The Maurice Clarett Saga Unfolds (Merged)

[osugrad21]

Toledo Blade
5/17


Clarett headache finally over
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Maurice Clarett lied once too often.

Not even the NCAA trusted him in the end.

Clarett's allegations and outrageous claims didn't lead to any major infractions for Ohio State, just big-time headaches.

Several Ohio State athletic department officials were on a first-name basis with Advil the last two years.

The mere mention of Clarett's name caused some to curse.

Imagine the relief those people felt yesterday, along with coach Jim Tressel, when the NCAA revealed that it had found just one infraction against the football program, and it had nothing to do with Clarett.

The only mention the football program got in the NCAA report had to do with Clarett's close friend, quarterback Troy Smith, accepting $500 in cash from booster Robert Q. Baker; that led to a two-game suspension.

Smith's name was never mentioned in the 30-page NCAA report - it was blocked out.

And now that Clarett wasn't able to deal Ohio State's program a permanent black eye, don't be surprised if the Buckeyes try to block out his name.

It's time to put this questionable character out of sight, out of mind.

As a freshman in 2002, Clarett played an instrumental role in the Buckeyes' first national championship in 34 years.

But he was suspended for his sophomore year after facing NCAA violations for possible academic fraud and receiving improper benefits, and lying to investigators. Clarett eventually left school and sought early entry into the NFL by filing a lawsuit. He was rebuffed, and was forced to spend a second season on the sideline.

Last November, Clarett told ESPN The Magazine that Ohio State boosters took care of him, supplying him with money, cars, clothes and a job that didn't require work.

The NCAA did not find any of the allegations to be true.

In April, Clarett was a third-round draft pick of the Denver Broncos. It was a major jolt to everyone, since he hasn't played football in two years.

Yesterday's announcement wasn't nearly as shocking. It just brought an end to months and months of bad publicity for Ohio State.

The football program now appears to be in the clear.

"I am pleased there were no new football allegations in the letter received today from the NCAA, but that will not change our passion to continue to educate our coaches, student-athletes and boosters in the area of compliance," Tressel said in a statement.

"We have always believed in our intentions and we understand the importance of representing Ohio State at the very highest level in terms of integrity."

The men's basketball program is in much worse shape. The Buckeyes were hit with seven infractions and operated under a self-imposed, one-year postseason ban this past season for violations committed under former coach Jim O'Brien.

The other NCAA allegation was leveled against the women's basketball team for getting free dental work from a booster.

It's hard to predict what additional sanctions Ohio State may face this fall when the case is heard by the NCAA.

There's not much left to do now, except for boosters to hang onto their wallets, players to grit their teeth and fans to hope they've heard the last from Maurice Clarett.

 

[Steve19]

I have three reactions to the NCAA initial report.

Incredible disappointment. That's all I can feel about Jim O'Brien and Biancardi. The stupidity of it all. How can you possibly go forward with a suit Jim? Withdraw now and save what you can from your time at Ohio State. I hope that the current crop of Buckeyes don't end up paying for your stupidity.

Incredible disgust. That's all I can feel toward ESPiN, Tom Friend, and the media who continually replayed the allegations against the football program. Charges rejected by the NCAA are rejected once again. Clarett's lies are now rejected but the damage is done.

Incredible pride. That's all I can feel about being a Buckeye and about the way the Andy Geiger, Coaches Tressel and Matta and the rest of the sports adminstration people at Ohio State have handled this affair.

 

[OSUBasketballJunkie]

In this part of the nation, MOC has used up all of his get out of jail passes. He is going to have to show a lot of people that he has matured by his actions, not by just running his mouth during interviews and saying the right things, he is going to have to do the right things.

As far as the NCAA investigation goes....I am really pissed off at OB and his staff for their failure to run a clean program in my opinion. I really thought he had outstanding morals, but it seems from the findings that he looked the other way.

The football program has been blasted by everyone in the media and I am still waiting on the ESPN outside the lines segment on how MOC fooled ESPN and the national media into running a series of stories that obviously now, had no truth in them.

 

[BB73]

Toledo Blade
5/17

Clarett headache finally over


<CENTER></CENTER>

Maurice Clarett lied once too often.

