NYT/AP reports,
Suspended Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett sued the NFL on Tuesday, asking a judge to throw out a league rule preventing players from entering the draft until they have been out of high school for three years.One would think his case is strong. Of course, the entire NFL draft is a violation of restraint of trade, since those who are draft eligible are also not represented by collective bargaining.Clarett, who rushed for 1,237 yards and led Ohio State to a national championship as a freshman last season, is not eligible for the draft until 2005 under current rules.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in New York, claims the NFL rule violates antitrust law and harms competition by excluding players who are shy of the three-year requirement.
"The rule is a restraint of amateur athletes who were strangers to the collective bargaining process," the suit says.
Cross-posted at OTB.
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