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TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - troyc - 02-14-2022

New TreeCast is up....special guest is David Shaw! Hear his final assessment of 2021 and the state of intellectual brutality, why he's calling this offseason "refreshing" and "exciting", how recruiting & retention will be even more critical than ever for the program going forward, and what excites him about the season ahead.

Download, listen, react, rate & review, and subscribe!

Troy C

The TreeCast with Troy Clardy: Checking In With David Shaw (February 14, 2021)

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - Papa John - 02-14-2022

Thanks, Troy. Just listened to your interview with Coach Shaw. It was interesting that he said the turning point of last season was the ASU game. I believe you felt it was the winnable games versus the Washington schools. I think it was not naming Tanner McKee the starter in the summer and giving him full #1 reps before the season started, although CDS insisted (again) that Jack West had a great training camp and McKee didn't earn the starting job until after the first game versus Kansas State. But even if he had named McKee the starter, that would not have completely overcome the deficiencies on the O-line and defense in general.

I have to say that I was disappointed that CDS didn't say anything about the lack of changes on his coaching staff. Not that he's obligated to do so--you ask the questions that you want, and he gives the answers that he wants--but his discussion of last year sounded to me like it was mostly more of the we-were-so-close-but-we-just-had-some-injuries-and-bad-breaks excuse. He said that he's treating this year like he's a first-year head coach, back to fundamentals. Well, new head coaches usually clean house, especially with a team that just finished in last place two of the past three seasons, but CDS isn't doing that.

I suppose the bottom line is that it's the results that matter. We'll just have to wait until September 10 to learn if CDS has figured out how to better utilize the coaches and players that he has.

But thanks again for the interview.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - winflop - 02-14-2022

There's part of me that would love to have the lens that Coach Shaw has for looking at what's left of his once-dominating program. There's another part of me that, to paraphrase Princess Leia, wonders where he gets his delusions from (laser brains).

He still seems to think that some of those blowouts were just a couple of plays. I was at the ASU game. It wasn't. I was at the Utah game (well, at least the first half). It wasn't either. Ditto for UW. Stanford was dominated on both sides of the ball from the first play from scrimmage.

I know Troy's not the guy to engage in "fire the coach" talk but I think Coach Shaw had some splainin to do as far as standing pat on his staff after that disaster of a season. Were injuries a factor? Of course. They are a factor every season for every team. The question he should be asking is how they can be better prepared to deal with it than they have been in the four years since Turley left and injury rates have exploded.

Maybe Coach Shaw should be selling Mary Kay cosmetics to pig farmers, with a focus on lipstick.

I stand by what I said last fall. Coach Shaw has earned the right to try to fix his broken program. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see where the path he's chosen is going to lead to a materially better outcome this year.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - JohnVernon - 02-14-2022

Thank you Troy.  

Virtually nothing at all encouraging in Shaw's comments.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - SamuelMcF - 02-14-2022

Thoughts as I'm listening and reading others' takes:

1. Technically Shaw is correct that ASU was the turning point of the season, considering it was the first loss of the season-ending 7 game losing streak. Note that the UW and Wazzu games were both one-score losses in which we were tied and winning before the opponent's final drive, respectively. It was those final four games, starting with the worst defeat in Shaw's history (Utah), where the wheels fell off and the team seemed to completely give up.

He cites that ASU was incredibly old. That's true. The team was LOADED with seniors, super seniors, and grad transfers (including our very own sixth-year man Henry Hattis), much like Utah was. You could tell they were totally old-man bully-balling us. And it didn't help that our DL may have been the worst in the P5.

Conversely, our inability to retain said old-man talent (and now even some young man talent!!!) is a very serious black eye on this program especially when we can't simply reload through the portal like everyone else. Take a look at fellow academic school Northwestern - they are bringing in no fewer than THREE grad transfer DL (including our own Ryan Johnson, though I'm not sure how much he'll help) and an immediate likely-starting ILB from Pitt to replace their guys who are leaving. What I would give for that to be plausible here...


2. Shaw discussed "shifting the defensive front," and as part of the discussion mentioned Stephen Herron and incoming whale recruit David Bailey as members of the D-line. This portends the 4-3 defensive shift (which we saw at the end of the season) persisting, which I agree with - and once again, has needed to be a thing for years now. The 2022 edge rush/DE trio needs to be good right away. He also didn't discuss interior DL, which says everything I need to know.


3. As an addendum to the above, this interview makes me even more confident Shaw is completely hands-off on the defensive side of the ball.


Question for those who have commented: what REALISTIC thing could Shaw have said that would give you encouragement? (I say realistic, because announcing he's taking a pay cut, firing half the staff, or relinquishing play-calling duties are not realistic.)
My answer is in bold, adding to a quote from the interview: "most of the guys in the portal are guys we can't recruit, but there are more grad transfers like Isaiah Sanders and Patrick Fields out there who are excellent students and can help this team. We are adding a process to seek them out."

