I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - Printable Version
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RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - msqueri - 08-15-2022
(08-15-2022, 10:01 AM)Phogge Wrote: Rod Garcia once remarked that after practice ending wind sprints they would run one, “For the coach.” Meaning Ralston. A very hightly knit team back in ‘71. Over the last seven games in 2021 it looked like nobody cared.
Wonder how the morale is right now.
A very important (maybe all-important) question. My read is that the morale is fine in the sense that the players are excited/motivated and want to believe but that they're lacking the critical ingredient of actually believing. Hardly anybody on the team has any meaningful experience winning at Stanford. The total number of offensive and defensive snaps played in a Stanford bowl game: 84. Other than Mike Wilson, Kendall Williamson, and Patrick Fields (who did his winning elsewhere), nobody else on the team has the first idea outside of video games what it means to be a contributing part of a good team. Until they start winning, I don't think that changes. Shaw's own comments make clear he understands this and views it as one of the foremost challenges for the program (he said so directly on Saturday).
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - gailtate - 08-15-2022
(08-15-2022, 10:25 AM)msqueri Wrote:(08-15-2022, 10:01 AM)Phogge Wrote: Rod Garcia once remarked that after practice ending wind sprints they would run one, “For the coach.” Meaning Ralston. A very hightly knit team back in ‘71. Over the last seven games in 2021 it looked like nobody cared.
Wonder how the morale is right now.
A very important (maybe all-important) question. My read is that the morale is fine in the sense that the players are excited/motivated and want to believe but that they're lacking the critical ingredient of actually believing. Hardly anybody on the team has any meaningful experience winning at Stanford. The total number of offensive and defensive snaps played in a Stanford bowl game: 84. Other than Mike Wilson, Kendall Williamson, and Patrick Fields (who did his winning elsewhere), nobody else on the team has the first idea outside of video games what it means to be a contributing part of a good team. Until they start winning, I don't think that changes. Shaw's own comments make clear he understands this and views it as one of the foremost challenges for the program (he said so directly on Saturday).
Well put, and herein lies the rub: the mere thought that -- in a program led by a coach who has won three conference championships, two Rose Bowls and appeared in a Fiesta Bowl in his first five years as HC-- the discussion going into his 12th season would be how his team Does Not Know How to Win seems a bit unseemly, doesn't it? That today we see a culture of losing? A team and its head coach now "challenged" by inexperience in winning? AYFKM?!
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - CTcard - 08-15-2022
(08-15-2022, 10:25 AM)msqueri Wrote: My read is that the morale is fine in the sense that the players are excited/motivated and want to believe but that they're lacking the critical ingredient of actually believing.
It would be useful to know from where you get that read.
It's one thing if that's from discussions with players. It's another if that seems to you the logical result of where the program is right now.
[It would be my own most likely guess, based on the situation.]
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - SamuelMcF - 08-15-2022
(08-15-2022, 11:19 AM)CTcard Wrote:(08-15-2022, 10:25 AM)msqueri Wrote: My read is that the morale is fine in the sense that the players are excited/motivated and want to believe but that they're lacking the critical ingredient of actually believing.
It would be useful to know from where you get that read.
It's one thing if that's from discussions with players. It's another if that seems to you the logical result of where the program is right now.
[It would be my own most likely guess, based on the situation.]
Matt has watched video interviews of players.
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - msqueri - 08-15-2022
Yeah, it's based on lots and lots of video evidence of the players and coaches. The two most significant data points are a) everything David Shaw says (it's obvious he gets this and knows the difference between the winning mentality of his best teams and the down-on-our-luck nature of the last several years) and b) all of the talk from coaches and players alike about what Patrick Fields brings to the team. This is a theme those in the program openly acknowledge.
My read on morale being fine in the sense of players being excited and motivated is more speculative but also based on the evidence I've seen. "Morale" is always a tricky concept because in an important sense the team is a unitary concept but in another important sense is comprised of many dozens of individuals who have varying levels of buy-in, enthusiasm, drive, etc. But from what I can see of the players who matter - McKee, McGill, Wilson, Rouse, Kelly - I have no reason to besmirch/doubt the excitement and motivation of our players.
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - gailtate - 08-15-2022
(08-15-2022, 12:06 PM)msqueri Wrote: Yeah, it's based on lots and lots of video evidence of the players and coaches. The two most significant data points are a) everything David Shaw says (it's obvious he gets this and knows the difference between the winning mentality of his best teams and the down-on-our-luck nature of the last several years) and b) all of the talk from coaches and players alike about what Patrick Fields brings to the team. This is a theme those in the program openly acknowledge.
My read on morale being fine in the sense of players being excited and motivated is more speculative but also based on the evidence I've seen. "Morale" is always a tricky concept because in an important sense the team is a unitary concept but in another important sense is comprised of many dozens of individuals who have varying levels of buy-in, enthusiasm, drive, etc. But from what I can see of the players who matter - McKee, McGill, Wilson, Rouse, Kelly - I have no reason to besmirch/doubt the excitement and motivation of our players.
