2014 college all-star game coverage

RamView will attempt to cover three college all-star games in 2014 in what is an ever-shrinking field. Some games have been discontinued, one has dropped off the face of the earth, and another appears to have gone into the witness protection program. The rundown:

The East-West Shrine Game will start the all-star festivities at 3:00 CST January 18th from Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida. The game will be broadcast on NFL Network. Zac Stacy played in last year's game, though he mostly got stuffed at the line. Cody Davis also played. The Rams also got practice squadder Emory Blake, training camp safety Rashard Hall and camp OT Braden Brown from last year's game. Cory Harkey played in the game two years ago. Practices have not been broadcast on TV before but I'll update if I learn of any changes.
  

The second part of the all-star game doubleheader Saturday will be the third NFLPA Collegiate Bowl, at the same stadium as last year, now called the StubHub Center in Carson, California. The game will air on ESPN2 at 5:00 CST. Practices for both teams are scheduled to air on ESPNU on the 15th and 16th. Dick Vermeil has dominated this game from its inception, and he's back to coach again this year, awesomely, against Dennis Green. THE NATIONAL TEAM IS WHO WE THOUGHT THEY WERE! Vermeil's presence probably also means former Rams Jim Hanifan and Isaac Bruce will be around to do some position coaching, and another former Rams link: Tony Softli is the game's "Director of College Recruiting". I think he actually headed up a staff of scouts to find talent for the game. So if it's another 34-0 stinker like last year, blame Softli. The Rams got training camp players Kevin Saia and Eric Stevens from last year's game.

The Senior Bowl will be played at 3:00 CST January 25th in Mobile, Alabama and airs on NFL Network. Practices should start airing on Tuesday the 20th. Perhaps stung by drafting Brian Quick and legendary game MVP Isaiah Pead from this game two years ago (along with Janoris Jenkins), the Rams didn't sign anybody who played in last year's game.

That will do it for 2014's RamView college all-star coverage. NFL Network coverage of the 2014 NFL Combine in Indianapolis will start February 22nd. RamView will try to be all over that, but only made it through half of last year's, so fair warning there.

The rest of the college all-star game industry has fallen on hard times:

The Raycom College Football All-Star Game, held for the first time in Montgomery, Alabama last year, has been "indefinitely postponed".

The Texas vs. The Nation game has also been indefinitely postponed, due to "extenuating circumstances". The game was sponsored by NFLPA from 2007-2011 and played without a sponsor, I believe, last year in Allen, Texas.

The Casino del Sol College All-Star Game, in Tucson, Arizona, has fallen off the face of the earth. There's no evidence online the game was ever planned to be played in 2014. The game's website hasn't been updated since the 2013 game.

Then there's RamView's old friend, the Cactus Bowl, which may now be called the Hansen Bowl, or may be called the Dream Bowl, or may be called the USA Freedom Bowl. It may be played in Virginia Beach, Virginia, OR in Hoover, Alabama. Oh, and at last word the time of the game on January 20th is TBD. Somewhere in mascot heaven, Spike the Cactus is very sad.

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