[81alum]

[quote author=winflop link=topic=17869.msg209736#msg209736 date=1509602006]
[quote author=Goose link=topic=17869.msg209712#msg209712 date=1509585733]
Coaches get judged only by results, not whether they were "right".

If that were true then there would be no criticism of Shaw's decision to keep Chryst on the field since Stanford won the game.
[/quote]
True, we here on the board express all kinds of opinions. However, the only judgement that matters is the one by the people who pay Shaw the 5+ million. If he wins enough to keep them happy, the opinions on this board just don't matter. So, in some sense you are correct. Individuals can and do say all kinds of things. The press does the same. Shaw made it real clear in his press conference how much he cares and pays attention to those "judgements"  :). He can do that because the only objective reality is wins and losses. The rest of it is opinion. As long as he wins "enough", criticism doesn't much matter, and if he doesn't win enough, praise doesn't help.
[/quote]
I don't quite agree with this.  There is truth in what you say--I think Shaw does have a certain cordial disdain for the press and for ignorant and ill informed comments and speculation.  But he does care about more than winning and dollars.  He does care about his reputation and the reputation of the Stanford program.  In fact, that is what makes him such a good fit for us--he is driven by the desire to prove that he can create and maintain a winning football program in the "right" way--one that values academics and ethics, and thus prove all the cynics and corrupt powerhouses wrong.  To do that he must care as much about intangibles as he does about winning and losing.  So if people started accusing his program of being sleazy or playing loose with academic standards I think you would find he cared a great deal about what people thought and said.  The football opinions though--not so much.

[81alum]

[quote author=winflop link=topic=17869.msg209736#msg209736 date=1509602006]
[quote author=Goose link=topic=17869.msg209712#msg209712 date=1509585733]
Coaches get judged only by results, not whether they were "right".

If that were true then there would be no criticism of Shaw's decision to keep Chryst on the field since Stanford won the game.
[/quote]
True, we here on the board express all kinds of opinions. However, the only judgement that matters is the one by the people who pay Shaw the 5+ million. If he wins enough to keep them happy, the opinions on this board just don't matter. So, in some sense you are correct. Individuals can and do say all kinds of things. The press does the same. Shaw made it real clear in his press conference how much he cares and pays attention to those "judgements"  :). He can do that because the only objective reality is wins and losses. The rest of it is opinion. As long as he wins "enough", criticism doesn't much matter, and if he doesn't win enough, praise doesn't help.
[/quote]
I don't quite agree with this.  There is truth in what you say--I think Shaw does have a certain cordial disdain for the press and for ignorant and ill informed comments and speculation.  But he does care about more than winning and dollars.  He does care about his reputation and the reputation of the Stanford program.  In fact, that is what makes him such a good fit for us--he is driven by the desire to prove that he can create and maintain a winning football program in the "right" way--one that values academics and ethics, and thus prove all the cynics and corrupt powerhouses wrong.  To do that he must care as much about intangibles as he does about winning and losing.  So if people started accusing his program of being sleazy or playing loose with academic standards I think you would find he cared a great deal about what people thought and said.  The football opinions though--not so much.