CWS Game Thread - Other Games

[chuckiepoo]

If Skenes’ $ keeps us from getting the other 3 transfers or a FR or 2 do we end up where we did? We don’t know for sure who’s getting what NIL and what the “ifs” would’ve been. But I personally think if we could’ve used X $’s and got Skenes only or used X and got Ahuna, Merrit, and Denton the $ was more widely spent on the latter scenario and that it likely yields better results. We’ll never know if it came down to that and likely didn’t, but Skenes alone doesn’t guarantee an Omaha birth and getting Skenes undoubtedly would have an offsetting impact elsewhere on the roster.

Rough and choppy waters to navigate, for sure. I know the LVs hired an NIL specialist. Does the baseball program have such a resource?

 

[Volprofch05]

I think NIL is a good thing for the players but it should be a legitimate thing where they are paid for the use of their Name, Image or Likeness and not paid to play. But as they say, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube or genie back in the bottle. It is here to stay and the man with the money will win the prize or get real close. Now, who has the money? In the long run, every significant player coming in will get money so it will equal out. I still don't see in football where you can pay a kid like Nico the money being thrown out without him playing this year. I don't see how you can invest that much money in a player and them just spend the year on the bench learning rather than playing. If he is worth that amount of money, he should be playing. Just My Opinion. No dog in this hunt for football.

IMO, Nico is a unique case for multiple reasons, including that football players are much less likely to play as true freshmen than in other sports and also most of his teammates are likely to also be compensated. But, more importantly, the recruiting of a 5* QB in football is particularly vital because it attracts other highly ranked recruits who want to play for a winner, due to the unique importance of the QB position. It's kind of like when leBron or Brady sign with a new team and then everyone wants to follow them to win. In this way, I think the Nico situation was a strategic decision to boost overall recruiting. It could certainly blow up in our faces, and perhaps already did with the USCjr game last year, but that seems to be the strategy.

 

[knoxvol52]

My hope is they don’t feel compelled to play Nico, that Joe takes the reins and negotiates the trials required to get them to the playoffs. Long season. I doubt seriously Heup will play anyone based on NIL. He’s in it, to win it.

Don't think Nico plays much just in mop up duty in some games. I don't see him getting thrown to the wolves unless Milton gets injured.

 

[chuckiepoo]

IMO, Nico is a unique case for multiple reasons, including that football players are much less likely to play as true freshmen than in other sports and also most of his teammates are likely to also be compensated. But, more importantly, the recruiting of a 5* QB in football is particularly vital because it attracts other highly ranked recruits who want to play for a winner, due to the unique importance of the QB position. It's kind of like when leBron or Brady sign with a new team and then everyone wants to follow them to win. In this way, I think the Nico situation was a strategic decision to boost overall recruiting. It could certainly blow up in our faces, and perhaps already did with the USCjr game last year, but that seems to be the strategy.

….eeesh. They coming to Knoxpatch, and we’ll be ready…

 

[Volprofch05]

….eeesh. They coming to Knoxpatch, and we’ll be ready…

I'll be there and will be ready!

 

[knoxvol52]

I'm goin

I'll be there and will be ready!

g to all home games this season even APSU lol taking my grandson

 

[taylorvol]

I still hate LSU.

Agreed. The adult LSU fans are great but the 20 something’s are unbearable. They act like 9 year olds. I will hold my nose and pull for FL.

 

[taylorvol]

I see, okay, so are you saying you can’t pay the incoming freshman, some of who you’re trying to keep from going to the draft and in addition the transfer portal players looking to upgrade their draft stock after you just signed, the year previously, rising sophomores for instance get nothing?

I guess, I don’t see how you structure that bargain. In other words, Maui gets whatever he gets and Kaveras Tears, for example gets no help? I feel really dense right now.

The problem is the existing studs on the roster have no leverage (unless they threaten to leave/enter the portal or are draft eligible). Thus, they receive little to no NIL money, yet some portal transfer “one-year rental” gets a few hundred thousand to come in for a year displacing another loyal kid on roster. It drives a wedge in the clubhouse. It’s not NIL—it’s pay to play.

