LeBron James

[Sebastian]

The NCAA couldn't give less of a shit about the players. They care about the money they bring, and someone is threatening to get into that money so they change the rules. The bachelors degree is a ridiculous requirement. The other 2 requirements are enough. A bachelors degree means absolutely nothing besides that you went to college and passed all your exams. It shows nothing about intentions and how you work. That's why you don't hire someone based only on having a degree. Just my 2 cents though, i was always against the line of thought that having a degree automatically means you're smarter or better at something than someone who doesn't.

Who really thinks that?

I've actually seen that sentiment quite a bit lately in memes on Facebook. Who is pushing what? Anyway, that was a tangent...

But in any event, I think few people, aside form pompous asses, think people with a bachelor is smarter or better than someone who does not have a degree.

On paper anyway, a degree signals to an employer, or whomever, that a person has a baseline proficiency across a set of skills, namely reading comprehension and advanced writing skills; the ability to analyze something and report on it.

That is all it is. Experience is still paramount.

 

[cavsfever]

Rich Paul is good at what he does. There will be plenty of idiots who come along that are not.

These kids are vulnerable, and having extremely-basic requirements around who can be their counsel isn't a bad thing.

Requiring agents have a college degree does precisely zero to protect student-athletes.

If they wanted to protect kids they could set aside a small fraction of the multi-billions the NCAA makes from their labor and put it in trust funds for them.

 

[Cavatt]

Who really thinks that?

I've actually seen that sentiment quite a bit lately in memes on Facebook. Who is pushing what? Anyway, that was a tangent...

But in any event, I think few people, aside form pompous asses, think people with a bachelor is smarter or better than someone who does not have a degree.

On paper anyway, a degree signals to an employer, or whomever, that a person has a baseline proficiency across a set of skills, namely reading comprehension and advanced writing skills; the ability to analyze something and report on it.

That is all it is. Experience is still paramount.

I agree with you. I have expressed this sentiment before, and to people that don't have degrees. There are definite exceptions, but I have competent friends who are up for promotions, but it is a non-starter sometimes even if they have a degree but it is in the "wrong" field. Lots of people go back to school specifically for a promotion that is otherwise being gatekept, if that is a word.

I think I have been overly dismissive of what a degree actually does since I have never been asked to prove my education and post grad work. People accept my word. I also have not worked for massive companies that might make you jump through more bureaucratic hoops. I have been able to prove my worth with the things I have actually done, but that isn't always the case.

There is also always the question of if we would be having this discussion if Rich Paul was a Steve Jobs or Bill Gates type of figure who instead of being dirt poor was privileged and "a visionary" that dropped out of college. Elizabeth Holmes from Theranos was such a figure who perpetrated a major grift to the tune of Hundreds of millions of dollars and people thought she was cool because she dropped out of college. Then it came around that she didn't know anything. No way she would have gotten away with that if she was Rich Paul's sister instead of the granddaughter of a super scientist.

Some people are more scrutinized than others.

 

[Randolphkeys]

I agree with you. I have expressed this sentiment before, and to people that don't have degrees. There are definite exceptions, but I have competent friends who are up for promotions, but it is a non-starter sometimes even if they have a degree but it is in the "wrong" field. Lots of people go back to school specifically for a promotion that is otherwise being gatekept, if that is a word.

I think I have been overly dismissive of what a degree actually does since I have never been asked to prove my education and post grad work. People accept my word. I also have not worked for massive companies that might make you jump through more bureaucratic hoops. I have been able to prove my worth with the things I have actually done, but that isn't always the case.

There is also always the question of if we would be having this discussion if Rich Paul was a Steve Jobs or Bill Gates type of figure who instead of being dirt poor was privileged and "a visionary" that dropped out of college. Elizabeth Holmes from Theranos was such a figure who perpetrated a major grift to the tune of Hundreds of millions of dollars and people thought she was cool because she dropped out of college. Then it came around that she didn't know anything. No way she would have gotten away with that if she was Rich Paul's sister instead of the granddaughter of a super scientist.

Some people are more scrutinized than others.

We are getting pretty far off the topic, but the shift that occurred during the first dot com boom of about 2000 or so and the fallout is playing out in real time.

Tech led the charge in recruiting undergrads to leave college early and start working for their websites. I know a lot of people who made money when the degree was no longer a requirement for six figures, but I know even more people who found out it wasn't sustainable, and that company was a venture project that either didn't sustain the profitability or sold so that only the people at the very top made serious money.

Is this particular legislation at the NCAA hypocritical? Of course, they are clearly profiting off athletes who don't make money off their own efforts. However, there is a seedy underbelly to college athletics which is only growing. Coaches are being forced to choose between losing seasons or pretending that this seedy underbelly isn't present at their school, when of course it really exists. The NCAA needs to do something to address the problem.

 

[Cavatt]

We are getting pretty far off the topic, but the shift that occurred during the first dot com boom of about 2000 or so and the fallout is playing out in real time.

