[old spanish trail]

Last night's game was the first I have seen in four years. Compared with teams from the Harbaugh / early-Shaw era, the Cardinal appeared to be smaller, weaker, and slower. The old style of dominating line play on both sides of the ball was gone, as was the gang tackling and punishing running attack. From a distance, I can only guess that player development has suffered even more than recruiting.

We appeared to have no vertical game. Most of our offensive motion was side-to-side. We seemed to be almost afraid to throw the ball down the field. Even when we were far behind with the clock working against us, Shaw did not appear to be calling plays to win, but rather to keep the score as close as possible.

Back when I watched every game, I didn't like Shaw's play-calling. Nothing I saw last night changed that opinion. Football requires adaptation and evolution. Shaw appears to be of the view "We have a style and that's who we're going to be, no matter what." That's a prescription for eventual failure, if true.

I have lived away from California for almost fifteen years. In my experience from outside of the state, Stanford still has a superb reputation for academics, but especially over the past few years, a rapidly diminishing reputation for culture. For the past seven years I have been in Texas. Many people here would never want their children to live in California. Among those who are familiar with Stanford, many dislike what they have heard about the university's obsession with identity politics. If potential recruits, whether as players or coaches, take time to read the Daily over a period of months, they may perceive a student body that is self-absorbed, prickly, and generally at odds with what makes football an attractive sport to young men and coaches.

Two weeks ago, a father told me that his sixteen-year-old daughter had been advised by her college advisor to avoid Stanford, calling it the "epicenter of the woke movement," or words to that effect. If anything like that is a perception shared by potential recruits outside of California, then Stanford recruiters are going to face an enormous challenge in convincing SEC-quality athletes to go west. Without at least a good number of athletes of that caliber, Stanford is not going to return to its glory days.

Argghh. Given Board constraints, all I can say is give me a break and too bad for the daughter. Wouldn't want to be exposed to justice and all that. Also, if they can get admitted, 9 of 10 kids would choose the "happiest campus in the nation" as I recall that poll of 2 or so years ago. We have always had a small issue in the bible belt. Agree with much of your football discussion.

[old spanish trail]

Last night's game was the first I have seen in four years. Compared with teams from the Harbaugh / early-Shaw era, the Cardinal appeared to be smaller, weaker, and slower. The old style of dominating line play on both sides of the ball was gone, as was the gang tackling and punishing running attack. From a distance, I can only guess that player development has suffered even more than recruiting.

We appeared to have no vertical game. Most of our offensive motion was side-to-side. We seemed to be almost afraid to throw the ball down the field. Even when we were far behind with the clock working against us, Shaw did not appear to be calling plays to win, but rather to keep the score as close as possible.

Back when I watched every game, I didn't like Shaw's play-calling. Nothing I saw last night changed that opinion. Football requires adaptation and evolution. Shaw appears to be of the view "We have a style and that's who we're going to be, no matter what." That's a prescription for eventual failure, if true.

I have lived away from California for almost fifteen years. In my experience from outside of the state, Stanford still has a superb reputation for academics, but especially over the past few years, a rapidly diminishing reputation for culture. For the past seven years I have been in Texas. Many people here would never want their children to live in California. Among those who are familiar with Stanford, many dislike what they have heard about the university's obsession with identity politics. If potential recruits, whether as players or coaches, take time to read the Daily over a period of months, they may perceive a student body that is self-absorbed, prickly, and generally at odds with what makes football an attractive sport to young men and coaches.

Two weeks ago, a father told me that his sixteen-year-old daughter had been advised by her college advisor to avoid Stanford, calling it the "epicenter of the woke movement," or words to that effect. If anything like that is a perception shared by potential recruits outside of California, then Stanford recruiters are going to face an enormous challenge in convincing SEC-quality athletes to go west. Without at least a good number of athletes of that caliber, Stanford is not going to return to its glory days.

Argghh. Given Board constraints, all I can say is give me a break and too bad for the daughter. Wouldn't want to be exposed to justice and all that. Also, if they can get admitted, 9 of 10 kids would choose the "happiest campus in the nation" as I recall that poll of 2 or so years ago. We have always had a small issue in the bible belt. Agree with much of your football discussion.