[msqueri]

This is a theological topic on which I don't expect to persuade those inclined in a different direction than me, but what I've always found ludicrous is that so many people associated with Stanford think we admit scholarship football players for them to get an education or to benefit them in any way. THAT is ludicrous. If this were about filling out the university with Stanford Men we wouldn't make such massive admissions exceptions to get the best football players possible. If this were about doing right by the kids we'd focus on under-privileged charity cases. If this were about giving them the best education possible we'd opt out of using our allowed amount of practice/football time and cancel spring practice except as voluntary unorganized workouts so players could study abroad and such like regular students. We don't do any of that. Because that would be ludicrous while still pretending to be major college football.

As long as Stanford is going to let in inferior students compared to the rest of the student body in order to bolster the football program and plow tens of millions of dollars into the operation, it's not "ludicrous" for PersonalLegend or me to expect Stanford football to act like a real college football program. Stanford makes certain choices to play at the big boy table and those choices are made not for the reasons we claim but to bolster the university's prestige, provide revenue for other sports, and build school pride/connections with alumni. All of the high-minded good of the student-athlete stuff is what loses sight of that mission. Many at Stanford bought the line they sold the world for public relations. We're high on our own supply.

Unless Stanford wants to drop out of major college football (with all the second and third order consequences for non-football sports, university prestige and revenue, alumni connection, etc.), we should run the football program in a way geared toward competitiveness. The high-minded stuff should inform red lines we don't cross so as to not undermine the values of the university, but they shouldn't be the priority.

[msqueri]

This is a theological topic on which I don't expect to persuade those inclined in a different direction than me, but what I've always found ludicrous is that so many people associated with Stanford think we admit scholarship football players for them to get an education or to benefit them in any way. THAT is ludicrous. If this were about filling out the university with Stanford Men we wouldn't make such massive admissions exceptions to get the best football players possible. If this were about doing right by the kids we'd focus on under-privileged charity cases. If this were about giving them the best education possible we'd opt out of using our allowed amount of practice/football time and cancel spring practice except as voluntary unorganized workouts so players could study abroad and such like regular students. We don't do any of that. Because that would be ludicrous while still pretending to be major college football.

As long as Stanford is going to let in inferior students compared to the rest of the student body in order to bolster the football program and plow tens of millions of dollars into the operation, it's not "ludicrous" for PersonalLegend or me to expect Stanford football to act like a real college football program. Stanford makes certain choices to play at the big boy table and those choices are made not for the reasons we claim but to bolster the university's prestige, provide revenue for other sports, and build school pride/connections with alumni. All of the high-minded good of the student-athlete stuff is what loses sight of that mission. Many at Stanford bought the line they sold the world for public relations. We're high on our own supply.

Unless Stanford wants to drop out of major college football (with all the second and third order consequences for non-football sports, university prestige and revenue, alumni connection, etc.), we should run the football program in a way geared toward competitiveness. The high-minded stuff should inform red lines we don't cross so as to not undermine the values of the university, but they shouldn't be the priority.