with “free scholarships.”
Devide the total time and effort invested by the players by the amount of the goods they receive, and see what that comes to. To be fair you would also need to include scholarships, if any. Most of these will play their last football in collage. In turn they make millions for their schools, as well as other schools , Espn, the advertisers, and on and on. They deserve these small tokens, which are really tax deductions for the sponsors . The short coach.
$420? Is it really worth complaining about? I have a ton of non-revenue athletes in my classes (swimmers, XC and tennis). I know these kids get up before the crack of dawn to swim, run and lift. I’m sure the FB and BB players do too, so a nice “Thank You” for them sounds good.
I’m not going to comment about the pampering but I do think it’s funny that a corporate sponsor can give that kind of money but a family friend can’t even buy a dinner or a plane ticket to come home during the holidays.
Having said that, what’s up with the hats? How much of the $550 does the Russell Athletic Chick-Fil-A hat take up?
I had never heard of Timely watches. Turns out they specialize in private logo products. I’d guess that means an ‘official Russell Athletic Bowl’ watch for the players. Nice gift for dads or the significant older guys in your life – that would be my bet as to the thought process of the players. Fossil watches are nice, but then, I’m not 20 yrs old, and like Andy says, watches seem to be a generational thing. Still, it’s the souvenir factor, I’m sure. $420 would buy some nice stuff from Best Buy. I’d take that over a duffel full of souvenir stuff like some bowls have given in the past.
Of the ACC bowls, I’d say Tech players got the best deal. And no, I’ve no problem at all with the players getting some swag. With all the money flowing in college revenue sports, it’s nice to see them get a little taste.
Perhaps on the bus-ride back they can stop in South Carolina at Phantom Fireworks. This time of year, it’s usually buy 1 get 2 free!
Just don’t sell any of the stuff or you get put in CHAINS….
I don’t know why the NCAA keeps dancing around the idea that college athletes are students first. Please…anyone who’s ever been involved in a college program (I’m talking D3 through D1) knows that your class schedule revolves around the sport you’re playing. Your social life revolves around games and practices. Your time with family during holiday’s revolves around the sport. All the while, universities make millions and yet a college athlete who takes all the risk by putting themselves into competition knowing they are merely a blown out knee, torn rotator cuff, or some type of head or back trauma from being just another student. Pay the athletes, they are not just students.
It saddens me to see what the UVA players are missing out on.
OG brings up a funny but sad point – players can get a ChikFilA gift card from the bowl, but if a coach or booster takes them to ChikFilA & buys their lunch, it’s a violation. It’s a pickle of a situation…
UVA is being smart and replacing the non-performing assets of the team. Why can Frank not follow suit. I don’t see any AD interviewing Stinespring, O’cain, or Newsome for the coaching vacancies. Our offensive coordinator is not a hot commodity. Good luck in the Bowl. We are going to need it.
Way to tell ‘em, Trevor….!!!!
Super post, Crooked Road. Very timely…
The Hokies deserve even a better gift. How about some new offensive coaches?
Another BS that is being shoved down our throats by the BCS and their PR/spin machine–ESPN– and that’s how the bowl games are putting schools in a bind by forcing them to sell tickets. Weaver basically publicily acknowledge the school may not be able to sell all of their allotments.
One powerful message fans can tell to the BCS is to refuse to buy a single tickets–via the school’s ticketmaster or StubHub.com– and not show up to the bowl game at all.
The bowl and ESPN will feel very stupid for broadcasting a very empty stadiums across the nation and that’s one way for the fans to send a loud, united message.
Will that ever happen? No. Too many gullible people follow their teams across the country, fork over hundred of dollars just to watch 4 quarters of football.
Madness.
Andy, gives us a report on the SWAG the coaches are getting for the incredible mediocre season we just saw. Not just the VT one’s, but the rest of some of these undeserving ACC teams.
It is utterly ridiculous. And don’t forget to include Weaver (and his fellow ADs), and the significant contribution to the football program.
“Sidebar: do people really use watches these days? Cell phone tell time, don’t they?)”
