SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Quotes

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Quotes

Cotton Bowl Stadium

Dallas, Texas

Dec. 26, 2018

**BOWL IS OFFICIALLY A NO CONTEST DUE TO WEATHER**

Boise State head coach Bryan Harsin

Statement from Harsin...

"This was an awesome week, the first responders, and the bowl game were first class in every way. We felt safe as well. You can’t control the weather. Everyone involved in knows what it means, so I appreciate our guys class for what they showed. It was exciting to play in this venue and this opportunity. Unfortunately, we don’t control the weather. Their responses were what you could imagine. We had the conversation that we weren't going to be able to play this game, you go back to player safety and that is the most important that. As coaches, administrators and fans, you go out there and enjoy the game, but you have to take their safety into consideration. Those guys wanted to play. When you are a player, you are set to play. We made a sound decision, we had to make a decision and that is what you do. That is bigger than playing in the game, you have to make sure you make the right choices for your student-athletes."

Being prepared for bad weather in the area...

"It was a difficult situation. Help me out guys, this is a new one. We prepared for this in fall camp where we ran into the locker room. We were prepared for having this happen. We were prepared for this situation but at some point you just have to make a decision."

“This group, the career they have had, the season we had. You look at some games in there with some lessons. I am proud of this group, we aren't going to walk out of it with our heads down. We look forward to coming back to 2019 and getting that team prepared.

“The seniors have laid the foundation for moving forward. Brett is exceptional. His leadership is going to be a big thing that we miss. We will find guys to step up, what these seniors have done is extremely positive and I am proud to be their coach and see their careers.

"Boston College, those guys were physical and it was as advertised. It didn’t end up how we wanted to."

"You have to take a step back and say ‘is this the best decision’ and to play, in our opinions, was not the best decision. There were too many unknowns. So when I walked back in there, I didn’t have a speech prepared for this. I was looking at the guys, and their long faces, and I asked for them to help me out. We sang the fight song, we ended it the right way, and that is all that you can do."

Boston College head coach Steve Addazio

Statement...

"I just came out of a locker room saying good bye to seniors and am emotionally shocked right now. We came up, like half time, making adjustments on what we had seen. We lost track of time, and they kept restarting the clock and next thing I knew we had to go to a meeting with the ACC and Mountain West and come to a decision. At that point, the Bowl cancelled the game with all of the information they had. We all understood that player safety is the most prominent thing in everyone’s minds. Where we were with delays, as the forecast, the bowl people had to make a call and we were all in the support of the call they made in the eyes of player safety."

Talk of preparation for the situation…

"That is a good question that I do not have an answer for.

"The locker room as you can imagine, as you are dealing with competitors, they wanted to play the game. At the end of the day, we were all deeply disappointed. I can’t speak for the other team but I am sure they are like us. They are competitors and a lot went into this. At the end of the day, when you have administration in charge, tough decisions have to be made in the big picture of things and the most important thing here is player safety.

"I got done saying goodbye and some very emotional guys. After a lot of tears, you sit there, and I said to myself, these guys are going to have a chance to go on healthy out of here and who would I be to put them in harm’s way. I respect the tough call that had to be made here. I don’t think I can live with myself if God forbid, something were to happen to one of these guys."

"I completely respect the decision that had to be made here, as hard as it is to make. But the most important thing is those guys in the locker room and their futures. With the information at hand, and the delays that may occur, they would be insurmountable."

“I told them I loved them. How much they had done for our program. Four or five years you have these guys and this is the best group I've been around. You come to work everyday, and you're just happy to be around these kids. They love football, they love to compete and they love each other. This is the best I've been around. And that is why you get into this business.

"I was hoping that we’d be able to win and sing the fight song together, but we sang it anyways. It was emotionally and overwhelming to be honest. It was just odd, that is the best way I can put it. Everything was done in their most important interest."

"You are preparing for a bowl, and that is hard. Your preparation is not for not. You are preparing your team for the future. It is a reward to go to a new area. You get practices for the future and all of those things happened. You felt that we were three and a half quarters short. It is not just that easy to say we will play at 7 p.m. tonight. The guys haven't eaten, there is so much that goes into that. There are so many times that you can start and stop and there is a lot that goes into that. I am not a scientist and there are stats on this."

"This is a first, and I’ve never seen it before. I don’t second guess anything about it. It is a first and it is disappointing, however, the decision was made for the right reasons and that is the welfare of both teams’ players and I totally understand that. I appreciate the fact the bowl people put our and Boise’s players ahead of a lot of other things. I am not sure how many can do that. I am very appreciative for that. I wish nothing but the best for Boise, they have a great staff and I know that all the prep will help catapult their future going into next year, as it well ours. There was a lot of positive and good things where we feel appreciative in the way that we were treated."

SERVPRO First Responder Bowl Executive Director Brant Ringler

"We knew there was a chance of inclement weather fort his game. There were no intentions to move the game. Usually the weather plays out to play the game. We had a weather report for what we were going to do and all of those things played out today and we had to make the decision on if we would be able to play today. We had to make that decision and now we just have to move forward."

"We discussed with all parties involved, ESPN, the athletic directors, the coaches. Often time weather moves and we saw what was possibly coming. It was listed as scattered thunderstorms, and there was a chance it was going to miss us, but unfortunately it did not."

"If you looked at the radar, there was more coming at us in a few hours. There was lightning still in the area and to have the players in the locker room, come out and warm up, the field would be wet as well, there were so many factors that went into it but the main factor is player safety and based on that we felt was the best thing to do."

"We work all year long to put on a bowl game and have staff members that work all year long to put on this bowl. We are disappointed for the teams that competed all year long to play here. We are disappointed greatly. We talked to our title sponsor and they completely understand and ironically it is what they deal with and they complete understood and agreed with the decision as we move forward."

If the city was involved in the decision...

No, they were not involved with this decision at all.

Boise State quarterback Brett Rypien

About being able to turn it off and on in the locker room...

"I didn’t really have to turn it back on, just off. It is what it is. Like coach said in the locker room you can’t focus on the uncontrollable. Neither team wanted to be in the situation, but it is what it is

On the seniors...

"It was emotional. For one, it is just weird. It is a weird feeling. When you get the news that the game was called and your career is over, it was an emotional thing for sure."

Ending it on the right note, personally

"I can’t control or worry about what I can’t control. I wanted to play in this game, and go out on the right note, especially losing the last one. It was tough, but it is what it is."

Sitting in the delay...

"After about 30 minutes, some guys started to look at the forecast and it didn’t look very good. We got news that it was going to be a few hours and coach came in and told us that it was over. It’s not what anybody wanted, but at the same time you cannot control it."

Message for the fans…

"It sucks. That is the only way you can put it. You fly all the way down here and unfortunately the weather wasn’t good enough. It wasn’t safe enough to play. I will be able to go out and enjoy a meal with my family tonight and hopefully others will too but unfortunately for the fans that flew down here that sucks."