Clarett Loses In Court One More Time

[sportscurmudgeon]

Maurice Clarett lost at the Federal Appeals Court level today. The court said that the NFL - and the NFLPA as its partner in labor agreements - have the right to set working standards and entry standards for the league and that this is consistent with Federal labor policy. The Appeals Court overturned the ruling of a District Court judge who held that the NFL's rule violated anti-trust laws.

Clarett has one chance left and it is a real long shot. He can get the US Supreme Court to hear his case and he might prevail at that level. However, two justices on the Supreme Court have already heard his lawyer's arguments and said that they were not going to intervene and do something before the Appeals Court had a chance to rule. Translation: the two justices were underwhelmed by the arguments for Clarett's lawyers.

Interestingly, the lawyer for Clarett is one of the brothers who was trying to buy the Redskins with Danny Boy as the minority partner but the NFL rejected their bid. They sued the NFL and the Cooke Estate and everyone else in creation, but you will notice they did not win that case either. I suspect that the NFL is REALLY enjoying this decision...

Clarett has five options at this moment:

1. You can appeal to the Supreme Court. Not likely to get the Court to hear his case.

2. You can appeal to NCAA to reinstate you and enroll at an NCAA school. Given your admission that you took money from a booster and your plea bargain involving filing a phony police report to get extra insurance money, this is not a sure shot for success.

3. You can enroll at a NAIA school and play really low grade football.

4. You can play in the CFL. I think Montreal owns your rights. Maybe you can earn $100K Canadian - if you're not a greedy pain in the ass during the negotiations.

5. Here is the most sensible option: Don't get fat; don't get into any trouble with the police and get ready to work out for scouts prior to the next draft. But get the "big time" nonsense out of your head, because your days where you call the all the shots are behind you. YOu work out when it's conveneint for others, not for you! The next time you will get to be the loudest voice in the choir is after you are drafted and you gain 1500+ yards in a season and you happen to become a free agent that year. Until then, welcome to Earth.

[Daseal]

I still think whoever gets Clarette in the third round on got one hell of a steal. This kid is a player.

[Gmanc711]

Clarett has to do somthing between now and next year. He cant just sit back and not do a damn thing football wise. I dont care if hes in the CFL, playing College Football at a DII or III school, or just traiining with an NFL Level Trainer, he cant sit back and just chill. The longer he is away from the game, the more its gonna hurt him.

[love them hogs]

I think that he will end up spending a year in the cfl.He came out of college to make money and that is his best chance to get it.Can you imagine how much the cfl is licking there chops right now?

[SKINSnCANES]

anyone know how much a good CFL player makes? He does need to play at some level, atelast so he can prove that he can play. One good year in college doesnt make up for two years of tv watching

[huntz]

This entire court battle is far from over....stay tuned.

[offiss]

Originally Posted by huntz

This entire court battle is far from over....stay tuned.

Agreed, the NFL won the battle, but I think clarett will win the war.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by offiss

Agreed, the NFL won the battle, but I think clarett will win the war.

How?? The decision costs Clarrett this season. There is no way he gets an better rookie deal next year than he would have this year - CFL or no.

At best, a decision by the court sitting en banc will come out in late June, early July. If the NFL loses the en banc appeal (Which I sincerely doubt. For the reasons stated by the appellate court, I always felt the lower court was dead wrong), do you think the NFL is then going to create a rush supplemental draft for Clarret between the ruling and training camp? I don't think so. If the NFL loses teh en banc appeal, they will then appeal to the Supreme Court and request a stay of the Circuit Court Decision. All they need do is delay the procedure a week or two and training camps will already have started. After that, no way he gets drafted higher than the 4th round of a supplemental draft. Oh by the way, he still has to negotiate a contract.

MAYBE, if he is as good as he thinks he is, he signs a contract next year. Serves his 3 years and cashes in as an RFA or UFA the following year.

Clarrett screwed himself by failing to play by the rules (any rules - NCAA or NFL) and his multi million dollar talent is going to get him a job which requires him to learn one line and one line only -- "Would you like fries with that??"

