ESPN: New England Patriots' Ty Warren skips bonus to work on degree - ESPN Boston

[MrSilverMaC]

Principles are great but I am sure he can make both NFL and college work at the same time. Online classes, night classes, flex schedule are only some of the tools available to get your degree.

I don't get why he has to choose one over the other. Heck NFL even has arrangements with Harvard, stanfard and UPenn for players who want to study or transition to life after work.

He's not quitting the NFL. He's forgoing a roster bonus to finish school. He isn't choosing one over the other.

It's hard to tell your kids, with a straight face, that education is the most important thing while you show them that it's not. He takes his responsibility as role model for his kids seriously, something sorely lacking in our time, and gets called stupid by people here.

It's not like he is going to let his kids starve because he has made this choice. They aren't going to live on the streets without the 250k.

But I bet you when his kids graduate from college they'l thank their father for being the role model they needed to help them achieve their goals. I would rather have that, than whatever fleeting thing I would have bought with the 250k.

[jfriedenthal]

Props to him. The NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. all need more role models like that. NFL isn't going to be there forever, and education will be.

[MrSilverMaC]

This is so stupid. I'm sorry but he couldn't work on getting his degree in the offseason? Or after he retired from the NFL? I'm pretty sure the 250K would cover that just fine then. Someone on 980 (Czaban?) who theorized that this is just a play to get speaking contracts and to be famous. That makes sense to me.

Maybe I missed something, or maybe you did, but this IS the off season, right?

The story says he's going to pass on the bonus because he is missing VOLUNTARY off season workouts. It didn't say he was missing training camp, pre-season or regular season games.

[jnhay]

He's not quitting the NFL. He's forgoing a roster bonus to finish school. He isn't choosing one over the other.

It's hard to tell your kids, with a straight face, that education is the most important thing while you show them that it's not. He takes his responsibility as role model for his kids seriously, something sorely lacking in our time, and gets called stupid by people here.

It's not like he is going to let his kids starve because he has made this choice. They aren't going to live on the streets without the 250k.

But I bet you when his kids graduate from college they'l thank their father for being the role model they needed to help them achieve their goals. I would rather have that, than whatever fleeting thing I would have bought with the 250k.

Do you actually believe that? How old could his kids possibly be when he's 29? It sounds like he only has a semester or two to go, and he's giving up a ton of money to speed up the process by only a few years. At worst, he would be going to school when his kids are old enough to be thinking about college.

Props to him. The NFL, NBA, MLB, etc. all need more role models like that. NFL isn't going to be there forever, and education will be.

250k can pay for way more than 2 semesters of school.

[Perky72]

Principles are great but I am sure he can make both NFL and college work at the same time. Online classes, night classes, flex schedule are only some of the tools available to get your degree.

I don't get why he has to choose one over the other. Heck NFL even has arrangements with Harvard, stanfard and UPenn for players who want to study or transition to life after work.

He isn't choosing one or the other. He's forgoing a voluntary offseason workout, and with it a $250,000 bonus. He'll be playing in the 2010 pre-season and regular season.

And this theory might be shocking, but maybe part of his desire to get a degree is to actually complete his education as its own goal.

Some of the arguments against this are kind of odd. And would seem to be in full support of someone like Paris Hilton, who never finished high school (though she did get a GED). It shouldn't matter how wealthy or not a person is, getting an education should be something we at least pretend is a good goal for everyone. And now that Ty Warren is actually finishing his education rather than counting his cash it's a reason to knock him for such a poor decision? I'm missing something, or maybe my priorites are off.

[skinsdude]

Am I the only one who thinks that's totally stupid? He's only 29 and just gave up $250,000. What's wrong with finishing school after you get tons of money? He'll still have a lot of years ahead of him after he's done with football.

No. you're not alone at all. He doesn't have to continue his education right now. It can wait. He's turning his back on his job. They are voluntary workouts but we see how voluntary Shanahan thinks that they are. It does seem as though he is trying to turn this into some kind of feel good story.

[mbws]

Even Ivy Leaguers don't spend $250,000 for a college degree.

UPenn = 53,000 a year

Not 250,000 but close enough

[skeenzfan]

He isn't choosing one or the other. He's forgoing a voluntary offseason workout, and with it a $250,000 bonus. He'll be playing in the 2010 pre-season and regular season.

And this theory might be shocking, but maybe part of his desire to get a degree is to actually complete his education as its own goal.

Some of the arguments against this are kind of odd. And would seem to be in full support of someone like Paris Hilton, who never finished high school (though she did get a GED). It shouldn't matter how wealthy or not a person is, getting an education should be something we at least pretend is a good goal for everyone. And now that Ty Warren is actually finishing his education rather than counting his cash it's a reason to knock him for such a poor decision? I'm missing something, or maybe my priorites are off.

Firstly we all know the 'so called voluntary' workout are not really voluntary. Coachese expect you to be there. I am sure he has attended these voluntary workouts up until now in his career.

Yes you are missing the point of the conversation. I am not doubting the importance of education or his desire to get a degree but the the timing of his decision. There are other avenues available so that he can get his education and get the bonus for attending this workout. I know he is still plenty rich without this bonus. Maybe he could have donated the bonus to the school he is attending.

One of the reasons to get an education is so that you can make sound and informed decisions in life. This is not a sound decision.

[Skinsfan1311]

Principles are great but I am sure he can make both NFL and college work at the same time. Online classes, night classes, flex schedule are only some of the tools available to get your degree.

I agree.

I think it's ridiculous to leave that kind of money on the table. Unless he had those kids when he was 10 years old, there's no way that they know, or care, if he ever went to college. By the time that they're old enough to appreciate that, he'll have been retired from the NFL.

Our oldest son, (who is 26 yrs old), earned his Batchelor's while serving as a full-time soldier while helping raise his son.

He'll have earned his Master's, by late Spring, and he's still working full-time.

I may be going out on a limb here, but I'm pretty sure that he's making a hell of a lot less money than Warren and there is no "off-season" for him, or for most of us out here in the real world.....

[Perky72]

Our oldest son, (who is 26 yrs old), earned his Batchelor's while serving as a full-time soldier while helping raise his son.

He could've instead gotten a part-time job and made more money short-term, or engaged in voluntary fitness or special forces training to perform his main job better. Why couldn't he wait until he was out of the service? Why did he choose instead to "leave money on the table"? Why did he "turn his back on his job" by not using his off-time to train for it?

[ACW]

I must say though, I'd love to make the amount of cash where I could AFFORD to leave that $250K on the table.

[jnhay]

He could've instead gotten a part-time job and made more money short-term, or engaged in voluntary fitness or special forces training to perform his main job better. Why couldn't he wait until he was out of the service? Why did he choose instead to "leave money on the table"? Why did he "turn his back on his job" by not using his off-time to train for it?

What are you trying to say?

[Skinsfan1311]

He could've instead gotten a part-time job and made more money short-term, or engaged in voluntary fitness or special forces training to perform his main job better. Why couldn't he wait until he was out of the service? Why did he choose instead to "leave money on the table"? Why did he "turn his back on his job" by not using his off-time to train for it?

Ummm....okay??

[stevemcqueen1]

He's obviously trying to send a message by doing this. But it's a good message, so why would anyone nitpick that?

[Park City Skins]

Money.


He's decided,in this case,not to put things off any longer and getting it done now. He's making a decision that feels good to him. A decision that is right to him. Nothing "wrong" with that. We've all made decisions like that in our time. Didn't make them wrong. Just ones others may or may not have agreed with. Good that he's doing what he feels his right for him.