I don't want to necessarily discount the value of study, and theory.  I just want to put it in it's proper order. Scholarship without practical application is what this quote means when it says "marooned in ivory towers".

I think things may have changed but many, many, many moons ago, when I went to law school, that was a very valid slam against most law schools. I immodestly admit I was a top student, earned prizes, even nationally, yet when I was ready to handle my first small time jury trial as a prosecutor, I ended up on my bosses' front porch the night before because I suddenly realized I had never seen a real trial, or even a mock trial, and didn't have any idea even where to stand when in the courtroom. His lovely wife brought us brownies and lemonade while he tried to teach me in a few hours what three years of law school hadn't.

One mainstream view is that practical intelligence, or street smarts, constitutes a more valuable form of intelligence. Those who emphasize theory, study, and scholarship are often viewed as marooned in ivory towers with expertise that is mostly, if not entirely, spurious.