College football may change, Maurice Clarett never will
Well, it is nearly football season and that means that you'll probably be reading a bit more football commentary here at The World. I would have discussed more baseball this year, but as a true blue die-hard Chicago Cubs fan, writing about the Cubs extensively this season might have driven me to very heavy drinking from the depression that inevitably results from such an endeavor.The jury is still very much out on how Tennessee will do this year, but of course the local talking heads are all being told by the Hill Propaganda Machine that we are in for vast improvements over last year's decline to the college football abyss. I agree that the Vols will have a better year this year than last, but I question how much better things will get until there are some changes at the top.
One thing the jury is no longer out on is the fact that former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett is a total loser. I took all kinds of heat immediately after the 2002-03 National Championship when I said as much on the air on a Dayton, Ohio radio program. For days after saying that Clarett was out of control, had no respect for authority, was trouble the day he walked on campus in Columbus, would be a flop in the NFL Draft, and would get no respect in the pros, I received calls from people claiming to know Clarett saying that I did not "understand him." I got hate e-mails accusing me of being a racist, a bigot, and a hatemonger-all because I said that Clarett had no place in the professional ranks if he had no care for the feelings of others and no respect for authority.
To be fair, if you are one of the few who have followed this blog from the beginning, you know that I have been beating the anti-Clarett drum for a long time around here. However, I think the fact that he can't stay out of trouble and behaves like a common criminal speaks to the fact that he thought (and may still think) that the world owed him a football career and he did not have to earn it.
Who was right?
posted by Deacon David Oatney @ 7:45 AM
1 Comments:
I could not agree more about Clarett. It's amazing, really... he had such a grand opportunity in front of him. Blessed with talent, in great shape, on the cusp of a national championship... and he tossed it all down the drain.
The good news is, it looks like the national championship game this year will be a rematch of my Irish and my Buckeyes. I was stunned that one of the major college annuals (Lindy's I believe...) picked UND #1 in the nation. The rest seem to be picking OSU, but are stressing the strength of the offense. It's odd to hear a Tressel coached team having it's offense lauded, and defense questioned. We're in for an interesting year.
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