Obviously you don’t travel to the Allegheny Front region in western VA, where a cell phone is as worthless as teats on a boar hog. And I have never seen a cell that “tells” time. I do have one that shows the time. Are there cell phones that now can speak to you in that female voice, Siri maybe. I am technologically challenged, sorry.
Stephen, sure cell coverage is spotty in some rural areas. But if you look at almost everyone under 35, they don’t wear watches. Generally speaking, they’ve got time displays on their phones, in their vehicles, and on their computers/tablets. None of my relatives in that age group has ever owned a watch in their life. I remember a conversation about that a couple of Christmases ago. The general consensus among the younger crowd was disbelief that anyone would NEED a watch.
Temple head coach Steve Addazio was just hired as head coach at Boston College. His Offensive Coordinator at Temple is now looking for a job, since he just left BC last year, and might not want to return to work for the same AD. Guy’s name is Kevin Rogers. Folks around here might have heard of him. Just sayin’…
Jeez CR, this is getting ridiculous. I’d love to see Rogers back in B’burg. BTW, I’m not in that age group and feel naked without my watch. Never wear it on the golf course though.
Yeah, I’m the same way with my Timex, including the golf course thing.
The thing about Rogers that would make him attractive to Beamer is that he’s a former member of the ‘family’, that he understands Frank’s preferences and has worked within them, and that he’s got strong Virginia roots, having attended William & Mary, etc. He’s not going to come in and make Frank worry about high powered passing attacks, he’s a little more conservative and knows what Frank likes. Also, he’s older, and has a solid reputation that would appeal to recruits.
As for all this agreement, it’s the holiday season.
Also, 540, I think there was a reason that Jimmy Robertson made the announcement on Addazio & Rogers, while mentioning in the same moment Rogers former tenure at VT. It might be a tinfoil moment, but I don’t think so. I think the mention had a purpose. I’m sure Addazio didn’t just interview today, nor mention he was considering leaving to his assistants just today.
The NCAA rules are all set by guess who…….the athletic directors and Presidents that somehow get one of those prized slots of 125 travel party folks. They make the rules not the NCAA folks they just work for the Presidents
Good one Bob H!
If the Kevin Rogers thing did happen, it would place a lot of dominos, only leaving one more person to be added. That person would be a young minority hire to coach WRs.
Here’s the complete overhaul, all accomplished without Frank going out of his comfort zone by more than a step or two.
Mike O’Cain retires. Curt Newsome either ‘retires’ or decides to look for another position elsewhere, like Ricky Bustle did back in the day. Kevin Sherman is released.
Then what happens? Frank names Rogers as Offensive Coordinator & QB coach. Solid history there, nobody can argue with that. Stinespring is ‘reclassified’ as OL coach at the same salary he’s currently making. His recruiting is retained, and he did better as OL coach than OC by far, nobody can complain with that. Shane is named special teams coach in addition to his RB duties, thus preserving the BeamerBall aura while infusing ‘fresh ideas’. Nobody will complain about that, since Shane did some special teams work at South Carolina. That leaves Frank to hire one new person – a WR coach. He’ll probably pick someone with past ties to the program, and sew it all up.
Bottom line? Frank will have made ‘drastic’ changes to address the negatives, while not moving outside his comfort zone and also preserving as much ego for his subordinates as possible. He’ll still have a ball control offense, and still have his guys on staff. He’ll also have new titles among the group, so he can say he didn’t rest on his laurels.
Let’s see how much of this occurs…
Rumor has UofL’s Charlie Strong taking HC job at Tennessee. I’m really skeptical that he does that. Not that it’s a step up, but I’m not sure if he’ll be offered that job. This is definitely the hot stove season.
StubHub currently has Russell Ath Bowl sideline tickets on the 30 yd line, mezzanine level starting at $21 per ticket. You can get 50 yd line mezzanine tickets starting at $41 each. VTTO tickets for end zone & upper corner seats are $72.
This is why you play cupcakes!
CR, your plan doesn’t sound too bad, but I’m not sure the Stinespring demotion would fly. Might be better to go elsewhere. As far as getting someone from the “family” for the WR’s, Lee Suggs has been coaching in Ohio for a few years at a Div III school. Not sure if he is ready for a move up, but it might be interesting.
