Former Stanford Players Speak Out After Absurd Suggestion For Stanford To Cut Football

Former Stanford football players were not thrilled at the idea that that Stanford should be done with footbal

In this modern era where we preach the virtue of patience, it appears that has been forgotten when it comes to Stanford football and what they have been dealing with.

As I wrote about during the never ending saga that was conference realignment, David Shaw's struggles in his last few seasons as head coach clouded all of the success that he and the Cardinal had in the decade prior. Is that necessarily fair? No. But we all know what they say about this ongoing thing called life. However need not forget the fact that Stanford had some of the best TV ratings in the conference, from the 2015-19 and 2021 seasons trailing only Oregon (USC and UCLA not included in study), they have produced the most NFL Draft picks in the Pac-12 with 48 since 2012, are just one of three Pac-12 teams to win a New Year's Six game, and have had five Heisman runner ups since 2009. 

Even with all of this success and some hope moving forward with new head coach Troy Taylor and a program-saving move to the ACC, a recent article by the San Francisco Chronicle suggested it is time to shut down football for Stanford.

The article mocks the recent loss to Sacramento State and the current state of the prorgram, cites move to ACC will hurt other sports which 22 of Stanford's 36 sports not seeing a change or major effect in schedule according to the school, and also cites the fact they will be joining the ACC at discounted rate. Something that a school with one of the richest endowments in the country could surely figure out. Also, in terms of not using NIL or the transfer portal which were both mentioned, NIL collectives are in place and the new staff has been using the portal in their brief time.

Not to mention, the Cardinal also have assembled the No. 23 class in the country for 2024, and will have chances to add to it. However, aside from calling for the cancellation of the program it also goes as far to say it is closer to CalTech than Colorado.

Face it, Stanford, you’re more Caltech than you are Colorado. I mention Caltech because it’s my favorite football school. The weirdest football game I never covered was Caltech versus Tijuana Tech in 1980, at the Rose Bowl. Tijuana Tech didn’t show up. Turned out, it had a problem and got turned back at the border. Seriously.

While I'm not sure how Caltech would fare in football had they not canceled their program, we do have proof that Stanford was one of the winningest programs of the last decade. In an article published in 2022, the Cardinal ranked No. 17 in terms of winningiest prorgams ahead of schools SEC power Florida, Washington, Utah, USC, and Auburn among others.

So on top much of the writer's take being loosely based on overreacting to one of the best teams in the FCS beating a rebuilding program with a roster that is among the least experienced in Power 5, the "take" if we can call it that also fails to recognize that Stanford has proven to be one of the most successful programs in the country. Taylor has a huge rebuild in front of him, don't get me wrong, but to "cancel" a program after a loss in a season where Stanford is rebuilding feels asinine. 

Also, here are some other notable programs that recently lost to FCS schools that may also be in the market for being "canceled" based on this way of thinking: Washington who was ranked No. 20 and lost to Montana in 2021, Florida State who lost to Jacksonville State in 2021, Baylor who lost to a then FCS Liberty team in 2017, Iowa who was ranked No. 13 and lost to North Dakota State in 2016, South Carolina who lost to the Citadel in 2015,  Florida who lost to Georgia Southern in 2013, and Colorado who Stanford is not close to apparently who lost to...checks notes...Sacramento State in 2012. 

Former Stanford players Jordan Watkins and Bo McNally were confused and infuriated by the article and took to social media to renounce its claims. 

https://t.co/D39fsBbmOr pic.twitter.com/9gu5A02lYU

— Jordan Watkins (@Big75Fella) September 20, 2023

Not worth the paywall to read this cause I’m certain it’s the same BS that everyone was spewing in 2006. Right after Jim Rome said we were so bad it should be called the “Pac-9.5” we rattled off 3 conference championships, Orange Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, Rose Bowl x3, etc. Grow up. https://t.co/ggcf6wNnT1

— Bo McNally (@BoMcNally) September 20, 2023

We learned when we were kids we all have opinions, but this one may stray to the land of "freezing cold takes" or maybe even the "it's never too late to delete" category.