Quote:
Originally Posted by Eracer  Kids need role models, and a scholar athlete who ends up as a businessman is a lot better role model than one who fails as an athlete and has nothing else to show for it. |
I fully agree with your entire comment, however your last part is what persuaded me to make this post after seeing this two years in a row where as your comments are likely what caused me not too last year. In these articles, there is no consideration given to the fact that these players and schools for which they are criticizing would likely graduate their players if they did not provide them with a better opportunity. I would even agree with the argument that this would be a serious issue if they provided example to the account the 50+% of the KU players that did not graduate where now living in a cardboard box on the streets, where instead they are all likely more successful than the writer of the article. Some of which are not players in the NBA.
Valid point and likely another point to discuss as to whether the quality of education is more important than the degree. Where at least IMO and even in my case, quality education and degree are not synonymous. Your education is what gives you your earning potential and prepares you to succeed in life, not the degree.
And again, your character is what will decide the value you have as a role model. Look at Tiger. Where if you give a degree to someone like Michael Vick or Ray Lewis, it is not going to give him positive role model status. Actually another point is that many of these players are now turning into successful coaches.
edit 1 - it would also be a sad mistake to portrait that the only education you receive is in the classroom. Maintaining a 2.73 GPA while maintaining the rigorous schedule of a ranked college basketball players shows me far more in ability to succeed as opposed to picking up a degree in 6 years from with a fairly lax schedule. In the same sense, you will notice many companies love the aspect of hiring military, because they know they will not have to teach them discipline. Which is not always necessarily a requirement in obtaining a degree.