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - BostonCard - 02-14-2022

“We’ve strayed a bit from the things that made us successful. We are going to put a renewed emphasis in recruiting, player development, and offensive and defensive play calling on re-establishing our intellectual brutality.”

-BC, channeling his inner CDS

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - teejers1 - 02-15-2022

(02-14-2022, 04:22 PM)troyc Wrote:  New TreeCast is up....special guest is David Shaw! Hear his final assessment of 2021 and the state of intellectual brutality, why he's calling this offseason "refreshing" and "exciting", how recruiting & retention will be even more critical than ever for the program going forward, and what excites him about the season ahead.

Download, listen, react, rate & review, and subscribe!

Troy C

The TreeCast with Troy Clardy: Checking In With David Shaw (February 14, 2021)

At this point, I commend all who have the stomach to even listen to what CDS says.    
No.  Credibility.  Whatsoever.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - JustAnotherFan - 02-15-2022

(02-14-2022, 05:26 PM)Papa John Wrote:  He said that he's treating this year like he's a first-year head coach, back to fundamentals. Well, new head coaches usually clean house, especially with a team that just finished in last place two of the past three seasons, but CDS isn't doing that.

That's it. That is all we need to know to know that he is not serious about making the hard decisions to fix this sinking ship.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - Phogge - 02-15-2022

Shaw is the Labrador who fetched anything, chased quail, jumped in the creek and then spent the last five years of life sitting by the wood stove in the winter and in the sun of the patio in the summer. Had to retrieve my morning newspaper myself. Exception is that Shaw has never been lovable.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - OutsiderFan - 02-15-2022

(02-15-2022, 10:49 AM)Phogge Wrote:  Shaw is the Labrador who fetched anything, chased quail, jumped in the creek and then spent the last five years of life sitting by the wood stove in the winter and in the sun of the patio in the summer. Had to retrieve my morning newspaper myself. Exception is that Shaw has never been lovable.

You know, it's funny, Yvonne gave me unrelenting flak for suggesting David Shaw was Jeff Tedford 2.0 in the making several years ago. This post is pretty much the story of that truth. Of course, unlike Shaw, Tedford was lovable. Cal fans never accused him of being aloof, arrogant, or defensive. Just that he lost his edge. 

Ordinarily, I would listen to the interview and draw my own conclusions, but the comments here - even by people I wouldn't consider overly pessimistic - make clear the ship is sinking and the Captain believes the hole in the hull will fix itself with positive thinking. Why waste my time listening to that metaphor be painted by someone too naive to know he is the guy to which the metaphor refers?

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - SamuelMcF - 02-15-2022

(02-15-2022, 12:36 AM)teejers1 Wrote:  At this point, I commend all who have the stomach to even listen to what CDS says.    
No.  Credibility.  Whatsoever.

It's funny, I really have no problem listening to the guy. It doesn't bother me at all.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - cardcrimson - 02-15-2022

(02-15-2022, 10:49 AM)Phogge Wrote:  Shaw is the Labrador who fetched anything, chased quail, jumped in the creek and then spent the last five years of life sitting by the wood stove in the winter and in the sun of the patio in the summer. Had to retrieve my morning newspaper myself. Exception is that Shaw has never been lovable.

That about sums it up!

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - teejers1 - 02-15-2022

(02-15-2022, 11:36 AM)SamuelMcF Wrote:  
(02-15-2022, 12:36 AM)teejers1 Wrote:  At this point, I commend all who have the stomach to even listen to what CDS says.    
No.  Credibility.  Whatsoever.

It's funny, I really have no problem listening to the guy. It doesn't bother me at all.

You are a better/more patient man than I.  And it's good for Clardy to have listeners, so that's all good.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - winflop - 02-15-2022

(02-14-2022, 07:52 PM)SamuelMcF Wrote:  Question for those who have commented: what REALISTIC thing could Shaw have said that would give you encouragement? (I say realistic, because announcing he's taking a pay cut, firing half the staff, or relinquishing play-calling duties are not realistic.)

"We haven't gotten S&C right since Shannon Turley left. The injury rates are unacceptable and keep us from staying competitive with the best teams in the conference. I'm committed to getting this right and have brought in an entirely new team to do just that."

"It wasn't just a few plays here and there that separated us from our opponents in the second half of the season. We got pushed around on both sides of the ball. We need to get things right in the trenches to allow our skill position players to flourish."

Shall I continue????

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - BostonCard - 02-15-2022

Having met Shaw personally, he’s  very like able and personable juman being. I wonder how much frustration at the results on the field wind up projecting onto people’s perceptions of him personally.

I haven’t seen the equivalent of a Baldwin or Sherman or even the much more measured Andrew Luck who after the fact let you know that their opinions of the previous coach (or for that matter the guy before that, whose firing was instigated by a player revolt).

BC

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - Papa John - 02-15-2022

I haven't met Coach Shaw, but I see no reason to attack his personality because of how he comes across in interviews. He's a football coach, and my observation is that a lot of coaches in their public personas are more prickly than CDS. And frankly, I don't mind prickly at all if it results in winning football teams that don't cheat.