Crooked Road, you say in your scenario that Stinespring stays on as OL coach and “His recruiting is retained.” Sorry, but he just needs to hit the road, since his track record on recruiting is suspect. How many top-notch players from Virginia did we play AGAINST instead of them being a Hokie?
To Tony Franklin the Offensive Coordinator at La. Tech,,send your resume to Blacksburg please,,,thanks, Santa
540, on the Stinespring reassignment, I’m just broaching that as the PR spin would be put on it. The TrueHokie fan base thinks Stinespring is a master recruiter. I beg to differ, but then again, who listens to me? ha ha… The real world scenario is that Frank Beamer will never fire or release Stinespring completely. We’ve just got to accept that as long as Frank is there, Stinespring is there. I don’t like it, but Frank certainly does. The big money donors don’t hate Stinespring, they are just tired of his Offensive Coordinator incompetence. They’re not pushing Frank so hard on firing Stinespring, just on him not being OC.
I agree with Joe Hokie that VT loses more elite recruits from Virginia than we sign. A major reason for that is because of our offensive philosophy, or lack thereof. The HS coaches instate, many of whom are former Hokie players or have decades long relationships with VaTech, tend to steer their top offensive skill players elsewhere, unless they’re RBs. With an NFL-experienced Kevin Rogers as OC, Frank can rely on Stinespring’s instate connections and feel secure in making a better run at those recruits. I’m not saying it will solve the problem. I’m just saying it is what Frank would accept as a solution.
SABAN DOESN’T RUN THE SPREAD… VT DOESN’T NEED TO EITHER, IF’N WE GET THE HORSES! (just sayin’) BESIDES OUT CURRENT PERSONNEL AREN’T SPREAD PLAYERS.
IF STINEY DOES OK WITH THE OL THEN PUT HIM THERE AND BRING IN A NEW OC.
Not too many comments about perks or watches. I still wear a wrist watch even though I carry a cell phone and usually have my IPad with me. My watch is a Citizen Eco Drive Michael Waltrip model. It has a 24 hour inset and a tachometer. It has no battery to replace and gets its power from stress.
As a Big 10 fan who dislikes Ohio State, I *love* bowl swag. And pawn shops.
I posted this yesterday about Franklin and I will post something about it everytime I hear his name brought up if I get the chance. Do you even know anything about Tony Franklin or his system? I know I do, 100%, we went as a staff to his “clinic”, which was more like a brainwash than a clinic to me. He actually made you sign a contract saying you would not share his “secrets” or ideas with any other coaches. Give me a break, this guy was acting like he was the Godfather of the no huddle spread offense. Franklin’s system was predicated on the screen game and 4 or 5 reads from the QB. I don’t know about you but most QB’s can’t handle 4 or 5 reads. Sure, the Mannings can, Andrew Luck can. However, the majority of college QB’s can NOT handle this system. Franklin’s exact words are “we can be good at most things but we have to be GREAT at the screen game.” Correct me if I’m wrong but I hear from the peanut gallery quite often about how all we do is throw screens in Stiney’s system. Franklin’s “Nascar Series”, (which by the way we already run a form of it) and most of you don’t like it because I’ve heard and read alot of garbage on here about it. The Nascar Series is a no huddle hurry up offense that comes to the line, call a cadence, and then look to the sideline, get the play that best counteracts the defense, and then reset, and run the play. Most of you HATED that from Stinespring and Company. Franklin’s system was the flavor of the year awhile back, then eventually it got him run out of big time college football. Stinespring may not be an offensive guru, but Tony Franklin is most certainly not the answer.
Crooked, I hate to say this but I agree with you. Changes are definetly coming and the scenario of which you are speaking of (Rogers as OC and QB coach, Stinespring as OL coach) is a solid answer that will keep the program together in the mold of VT football and also keep the recruiting leaders in the program.
I heard from some different sources that Newsome was looking at becoming the next head coach at E&H and have also recently heard that Torrian Gray was being courted by Mike London as a defensive coordinator. Any truth to that?
Watches = fashion accessory. No one uses them to tell time, but a nice watch is Bling, baby…
Obviously, not for sports reporters, though.
We sportswriters are a bling-less species.
Rogers would be an awful hire the guy doesn’t have it anymore and has health issues.