Leaving early

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Take a listen, this pertains to the twitterstorm more than his reasons for leaving. There are some hurt feelings here.

https://www.spokesman.com/video/2019/apr/29/james-williams-sounds-rift-mike-leach/

From another post it sounds like Williams is a semester and maybe some summer classes away from his degree.

Heres a lesson for Boobie, since ED seems content to not give any advice of actual use: just because someone shoves me a microphone in your face you are not obligated to fill the air with all your thoughts and feelings. In fact, most would heavily advise against it.

 

[PINGDUDE4]

He's a lesson for Boobie, since ED seems content to not give any advice of actual use: just because someone shoves me a microphone in your face you are not obligated to fill the air with all your thoughts and feelings. In fact, most would heavily advise against it.

No sh*t.

He was facing long odds of making the roster of the Chiefs, now that I have heard how pre-occupied is with this trivial stuff, those odds are dropping by the day. If he was so cocksure about his decision just make it, own it, and move on. A confident person does not need this much constant affirmation. The fact he could not immediately recall Gardner's name was also more than a little odd.

 

[BiggsCoug]

I think what ED either forgot or doesnt understand is that he works for JW. Not the other way around.

Your agent represents you and the way he does that reflects upon you. Lets say Leach did run him down. What value does ED add by doing this? Is he making things better or worse? Does my client now have to answer questions about a tweet I made? Does this embarrass my client? What do I tell my client when he says his potential employer called and wants to know if this will be a problem in the future?

I wouldnt have retweeted EDs tweet. No matter if Leach did run him down. This is a business now and youre not going to hang my laundry out to dry on social media. ED shouldve been fired. The last thing an UFA needs is drama. Ridiculous on EDs part.

 

[Loyal Coug]

The more I look at it, the more I really fall on Williams' side on this one.

I agree with his statement that he wasn't likely to significantly improve his draft stock by coming back. Maybe he becomes a little better blocker, but he's not going to suddenly become a feature back and rush for 1,500 yards. Playing his senior year maybe gets him into the 6th round. That could be impacted next season by how many NFL vacancies are created and how many of next year's players come out, but it seems more likely he'd fall than rise. And, the likelihood of making a team isn't that much better for a 6th/7th round pick than it is for a UDFA.

So, the biggest benefit of staying is probably to finish his degree...which he can do without staying with the team. I'm not sure how close to finishing he is, but since he's been on campus for 4 years, I'd assume he's close. According to the media guide, his major is humanities. It doesn't indicate his concentration area, but I think it's safe to say that even with his degree he's not going to make a pile of money in his first job. Think teaching salary, not engineering salary - $40K, not 80.

His fiancee (wife?) already has a job and a salary, and I understand he's been living with her while he's in school and playing. Probably living pretty frugally with two adults and a child on one teaching salary. A second child would probably force some tough budget decisions. Except...he has this opportunity to make some significant extra cash. Should he stick around and play for another season - with the incumbent risk of injury, and no significant increase in the potential reward - cutting corners and just barely getting by for a year? Or, should he gamble right now?

If the gamble doesn't pay off...they still have her salary, and are not really any worse off. If it pays off a little, he makes $40K in 6-7 weeks, his career ends, and their condition is - at least temporarily - slightly improved. If it pays off a lot, he makes $400K on a rookie contract in the next year, and they're in a much better position.

For his situation, it seems like he probably made the right choice. There's no significant benefit to staying. Leaving carries some risk, but if it doesn't work out, his situation isn't really worse than it already would be. The potential upside is big, even if it's a longshot.

His degree situation is somewhat of a factor, but it's pretty likely that he's close to finishing, and it's not very likely that his degree choice leads to a high paying job. So again...the potential upside of leaving seems to outweigh the benefit of staying. Even more so if he's less than a semester (or summer) from finishing his degree.

This thread has gone on much to long, so I might as well make it worse.

Your arguments are reasonable, but a couple of nitpicks:
First, as I understand the way the draft and $ work, even a low draft pick gets WAY better, guaranteed money than a free agent, even if the pick doesn't make the team. So 6th round money is a big deal, relatively speaking. Enough coin to move somewhere other than Lewiston, Idaho and start a new life (Spoiler alert: more Idaho slams coming).

Second, if he stayed, he would have the benefit of the PR that comes with being a senior (on the NFL's radar) instead of popping up out of nowhere. Getting invited to the Combine helped, but I think the additional, season-long exposure would have helped. 24 RB's were picked this year, 2 from the Pac-12. He would be higher profile, particularly with GM and his hype gone. Maybe more touches given the probable QB downgrade from GM.

