Clarett: a true freshman

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Just what OSU needs now: a star running back who's mad at the world.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/bowls02/s/fiesta_angryclarett.html

The gist of the story is that Clarett's friend was killed and he wanted to skip a practice to go to the funeral, but "got the runaround from Ohio State."

OSU denies this. They knew of his friend's death but didn't know anything about his wanting to go home for the funeral.

Jim Tressel and Andy Geiger were "not immediately available for comment".

Let me tell you something -- anyone who knows ANYTHING about Tressel knows that he treats his players like family. Look at the chances he gave Bellisari last year. There is NO WAY that Tressel wouldn't give Clarett a day off this week to go to the funeral, if Clarett asked him. NO WAY. And there's NO WAY that Tressel would give him the runaround about it either, if Tressel knew about the request.

Clarett goes on to bemoan the fact that "people are sleeping in the streets of Columbus while a bunch of money is being made on OSU football", and so on. Well, he at least SOUNDS like a college freshman.

Grow up Maurice. If you're an angry young man, fine -- take it out on Miami.

[Skip]

Ditto.

DITTO.

[pwdennis]

The maturity level of our football "heroes" never does increase in any meaningful sense, does it. Same old ______

[pathogan]

...or saying things far from reality, all i need do is talk to my own.:D somehow, this story doesnt make sense...

[Ytown Tribe fan]

Well, there's a postscript...sort of...

Tressel says that Clarett asked him if he could fly home for his friend's funeral and Tress and Andy Geiger (the AD) said okay, but the school couldn't pay for it due to NCAA regs.

Clarett and his family evidently couldn't afford it -- hence his belief that he's getting the runaround.

Sounds like everyone's telling the truth, sort of. I have no doubt that the NCAA would love to nail a coach for some infraction like this -- that's what the NCAA does for fun and profit.

OSU isn't taking any chances with NCAA violations. Maybe they'd say it's okay, maybe not -- it's a hell of a thing to risk three years of eligibility over for Clarett. I'm sure Tress explained exactly that to him.

Bottom line -- Clarett is just like any other employee of a company: if he needs time off for a funeral, he'll get it -- just don't expect the boss to pay for your flight home and back.

The whole thing is a tough break for Clarett. If nothing else, he's learned once more that life is full of rules and tough breaks and people who have to make decisions based on the big picture, and so on.

[WiredTiger]

Now he wants to play defense. I sure hope he stops and enjoys what he has because (as McGahee can tell him) it could all go away in one instant.

http://espn.go.com/ncf/bowls02/s/fiesta_030105clarett.html