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The view from Section 2018, Row X - Printable Version

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The view from Section 2018, Row X - OutsiderFan - 09-22-2019

When Oregon scored on a busted coverage TD pass to make it 21-3 in the 4th Quarter, I left the stadium, and walked to the ticket office, where I had just spent $100 about 3.5 hours prior, for the privilege of being in Stanford Stadium - 2/3 full with 2/3 of attendees Duck fans - with my college buddy. I asked for a refund.

That was the most awful football game I’ve ever paid money to see in person. Even Oregon did it’s part to take the air out of the ball, only rushing for 61 on 30 carries, continually doing so when it wasn’t working. Oregon only ran 54 plays to Stanford’s 63, including Herbert throwing fewer passes than Costello, although much more effectively, because Oregon has a clue on offense while Stanford isn’t playing modern football.

I don’t want to hear about OL issues. It played fairly well all things considered. As did the defensive line. I don’t want to hear about execution. Sure there were some penalties, but good teams overcome them. It literally felt like David Shaw was trying to run out the clock to avoid being blown out, running a prevent offense. How did it help his cause being so afraid to run a complete offense from inside his own territory the whole game minus the first and last drives of it?

David Shaw needs to understand football is an entertainment business. Several people around me left at half time, citing the boring football being played. Everything Shaw controls is at a glacial pace. Recruiting, changing coaches, barely getting plays off in time, the slow developing nature of so much of what the offense does. Slow and boring is not how you win fans. Wisconsin plays a run-dominated offense, but are way more entertaining to watch, even when they had worse QB play than now.

Notre Dame’s TE had 9 catches at UGA. Stanford’s offensive coaches couldn’t even scheme their All American TE to a single catch. Costello was crazy enough to take off running on a 3rd and 17. Michael Wilson fielded a punt bouncing into the end zone, inside the 5, that would have been a touchback. Stanford has one offensive TD at home in two games. The offense is terribly coached. There is no imagination, nothing that puts pressure on defenses. The margin of error they are giving themselves is razor thin.

Shaw needs an intervention, absolutely must step down as OC and hire someone else to do the job. Every team in the PAC-12 has a better offense than Stanford now, including Cal and Oregon State who will likely beat Stanford next week. I saw David Shaw’s post game presser and see a guy who can’t see the forest through the trees. He sees a team that hasn’t played its best. I see a team being poorly coached.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - 2006alum - 09-22-2019

Eh. Caveat emptor. Oregon was favored by nearly two touchdowns and Shaw has been Shawing from Day 1, so you can't pretend you didn't know what kind of offense you'd see the home team try to execute. IMHO, asking for a refund is an unnecessary and ostentatious way of kicking a school and a team while it's down. You have some valid points, and this team is definitely hurting like no Stanford team I've seen since just about the time I was last a student on the Farm, but I'd suggest an alternative approach in the future, because this is just rubbing salt in the wound. Part of being a fan is riding out the hard times, and asking for a refund is the epitome fair-weather fandom.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - cardcrimson - 09-22-2019

(09-22-2019, 05:21 AM)2006alum Wrote:  Eh. Caveat emptor. Oregon was favored by nearly two touchdowns and Shaw has been Shawing from Day 1, so you can't pretend you didn't know what kind of offense you'd see the home team try to execute. IMHO, asking for a refund is an unnecessary and ostentatious way of kicking a school and a team while it's down. You have some valid points, and this team is definitely hurting like no Stanford team I've seen since just about the time I was last a student on the Farm, but I'd suggest an alternative approach in the future, because this is just rubbing salt in the wound. Part of being a fan is riding out the hard times, and asking for a refund is the epitome fair-weather fandom.

Call me a fair weather fan as well. We haven't had a good performance this season. We barely beat a crummy Northwestern team, and needed a scoop and score to breathe easier. We've been blown out the last three games. The talent level, the scheme, the coaching, the play calling, the intensity, the nastiness, are all below what we've seen in years gone by.

We don't need Clement Attlee as a head coach.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - OutsiderFan - 09-22-2019

In case it wasn’t clear yesterday, there are plenty of other things to do in the Bay Area and surrounding environs than watching boring college football for $50+. Most in attendance seemed to be Oregon fans who made a trip to the area to attend the game. 

Stanford can play boring, feckless football if it wants. I don’t have any obligation to support it, and anyone running a business - and Stanford Football is a business - must abide by market forces. I did Stanford a favor by requesting a refund. If more people did, changes to improve the product would be made.

At least the defense played with urgency and put up a fight, but the most impressive team I enjoyed performing was the game production crew. The sound system was great and it was cool how they figured out a way to mic the band and have it played over it. I also liked the music mix they played and that there were no annoying PA announcements. The messaging was great for a college football game. But this is like saying the mustard was great on an otherwise terrible tasting hot dog.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - 2006alum - 09-22-2019

Just don't buy a ticket in the first place, then. No one forced you. If everyone stops buying tickets, they'll get the message. 

