Well that lasted long....Pugh

MSFT founder Bill Gates and Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg both dropped out of a college in Cambridge Mass to pursue their dreams...for certain people it's the right decision...staying in college is too expensive for certain few folks...


I agree with you wholeheartedly. The truth is though that those two are unicorns. Gates had mommy's money and connections and some brilliant classmates. Not to mention he recognized that the Xerox platform that was the basis for windows was the future and getting them to give it to him was brilliant. Zuckerberg stole someone's idea and was able to make it work. He's lucky that they took the 8 figure settlement and didn't realize the true potential of their own idea.
 
I agree with you wholeheartedly. The truth is though that those two are unicorns. Gates had mommy's money and connections and some brilliant classmates. Not to mention he recognized that the Xerox platform that was the basis for windows was the future and getting them to give it to him was brilliant. Zuckerberg stole someone's idea and was able to make it work. He's lucky that they took the 8 figure settlement and didn't realize the true potential of their own idea.

That was Jobs who went to Xerox PARC and then put the GUI in the Mac. Microsoft was selling MS-DOS until Windows was copied from the Mac.

As for anyone else bringing up Gates, Zuckerberg, Dell or whoever for leaving or not going to college, its not relevant unless you are comparing them to someone else who already has a massive alternative opportunity. None of those guys just "left". Gates took the biggest flyer, but he didn't quit school until after Microsoft was going. He took a leave of absence. Zuckerberg had FB already going and left because VC was offering him life changing money in a booming industry. Dell was already running his business out of his UT dorm room. None of them left a scholarship behind.

Pugh is giving up significant value in dumping that scholarship. It will work out for her if she gets significant endorsements. The soccer pay isn't worth it. If she just ends up as a good player on the USWNT, its may not be worth it. If it doesn't work out, she can always go back to school, and its not necessary to spend big tuition to get a college education. Playing internationally is even more unique an experience than going to college, so from a life experience standpoint, why not?
 
Pugh is giving up significant value in dumping that scholarship. It will work out for her if she gets significant endorsements. The soccer pay isn't worth it. If she just ends up as a good player on the USWNT, its may not be worth it. If it doesn't work out, she can always go back to school, and its not necessary to spend big tuition to get a college education. Playing internationally is even more unique an experience than going to college, so from a life experience standpoint, why not?

I want to focus on this part of your post. If she stays domestically and gets $1-$2 million then this is a moot point. Financially it will be worth it any way you slice it. Even if she gets $0 in endorsements because she plays overseas her national team pay will be around $165-$200k plus another $100k or so to play abroad. In the 4 years that she would spend at UCLA she would be giving up over a million dollars plus extra money due to 2019/20 having an Olympics and a WWC which would boost her income another $100k each of those years assuming she didn't get a penny of endorsement money. If she couldn't find a way to save $200k (she is an out of state student) in the 4-5 years then I don't know that it would matter anyway.
 
That was Jobs who went to Xerox PARC and then put the GUI in the Mac. Microsoft was selling MS-DOS until Windows was copied from the Mac.



Pugh is giving up significant value in dumping that scholarship. It will work out for her if she gets significant endorsements. The soccer pay isn't worth it. If she just ends up as a good player on the USWNT, its may not be worth it. If it doesn't work out, she can always go back to school, and its not necessary to spend big tuition to get a college education. Playing internationally is even more unique an experience than going to college, so from a life experience standpoint, why not?
JsMaximus...you make some good points, however, I agree with MAP and I would add that MP is not being "given" a scholarship by UCLA...she is actually working for it and might be under-compensated by the UCLA "scholarship"...

By entering the workforce now MP will capture all of her own "value-added" while she is a hot topic and has all of her physical and technical momentum going for her...she is not letting her "schooling" interfere with her "education"...indeed for her "education" she will be learning how to become a world class soccer player and she will be educated on how to market herself domestically and internationally, how to promote herself on digital media, negotiate endorsements, hire and evaluate agents, attorneys etc etc...her lernin will be focused on her soccer career and won't stop just because she is not attending classes at UCLA that she is paying for with her own sweat...
 
JsMaximus...you make some good points, however, I agree with MAP and I would add that MP is not being "given" a scholarship by UCLA...she is actually working for it and might be under-compensated by the UCLA "scholarship"...

By entering the workforce now MP will capture all of her own "value-added" while she is a hot topic and has all of her physical and technical momentum going for her...she is not letting her "schooling" interfere with her "education"...indeed for her "education" she will be learning how to become a world class soccer player and she will be educated on how to market herself domestically and internationally, how to promote herself on digital media, negotiate endorsements, hire and evaluate agents, attorneys etc etc...her lernin will be focused on her soccer career and won't stop just because she is not attending classes at UCLA that she is paying for with her own sweat...

I agree. I am as bummed as any outside of her coach and teammates that she left. But, I understand and wish her all of the luck in the world. I am not mad at Lonzo Ball, TJ Leaf or Ike Anibogu going out early for the NBA draft as they will all be first round picks. I won't be mad after Josh Rosen leaves early for the NFL draft. It is what it is.
 
