[FarmBoy]

Getting a degree doesn't matter so much to me. Had Bill Gates gone to Stanford, and left without a degree, I would still "claim him" as a Stanford guy. So why would I treat athletes any differently? The degree isn't a magical passport--once conferred you immediately receive special knowledge and wisdom! Once you've gotten from Stanford what you think you need to succeed in the world, move on with confidence.

There's a bit of a difference (maybe), which is that Bill Gates wasn't recruited into Harvard for the possibility of him building the biggest software company in the world.  Most of the athletes are specifically recruited for the sport they play in, so when athletes go pro without their degree, it has a bit more of a mercenary feel.

BC

You're right. Any student who is being recruited/flattered to attend a school, let alone given a financial incentive (scholarship) is going to be more mercenary than a student who has to go through the admissions office and pay full boat. I always take student athletes claims of loving their school with a grain of salt, even Stanford student athletes. But I don't see why that changes the equation in terms of considering someone a "Stanford guy". They may be mercenaries, but they're our mercenaries.

[FarmBoy]

Getting a degree doesn't matter so much to me. Had Bill Gates gone to Stanford, and left without a degree, I would still "claim him" as a Stanford guy. So why would I treat athletes any differently? The degree isn't a magical passport--once conferred you immediately receive special knowledge and wisdom! Once you've gotten from Stanford what you think you need to succeed in the world, move on with confidence.

There's a bit of a difference (maybe), which is that Bill Gates wasn't recruited into Harvard for the possibility of him building the biggest software company in the world.  Most of the athletes are specifically recruited for the sport they play in, so when athletes go pro without their degree, it has a bit more of a mercenary feel.

BC

You're right. Any student who is being recruited/flattered to attend a school, let alone given a financial incentive (scholarship) is going to be more mercenary than a student who has to go through the admissions office and pay full boat. I always take student athletes claims of loving their school with a grain of salt, even Stanford student athletes. But I don't see why that changes the equation in terms of considering someone a "Stanford guy". They may be mercenaries, but they're our mercenaries.