 

[vol66]

I think NIL is a good thing for the players but it should be a legitimate thing where they are paid for the use of their Name, Image or Likeness and not paid to play. But as they say, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube or genie back in the bottle. It is here to stay and the man with the money will win the prize or get real close. Now, who has the money? In the long run, every significant player coming in will get money so it will equal out. I still don't see in football where you can pay a kid like Nico the money being thrown out without him playing this year. I don't see how you can invest that much money in a player and them just spend the year on the bench learning rather than playing. If he is worth that amount of money, he should be playing. Just My Opinion. No dog in this hunt for football.

One can already see the added pressure…First interception Joe throws, first sack…folks start going nuts, “why are we paying all this money for him to ride the pine.” It’s gonna be brutal.

 

[JCP201]

Best college pitching performance I have ever seen. LSU beats Wake Forest 2-0 in a walk off game B11

Yeah, I watched the game. Those pitchers were incredible. I was talking about the crash of VolNation after the game. I didn't think LSU did it.

 

[vol66]

The problem is the existing studs on the roster have no leverage (unless they threaten to leave/enter the portal or are draft eligible). Thus, they receive little to no NIL money, yet some portal transfer “one-year rental” gets a few hundred thousand to come in for a year displacing another loyal kid on roster. It drives a wedge in the clubhouse. It’s not NIL—it’s pay to play.

I appreciate some of you being here to shine a light on how this stuff works in the real world and not monopoly land, which the average fan is kind of forced to live in because we just don’t have the information.

 

[txbo]

In 5 years you'll see very few freshmen on power 5 rosters. They'll have to prove themselves at smaller schools while lineups are filled with NIL purchases from the portal.

In 10 years, we won't recognize any college sports.

 

[TigerMan]

What’s bad business for one isn’t the same as the other. My point was perhaps in CTV’s eyes it wasn’t worth going back to the well for more $ for him or he knew it couldn’t get it done anyway from the NIL side cause we’re just not going to lay out that kind of money for baseball. If for example, our total NIL “budget” for baseball is $2.5M and Skene’s needs $2M to make it work then maybe we didn’t see the value in allocating 80% to one guy and the potential impacts that has on enticing other guys to come on board, stick around, locker room issues etc. If LSU‘s budget is $10M then 20% of the budget has less of an impact on everyone else, there’s still $ to go around. It’s no different than thinking about you allocate your 11.7 scholarships. If you give 75% to one guy and everyone has to be on a minimum of 25% scholarship (I believe that’s the minimum) then 75% to one guy eats up a total of 3 potential guys. So you weigh out, what has the opportunity to have a bigger impact on the program, short and long term, 3 solid guys or 1 can’t miss/generational talent guy at the expense of the other 3? So we either couldn’t pony up the additional $ or decided to allocate the same total $ in a different way.

That’s a much better explanation. Appreciate the clarification. I have a feeling more money will be heading into the Vols baseball program soon.

However, I’ll never agree with you that LSU and WF are frauds in any sense this season.

 

[chuckiepoo]

That’s a much better explanation. Appreciate the clarification. I have a feeling more money will be heading into the Vols baseball program soon.

However, I’ll never agree with you that LSU and WF are frauds in any sense this season.

Do I need to invoke @Weezer again?

 

[chuckiepoo]

One can already see the added pressure…First interception Joe throws, first sack…folks start going nuts, “why are we paying all this money for him to ride the pine.” It’s gonna be brutal.

The Harrison Bailey vs JG fiasco will be flashed to a pale misunderstand between factions within the fanbase. Lots of pressure on Joe.

 

[TigerMan]

Do I need to invoke @Weezer again?

lol I’m hoping that my toned down response keeps Weezer on the sidelines!

 

[chuckiepoo]

lol I’m hoping that my toned down response keeps Weezer on the sidelines!

 

[taylorvol]

I think NIL is a good thing for the players but it should be a legitimate thing where they are paid for the use of their Name, Image or Likeness and not paid to play. But as they say, you can't put the toothpaste back in the tube or genie back in the bottle. It is here to stay and the man with the money will win the prize or get real close. Now, who has the money? In the long run, every significant player coming in will get money so it will equal out. I still don't see in football where you can pay a kid like Nico the money being thrown out without him playing this year. I don't see how you can invest that much money in a player and them just spend the year on the bench learning rather than playing. If he is worth that amount of money, he should be playing. Just My Opinion. No dog in this hunt for football.

I think the number out there is inflated and is for 3 or 4 years. Keep in mind, Nico has such a social media following and is Uber charismatic that he has helped recruit other players. I think he needs a year in the S&C program and to sit and learn behind Milton. He will get some backup snaps and be ready to take the reigns in 24. By all accounts, he has fit in well and has no prima donna tendencies.

