2008 Woodie Awards
The Young Restless
An Opinion
Bob Teichmann
Issue date: 3/3/04 Section: Sports
- Page 1 of 1
Attention kings of the gridiron. Are you talented? Are you ready to pursue a career that could give you the money you've been dreaming of? Sadly, I must inform you that the National Football League will only be hiring people from the pre-natal to toddler age range at this time.
The NFL, against its better judgment and a certain degree of common sense, is forced to allow younger athletes into the league due to a February ruling from U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin. The order calls the league's rule barring players from entering the NFL until they are out of high school for three years a violation of anti-trust laws.
What a crock o' crap.
Scheindlin needs to wake up to the smell of tough-actin' Tinactin, Ben-Gay, fiberglass casts, and the possible photo in the Monday Los Angeles Times about some 20-year-old idiot football player with his arm busted in 5 places. Yes, folks, let's put a 175-pound nerd on the grass at 3Comm Stadium with a guy 15 years his senior and 200 pounds heavier...
20-year-old Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett declared soon after Scheindlin's ruling that he would enter the NFL draft in April. He isn't without his pre-NFL controversy. Ohio State suspended Clarett before last season as punishment for accepting money from a family friend and lying about it to university investigators and the NCAA.
Mike Williams, the 22-year-old USC all-American wide receiver, declared his entry into the April draft Wednesday. Unlike Clarett, Williams doesn't have a rap sheet to his name and did manage to help the Trojans beat Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl.
But there is a situation neither guy has considered: What if Scheindlin's ruling is overturned?
Oh... dear.
The NFL asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Friday to block Sheindlin's ruling. The league said "potentially tragic consequences" would come about if the ruling were to remain in place.
Regardless of the possibility that Clarett and Williams would be barred from playing in the NFL by a ruling from the appeals court, they would be ineligible in NCAA play because they were narrow-minded enough to hire agents (Clarett signed with Jimmy Sexton Saturday, Williams with Mike Azzarelli Wednesday).
These nuts have put themselves into a possible locked box. If the ruling stays, they can go on their merry way to the NFL, if they're drafted. If the ruling is overturned, they won't have scholarships and teams to go back to.
The issues are simple: safety, maturity, and common sense.
The NFL, against its better judgment and a certain degree of common sense, is forced to allow younger athletes into the league due to a February ruling from U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin. The order calls the league's rule barring players from entering the NFL until they are out of high school for three years a violation of anti-trust laws.
What a crock o' crap.
Scheindlin needs to wake up to the smell of tough-actin' Tinactin, Ben-Gay, fiberglass casts, and the possible photo in the Monday Los Angeles Times about some 20-year-old idiot football player with his arm busted in 5 places. Yes, folks, let's put a 175-pound nerd on the grass at 3Comm Stadium with a guy 15 years his senior and 200 pounds heavier...
20-year-old Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett declared soon after Scheindlin's ruling that he would enter the NFL draft in April. He isn't without his pre-NFL controversy. Ohio State suspended Clarett before last season as punishment for accepting money from a family friend and lying about it to university investigators and the NCAA.
Mike Williams, the 22-year-old USC all-American wide receiver, declared his entry into the April draft Wednesday. Unlike Clarett, Williams doesn't have a rap sheet to his name and did manage to help the Trojans beat Michigan in the 2004 Rose Bowl.
But there is a situation neither guy has considered: What if Scheindlin's ruling is overturned?
Oh... dear.
The NFL asked the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Friday to block Sheindlin's ruling. The league said "potentially tragic consequences" would come about if the ruling were to remain in place.
Regardless of the possibility that Clarett and Williams would be barred from playing in the NFL by a ruling from the appeals court, they would be ineligible in NCAA play because they were narrow-minded enough to hire agents (Clarett signed with Jimmy Sexton Saturday, Williams with Mike Azzarelli Wednesday).
These nuts have put themselves into a possible locked box. If the ruling stays, they can go on their merry way to the NFL, if they're drafted. If the ruling is overturned, they won't have scholarships and teams to go back to.
The issues are simple: safety, maturity, and common sense.