Third, the support his family thing - Scholarship players get living stipends. His fiance was a single mother, living on her salary, before Boobie came along. So by living with her as a scholarship athlete he was contributing to the household income. If the free agent gamble doesn't pay off, he brings a little coin and no degree back home to Lewiston, Idaho. The mecca of opportunity for a young, adult black male with no degree. (Sorry - Lewiston is in Idaho. Facts are facts.). I suppose he could enroll at LC State and finish his degree down there. Hell - can he play basketball or baseball? Maybe he could get a scholly at LC for that last year. I'm actually not joking there.

Anyway, my 3 cents. I will be rooting for him. Go Cougs.

 

[Coug95man2]

I don't know how long that video was but there were 2 questions. Everything else was Mr. Williams talking, rambling, talking, rambling. Love the kid but wow. JUST. STOP. TALKING. Not saying I agree or disagree! But learn to speak concisely and then be OK with silence! Every reporter in the world will allow you to talk until you stop. So answer the question in 2-4 sentences, then stop. It will help you in the future. PR 101.

I think everyones concern is for Mr. Williams to get his foundation for life...a degree. Part of being an adult is experience. We've all seen players, or just kids in general, say, "I'm going to take a year off and then I'll come back and get my degree." or something to that affect. And then life happens and they don't. And more often than not, it bites them in the ass. And it leaves marks. So I think that is truly everyones concern. And if he says he's going to do that, then great. But whether it's CML or all the Cougs, this is everyone's basic concern. Everything else... like I said before, is just a train wreck.

As E.D. would say, here's the bottom line: We have no idea what kind of conversations have happened between CML and Mr. WIlliams. What if Mr. Williams has had a private conversation with CML and stated that he was going to stay and then this? Or maybe not but the point is, we aren't privy to ANY conversations. What about between CML and Mr. Dickerson? Between Mr. WIlliams and Mr. Dickerson? We have zero basis, truly, for any real opinion. This is all private stuff.

Meh. I take no sides. Williams is a true Coug. He was fun to watch and a great athlete. I hope nothing but the best for him and his budding family. But dude... get your degree. Do it now. Life starts making you more busy than you'll ever recognize and you'll have lost the opportunity. Get it and get it quickly. It's a race, son.
CML is the coach of the century at WSU. They should be thinking about where to put his statue now.
Dickerson... well I really don't care about. As an adult, to push someone to NOT get his degree or to proceed with SEVERE caution with that line of thought, would be borderline negligent. Hope he did his intensely due diligence in his conversations with Mr. Williams to insure he knew the importance of a degree. But ultimately, Mr. Dickerson is just another person in this world. Hope he's happy, I guess.
But this is between 3 people. I have zero skin in this game. It's just freakin' weird that all of this dirty laundry is being aired out in public. Sheesh, people. Shut the f**k up.

 

[dgibbons]

No sh*t.

He was facing long odds of making the roster of the Chiefs, now that I have heard how pre-occupied is with this trivial stuff, those odds are dropping by the day. If he was so cocksure about his decision just make it, own it, and move on. A confident person does not need this much constant affirmation. The fact he could not immediately recall Gardner's name was also more than a little odd.

Well, combine the disappointment of not getting drafted, with Minshew getting drafted (who was not exactly a lock), along with Leach being Leach, and this is what you get.

I don't think Leach's retweet of the draft numbers was squarely focused on Williams (or Hercules for that matter). I think it was more pointed to the 2020 draft eligible guys on the roster.

 

[YakiCoug]

Aren't you the little stalker. Why don't you go scroll back 6-9 months and see what I actually said and see how that compares to your "disparaged" characterization? And maybe it is right on - but I don't really give a shit either way, creepy little stalker.

Guess your beer-soaked brain doesn't recall others chastising you for putting down JW's fiancee. Hypocrite.

 

[Loyal Coug]

Guess your beer-soaked brain doesn't recall others chastising you for putting down JW's fiancee. Hypocrite.

Oh, little stalker. Here you are again. How cute.

 

[CrimsonDisciple]

The coach finished school Ed. He didn’t drop out to chase his coaching dream. He finished what he started.

He’s making decision that could result in his family going back to that park bench.

You want to break the cycle of poverty then actually break it. Not waltz right back into the world without a degree.

It is criminal to advise someone who doesn’t have a college degree to quit. Especially if it is paid for.

But than again your brother is a flunkie dropout so your family obviously is one of quitters and losers.