Not even the NCAA trusted him in the end.

You know, that's 2 pretty decent articles this week from the Blade. The other one was about JT and the terminally ill guy. Don't want to hijack our wonderful MoC thread, just pointing something out.

 

[Steve19]

Maurice Clarett had some truly sterling moments. He also injured easily.

As far as he goes, I am moving on. I hope he does well. But my sense is that he will injure easily and that he will be like a cancer on team morale in Denver. I do not hope for it, especially as a close friend lives or dies with the Broncos, but I think they will rue the day they picked him up.

Clarett is the Zsa Zsa Gabor of football, everyone suitor thinks he's the one who can sort it out...that this time it will be different.:(

 

[BB73]

Here's a pretty reasonable article from CBS.Sportsline.com. It's very good to see this from a national media outlet.

Ohio State appears to be clear of Clarett allegations

May 17, 2005
CBS SportsLine.com wire reports

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- A lack of evidence apparently deflated former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett's allegations that coaches and boosters arranged for him to get passing grades, cars and thousands of dollars.
The NCAA on Monday outlined nine violations against Ohio State, but only one involved the school's football program -- quarterback Troy Smith's acceptance of $500 from former OSU booster Robert Q. Baker in May 2004.

None of Clarett's most explosive allegations -- that coach Jim Tressel orchestrated a system in which players received free cars, improper academic assistance and cash for no-work jobs -- were verified.

The NCAA, however, has refused to say whether it interviewed Clarett after he made his allegations in a November magazine article.

NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said Tuesday that once investigators begin probing an athletic department, they thoroughly examine all allegations.

"In the end, they follow where the evidence leads them," he said.

Clarett, who was drafted by the NFL's Denver Broncos on April 23, could not be reached for comment. He didn't speak to reporters at Broncos camp Tuesday.

Clarett's agent, Steve Feldman, said Tuesday that Clarett wants to move on and that the Ohio State situation is "over with."

Feldman said he does not know if NCAA investigators contacted Clarett after the magazine article. He also defended Clarett.

"Just because their report doesn't substantiate the claims doesn't mean that he wasn't telling the truth," Feldman said.

Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said Monday that he considers the Clarett matter over. He declined to elaborate when contacted for an interview Tuesday.

NCAA investigators concluded that the most serious charges of wrongdoing at Ohio State involved the men's basketball program, which is facing seven suspected NCAA violations.

The NCAA alleges that both former head basketball coach Jim O'Brien and former assistant Paul Biancardi failed "to monitor the conduct and administration" of the basketball program from July 1998 to May 2002.

Another NCAA finding involves an orthodontist allegedly providing free and discounted services to five women's basketball players.
Ohio State has until July to respond. A hearing in front of the NCAA infractions committee is scheduled for October.

Last June, Ohio State fired O'Brien for arranging a $6,700 payment to the family of a recruit. In December, the school self-imposed a one-year postseason tournament ban on the men's basketball program.

Christianson declined to speculate on any possible sanctions that might come out of the October hearing with the NCAA infractions committee.

Gene Smith and Ohio State President Karen Holbrook said this week it's possible that the men's basketball program, now headed by coach Thad Matta, will face NCAA sanctions.

Rather than penalize the current coaches and players, Smith said the university might strip the program of its 1999 Final Four appearance, two Big Ten co-championships and four NCAA Tournament appearances from 1999 to 2002, when the alleged violations occurred.

The NCAA takes self-imposed punishments into account when considering sanctions.

 

[jwinslow]

ESPiN Changing Its Tune?

Note that I am one of the most adamant haters of the crap that ESPiN piled on top of us last year. They did a ton of shoddy and misleading journalism that crucified our program without anything other than allegations from a liar.

However, our program did do a lot of crappy things in basketball, and all of those turned out to be true. And Troy Smith was the only player I heard about that got caught taking money from a booster. So we aren't as innocent as we like to pretend we are.

That being said, I have been predicting since January that ESPiN will start to change its tune to warm up to us for next year...

