Opinion: NFL Loses, Clarett Wins...and so does higher education?

But, looking at this situation objectively (OUCH! That was me ripping off the scarlet & gray heart I wear on my sleeve), one fact is apparent: Colleges and college athletes should focus on COLLEGE before ATHLETICS.

What will this ruling do to football? It's a coin toss at this point.

If Judge Scheindlin's ruling stands-and I hope it does-the face of pro football will change. It will get younger. It will look more like that of the NBA and MLB. College athletic programs will also change. How significantly? Another coin toss.

I see Scheindlin's ruling as a step in the right direction, a step toward righting something in a system that is inherently flawed. So I applaud the ruling and (grudgingly) I also applaud Clarett for forcing the issue. I hope he moves on to much success in the NFL. And, I hope if he has any future trouble with the law, the media identifies him as something-anything-other than a Buckeye.

File this in the "Taking Sports Too Seriously" column
Sport Illustrated's current issue contains the results of a recent poll of Michigan sports fans. Woody Hayes received 15 % of the votes for "Enemy of the State."

Come on, guys. Woody has been dead for 16 years.

Certainly, Hayes' 28-year career coaching the OSU Buckeyes left a mark on both Ohio and that-state-up-north. But...can we say, "bygones" already?
Read more about the illustrious career of the salty coach at http://www.bucknuts.com/osuhistory/coach... get the Blue-and-Gold version at: http://www.umich.edu/~bhl/bhl/exhibits/u...

* Who is Maurice Clarett? Sheesh. You don't read the sports pages very often, do you? OK, in a nutshell: Clarett is a 20-year-old, currently estranged sophomore from The Ohio State University, and a good-to-great football talent. The star of the 2002 Buckeye season rushed for 1,237 yards and 16 touchdowns and was one factor in the Bucks' National Championship that year. He has also made headlines off the field. First, when was charged with breaking National Collegiate Athletic Association bylaws on benefits for athletes, and second, for lying to police after he reported that his car was broken into and the merchandise stolen was worth $10,000. Recently, Clarett pleaded guilty to charges that he lied to police, for which he'll pay a fine of $100. The NCAA investigation is still pending. He brought his lawsuit against the NFL last fall; Schiendlin's ruling came on February 5.

UPDATE: APRIL 19, 2002Can you say, "ping-pong" match? Today, a

Go To Page: 1 2 3

Articles in this Topic    Discussions in this Topic