[Goose]

[quote="fullmetal" pid='310207' dateline='1615598950']
If Williams is a lock for first-round money, why would he risk injury in the last games of his college career?  This is the CMac Sun Bowl issue all over again.

No it isn't. CMac played the regular season. He didn't "dog it" during the games. When he decided he was done playing, he said so and left the team. If Williams wanted to not play at all for us this season, that would have been fine. That's not what he did. He agreed to play on the team. By not putting forth his full effort, he didn't keep his word. Not at all the same.

Do we fault players with promising pro futures for looking ahead?  What if Bryce Love had been drafted highly after his Voldemort run instead of coming back to Stanford and suffering from injuries behind an injured OL?

No, I don't fault players for looking ahead. If Bryce Love had gone pro and not returned for his last year, I would have been totally fine with that. I do see an argument that can be made saying that if you agree to play for Stanford you owe it to your team to do so until you graduate, but I can even get by the "graduate" part when there is lots of money at stake. What I can't ever regard  as honorable is staying on the team but not giving your best effort. It is also unacceptable to create issues among your teammates by disparaging the coaches, the program, whatever else. If you want to do that, quit the team and then say your piece.

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Is that what happened, Goose? Is that what Rivals says?

I don't know what Rivals said. What I do know is that the level of effort from some of the players was substandard, and that this was obvious enough that many on this board besides myself have noted it. Some guys clearly "quit" without saying so.They may have had their reasons, but my point was that if you don't feel you can give 100%, officially quit the sport, don't hang around and make a sub-par effort. It isn't fair to the rest of the team.

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Do you know if Williams "disparaged" the coach and program?

I do not. The scenario I outlined described what I believe proper conduct would be if you believe that in some way you were "wronged". Remaining on the team but not giving your best effort is passive-aggressive. Disparaging the team and/or your teammates (privately or in public) is actively aggressive and should get you punished or dismissed from the team. Not giving your best effort is much harder to deal with because it is harder to quantify even most observers agree it is happening.
I would assume anybody who isn't giving their best effort has a problem with something in the program. If that is the case, one should either get over it or quit, IMHO. This is especially true when you don't intend to return to the program next year anyway. It also makes no sense for your behavior to be a mystery. If you have some point to make, make it and move on. If you just want to move on, fine, do so. No reason to weaken the chances of those who chose to stay by taking minutes from somebody who wants the team to succeed and is willing to do all they can to make it happen.

[Goose]

[quote="fullmetal" pid='310207' dateline='1615598950']
If Williams is a lock for first-round money, why would he risk injury in the last games of his college career?  This is the CMac Sun Bowl issue all over again.

No it isn't. CMac played the regular season. He didn't "dog it" during the games. When he decided he was done playing, he said so and left the team. If Williams wanted to not play at all for us this season, that would have been fine. That's not what he did. He agreed to play on the team. By not putting forth his full effort, he didn't keep his word. Not at all the same.

Do we fault players with promising pro futures for looking ahead?  What if Bryce Love had been drafted highly after his Voldemort run instead of coming back to Stanford and suffering from injuries behind an injured OL?

No, I don't fault players for looking ahead. If Bryce Love had gone pro and not returned for his last year, I would have been totally fine with that. I do see an argument that can be made saying that if you agree to play for Stanford you owe it to your team to do so until you graduate, but I can even get by the "graduate" part when there is lots of money at stake. What I can't ever regard  as honorable is staying on the team but not giving your best effort. It is also unacceptable to create issues among your teammates by disparaging the coaches, the program, whatever else. If you want to do that, quit the team and then say your piece.

 ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Is that what happened, Goose? Is that what Rivals says?

I don't know what Rivals said. What I do know is that the level of effort from some of the players was substandard, and that this was obvious enough that many on this board besides myself have noted it. Some guys clearly "quit" without saying so.They may have had their reasons, but my point was that if you don't feel you can give 100%, officially quit the sport, don't hang around and make a sub-par effort. It isn't fair to the rest of the team.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Do you know if Williams "disparaged" the coach and program?

I do not. The scenario I outlined described what I believe proper conduct would be if you believe that in some way you were "wronged". Remaining on the team but not giving your best effort is passive-aggressive. Disparaging the team and/or your teammates (privately or in public) is actively aggressive and should get you punished or dismissed from the team. Not giving your best effort is much harder to deal with because it is harder to quantify even most observers agree it is happening.
I would assume anybody who isn't giving their best effort has a problem with something in the program. If that is the case, one should either get over it or quit, IMHO. This is especially true when you don't intend to return to the program next year anyway. It also makes no sense for your behavior to be a mystery. If you have some point to make, make it and move on. If you just want to move on, fine, do so. No reason to weaken the chances of those who chose to stay by taking minutes from somebody who wants the team to succeed and is willing to do all they can to make it happen.