Given that he is still able to attract a solid recruiting class, I'm not at all surprised to hear BC's comment that CDS is likeable and personable. And during the interview with Troy Clardy, I thought CDS was perfectly affable. That may be as much credit to Troy as anyone else. Unlike the post-game conferences, I assume that CDS was under no obligation to record a lengthy interview with the Treecast.

As far as the "that dog don't hunt anymore" trope, I disagree. I think that CDS still cares more about Stanford football than anyone on this board. But caring isn't enough, as we all know. Results without cheating matter. Everything else is noise.

So that's my two cents, FWIW.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - Brickcity - 02-15-2022

(02-15-2022, 02:06 PM)Papa John Wrote:  I haven't met Coach Shaw, but I see no reason to attack his personality because of how he comes across in interviews. He's a football coach, and my observation is that a lot of coaches in their public personas are more prickly than CDS. And frankly, I don't mind prickly at all if it results in winning football teams that don't cheat.

Given that he is still able to attract a solid recruiting class, I'm not at all surprised to hear BC's comment that CDS is likeable and personable. And during the interview with Troy Clardy, I thought CDS was perfectly affable. That may be as much credit to Troy as anyone else. Unlike the post-game conferences, I assume that CDS was under no obligation to record a lengthy interview with the Treecast.
 
As far as the "that dog don't hunt anymore" trope, I disagree. I think that CDS still cares more about Stanford football than anyone on this board. But caring isn't enough, as we all know. Results without cheating matter. Everything else is noise.

So that's my two cents, FWIW.

I remember meeting Shaw briefly right before the start of the 2015 season. He was extremely affable. Can't say I could have had a better interaction with a coach. 

That said, I don't think he has a clue re how to turn this sinking ship around. I'm not sure I ever bought into him being a great coach. While there were troubling signs even during the glory years, these comments confirm that he has no idea what he's doing. I predict we'll have another two or three consecutive losing season under him after which he gracefully leaves. Or, not so gracefully.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - SamuelMcF - 02-15-2022

(02-15-2022, 01:52 PM)winflop Wrote:  
(02-14-2022, 07:52 PM)SamuelMcF Wrote:  Question for those who have commented: what REALISTIC thing could Shaw have said that would give you encouragement? (I say realistic, because announcing he's taking a pay cut, firing half the staff, or relinquishing play-calling duties are not realistic.)

"We haven't gotten S&C right since Shannon Turley left. The injury rates are unacceptable and keep us from staying competitive with the best teams in the conference. I'm committed to getting this right and have brought in an entirely new team to do just that."

"It wasn't just a few plays here and there that separated us from our opponents in the second half of the season. We got pushed around on both sides of the ball. We need to get things right in the trenches to allow our skill position players to flourish."

Shall I continue????

#1 is unrealistic (he ain't firing the whole S&C staff. And look at Colorado's MASSIVE injury list from last year. Turley is their S&C coach. It's not just the lack of Turley IMO.)

#2 is excellent.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - Phogge - 02-15-2022

Nobody is attacking Shaw's personality. I've shot interviews of him and he is polite and extremely intelligent. However I think he's a cold fish. He was cordial and friendly to BC, but then again everybody is cordial and friendly to BC, the Emperor of the Board (no dig intended). Walsh was another cold fish who could go thermonuclear on occasion. Wound tighter than a Dabney Coleman character. Walsh II was like the tenth planet from the sun, mentally in almost another galaxy.

Just my opinion but I believe Shaw has gone comfortable. It is probably time for him to use his talent and intelligence somewhere else, somewhere away from football. I am positive that he will be a success wherever he goes. Tired blood permeates the current staff and I don't think he has what Stanford needs going forward. Then again I think Harbaugh is the best thing since Pop Warner invented the Double Wing, an attitude that could get me tarred and feathered at a Cardboard picnic.

RE: TreeCast goes in depth with David Shaw - winflop - 02-15-2022

(02-15-2022, 02:53 PM)Phogge Wrote:  Nobody is attacking Shaw's personality. I've shot interviews of him and he is polite and extremely intelligent. However I think he's a cold fish.  He was cordial and friendly to BC, but then again everybody is cordial and friendly to BC, the Emperor of the Board (no dig intended). Walsh was another cold fish who could go thermonuclear on occasion. Wound tighter than a Dabney Coleman character. Walsh II was like the tenth planet from the sun, mentally in almost another galaxy.

Just my opinion but I believe Shaw has gone comfortable. It is probably time for him to use his talent and intelligence somewhere else, somewhere away from football. I am positive that he will be a success wherever he goes. Tired blood permeates the current staff and I don't think he has what Stanford needs going forward. Then again I think Harbaugh is the best thing since Pop Warner invented the Double Wing, an attitude that could get me tarred and feathered at a  Cardboard picnic.

If calling Shaw unbelievably stubborn is attacking his personality, then I plead guilty. I don't think the course he's pursuing is going to fix the program. If he can't get back to respectability (8 wins) by the 2023 season he needs to go.