I agree. I am as bummed as any outside of her coach and teammates that she left. But, I understand and wish her all of the luck in the world. I am not mad at Lonzo Ball, TJ Leaf or Ike Anibogu going out early for the NBA draft as they will all be first round picks. I won't be mad after Josh Rosen leaves early for the NFL draft. It is what it is.
JR leaving is in the best interest for UCLA. If only Wayne Cook had another year of eligibility. :cool:
 
I want to focus on this part of your post. If she stays domestically and gets $1-$2 million then this is a moot point. Financially it will be worth it any way you slice it. Even if she gets $0 in endorsements because she plays overseas her national team pay will be around $165-$200k plus another $100k or so to play abroad. In the 4 years that she would spend at UCLA she would be giving up over a million dollars plus extra money due to 2019/20 having an Olympics and a WWC which would boost her income another $100k each of those years assuming she didn't get a penny of endorsement money. If she couldn't find a way to save $200k (she is an out of state student) in the 4-5 years then I don't know that it would matter anyway.
An important fact of an athletes' life is injury, one never knows.
 
Huh? I'm not bummed. :)

I agree with you and wish her luck. I am excited that what she is doing is even possible for a female player. I hope there are more opportunities in the future, and if there are it will be thanks to women like her.

I didn't say that you were bummed. I said I agree (meaning with your statement). I then started another thought/sentence that was only connected to the prior statements due to linguistic convenience.

I am as bummed as anyone who isn't a coach or player for the team is. Does that make more sense?
 
Pugh could have had that endorsement contract prior to UCLA as she was already considering turning pro prior to attending UCLA. It's no coincidence that after the new US WNT collective bargaining agreement was finalized and announced last week, she then turns pro the week after.

There was a half-time interview during the 2nd game vs Russia in which a few of the US WNT players discussed the CBA. They said, they were ALL in touch with each other and what they wanted. Meaning Pugh also had a voice in what they wanted.

NG, where is the moral outrage that Pugh committed to UCLA only to leave? She took someone else's spot only to move onto something (perhaps) better. You must be aghast.
 
NG, where is the moral outrage that Pugh committed to UCLA only to leave? She took someone else's spot only to move onto something (perhaps) better. You must be aghast.

She committed, was attending and the new CBA changed the calculus. What is there to be outraged about? Would you coach one of your players to do something different? What about your niece?
 
I would do the same thing. I was just teasing. New opportunities come up for everyone, at all levels. I guess that's the point.
 
I would do the same thing. I was just teasing. New opportunities come up for everyone, at all levels. I guess that's the point.
150-200K player salary plus another 400-500K from a Nike or Adidas endorsement deal speaks volumes. She will be making 550-700K a year for the next 4-5 years. Not shabby for a 19 yr old. I hope she invests wisely though.
 
150-200K player salary plus another 400-500K from a Nike or Adidas endorsement deal speaks volumes. She will be making 550-700K a year for the next 4-5 years. Not shabby for a 19 yr old. I hope she invests wisely though.

I agree, it's a smart move. I'm sure UCLA classes weren't too exciting for her also. I'm still curious how she does vs top 5 in the world. Watching her in the u20 World Cup, I wasn't that impressed. Maybe it was because of the media hype I expected that next coming of Mia Hamm. That being said, the quality of that team compared to full national is night and day. While Ellis may play her a lot, I still rate Morgan, Heath, and Dunn ahead of her today. At worst, great off the bench option in big games.
 
I agree, it's a smart move. I'm sure UCLA classes weren't too exciting for her also. I'm still curious how she does vs top 5 in the world. Watching her in the u20 World Cup, I wasn't that impressed. Maybe it was because of the media hype I expected that next coming of Mia Hamm. That being said, the quality of that team compared to full national is night and day. While Ellis may play her a lot, I still rate Morgan, Heath, and Dunn ahead of her today. At worst, great off the bench option in big games.
Alex Morgan hasn't been the same player, because of injuries the last few years. Tobin Heath is a midfielder and both are almost a decade older than Pugh. I think we forget Pugh is only 18 years old and by the 2019 WWC will barely be old enough to drink legally.
 
Alex Morgan hasn't been the same player, because of injuries the last few years. Tobin Heath is a midfielder and both are almost a decade older than Pugh. I think we forget Pugh is only 18 years old and by the 2019 WWC will barely be old enough to drink legally.
No, that didn't hurt one bit to agree with you. I honestly believe we see eye to eye, we only disagree on the delivery.
 
Alex Morgan hasn't been the same player, because of injuries the last few years. Tobin Heath is a midfielder and both are almost a decade older than Pugh. I think we forget Pugh is only 18 years old and by the 2019 WWC will barely be old enough to drink legally.

AM has dropped 1/2 level since then. I think going to France will help her. Depending on formation, Heath is a mid. With 3 in the back, that's correct. Pugh has a good future for sure and frankly by then, we'll probably need her to be at least solid. Hope she's a star especially after dropping out of school
 
Are they going to save a spot for her at UCLA or does she not really care about going to school there? Just because you have cash to pay for your education I don't think that means you automatically get accepted to the school. I think she got into UCLA because she was going to play soccer there. Did she have the grades and SAT scores to get in without that? I don't know how it would work for someone in her situation so maybe she would be welcomed back without difficulty to return to her education.

Yes, there are many stories of famous/wealthy people that didn't need college. And one doesn't have to go to UCLA to get a good education. It is a dream for many though to go to that school, a dream that is unobtainable for many because it is so difficult to get accepted to the school.

Everyone has to find their own path and making a few million dollars might be of value to some over all else and maybe not for others. I hope she stays healthy and has a great time playing the beautiful game. I hope it turns out to be what she hoped for. I am sure it will be more fun that sweating through finals in the quarter system.

One thing I have learned from years in the soccer system is that every player is replaceable. One may think a team can't survive if a particular player leaves the team but when there is an opening there are at least another 10 lined up behind to fill that spot and the team goes on. UCLA will get along without her.
 
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