I went over to their site to see how they were portraying the 11 Tennessee arrests, and what I saw was a third straight neutral/positive headline for OSU:

Clarett's OSU allegations can't be verified by NCAA
the article headline: NCAA finds nine violations; one with football

They definitely didn't have to put that headline on it. And looking back the past two headlines have been pretty decent too:

NCAA informs Ohio State of nine rules violations
New Buckeyes AD won't hide from problems

Now I'm not stupid. I realize that they will still talk about Troy Smith's woes, and OSU's looming cloud of sanctions... but I think now that Clarett has passed they will begin to shift gears.

They also know that it will look bad to continue to crucify OSU football while Tennessee and others open up a full-time jail adjacent to their practice fields. OSU bball will still get negative press, however we freaking deserve it thanks to a man named Obrien who makes Clarett look like the pope.

Most OSU fans are not as aware of the reasons ESPiN was lying... therefore they will have a much easier time jumping back on the bandwagon once Teddy Ginn starts appearing on sportscenter more and more over the summer.

All along I thought with the passing of Clarett to the NFL and a big season upcoming for OSU, they would start to change their tune. Now that we have a clean bill of health from the NCAA, they definitely have started to do that.

How many of you were sure that they would NEVER report that the NCAA's clean bill of health disregarded their Clarett allegations? I admit I am quite surprised too...

...Tom Friend is a word-twisting devil. ESPiN is a ratings-based entity that was led to the alleged dungpile by Clarett. This was never about getting OSU or running us into the ground. It was about taking existing information, pairing it with other troubling facts and rumors, and creating what appears to be a shady image. I doubt any of us would have blinked had they run the campaign about Miami or Tennessee.

The ESPiN cloud is beginning to clear...

 

[LloydSev]

well hey.. if you listened to the Dan Patrick show... I don't think we've heard the last of Tom Friend or E$PiN on this matter...

He basically said that the NCAA didn't try hard enough to find things out about our football program.

 

[jwinslow]

I think Tom Friend will be a retard for as long as he lives... but I don't think he'll be given the same leash this time around... if you can take off scarlet glasses (which is hard) you can see that last fall was a hrrendous series of new events for OSU (ross' strip club, rape charges, clarett still off the team, making allegations, and then them coming true)... which is why we endured the Alamo bowl crap. It doesn't mean it was right, but it was logical.

That won't happen this time around unless skeete was selling to teammates.

 

[BB73]

I have my doubts, BFS. If they were being careful about how fairly they were treating tOSU, their ticker wouldn't have said "rules violations, including gifts and academic assistance for football and basketball players" for such a long time.

That indicates violations relating to academic assistance in both football and basketball, when clearly there was no such finding in football. That wording was either intentionally misleading or recklessly irresponsible, but it wasn't crafted by someone looking to make amends with tOSU.

 

[jwinslow]

All I know is that most on here never dreamed ESPN would admit if their allegations proved to be false.

I agree that there will still be elements of their coverage of OSU that aren't very flattering or are perhaps over the top... however it is a little unlikely that they would have typed rules violations, including gifts accepted by a football player and gifts and academic assistance provided to basketball players. That's a little bit too lengthy. But I agree it is misleading but for a ticker it is a summary of the facts... whereas if it were sub-header of an article that would be more misleading in my book.

Don't think I don't hate most of what that network stands for. I just think we are going to see this trend continue, with a few lapses back into covering our troubled program from time to time.

Yes football is mostly clean. But we did have our star QB take money and a kicker sell pot. And the bball program is filthier than osama bin laden's panties. So there are still reasons to report us as something other than perfect.

 

[Steve19]

They have no choice but to admit that the NCAA found what they found. They DON'T say that OSU is not guilty, just that the allegations can't be verified (i.e., they're guilty but are gonna get away with it).

No, I don't think this is any major move by ESPiN. The NCAA pres told them to lay off. The Big Ten commissioner told them to lay off. And still they bring out Tom Fiend to spill more venom and innuendo.

Sorry, I'm not getting any warm feeling toward ESPiN yet.

 

[osugrad21]

ERhino
Varsity
Posts: 613
(5/18/05 11:40:24 am)


Sole voice of reason at ESPiN-Cowherd defends Bucks <hr size="1"> During the Herd's last bit he addressed tOSU saga. Cowherd passed on the story when it first broke at the ire of his bosses, so he felt the need to pat himself on the back now. Some highlights, and the first was a doozy.