"Down-on-our-luck..." Luck? Really?
Luck is where talent and preparation meet opportunity. You can draw a straight line from [a] the drop-off in talent and [b]) shoddy preparation to [c] the record of the last three years. With apologies to Tina Turner, what's luck got to do with it?
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - fullmetal - 08-16-2022
Injuries, apparently.
I will note that the the Air Raid and other similar offenses have wide OL splits to force wider gaps between DL, re: WSU OL and linemen.
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - Brickcity - 08-16-2022
(08-16-2022, 12:57 PM)fullmetal Wrote: Injuries, apparently.
I will note that the the Air Raid and other similar offenses have wide OL splits to force wider gaps between DL, re: WSU OL and linemen.
It's amazing much mileage Shaw is getting out of the injury excuse. The truth is Stanford was not ravaged by injuries last year.
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - SamuelMcF - 08-16-2022
(08-16-2022, 05:41 PM)Brickcity Wrote:(08-16-2022, 12:57 PM)fullmetal Wrote: Injuries, apparently.
I will note that the the Air Raid and other similar offenses have wide OL splits to force wider gaps between DL, re: WSU OL and linemen.
It's amazing much mileage Shaw is getting out of the injury excuse. The truth is Stanford was not ravaged by injuries last year.
Did...did you read Matt's earlier post in this very thread?
"The truth is" 15th most games lost due to injury out of 96 Pac-12 team seasons since 2014.
And at the same time, the trenches (which remained healthy) sucked. Really bad combo.
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - Brickcity - 08-16-2022
(08-16-2022, 07:02 PM)SamuelMcF Wrote:(08-16-2022, 05:41 PM)Brickcity Wrote:(08-16-2022, 12:57 PM)fullmetal Wrote: Injuries, apparently.
I will note that the the Air Raid and other similar offenses have wide OL splits to force wider gaps between DL, re: WSU OL and linemen.
It's amazing much mileage Shaw is getting out of the injury excuse. The truth is Stanford was not ravaged by injuries last year.
Did...did you read Matt's earlier post in this very thread?
"The truth is" 15th most games lost due to injury out of 96 Pac-12 team seasons since 2014.
And at the same time, the trenches (which remained healthy) sucked. Really bad combo.
Shaw is ultimately responsible for putting a winning program on the field. I cut him some slack in 2019 when the team seemed to have a ridiculous number of injuries. But at some point injuries just become an excuse. We're at that point.
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - SamuelMcF - 08-17-2022
(08-16-2022, 08:27 PM)Brickcity Wrote:(08-16-2022, 07:02 PM)SamuelMcF Wrote:(08-16-2022, 05:41 PM)Brickcity Wrote:(08-16-2022, 12:57 PM)fullmetal Wrote: Injuries, apparently.
I will note that the the Air Raid and other similar offenses have wide OL splits to force wider gaps between DL, re: WSU OL and linemen.
It's amazing much mileage Shaw is getting out of the injury excuse. The truth is Stanford was not ravaged by injuries last year.
Did...did you read Matt's earlier post in this very thread?
"The truth is" 15th most games lost due to injury out of 96 Pac-12 team seasons since 2014.
And at the same time, the trenches (which remained healthy) sucked. Really bad combo.
Shaw is ultimately responsible for putting a winning program on the field. I cut him some slack in 2019 when the team seemed to have a ridiculous number of injuries. But at some point injuries just become an excuse. We're at that point.
I agree with that.
I do not agree with your incorrect statement of "the truth," because it was not.
RE: I don't see Tavita or any of our assistants on this list! - Brickcity - 08-17-2022
(08-17-2022, 09:12 AM)SamuelMcF Wrote:(08-16-2022, 08:27 PM)Brickcity Wrote:(08-16-2022, 07:02 PM)SamuelMcF Wrote:(08-16-2022, 05:41 PM)Brickcity Wrote:(08-16-2022, 12:57 PM)fullmetal Wrote: Injuries, apparently.
I will note that the the Air Raid and other similar offenses have wide OL splits to force wider gaps between DL, re: WSU OL and linemen.
It's amazing much mileage Shaw is getting out of the injury excuse. The truth is Stanford was not ravaged by injuries last year.
Did...did you read Matt's earlier post in this very thread?
"The truth is" 15th most games lost due to injury out of 96 Pac-12 team seasons since 2014.
And at the same time, the trenches (which remained healthy) sucked. Really bad combo.
Shaw is ultimately responsible for putting a winning program on the field. I cut him some slack in 2019 when the team seemed to have a ridiculous number of injuries. But at some point injuries just become an excuse. We're at that point.
I agree with that.
I do not agree with your incorrect statement of "the truth," because it was not.
If you agree that Shaw is ultimately responsible for wins and losses, it doesn't really matter whether the team has an inordinate number of injuries or not. College football - like all sports - is a bottom line industry. And the bottom line is that Shaw is presiding over a program that is now losing a lot more games than it's winning.