Maurice Clarett, the superstar (former?) Ohio State Buckeye running back is taking his challenge of the NFL early entry rule to Congress and is finding success. But what qualifies this wannabe Walter Payton (the Cowboys are evil, thus no mention of Emmit) to knock down an intelligent rule which prevents big boys from playing in the new national pastime without an understanding of the world they are entering?
NOTHING. That's right, absolutely nothing. Oh yeah, Clarett's freshman season was absolutely brilliant. So was Julius Jones' rookie year, but you didn't see anyone claiming he was ready. Coach Lee Corso, one of the brilliant anchors of ESPN's College Game Day and one of the most knowledgeable college football gurus in the country said flat out, "Maurice Clarett was not even the best FRESHMAN running back in the country last year." Corso reserved that honor for T.A. McClendon, the incredible hulk who beats down defenses alongside Philip Rivers at North Carolina State.
But the case against Clarett is far more involved than questions of his ability to play football. The growth of the NFL has made it the darling of the nation's sports viewers, but has also put a greater spotlight on its athletes. Incidents like Randy Moss "tapping" a traffic cop with his car, Rae Carruth taking a hit out on the mother of his child or the multiple charges of prostitution and drug use and dealing brought against the mid-90s Cowboys have all damaged the sport to varying degrees. The sport always bounces back, but Commissioner Paul Tagliabue is ALWAYS looking to keep troublemakers and delinquents out of his league whenever possible.
Look to recent drafts when the New England Patriots released defensive end Christian Peter immediately after drafting him when new allegations of abuse came out against him, despite his immense potential (those reports were later proved untrue). What does any of this have to do with Clarett? The reason he's challenging the NFL entry rule is that his amateur status has been declared null and void by the NCAA after accepting academic help and booster perks while at Ohio State.
This behavior is nothing new. It seems to rear its ugly head all the time. But Mo went further. He filed a fraudulent police report claiming more than $10,000 of goods stolen of his from a friend's Chevrolet Monte Carlo that he was driving. Well, most of the goods listed were either not in the car, or were his friend's items and not his.
Big deal you say? It IS a big deal. This man, who is trying to become the youngest professional football player of the modern era, cheated, lied about cheating, lied to get money and then lied about that too!
For Paul Tagliabue to allow this man into the NFL now, however it happens, and allowing him to play with one of the Comish's 32 teams would be the equivalent of Sonny Corleone bringing in Carlo Rizzi to date his sister; we know it's going to blow up in his face, even though Carlo ( and Mo) are charming as hell and act as if they're choir boys.
Look, I'm not saying Maurice Clarett is a bad guy, a crook, a thug any of the above. I'm saying he's not grown up yet. He has not had a chance to deal with life on his own at this point, something which college at least makes a passing effort at doing. Yet his "advisors," who I feel are clouded by dollar signs floating in front of their face as if from some massive acid trip, are claiming this kid is ready to make $5 million a year and live on his own in a world of predators trying to steal his money and leech of his fame. This is as much for Mo's own good as the NFL's.
One of these days, Maurice Clarett will be wearing an NFL uniform, pounding the ball in the Red Zone and making fans cry with a 150-yard, 3 touchdown day. It will probably happen sooner rather than later and most likely against the New England Patriots (a horror story for another day).
Right now, however, Clarett should stay in school, learn offenses that aren't solely based on handing him the football 30 times and letting the defense allow less than 20 points a game. Most importantly, Maurice Clarett needs to learn about life before he becomes another casualty of wasted talent. And the NFL is not the place for that to happen.
