[Leftcoast]

Now that we're pretty darn good at football Stanford has a big stage problem.

Perhaps the band's act plays better with opponents and neutral crowds when Stanford is the loveable underdog than it plays when we're the overwhelming favorite smashing teams with intellectual brutality.

Iowa fans are reacting to tone, sub text and their own insecurities and only see us mocking cherished stereotypes just like Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Va Tech before them.  In their minds we're the snobby, elite 1%ers making fun of hardworking farmers while crushing their beloved Hawkeyes.  They certainly don't get the Stanford in jokes (it's funny 'cuz our nickname is the farm, get it?).  Few Iowa fans have ANY idea what was in the script - or care.  Preconceptions about Stanford, the easy read based upon what they see on the field and insecurities trump the actual text.

I'm not sure how we ever "fix" this, or even if we should, but with Shaw at the helm the big stage problem will be around for a while.

(Part of me wonders if this works better with different presenters.  For you fellow old timers, could Hal Mickelson with his ironic gravitas have pulled this off?)

[Leftcoast]

Now that we're pretty darn good at football Stanford has a big stage problem.

Perhaps the band's act plays better with opponents and neutral crowds when Stanford is the loveable underdog than it plays when we're the overwhelming favorite smashing teams with intellectual brutality.

Iowa fans are reacting to tone, sub text and their own insecurities and only see us mocking cherished stereotypes just like Oklahoma State, Wisconsin and Va Tech before them.  In their minds we're the snobby, elite 1%ers making fun of hardworking farmers while crushing their beloved Hawkeyes.  They certainly don't get the Stanford in jokes (it's funny 'cuz our nickname is the farm, get it?).  Few Iowa fans have ANY idea what was in the script - or care.  Preconceptions about Stanford, the easy read based upon what they see on the field and insecurities trump the actual text.

I'm not sure how we ever "fix" this, or even if we should, but with Shaw at the helm the big stage problem will be around for a while.

(Part of me wonders if this works better with different presenters.  For you fellow old timers, could Hal Mickelson with his ironic gravitas have pulled this off?)