College Degree or Poker Pro?

I was checking out Jhub's blog today and I came across a topic I unfortunately must deal with probably for years to come. Haters who bash guys who don't finish out their degree in order to pursue poker as a profession. You hear the usual claims of home much of a waste of space you are and how you are wasting your life, etc. There are many strong opinions, including my own if you want to check it out: http://jhub3000.livejournal.com/81973.html

I do agree for the great majority it can be a pipe dream and I probably wouldn't recomend it to others because it is very tough, but no more than those who dream to be famous actors, golfers, or Ultimate Fighters. My basic philosophy is if you can work a real job and play poker as a 2nd job like I currently do or do school and poker and you can always go back and finish a degree if it is that important, but few people are able to do something they love for a living and on top of that be some sort of a tremendous contributor to society. I personally have a lot of respect for those who grind out a 9 to 5 everyday for years on a assembly line or in the the coal mines put food on the table. Barry Greenstien (who donates millions of dollars to various charities) is a great example of how to still do something good in the world. Maybe if more players were more generous these negative perceptions might be less common. I'm sure it's way better than when Doyle was playing in his younger years, but it shows we still have progress to make. 

 
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