Ohio State's Maurice Clarett Sues NFL

ABC/ESPN Breaking News ^ | September 23, 2003 | staff writer

[rftc]

Suspended Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett sued the National Football League today in an historic attempt to gain entry into the league.

Under the current rules, Clarett is not eligible for entry until 2005.

[glory]

MH, I saw that. The man has lived a quiet life though. I don't think anyone even knew he was a judge until he got picked. He certainly did not ride on his dad's coat tails, but the pick certainly is ironic. A friend of his said he is much more even-tempered than his father and quiet compared to him as well.

[joesbucks]

His attorney is....well something else.

[smith288]

It's also part of the collective bargaining agreement signed with the NFL players association..that's why it'll stand..

Wodner if he'll be treated like a scab if he wins.

[Bogey78O]

But he isn't meeting the qualifications.

That's as asinine as saying that Shwartzenegger should be allowed to run for president since he meets all the qualifications.

[You Dirty Rats]

Salaries are set by the collective bargaining agreement. Whether you draft a 19-year-old with one year of college or a 22-year old with four does not affect your salary cap.

[glory]

Umm..all judges are chosen by random. Computer lottery I believe is how cases are chosen for which judge in this town.

[mhking]

You cannot put limits on who you employ in this case.

What makes this different from government or civil service positions? What makes this different from any position when a specific amount of experience or education is required?

Bottom line, the League can hire who it wants, provided it does not violate civil rights guidelines.

Those guidelines are not being violated here; the League can allow who it wants in, period.

You want to hire underclassmen? Fine. Go buy a team in the Arena League or the CFL. The NFL has put a specific limitation in. You don't like it? Tough. There are plenty of other folks who would gladly buy your franchise (and before you bring him up, screw Al Davis.)

[usadave]

The kid is legally 18 years old and should have a right to earn a living, either in Europe, the CFL or NFL..

Nobody's stopping him from getting a job in another field, such as an office job, a factory job, a retail job, etc.

[BurbankKarl]

He can go to the CFL...unfortunately, with their low salaries, he was making more at Ohio State.


>>>>The kid is legally 18 years old and should have a right to earn a living, either in Europe, the CFL or NFL..

[mhking]

A friend of his said he is much more even-tempered than his father and quiet compared to him as well.

A pit bull is more even tempered than Woody Hayes! [g]

[Bogey78O]

As someone's said before, NFL teams are franchises. Not wholey independant businesses.

The NFL sets the rules.

[discostu]

They can put limits because those limits define who is qualified. THe NHL won't allow players who don't have measurable eyesight in both eyes, there have been a few players in the minors that only had sight in one eye but the NHL said no. They defined measurable sight in both eyes as a qualifying characteristic. The NFL has defined the ability to legally knock back a beer with teammates as a qualifying characteristic.

A team needing a running back that is thinking with their head certainly WILL pass on the next Cryin Ryan Leaf. Players like that are bad for team chemistry and teams with players like that never win. An NFL owner looking to win passes up on them FAST, the Chargers STILL haven't recovered from the mistake of not passing on Leaf between the cap hit and the draft spots they'll be paying that one off for another 3 or 4 years.

[glory]

Absolutely agree. When Clarett first came on Tressel did quite a bit to try and help mature him and make him feel welcome(apparently he was a very very immature kid). I think mom's greed is a primary motivating factor in much of what has gone down including the lawsuit and subtle encouragment to break rules while playing in college football(fraud, accepting money from agents, etc)

[glory]

Absolutely agree. When Clarett first came on Tressel did quite a bit to try and help mature him and make him feel welcome(apparently he was a very very immature kid). I think mom's greed is a primary motivating factor in much of what has gone down including the lawsuit and subtle encouragment to break rules while playing in college football(fraud, accepting money from agents, etc)

[CELTICGAEL (Celt)]

I hope the NFL stands their ground and wins. Mo has always wanted it about Mo and in my opinion he has never cared about his team, teammates, or the University. He has a lot of talent which one day may make him a rich man, but when his career is over, what does he have left? Yes, he may or may not have a lot of money, but he will still may only have a high school degree and a year or two of college.

Again, the team, the coaches, the University, the fans, and the State of Ohio has to hear "all about Mo" and his continuing saga while OSU has so many outstanding student atheletes who are busting their butts on academics, their sport, and just everyday life in general.

This fan says "NO more Mo!" He can go to Canada for all I care.

[Bikers4Bush]

Revenue sharing makes it a single entity, as a single entity they have the right to establish a minimum requirement for those wishing to play in the league.

[glory]

Agreed!

[smith288]

As Clarett sues, Woody turns in his grave.

[ken5050]

He can't win...it's an attempt to get the NFL to cave in..to appeal to the sympathy vote...the NFLPA represents the PLAYERS...they agreed to the 3 year post HS entrance requirement...

[mhking]

But isn't this situation a bit different than allowing soldiers who are 40 years old to enlist in the military?

Not by much, if you want to get technical. It really gets into the rights of a corporate entity to establish it's own operating rules. As long as those rules do not violate federal or state guidelines (specifically civil rights and labor law), they get to hire who/what they want to.

I'm sure Clarett's lawyers will not use that; they'll probably go after a question of a "restraint of trade" offense, that will insist (much as in the Haywood case 30 years ago) that the NFL is curtailing his ability to earn as much money as he possibly could earn were he to enter the draft this coming year.