But requesting a refund suggests you got something wildly different from what you were promised. You didn't. Stanford played lots of boring, feckless football even when we were winning, we just had enough play makers to keep things interesting - and win. Yesterday was dismaying but hardly beyond the realm of possibility given the past two weekends. All requesting a refund signals is that you like to kick the product while it's down. If every fan got a refund when their team lost badly, the sport wouldn't exist. So the claim about the surprise quality of the product doesn't hold water, IMHO.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - VFRing98 - 09-22-2019

I don’t understand how this is “kicking something when it’s down”. It’s a significant investment in time and resources to attend a football game. Who is he kicking? I doubt Shaw would take it personally. Dude’s got his retirement and legacy set (though the latter looks like it’ll slip to the mean). The athletes? Maybe, maybe not. If they take one guy requesting a refund as a personal slight, imagine how they must feel about the 15k empty seats, or 15k Oregon fans who take over the stadium? 

It just looks like Shaw and co don’t understand how to put out an effective offense. Like football has passed them by.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - BostonCard - 09-22-2019

I’m with 2006 here.  Demanding a refund is sort of like the opposite of virtue signaling. It basically says that you are doing something symbolic and meaningless to protest that you didn’t like the quality of the product on the field. It’s fair to note that the product on the field has been very subpar; that’s what this board is for. But, as 2006 noted, a game like this was entirely predictable, based on the season’s first three games.  In fact, OF has been talking about nothing but how boring and unwatchable this team is. So it’s great that he went to the game and supported the team. I certainly wouldn’t have blamed him for not going to the game, and to be honest, I’m surprised he went given what he has been saying for years about this team.  So, Demanding a refund (if he was not saying that figuratively) is petulant and childish. As I said, it’s anti-virtue signaling.

BC

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - CornFed - 09-22-2019

One thing that I've learned rather late in life is that what other people think of me is none of my business.  It is a corollary to not controlling people, places and things around me.  My success in these efforts enhances my serenity tremendously.  It is thus amazing how difficult it is for me to remember these principles.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - M T - 09-24-2019

(09-22-2019, 01:44 PM)CornFed Wrote:  One thing that I've learned rather late in life is that what other people think of me is none of my business.  It is a corollary to not controlling people, places and things around me.  My success in these efforts enhances my serenity tremendously.  It is thus amazing how difficult it is for me to remember these principles.

Nice concept.  Are you thinking that it is the coach, or one of the posters, who should (or does) use that philosophy?

(I presume "other people" refer to the people with whom you have no relationship.  I don't think it is a good concept to apply to how a spouse or boss or employee thinks of you.)

lex24 - lex24 - 09-24-2019

If you want a guaranteed end go to a movie.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - CornFed - 09-24-2019

(09-24-2019, 05:22 PM)M T Wrote:  
(09-22-2019, 01:44 PM)CornFed Wrote:  One thing that I've learned rather late in life is that what other people think of me is none of my business.  It is a corollary to not controlling people, places and things around me.  My success in these efforts enhances my serenity tremendously.  It is thus amazing how difficult it is for me to remember these principles.

Nice concept.  Are you thinking that it is the coach, or one of the posters, who should (or does) use that philosophy?

(I presume "other people" refer to the people with whom you have no relationship.  I don't think it is a good concept to apply to how a spouse or boss or employee thinks of you.)

It was, I think, primarily a reminder to myself.  I thought perhaps others might find it interesting.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - 2006alum - 09-24-2019

(09-24-2019, 06:24 PM)CornFed Wrote:  
(09-24-2019, 05:22 PM)M T Wrote:  Nice concept.  Are you thinking that it is the coach, or one of the posters, who should (or does) use that philosophy?

(I presume "other people" refer to the people with whom you have no relationship.  I don't think it is a good concept to apply to how a spouse or boss or employee thinks of you.)

It was, I think, primarily a reminder to myself.  I thought perhaps others might find it interesting.

I appreciate the vast majority of your posts, but this one is as disingenuous as they come. And yet I agree with the underlying sentiment: if one wants a refund for a dissatisfying evening, they are certainly welcome to keep it to themselves, rather than crow about it proudly to a board full of committed fans.

RE: The view from Section 2018, Row X - CornFed - 09-24-2019

(09-24-2019, 07:28 PM)2006alum Wrote:  
(09-24-2019, 06:24 PM)CornFed Wrote:  
(09-24-2019, 05:22 PM)M T Wrote:  Nice concept.  Are you thinking that it is the coach, or one of the posters, who should (or does) use that philosophy?

(I presume "other people" refer to the people with whom you have no relationship.  I don't think it is a good concept to apply to how a spouse or boss or employee thinks of you.)

It was, I think, primarily a reminder to myself.  I thought perhaps others might find it interesting.

I appreciate the vast majority of your posts, but this one is as disingenuous as they come. And yet I agree with the underlying sentiment: if one wants a refund for a dissatisfying evening, they are certainly welcome to keep it to themselves, rather than crow about it proudly to a board full of committed fans.
Thank you for the opportunity to practice the principle I was describing.