-The only time he was ever in trouble with his ESPiN bosses was his position on the saga. Management brought them in for a meeting berating them for not "banging the OSU story".

-His reply, it doesn't pass the smell test. To believe it, you have to believe MoC, a "Former fire blowing player with an ax to grind".

-Remembers when the story broke, everyone was on it. He made jokes referring to the overzealous reporting: Outside the lines was going to permanently come from CBus, Black Helicopters and 16-19 frogmen were on campus. Donald Rumsfeldt was giving up the search for WMD to head to Columbus.

-He feels some schools just have it right or don't. Some schools have the right spirit or don't. <!--EZCODE QUOTE START-->

Quote:<hr>"Ohio State, though imperfect, does."<hr>​

<!--EZCODE QUOTE END--> Said tOSU was not the Barry Switzer Sooners or the Tark UNLV. He said "Big Boy" football is too big to control all.

-Finally he said other schools shouldn't be flaunting anything. "One player with an ax to grind and you are Ohio State."

It was nice to hear some common sense coming from that network. It was nice to hear our sentiments echoed on a national forum.

Edited by: ERhino at: 5/18/05 1:18:11 pm

 

[BB73]

AP article on SI.com. Amazing how often they get his number of TDs wrong. He had 16 rushing and 2 receiving TDs, so he 'scored 18', not 16 like the article says. Just a pet peeve of mine toward the hundreds of MoC articles I've read.

NCAA says it tried numerous times to talk to Clarett
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) -- The NCAA said Wednesday that it tried numerous times to interview Maurice Clarett about accusations he made against Ohio State's football program, but the former Buckeyes running back never responded to its requests.

The NCAA's announcement came one day after the organization refused comment on whether it had interviewed Clarett about allegations he made in November's ESPN The Magazine that coaches and boosters arranged for him to get passing grades, cars and thousands of dollars.

The NCAA on Monday outlined nine violations against Ohio State, but only one involved the school's football program -- quarterback Troy Smith's acceptance of $500 from former OSU booster Robert Q. Baker in May 2004.

None of Clarett's most explosive allegations from the ESPN The Magazine article were verified. The other NCAA violations were against the school's men's and women's basketball programs.

NCAA investigators called Clarett's cell phone numbers, relatives, former representatives and friends, and attempted to contact him in person, David Price, the NCAA's vice president of enforcement services, said in a statement.

"Not once did Mr. Clarett respond to our repeated requests to meet with investigators or provide information," Price said.

Clarett's agent, Steve Feldman, said he was aware the NCAA might have an interest in speaking with his client but it has not contacted him since he started representing Clarett in February.

"What happened in Ohio is in the past," Feldman said. "He's just going to concentrate on playing for the Broncos."

Clarett, who was drafted by Denver in the third round on April 23, has not spoken with reporters at the team's practices this week. His mother declined comment when reached at home.

A message seeking comment was left with Alan Milstein, the attorney who represented Clarett in his unsuccessful lawsuit against the NFL to gain early eligibility in the draft.

Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and scored 16 touchdowns as a freshman in 2002 at Ohio State, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship. He was suspended for the 2003 season for lying to investigators during an NCAA probe of allegations he received improper benefits from a family friend.

Ohio State athletic department spokesman Steve Snapp said the NCAA would have contact information for Clarett from its earlier investigation and he was unaware if the school did anything more to help investigators contact Clarett.

"We have every confidence in the NCAA investigative process," Snapp said. "We don't think this changes anything."

The NCAA on Tuesday refused to say whether it interviewed Clarett after the November allegations. NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said that once investigators begin probing an athletic department, they thoroughly examine all allegations.

Price said Wednesday that NCAA procedures prevent staff from commenting on aspects of an investigation before it's completed, but allows for correcting erroneous information that has been made public.

 

[3yardsandacloud]

The Maurice Clarett Saga Unfolds

ESPN article #23. Just bringing this topic back up to date. No real 'war' against Tressel or OSU anymore ... but Maurice is back in the news and OSU is in the Fiesta Bowl ... surprise, surprise! Oh, and another chance for ESPN to regurgitate information about Tom Friend's interview with Maurice.



