08-15-2022, 10:25 AM
(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).