Embattled, former Ohio State RB sensation Maurice Clarett is suing the NFL, challenging its rule that you must be three years removed from high school before entering the draft. Mind you, Maurice didn't feel he was ready for the NFL until he was kicked off the Buckeyes' team for improper benefits, lying, and who knows how big the iceberg really is.
I say let Ray Lewis welcome him to the league. Let Brian Urlacher help him figure out if he is ready. Let Bill Romanowski show him the ropes. The rule is there to protect kids like Clarett from today's "Monsters of the Midway" and their own poor judgment.
Not that Clarett isn't good. He is exactly that; a very good running back who had a storybook freshman year. OK, perhaps we shouldn't mention books in the same sentence with Clarett's freshman college adventure. That aside, it should be noted that he was unable to physically make it through an entire college season.
Things are the way they are though, and it appears that the NFL rule will be just one more line for Clarett to bull his way through. But, behind that line lurk the defenses of the NFL. There are no Northwesterns here. No Kent States. 16 times in 17 weeks Clarett will be punished by world-class behemoths hunting for nothing less than the former Buckeye's skull.
Many note that the NFL is the only pro league to still have such age restrictions. I look at the NBA and have to ask, "Is this a bad thing?" David Stern has at least paid lip service to the thought that perhaps the NBA could benefit from some kind of age limit on entry into its league. Granted, that is not likely to ever become a reality, but here we stand at that same fork in the road for the NFL.
Even if the courts open the door, my greatest hope is that NFL owners and evaluators of talent will use great caution when considering young players.
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Welcome Brian!... (Below threshold)1. Posted by Kevin | September 25, 2003 5:07 PM | Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Welcome Brian!
1. Posted by Kevin | September 25, 2003 5:07 PM |
Score: 0 (0 votes cast)
Posted on September 25, 2003 17:07