 

[taylorvol]

In 5 years you'll see very few freshmen on power 5 rosters. They'll have to prove themselves at smaller schools while lineups are filled with NIL purchases from the portal.

In 10 years, we won't recognize any college sports.

unfortunately, I think you’re right. I might have to take up golf. Not sure I will still be watching when that happens.

 

[turbovol]

Wasn't NIL conceived as a contractual arrangement between players and legit businesses selling merch with the player's name/image/likeness?
How many NIL deals actually involve such a legit, business contract--as opposed to schools just bribing guys to sign and play? Are portal guys
with one year of eligibility getting NIL money? If so, why, since nobody is selling any product with the name/image/license of a guy that nobody knows when he signs and is gone after one season. College sports has just got corrupt, seedy, distasteful. And soon to come---20 team
"conferences"--but not really conferences anymore just agglomerations of schools under a fake league banner to maximize TV money. Nothing proved that ore than UCLA and USC joining the Big 10. They should just ID them as TV Leagues now. TV League SEC. TV League Big 20, etc. And the 12 team football playoff: It's just TV networks gaslighting gullible fans who think because their team slid into the playoff in the 12 spot, "maybe we can win it all." No, you can't.

 

[chuckiepoo]

Wasn't NIL conceived as a contractual arrangement between players and legit businesses selling merch with the player's name/image/likeness?
How many NIL deals actually involve such a legit, business contract--as opposed to schools just bribing guys to sign and play? Are portal guys
with one year of eligibility getting NIL money? If so, why, since nobody is selling any product with the name/image/license of a guy that nobody knows when he signs and is gone after one season. College sports has just got corrupt, seedy, distasteful. And soon to come---20 team
"conferences"--but not really conferences anymore just agglomerations of schools under a fake league banner to maximize TV money. Nothing proved that ore than UCLA and USC joining the Big 10. They should just ID them as TV Leagues now. TV League SEC. TV League Big 20, etc. And the 12 team football playoff: It's just TV networks gaslighting gullible fans who think because their team slid into the playoff in the 12 spot, "maybe we can win it all." No, you can't.

So cynical today?

 

[knoxvol52]

So cynical today?

Wow it's hugging time

 

[AthensVol2007]

That’s a much better explanation. Appreciate the clarification. I have a feeling more money will be heading into the Vols baseball program soon.

However, I’ll never agree with you that LSU and WF are frauds in any sense this season.

Fraud for WF may be strong. Again clarification was needed and my point was they weren’t the best team in the country all year as was crammed down our throats by a lot of the guys at D1 baseball. Their stats and record were a product of their conference/competition IMO. They’re solidly a top 10-12 team but I think the record, stats and even their postseason run may have looked different had they played an SEC schedule.

The pitching was elite so it would’ve kept them in a lot of games but their explosive offense was completely shut down in Omaha by good but not great pitching (the staffs aren’t great, but have been great; make sense?) outside of last night. LSU’s pitching has been great the last 2 weeks but nobody would’ve said coming into the CWS that LSU’s pitching, outside of Skenes, is great, same for Stanford outside of Matthews.

My point was playing our schedule, your schedule, UF’s etc. they would face that stuff 25 games out of 30. We saw how easily it was neutralized, I have no reason to believe it would’ve been much different during the regular season. As I said before, I think they wind up 16-14 to 20-10 in the SEC and closer to the lower end of that range, that potentially puts them on the road for the first 2 rounds or at least on the road for Supers and nobody is talking about Wake in the same light as they did all year.

 

[nashvillepanther]

I hate to say it, but we gave Tommy Tanks a lot of **** last year for his decision to transfer down there. Well, turns out he made the best decision of his life. High risk, high reward.

 

[AthensVol2007]

Definitely two of the best college pitchers in the game in awhile. That's the biggest reason these two teams are where they are. Now Florida don't have a pitcher like these two but there really good. LSU is going have it's work cut out for them to match Florida pitching without Skenes. Wouldn't surprise me to see Skenes in game 3 if they can get it there. Great game !!!

I have zero doubt he’ll pitch Game 3 with a title on the line. The natives will drop Jay Johnson from the pedestrian bridge and watch him sink in the Missouri River if they lose a game 3 title with Skenes on the bench.