[Goose]

Sorry about the quote only post. Operator error. My point was as follows. Christian didn't say he was not playing in order to avoid injury. He said it was to "prepare for the draft", whatever that means. Naturally, we all assume, probably correctly, that injury concerns played a role. However, there is another factor that doesn't seem to resonate much on this board, which is a surprise to me. Most of us have either quit one job to take another, or at least left school to take a job. As long as you have not actually decided to move on, you can be "all in" in your present position. But once you have mentally "crossed the Rubicon" and decided to go, it is essentially impossible to be "all in". Reading the Clemson links from this topic demonstrates this. The guys that had decided to go were different. Their priorities were different. They played different. They probably didn't want to (at least appear) to be not as much of a team player, but the fact was that they were not and could not be. I have asked employees who gave their notice to leave early because it was clear they just didn't give a **** about their responsibilities after they had given their notice. I think this is one reason that many players try to postpone the decision to go pro as long as possible, because they realize that once the decide to leave, it is over, and no effort on their part can change that. The Clemson team as a group apparently committed to that approach. CMac probably was trying to avoid the choice as well, but either his own feelings or circumstances caused him to decide that he would leave. Once you do that, you are different, and you know it and feel it. In a sport like football, where instant actions have to come without thought, others will know it too. (See Clemson). So, if CMac had decided before Rice, would he have played? I don't know. Did Shaw know from his experience that this was so and suggest that CMac maybe should get out of the way once he had decided? I  think this is possible. Or, possibly Christian realized his heart and head were just not in the right place. The "not playing" announcement did not come at the same time as the "going to leave" one did. No way to know and nobody would say so if it were true, but it is a theory at least.

[Goose]

Sorry about the quote only post. Operator error. My point was as follows. Christian didn't say he was not playing in order to avoid injury. He said it was to "prepare for the draft", whatever that means. Naturally, we all assume, probably correctly, that injury concerns played a role. However, there is another factor that doesn't seem to resonate much on this board, which is a surprise to me. Most of us have either quit one job to take another, or at least left school to take a job. As long as you have not actually decided to move on, you can be "all in" in your present position. But once you have mentally "crossed the Rubicon" and decided to go, it is essentially impossible to be "all in". Reading the Clemson links from this topic demonstrates this. The guys that had decided to go were different. Their priorities were different. They played different. They probably didn't want to (at least appear) to be not as much of a team player, but the fact was that they were not and could not be. I have asked employees who gave their notice to leave early because it was clear they just didn't give a **** about their responsibilities after they had given their notice. I think this is one reason that many players try to postpone the decision to go pro as long as possible, because they realize that once the decide to leave, it is over, and no effort on their part can change that. The Clemson team as a group apparently committed to that approach. CMac probably was trying to avoid the choice as well, but either his own feelings or circumstances caused him to decide that he would leave. Once you do that, you are different, and you know it and feel it. In a sport like football, where instant actions have to come without thought, others will know it too. (See Clemson). So, if CMac had decided before Rice, would he have played? I don't know. Did Shaw know from his experience that this was so and suggest that CMac maybe should get out of the way once he had decided? I  think this is possible. Or, possibly Christian realized his heart and head were just not in the right place. The "not playing" announcement did not come at the same time as the "going to leave" one did. No way to know and nobody would say so if it were true, but it is a theory at least.