[fullmetal]

Another tack:

I think a lot of the disappointment or lack of enthusiasm from the staff/alumni might stem from their realization that this could be the beginning of the end of Stanford as a bastion of athletic ideals, untainted by the effects of professional money.  IIRC, CMac is the first Stanford player to opt out of a bowl for professional purposes, and while this happens at other schools, perhaps no one saw it coming from the golden boy of Stanford football.

But...it is a wise, long-term decision.  And such decisions could bring Stanford Football down the path toward being just another football factory.  It is a difficult line to walk.

[fullmetal]

Another tack:

I think a lot of the disappointment or lack of enthusiasm from the staff/alumni might stem from their realization that this could be the beginning of the end of Stanford as a bastion of athletic ideals, untainted by the effects of professional money.  IIRC, CMac is the first Stanford player to opt out of a bowl for professional purposes, and while this happens at other schools, perhaps no one saw it coming from the golden boy of Stanford football.

But...it is a wise, long-term decision.  And such decisions could bring Stanford Football down the path toward being just another football factory.  It is a difficult line to walk.