His wife is an RN. She makes $80K+ and doesn’t depend on James to support the household. I understand why he left. I’d rather him have stayed, but I get why he didn’t. As Boobie stated, Max was going to get his reps. At best, he would have had a similar season as 2018. It would only be risking injury in his mind. He’s healthy and in the best shape of his life. It was time to go.

 

[Coug1990]

His wife is an RN. She makes $80K+ and doesn’t depend on James to support the household. I understand why he left. I’d rather him have stayed, but I get why he didn’t. As Boobie stated, Max was going to get his reps. At best, he would have had a similar season as 2018. It would only be risking injury in his mind. He’s healthy and in the best shape of his life. It was time to go.

I thought that James Williams wife was a school teacher.

 

[FnuLnu]

I thought that James Williams wife was a school teacher.

Maybe she has two jobs?
Or is the school nurse?
Or teaches at nursing school?

 

[dgibbons]

His wife is an RN. She makes $80K+ and doesn’t depend on James to support the household. I understand why he left. I’d rather him have stayed, but I get why he didn’t. As Boobie stated, Max was going to get his reps. At best, he would have had a similar season as 2018. It would only be risking injury in his mind. He’s healthy and in the best shape of his life. It was time to go.

Pretty sure she’s a special ed teacher.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

Pretty sure she’s a special ed teacher.

Can't tell if serious or taking a swipe at ED/Boobie...

 

[CrimsonDisciple]

Pretty sure she’s a special ed teacher.

My bad. I thought she was a nurse. Regardless, she has a decent job and benefits. They aren’t going to end up on a “park bench”.

 

[dgibbons]

Can't tell if serious or taking a swipe at ED/Boobie...

She’s a special ed teacher.

My wife is a special ed teacher too.

 

[Loyal Coug]

She’s a special ed teacher.

My wife is a special ed teacher too.

Not to be a stalker, but if you google her (Boobie's GF, not your wife gibby) you get a (broken) link to a Lewiston SD elementary school. Yet if you go to the school district site and go down the list of 18-19 teacher contracts (including numerous special education teachers), she's not there.

So maybe there is more to the financial story than meets the eye.......which would give the rationale for leaving early a bit more meat.

 

[BleedCrimsonandGray]

She’s a special ed teacher.

My wife is a special ed teacher too.

Cant tell if serious or taking a swipe at yourself...

I'll show myself out.

 

[95coug]

Not to be a stalker, but if you google her (Boobie's GF, not your wife gibby) you get a (broken) link to a Lewiston SD elementary school. Yet if you go to the school district site and go down the list of 18-19 teacher contracts (including numerous special education teachers), she's not there.

So maybe there is more to the financial story than meets the eye.......which would give the rationale for leaving early a bit more meat.

She just had a baby. Might very well be on leave for the rest of the year.

 

[Loyal Coug]

She just had a baby. Might very well be on leave for the rest of the year.

Um, the teacher roster I looked at was from last Fall, for 18-19 (the current, about to end school year). And according to Boobie in the April 27 Spokesman article below, the baby has not arrived yet. And if you were "on (maternity) leave", you would still be employed and on the list anyway. Other than that, I agree with everything you say.

Boobie: when my baby is born we have enough to support,

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/apr/27/washington-states-james-williams-joins-kansas-city/

 

[95coug]

Um, the teacher roster I looked at was from last Fall, for 18-19 (the current, about to end school year). And according to Boobie in the April 27 Spokesman article below, the baby has not arrived yet. And if you were "on (maternity) leave", you would still be employed and on the list anyway. Other than that, I agree with everything you say.

Boobie: when my baby is born we have enough to support,

https://www.spokesman.com/stories/2019/apr/27/washington-states-james-williams-joins-kansas-city/

"the couple announced the arrival of a baby son last New Year’s Eve"

That language typically means the baby was born. If that's correct, I'd typically assume she'd be back to work by now anyway, at least on a part-time basis.

Found a different article in the Moscow-Pullman paper that says she left her job and the school to work for a behavioral services group.

 

[Loyal Coug]

"the couple announced the arrival of a baby son last New Year’s Eve"

That language typically means the baby was born. If that's correct, I'd typically assume she'd be back to work by now anyway, at least on a part-time basis.

Found a different article in the Moscow-Pullman paper that says she left her job and the school to work for a behavioral services group.

Damn, your stalking is better than mine. Although that Pullman paper always cuts me off after two free articles. Annoying how that works.

But no, they announced that the baby had arrived in her womb at New Year's, not that it was born.

That said, I'm starting to feel creepy about this. While they are the ones who chose to throw their entire personal lives out on the internet for the world to see, I feel kinda dirty sniffing around for details.