[81alum]

I sincerely HOPE that this is simply a way to allow him to recover from some nagging injury that Christian hopes will not derail his professional career.  To support that view, we know he had something like that going on earlier this season.  Since Shaw is so guarded about what injury information he shares, we can't really know, and Christian would of course not want to admit to any physical ailment that might cost his draft stock.  So that is the best construction we can put on this.

But if this is something else--purely a precautionary move, then I would be deeply disappointed.  It is one thing to abandon a year of eligibility to go pro--and even that I abhor but accept--but to start abandoning individual games?  This lets down the fans and the team, and is deceptive besides, given that it was announced after the bowl selection.  The Sun Bowl must be furious--not that that particular factor matters much to me.  But it would mark one more data point in the steady erosion of the student-athlete model, where professionalism triumphs in ever increasing ways over ideals that Stanford has sought to uphold.  It is the fact that Stanford athletes have been different from those at other football powerhouses that has made me a fan of Stanford sports.  Luck coming back to graduate was an affirmation of that premise.  CMac bailing out prior to graduating, and now even prior to finishing a season, has just the opposite effect for me.

I echo the sentiment that this is not a "meaningless exhibition game."  It is the culmination of a season.  To say it is meaningless is to say that the only thing that matters is making the national playoffs.  Games like the Sun Bowl used to be a rare treat for Stanford fans.  I'm happy that we now regularly aspire to more--but it would be an act of privileged arrogance to disdain a final celebratory game and a last chance to play with teammates. 

But all that I say tentatively, since we do not and cannot know what might lie behind CMac's decisions.  Perhaps one day we will.  Right now I am left with disappointment and a diminished enthusiasm for college football.

[81alum]

I sincerely HOPE that this is simply a way to allow him to recover from some nagging injury that Christian hopes will not derail his professional career.  To support that view, we know he had something like that going on earlier this season.  Since Shaw is so guarded about what injury information he shares, we can't really know, and Christian would of course not want to admit to any physical ailment that might cost his draft stock.  So that is the best construction we can put on this.

But if this is something else--purely a precautionary move, then I would be deeply disappointed.  It is one thing to abandon a year of eligibility to go pro--and even that I abhor but accept--but to start abandoning individual games?  This lets down the fans and the team, and is deceptive besides, given that it was announced after the bowl selection.  The Sun Bowl must be furious--not that that particular factor matters much to me.  But it would mark one more data point in the steady erosion of the student-athlete model, where professionalism triumphs in ever increasing ways over ideals that Stanford has sought to uphold.  It is the fact that Stanford athletes have been different from those at other football powerhouses that has made me a fan of Stanford sports.  Luck coming back to graduate was an affirmation of that premise.  CMac bailing out prior to graduating, and now even prior to finishing a season, has just the opposite effect for me.

I echo the sentiment that this is not a "meaningless exhibition game."  It is the culmination of a season.  To say it is meaningless is to say that the only thing that matters is making the national playoffs.  Games like the Sun Bowl used to be a rare treat for Stanford fans.  I'm happy that we now regularly aspire to more--but it would be an act of privileged arrogance to disdain a final celebratory game and a last chance to play with teammates. 

But all that I say tentatively, since we do not and cannot know what might lie behind CMac's decisions.  Perhaps one day we will.  Right now I am left with disappointment and a diminished enthusiasm for college football.