01/02/06
Clarett wanted on two counts of aggravated robbery - ESPN •FB

Updated: Jan. 2, 2006, 1:37 AM ET
Clarett wanted on two counts of aggravated robbery
ESPN.com news services

Maurice Clarett

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Former Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was accused of displaying a gun and robbing two people in an alley behind a bar early Sunday, the latest trouble for the Buckeyes star who left the school in disgrace and failed to gain early entry into the NFL.

Clarett allegedly fled the scene and was wanted on two counts of aggravated robbery. According to police, he left in a white sport utility vehicle with two other men and took only a cell phone from his alleged victims, who weren't injured.

The 22-year-old Clarett fled when the bar owner or manager, who knew both Clarett and the victims, came into the alley and identified him shortly before 2 a.m. Sunday, detectives said.

One alleged victim, Lucas Nyarko, 28, told The Columbus Dispatch that he could not identify Clarett as the man who robbed him. He said his friend identified Clarett after police showed her photographs.

Nyarko said they were approached by a man dressed in black, who told them he needed something. Nyarko said the man pulled up his shirt and showed them a gun tucked in his pants. The man moved the gun to the front of his waistband and told them to empty their pockets.

Nyarko said after he handed the man his cell phone, a woman came out of the nightclub and yelled, ``Maurice!'' in greeting to the man, who hugged her. He then carried the woman, who police said was bar owner Tashona Corvi, toward the SUV, put her down and got in the vehicle.

Before Sunday's incident, Clarett was negotiating a deal and was likely going to sign with an NFL team on Monday, Josh Luchs, one of Clarett's agents, told ESPN The Magazine's Tom Friend.

Clarett was expected to be allocated to NFL Europe if he signed, Friend reported.

Ohio State coach Jim Tressel said he was informed of the incident on his way to the Fiesta Bowl news conference in Scottsdale, Ariz.

"Obviously, my reaction to that is it's sad," Tressel said, "because, as I said the last few times people have brought up the subject, my hope would be that he would have an opportunity to go over to NFL Europe and make a comeback.

"I hope it's not true, but beyond that, I don't know much, but my reaction is, I was sad."

Clarett's cousin, Vince Marrow, told the Dispatch he spoke to Clarett's mother on Sunday.

"She is shocked. She was getting ready to go to church and I told her there was an arrest warrant for Maurice. She was like, 'What?'" he said.

A message was left Sunday at Michelle Clarett's home in Youngstown.

Another of Clarett's agents, Steve Feldman, told The Associated Press on Sunday evening he had not yet spoken to his client. "At this point we still don't know what's fact and what's fiction," he said.

Clarett rushed for 1,237 yards and scored 16 touchdowns as a freshman. He helped the Buckeyes win the national championship in 2002, but has found only hard times since.

Clarett sat out the 2003 season after he was charged with misdemeanor falsification for filing a police report claiming that more than $10,000 in clothing, CDs, cash and stereo equipment was stolen from a car he borrowed from a local dealership. He later pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Ohio State suspended Clarett for misleading investigators, and for receiving special benefits worth thousands of dollars from a family friend.

In an interview with ESPN The Magazine in November 2004, Clarett said coaches and boosters arranged for him to get passing grades, cars and thousands of dollars while at Ohio State. None of the allegations was verified and Clarett never responded to NCAA requests to be interviewed about them as part of its investigation into Ohio State's athletic program.

Clarett also unsuccessfully challenged the NFL's requirement that players wait three years after high school before turning pro in a case that went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Clarett was chosen by the Denver Broncos in last year's draft, but the team cut him in August.

Tressel said he had spoken with Clarett "three or four times in the last six weeks."

"It's been along the lines of hoping he would have a chance to get things together and make a run at things with NFL Europe," the coach said.

Clarett would have been a senior on this year's Ohio State team, which meets Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl on Monday.

"It's real troubling," Tressel said of Clarett's fall. "Not just with youngsters that it becomes newsworthy, but with any kids who don't go the direction you know they're capable of or hope for them. It's one of the tough things when you compete. Sometimes things work out and you're successful and sometimes it doesn't. That doesn't have you back off from competing and teaching and trying to help people."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.