Clarett angered at decision forcing him to miss funeral [Ohio St. star frets about poor & homeless]

CBS.Sportline.com ^ | Dec. 30, 2002 | AP

[willieroe]

PHOENIX -- Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett, upset over missing the funeral of a lifelong friend, said Monday that colleges care more about football than they do about life.

Speaking before the No. 2-ranked Buckeyes' showdown for the national title against Miami in the Fiesta Bowl on Friday, Clarett said Ohio State "gave him the runaround" and "told me it was a (NCAA) compliance issue" when he asked to fly home for the service Monday.

"They didn't really give me an answer to the question," he said of university officials. "I guess football's more important than a person's life to them. That's why I'm ready to get this game over and go back home."

Clarett set Ohio State freshman records this season with 1,190 yards rushing and 16 touchdowns.

Ohio State sports information director Steve Snapp said he was unaware of Clarett's request to fly home to Youngstown, Ohio. Snapp said he was aware only that Clarett's friend was killed.

Ohio State athletic director Andy Geiger was not immediately available to comment.

Clarett declined to give the name of his friend, who he said was shot last week.

He said he was affected not only by the death but by Ohio State's response.

"I'm kind of messed up now because they jerked me kind of," Clarett said. "I really wanted to go back. I'm not really supposed to be here. But it's cool. Things happen in life, there's bumps in the road like every thing else. But I'll be all right."

Earlier in the season, Clarett had talked about other friends who had not been able to escape the streets in the Rust Belt city. He said he had lost several friends and relatives and that he thought of them every day when he considered how fortunate he was to have a scholarship and the opportunity to better himself.

Clarett said it was difficult to keep a football game in perspective in light of what is going on back home.

"Life's a whole lot more important than football, you know what I mean? We hold the national championship but they won't talk about the homeless and the poor," he said. "We're sitting here in this old grand hotel, things like that, but we can't feed the homeless or poor. ... It's a game."

Clarett was a toddler when his father left home. His mother, Michelle, is the chief deputy clerk for the municipal court in Youngstown.

As he was growing up, he saw people killed in the streets. Once he was playing football in the street when a boy sitting nearby was killed in a drive-by shooting. Another time, Clarett was sitting on the front porch of the house he shared with his mother, grandmother, two brothers and 11 cousins. They saw a neighbor's friend be shot in the chest, crawl into Clarett's front yard and bleed to death.

Clarett said his goal was to funnel money back to people who need it the most.

"You go through downtown Columbus, you've got people sleeping on sidewalks. You know what I mean? And they're giving us scholarships and they're selling 100,000 tickets every game," he said.

"It's the richest part of Columbus, downtown, but you're walking past bums and homeless people. This is wintertime, it's like 19 degrees down there. They're sleeping in boxes and little covers. It don't make any sense to me."

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Copyright 2002, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[Nuke'm Glowing]

More reason to pile every dime you have on my beloved Miami Hurricanes.

[mhking]

Clarett said Ohio State "gave him the runaround" and "told me it was a (NCAA) compliance issue" when he asked to fly home for the service Monday.

Cry me a freakin' river. He knows what kinds of hamstringing rules there are for the NCAA; it's been drummed into his head. He gets to make a choice - his eligibility or going to the funeral. Life is full of difficult choices. Next...

[lepton]

Corey is tired of losing, and musical coaches, and may not resign with the team......he'd like a chance at a ring before he hangs it up..

Yeah. I understand. Him, and that wide receiver.

[Guillermo]

They're 13-0 and USC has 2 losses...how can one logically conclude that USC deserves to be playing for the National Title?

[lepton]

I expect Clarrett really is upset about his friend dying, but is lashing out at the nearest target.

As for why he can't go home, I expect NCAA regulations prohibit anyone outside his family from paying for the tickets...and his family can't afford it...but only half of that got stated.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

USC is playing better now and did play the toughest schedule in the nation. Still you can't get over that two loss thing. (In fact this year, one loss shuts you out of the national championship hunt. Too bad trojans.)

[lepton]

He doesn't seem to realize that he can tell his coach that he's going to his friend's funeral anyway.

How's he gonna get there?

[snippy_about_it]

I wonder when he found out about his friend. The papers have two different dates, Dec 21 and Dec 22 for the death, shot on 21st, died on 22nd so it was probably a late night shooting in Youngstown. They paraded through downtown Columbus on Thursday, Dec 26 the day after Christmas before their flight to Arizona.

Clarett ready to go
The Christmas break may have done Maurice Clarett's injured shoulder some good, but his waistline didn't fare so well.

"I'm a little out of shape because of mom's cooking," he said after practice Friday, patting his stomach. "But that's about it."

http://www.activedayton.com/ddn/sports/osu/daily/1228osunotes.html

I just wonder why he wouldn't have known before he left, he may not have known the date but might have told the coach he may need to return home.

[lepton]

Significant information.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Only because they didn't play the Hawkeyes this year.
Go Hawks !

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Because of the kind of teams OSU and USC played this past season. I guess Ohio State can crow about Indiana...

[sinkspur]

How do you know he's stupid?

I read his comments. He's not only stupid, but extremely arrogant.

[Guillermo]

They LOST twice. Miami, OSU, Iowa and Georgia all have a better case than USC.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I bleed Old Gold and Black (Iowa). However good the Hawkeyes were this past season, they'll need a perfect game to get past USC. Bowl games can go either way. College teams can peak and then peter out a month after their last regular game. I won't predict an Iowa loss, but when I heard they were playing the Trojans, all I could think of was "ouch."

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Oh, come on !
The Big Ten is the premier league in college ball.
Respectfully,
A Hawkeye

[unionman]

That's the first time I've heard a college freshmen referred to as a limousine liberal. Other than sneaking a homeless person or two into the team dining room, I'm not sure what you expect him to be able to do about it.

[Eva]

Geez guys, this is only a kid who seems to be hurting over the death of friend and feeling guilty that he made it out of the "hood" and is looking forward to one of the most exciting times of his young life. Have a little compassion, please.

[Re-electNobody]

I read somewhere that he would have to pay for his own plane ticket. NCAA rules prohibit OSU from doing it. However, later he could petition the NCAA for a special case refund.

[anncoulteriscool]

***Just the kind of complex sociological analysis I'd expect from someone who's too stupid to get into state college without a sports scholarship.****

How do you know he's stupid....BTW...he took college courses as a senior in high school so he could practice with the team over the summer and spring. BTW...say hi to trent lott for me will ya!

[anncoulteriscool]

****Regardless, I think Clarett is overrated and is the next Archie Griffin rather than the next Eddie George.****

I think clarett is 1-0 versus michigan, archie 3-0-1 and eddie geoge (probably not as good).