[gailtate]

Considering that Harbaugh and Shaw were responsible for the longest stretch of consistent success in Stanford football in most of our lifetimes, there’s an awful lot of animus towards the two of them.

Neither is perfect.  But I don’t think either deserves the harsh words uttered in their direction.

BC

 
Stunningly naive. Decent, but naive. In the immortal words of Joe Biden, "C'mon man!" These are two guys making multiple-millions of dollars to coach a schoolboy game. The heat, unreasonable or not, comes with the territory and you can be sure they know it. Especially being the sons of college football coaches.

Stanford is off to a weak start after a losing season, after two consecutive poor years (it was in the Pac 12 Championship Game as recently 2017).

Some may say, after the greatest run ever from 2011-2015, give Coach Shaw a lot of leeway. Others may argue two or three downward seasons is too much given the high stakes and high compensation, and how quickly the game evolves and how much it constantly demands. I wouldn’t call either perspective “naive.” Maybe watch a movie with a friend and chill.

Gotta agree with Gailtate's take on this topic. First of all, no one is slamming Shaw personally. I think everyone agrees he's a good guy. But, calling him out on his failures as a head coach is absolutely fair game! I have to admit I'm almost learning to take some sort of perverse pleasure in slamming Shaw for his failings - frankly, it's more entertaining than watching the games!

Harbaugh may deserve some criticism for his failings as a personality, but it sounds like such criticisms are based on repeated behavior on his part. Of course, I'll always be grateful to him for what he did for the program. 

Back to Shaw: I still root for the guy to make the necessary changes to the program, but am very skeptical that he ever will. Time will tell. Bummer.

I'm on record as a Shawpologist beginning with the Fiesta Bowl fiasco, 2011. Again after the Utah giveaway in 2013. Then came the 2014 Rose Bowl game. These were exasperating losses to absolutely beatable teams. Still, I was an outspoken supporter but my doubts were building. The disappointing 2014 season I wrote off to Kevin Hogan's family crisis and tragic death of his dad. Still I stood with Shaw. From then on, even during the P12 North championship, Shaw's style and decisions were getting harder to rationalize. All the while, the program he inherited was eroding and he failed to replenish top-flight staff and to recruit aggressively, creatively. He was stuck in a 2011 time-warp. I was lulled by the miracle finish in Eugene, 2018. But, in retrospect, things began to turn and accelerate downward from there. Yes, there was the win over Pitt in the Sun Bowl. Then? An accelerated decline. To the place where Stanford is floundering today. Wish I could see some glimmers of hope. I see nuthin' but the same ol' same ol'. Saw it again vs. the underdog Buffs and their new coach--their THIRD IN THREE YEARS. I no longer apologize.

[gailtate]

Considering that Harbaugh and Shaw were responsible for the longest stretch of consistent success in Stanford football in most of our lifetimes, there’s an awful lot of animus towards the two of them.

Neither is perfect.  But I don’t think either deserves the harsh words uttered in their direction.

BC

 
Stunningly naive. Decent, but naive. In the immortal words of Joe Biden, "C'mon man!" These are two guys making multiple-millions of dollars to coach a schoolboy game. The heat, unreasonable or not, comes with the territory and you can be sure they know it. Especially being the sons of college football coaches.

Stanford is off to a weak start after a losing season, after two consecutive poor years (it was in the Pac 12 Championship Game as recently 2017).

Some may say, after the greatest run ever from 2011-2015, give Coach Shaw a lot of leeway. Others may argue two or three downward seasons is too much given the high stakes and high compensation, and how quickly the game evolves and how much it constantly demands. I wouldn’t call either perspective “naive.” Maybe watch a movie with a friend and chill.

Gotta agree with Gailtate's take on this topic. First of all, no one is slamming Shaw personally. I think everyone agrees he's a good guy. But, calling him out on his failures as a head coach is absolutely fair game! I have to admit I'm almost learning to take some sort of perverse pleasure in slamming Shaw for his failings - frankly, it's more entertaining than watching the games!

Harbaugh may deserve some criticism for his failings as a personality, but it sounds like such criticisms are based on repeated behavior on his part. Of course, I'll always be grateful to him for what he did for the program. 

Back to Shaw: I still root for the guy to make the necessary changes to the program, but am very skeptical that he ever will. Time will tell. Bummer.

I'm on record as a Shawpologist beginning with the Fiesta Bowl fiasco, 2011. Again after the Utah giveaway in 2013. Then came the 2014 Rose Bowl game. These were exasperating losses to absolutely beatable teams. Still, I was an outspoken supporter but my doubts were building. The disappointing 2014 season I wrote off to Kevin Hogan's family crisis and tragic death of his dad. Still I stood with Shaw. From then on, even during the P12 North championship, Shaw's style and decisions were getting harder to rationalize. All the while, the program he inherited was eroding and he failed to replenish top-flight staff and to recruit aggressively, creatively. He was stuck in a 2011 time-warp. I was lulled by the miracle finish in Eugene, 2018. But, in retrospect, things began to turn and accelerate downward from there. Yes, there was the win over Pitt in the Sun Bowl. Then? An accelerated decline. To the place where Stanford is floundering today. Wish I could see some glimmers of hope. I see nuthin' but the same ol' same ol'. Saw it again vs. the underdog Buffs and their new coach--their THIRD IN THREE YEARS. I no longer apologize.