OL Jacob Gannon has left the ISU program

[ImJustKCClone]

Let's say it's Saturday night, and you have the option of going to a party or seeing a movie. If you choose the movie, and an hour into it you realize it's the worst movie ever made, do you stick around for the remaining hour? Many people would say "well, I already paid for the movie, I might as well stay". A more rational person would say "well, I'm already out the $10 I paid for a ticket (a sunk cost), I might as well leave and go to that party instead."

Same thing with this kid. It doesn't matter how long he's been with the team or how many hours of practice he's gone through; those are sunk costs that aren't recoverable, and should have no bearing on whether he wants to stay with the team for the remainder of the season.

Okay. I see what you're trying to say, and the "sunk costs" do not come into play with what I said. I'm not saying "why is he quitting now, after putting in all that work".

My point is, he had all spring & summer to make that decision, in a way that would help his teammates move on before the season started. My feeling is that by choosing to do this now when he (per the different comments) has been thinking about it for a while...is basically dumping on his teammates. By accepting the scholarship, by practicing with them, by taking the majority of the reps as the presumed starter, he was telling them that he would be there for them. He quit on them. It may well have been the best thing for him, but I really don't think you can say he was thinking about his teammates...he was thinking only of himself. UNLESS, as I said before, there were extenuating circumstances on the home front.

I dunno. I don't mean to rag on him. He may have needed to make that decision. But his timing stinks.

 

[roundball]

Agreed. And I said it was an extreme example But so is comparing it to going to the movies.

I was using it as an example to explain the concept of sunk costs to another poster who wasn't familiar with the term.

Try to keep up.

 

[Bret44]

So I'm failing to understand what you are saying. Is this meant to fault him for leaving, or is it a CPR issue?

To me, he left when he left. He tried to stick in there, tried to tough it out, but at the end of the day his heart wasn't in it. I haven't exactly seen any of his teammates popping off about him quitting on them on social media. Everyone has a breaking point and he apparently reached his, and I can't fault again for putting his own needs above others.

Both.

And the part of being a good teammate is putting the teams needs above your own.

 

[Pseudonym]

I've worked in the field for almost 20 years, and I can assure you that nobody is going to be hot to hire a kid who quit on his teammates a few weeks into a months-long project.

That is one of the dumbest things I've ever read on this board and that is saying something...

 

[Luth4Cy]

I've worked in the field for almost 20 years, and I can assure you that nobody is going to be hot to hire a kid who quit on his teammates a few weeks into a months-long project.

Depending on his reason(s) for quitting that's a ridiculously stupid reason to not hire a kid.

 

[MSP]

in any case, its probably a good thing in the end. you don't want a guy on the field who doesn't want to be there, especially an offensive lineman. its not like he can just take a play off like a receiver or running back etc. he gives up on a play and richardson is getting killed or running...oh wait...

 

[FanatiClone]

If Iowa State isn't smart enough to clawback the value of his scholarship, that's their problem, not his.

Dude, it doesn't surprise me there are people who think like you, but I was taught that if you commit to something, you stick it out until the end, especially if others are counting on you. Nobody faults the guy for leaving, again, it is the timing. This me-first state of mind is not conducive to team sports. If he was a tennis player, or shot putter, no one would give a rats ***, but he COMMITTED to something bigger than himself.

 

[Incyte]

Depending on his reason(s) for quitting that's a ridiculously stupid reason to not hire a kid.

When I do hiring I always analyze the applicant's ability to meet commitments. It would be a red flag to me.

 

[Land Grant]

Okay, looks like this espisode is in the books. Curious to see how things look on the field Sat. Rally towels or throw in the towel?

 

[Doctor]

I've worked in the field for almost 20 years, and I can assure you that nobody is going to be hot to hire a kid who quit on his teammates a few weeks into a months-long project.

LOLOLOL.

I'm pretty sure the fact that English is his first language will have him employed in about 8 minutes.