Tech led the charge in recruiting undergrads to leave college early and start working for their websites. I know a lot of people who made money when the degree was no longer a requirement for six figures, but I know even more people who found out it wasn't sustainable, and that company was a venture project that either didn't sustain the profitability or sold so that only the people at the very top made serious money.

Is this particular legislation at the NCAA hypocritical? Of course, they are clearly profiting off athletes who don't make money off their own efforts. However, there is a seedy underbelly to college athletics which is only growing. Coaches are being forced to choose between losing seasons or pretending that this seedy underbelly isn't present at their school, when of course it really exists. The NCAA needs to do something to address the problem.

We have actually seen this bias against non-educated people against Lebron himself. When he has said political things the ruling class has not liked, they have emphasized that he "never spent a single year in college". It's like all good as long as you are making the man his money, but if you start to do your own thing, you are an uneducated rule breaker. Meanwhile actually ignorant people who have the right pedigree can fail so many times that they can be put in positions of power that cannot be questioned.

 

[The Human Q-Tip]

On paper anyway, a degree signals to an employer, or whomever, that a person has a baseline proficiency across a set of skills, namely reading comprehension and advanced writing skills; the ability to analyze something and report on it.

That is all it is. Experience is still paramount.

You can graduate college without advanced writing skills. However, you can graduate high school while barely being able to read, and basic reading comprehension is a reasonable requirement to be someone's legal representative. So...a degree is pretty much the only way to ensure that's the case.

 

[Sebastian]

You can graduate college without advanced writing skills. However, you can graduate high school while barely being able to read, and basic reading comprehension is a reasonable requirement to be someone's legal representative. So...a degree is pretty much the only way to ensure that's the case.

Exactly.

It is not much different than any other certification either.

The days of a bachelors degree being an elitist accomplishment have been gone since the GI Bill started.

 

[Cavatt]

Exactly.

It is not much different than any other certification either.

The days of a bachelors degree being an elitist accomplishment have been gone since the GI Bill started.

So in other words, a bachelor's degree has never been more worthless nor more expensive

 

[Sebastian]

So in other words, a bachelor's degree has never been more worthless nor more expensive

Pretty much.

But necessary, since automation is going to wipe out half of the non-degree jobs in the next 25 years.

 

[Cavatt]

Pretty much.

But necessary, since automation is going to wipe out half of the non-degree jobs in the next 25 years.

It's going to wipe out degree jobs too.

 

[Sebastian]

It's going to wipe out degree jobs too.

Not as many in proportion to the workforce.

People with degrees can do many jobs as most degrees are not vocational.

They won't be hurt as badly as those without degrees.

Either way, creating a nation-wide retraining program for all types of people, with degrees and without, should be a priority for every Administration from here on out.

 

[Man Called X]

Not as many in proportion to the workforce.

People with degrees can do many jobs as most degrees are not vocational.

They won't be hurt as badly as those without degrees.

Either way, creating a nation-wide retraining program for all types of people, with degrees and without, should be a priority for every Administration from here on out.

Half of your college degree jobs that existed when I graduated college don't even exist now. We're quickly reaching a point where there is no need for a labor force. That's when I expect shit to hit the fan and it become lawlessness.

 

[2 For The Brew]

Half of your college degree jobs that existed when I graduated college don't even exist now. We're quickly reaching a point where there is no need for a labor force. That's when I expect shit to hit the fan and it become lawlessness.

The world still needs ditchdiggers.

 

[cavsfever]

DeMarcus Cousins apparently just tore his ACL...that is a huge blow not just to him personally (obviously) but to any Lakers hopes of getting past the Clippers this year. They really need quality depth beyond Lebron/AD and Cousins was one of their best hopes to have somebody show up and play at a very high level.

I think the Lebron/AD combo is still better than Kawhi/PG, at least for another year or so until Lebron really falls off a cliff due to aging, but past those top two the Clippers roster is so superior to the Lakers that I don't see the Lakers being the better team unless they get some real high quality play from other starters.

 

[Bucketz]

DeMarcus Cousins apparently just tore his ACL...that is a huge blow not just to him personally (obviously) but to any Lakers hopes of getting past the Clippers this year. They really need quality depth beyond Lebron/AD and Cousins was one of their best hopes to have somebody show up and play at a very high level.

I think the Lebron/AD combo is still better than Kawhi/PG, at least for another year or so until Lebron really falls off a cliff due to aging, but past those top two the Clippers roster is so superior to the Lakers that I don't see the Lakers being the better team unless they get some real high quality play from other starters.

It sucks that cousins got injured for him
and the nba, but I definitely don’t feel bad for the Lakers. I think Lakers will make the playoffs (barring major injury) and then my fantasy is seeing the clippers or warriors take them down. Seeing lebron win another championship would be cool, but I would rather see kawhi be the first to 3 championships with 3 different teams than Lebron. He squeezed every bit of juice out of the Cavs organization and it’s going to happen to LA without the benefit of a championship. The cousins injury really screwed them.