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RB Maurice Clarett (B1G Freshman of the Year, National Champion)

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how old is larry fitzgerald compared to mike williams?

Fitzgerald was born on 8/31/83 and is three years from high school (one year at Valley Forge Military Academy and two years at the University of Pittsburgh). Williams is only four months younger (born 01/04/1984), but has one year less experience out of high school. The bottom line is that there has to be a limit somewhere. You have to be 21 to purchase alcohol. You have to be 16 to get a drivers license (in most states). You have to be 18 to join to armed forces without parental consent. Now, do you magically get smarter, faster, stronger, better as a person, on the day you reach 16, 18, or 21? Of course, not. But, there has to be been some sort of definitive limit to who can do what when. The NFL's policy is three years out of high school. It doesn't mean you have to go to college, but rather have three years for your body to mature and get stronger. Granted, there are exceptions, but you can argue the same about voting, joining the military, and drinking (there are many who are mature enough to do these things earlier than the established limit, and there are also those who never will become mature enough to where they really should have those "rights").
 
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I think the three years removed from high school rule should be changed to an age limit. I believe that Clarett is older than Ross but Ross would be draft eligible.

One of my housemates in college didn't turn 18 until Oct. 3rd of our freshman year. His girlfriend our junior year was only in her second year of college but was older than him by 4 days.

The NFL reasoning behind their rule is that players are physically mature to play at this time, but since when does the number of years out of high school equal physical maturity. I think a better argument can be made if they had an age limit.
 
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MC vs NFL

A beeeg part of Mo's problem is spit'n into the wind and tug'n on Superman's cap. The multi-B$$ NFL and the "closed shop" players' union are stunningly powerful.

I think this all started before 2003 season as Mo basked in the limelight of NC efforts...his new friend entered NBA with superbucks and Mo thought, "Why not me?" At that point his thinker went south...gifts, cars, toys, school???, lawyers, dreams of success, hubris.

It's like David and Golith, except Mo will soon find out if his sling-shot has a rock in it...or a pebble.

Maybe he's got a rock? Or maybe his lawyer is a numbnuts.
 
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I agree with Kosar in that MoC and Williams made their decisions in light of a judges ruling. Also, the NFL extended the deadline for players to declare for the draft in light of the judges ruling. Now to potentially shut them out is unfair. I still think that if the verdict is overturned the NFL could hold a supplemental draft, a one time exemption if you will, in light of these unusual and unprecedented circumstances. On the other hand, someone receiving proper advise would have aksed if the NFL would challenge it. If the question was asked and the NFL said yes, then to declare is akin to playing craps. The odds are in the house's favor.

I know that MoC has made his bed, his a big boy and responsible for his own actions, but I really don't like to see anyone get yanked around like this.

the rule exists to make the nfl and the ncaa richer, not to "protect" these "fragile" 20 year olds.
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The rule does not make the NFL and the NCAA richer. Players leaving early for the NBA, or heading there right from HS, has not hurt the NCAA one bit monetarily. (The NCAA would become much more flush with cash if they went to a playoff for D1, but that's a topic for another thread)

i'm gonna have to agree with mili here. there's gotta be some limit set
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I agree with this wholeheartedly. Is it better to have the limit be an age limit (as Cincybuck suggested) or the current limit?
 
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"Right to work"

Mo can go off and be a professional football player right now. The NFL isn't stopping him from doing that. I believe the Montreal Alouettes own his rights for the CFL, he could be reporting to camp right now and making his money.

I know people will say "well that's not as much money." That's all well and good. He has a right to work and make a living, but that right doesn't extend to cover the right to make millions.
 
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Clarett was suspended due to NCAA violations. Instead of sitting out a year, playing for the Buckeyes the following year and accepting responsibility for his behavior he tried to take a short-cut to the NFL. He got mugged by the NFL, Players' Union and the NCAA. Big Business is bigger than Big Mo.
I think MoC made some bad choices because of the pressure of his Mother and others.
 
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First of all, welcome to BuckeyePlanet SanClementeBuck!

Secondly, from the few Buckeye players I've had the good fortune to talk to, I get the impression that it was ALWAYS Maurice's intention to leave early for the NFL (after 2 years). I would ask how and they would say "I'm not sure, but Maurice seems to think he has an avenue." I'm fairly certain that his main tactic was open for all to see in his earliest moves. The train of though (from Mo's camp) was that 3 NFL seasons had STARTED (or is that completed) since he graduated from HS, so he sould be allowed in. I'm also fairly certain this had an impact on his decision to graduate early from HS. So, IMO Maurice was thinking about this long before the sucess of the 2003 season. I'm not saying he is right or wrong for taking that approach, but I believe that's what was happening.


SanClementeBuck said:
I think this all started before 2003 season as Mo basked in the limelight of NC efforts...his new friend entered NBA with superbucks and Mo thought, "Why not me?" At that point his thinker went south...gifts, cars, toys, school???, lawyers, dreams of success, hubris.
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Kosar: "They're going to be ruled ineligible in college, and they can't play in the NFL," Kosar said. "That's incredibly unfair."

Cry me a f*ckin' river. Although I've been more of a Clarett supporter than most, I think he shit in his own bed and now he has to sleep in it.




Whether or not you agree on the rule, I think it is unfair in that the court ruled in favor of the players, the players then decided to enter the draft, and at the last minute the NFL screwed them. It is definetely unfair to mike williams. He entered the draft because it was legal to do so at the time. If you do something in 2000 that was legal then but gets declared illegal in 2002, you don't get arrested.
 
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WoodyWorshiper said:
As much of a turd as Clarett has been, it's a crock of BS that his only "option" at this point is to play in Canada.
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It's not, he can also sit out a year, and go play in the NFL. The NFL isn't closed to him, it's just not open to him today. I bet Arena would fall all over itself trying to sign him for a season as well.

It's not open to Ted Ginn, Jr. yet either. Is he getting screwed?

If he dropped out of school tomorrow, is he getting screwed then?

Doesn't Ted have the right to earn? Why can't an overgrown cornfed 14 year old enlist in the military if he's physically ready?

He's limited in options by his own actions. Mike Williams will probably return to USC if the bid to get in on the supplemental draft fails. Clarett can't do that because he failed more classes, then dropped out completely.

He should knuckle down and get back into top shape this year if (when) his supplemental draft bid fails. I wouldn't go play in the CFL, I don't think he has anything to gain from it. He needs someone in the NFL to take a chance on him and risk disappointment from his durability. If he went to the CFL and kept getting dinged up, his stock would drop even further.

I want the kid to get into the NFL, find a team where he can get some solid guidance and coaching, someone/somewhere where they put someone on him that won't put up with his shit, and makes him crack down and be all he can be. But my wants for him don't mean a damn thing. I'll just appreciate him for what he did for us the year he did play, and move on from there.
 
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