Also, I don't think any employer in the world would consider him quitting football to concentrate on his studies or begin his career a negative.

 

[Wesley]

Depending on his reason(s) for quitting that's a ridiculously stupid reason to not hire a kid.

And what about the weight comment? Thought he was lifting over 500 and had a chiselled body. He will lose that if he goes to work in a school as an educator.

 

[roundball]

Okay. I see what you're trying to say, and the "sunk costs" do not come into play with what I said. I'm not saying "why is he quitting now, after putting in all that work".

My point is, he had all spring & summer to make that decision, in a way that would help his teammates move on before the season started. My feeling is that by choosing to do this now when he (per the different comments) has been thinking about it for a while...is basically dumping on his teammates. By accepting the scholarship, by practicing with them, by taking the majority of the reps as the presumed starter, he was telling them that he would be there for them. He quit on them. It may well have been the best thing for him, but I really don't think you can say he was thinking about his teammates...he was thinking only of himself. UNLESS, as I said before, there were extenuating circumstances on the home front.

I dunno. I don't mean to rag on him. He may have needed to make that decision. But his timing stinks.

Sure, the timing's inconvenient, but not one of us is in any position to make a judgment about whether the kid should have stayed or left.

I was mostly trying to explain that the "if you start something, finish it" mentality isn't rational.

 

[SCarolinaCy]

I read he was first team academic Big 12 and had the high GPA on our team. By now he realizes he's not going to play professionally after this year. I see no fault in him deciding that spending his last bit of college focused on his studies, attaining an internship, etc. is the best use of his time. As Zack Spears said, it's kind of refreshing to see a kid not have football as his only source of identity. You see far too many stories like Max Hall's, where you don't have anything beyond football, and once that's gone all that's left for you is shoplifting from Best Buy and shooting up cocaine.

Interviewer: "Ok, Jacob, when your back was up against the wall and then team was counting on you, how did you respond?"

 

[Doc]

I wonder if they'll think about moving Burton to tackle at all? I know Campos is probably in line to start, but the best 5 could be Omoile and Lalk at guard, and Burton at tackle. Just speculating.

 

[SuperTrooper]

Quitting makes a lot of sense sometimes. Society always views quitting as bad, but it's not always bad.

http://freakonomics.com/2014/05/29/the-upside-of-quitting-a-freakonomics-radio-rebroadcast/

 

[FarminCy]

When I do hiring I always analyze the applicant's ability to meet commitments. It would be a red flag to me.

Define commitment. If he left the team to focus on academics isn't that a better commitment to his education?

 

[Clonefan32]

I can't really believe what's happened in just two years.

I was talking to a co-worker about this a few minutes ago.

Two years ago at this time we had just beaten Tulsa, were getting ready to beat Iowa, and would start the year 4-1 heading into a ranked matcup against Kansas State.

Now, we are praying like hell we win 3 games and are talking about firing CPR.

 

[Luth4Cy]

When I do hiring I always analyze the applicant's ability to meet commitments. It would be a red flag to me.

He met a commitment of playing football four years in a row. He met a commitment of doing well in school. I'm sure there are a lot of other commitments in his life he met. So you would actually not hire him even if he was the best candidate for quitting a commitment for being burnt out, even though that commitment is nothing like the commitment's he'll do in the future?

 

[CycloneErik]

When I do hiring I always analyze the applicant's ability to meet commitments. It would be a red flag to me.

Why? You'd never even see it. The resume would mention 4 years of college football, not "left team after game 1 of senior year for personal reasons."

It's worth noting that there could be actual personal reasons, because crap happens to people.

 

[Luth4Cy]

I wonder if they'll think about moving Burton to tackle at all? I know Campos is probably in line to start, but the best 5 could be Omoile and Lalk at guard, and Burton at tackle. Just speculating.

Or move Taiese over. Haven't heard a lot about him.