[BrudLee]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

How?? The decision costs Clarrett this season. There is no way he gets an better rookie deal next year than he would have this year - CFL or no.

At best, a decision by the court sitting en banc will come out in late June, early July. If the NFL loses the en banc appeal (Which I sincerely doubt. For the reasons stated by the appellate court, I always felt the lower court was dead wrong), do you think the NFL is then going to create a rush supplemental draft for Clarret between the ruling and training camp? I don't think so. If the NFL loses teh en banc appeal, they will then appeal to the Supreme Court and request a stay of the Circuit Court Decision. All they need do is delay the procedure a week or two and training camps will already have started. After that, no way he gets drafted higher than the 4th round of a supplemental draft. Oh by the way, he still has to negotiate a contract.

MAYBE, if he is as good as he thinks he is, he signs a contract next year. Serves his 3 years and cashes in as an RFA or UFA the following year.

Clarrett screwed himself by failing to play by the rules (any rules - NCAA or NFL) and his multi million dollar talent is going to get him a job which requires him to learn one line and one line only -- "Would you like fries with that??"

Excellent post.

The key phrase here is with the contract negotiation. Say, for, example, that your Washington Redskins decide to take a flier on Clarett when a supplimental draft occurs (be it in August, November, or whenever). He could be drafted anywhere, but let's again say hypothetically, the third round. What cap space is available for him to make a roster? Very few teams will have the available cap space to sign a player of questionable conditioning and character to anything less than a minimum salary contract.

Others have clearly stated what Clarett needs to do in order to play in the league - get in shape and play the game at some level (CFL, Arena, etc.) to be a football player and not a litigant. The question is , will Clarett do that, or will he resign himself to the dungheap of wasted talent? I'm afraid we already know the answer.

[Hogskin]

Well, as stated in the original article, the court battle really IS over. Supreme Court? I don't THINK so...

And as far as Clarett being a "player" - maybe... maybe not. One good season at the college level does not prove a thing. That is why no one would have jumped at him in the first two rounds. Wherever he goes he is a big gamble for a couple reasons: his talent is unproven, and he has ALL the earmarks of being a perrenial pain in the rear for any team that signs him. This is certainly not the stuff of sure-fire NFL success. Can you say Joe Don Looney??? (There are many other examples that more of you would remember, but this one is prime, and his last ditch shot was with the Redskins!!)

[Skins fan 44]

If he does not play this year in some form he is done. He will get drafted in some round but I dont think he can make it if he does not play this year. I can see him bouncing around the league for a few years like Lawrence Phillips, but I dont see him making it.

[JoeRedskin]

Yup, I agree Skins - What we have here is Lawrence Phillips part deux.

[Defensewins]

The NFL and NFLPA should be embarrassed about their real motives for this fight. The NFL is not fighting this issue because they want whats best for young adults and their education.
The claim by the NFL in court that the league will ruined is a bunch of crap as well.
The NFL's entire fight is made to please their free farm system - the NCAA. The NFL does not want it's coaches and scouts locked out of campuses across America for stealing to many players.
The NCAA is the biggest joke of all. Their precious amateur status for the players so the NCAA and schools can collect millions/billions off the football players backs. Not even a stipend is allowed for underprivileged college players who can not even afford to stay in school. IF this is all about education,why does the NCAA strip a player of his remaining eligibility if they get an agent or if they tryout for the NFL and fail?
This is all about business and money. Keeping the NCAA happy so this ridiculous merry go round system will continue and the powerful (NFL , NFL owners and NCAA) can continue collecting their huge billion dollar pay checks.
The biggest embarrasemnt for the NFL is the league does not trust its individual teams not to draft NFL ready players. Nobody is holding a gun and forcing the NFL teams to draft these young players. USC WR Mike(?) Williams is getting screwed in this whole thing because he gave up his elegiblity because a court told him he was elegible for the NFL.

[BrudLee]

Originally Posted by Defensewins

The NFL and NFLPA should be embarrassed about their real motives for this fight. The NFL is not fighting this issue because they want whats best for young adults and their education.
The claim by the NFL in court that the league will ruined is a bunch of crap as well.
The NFL's entire fight is made to please their free farm system - the NCAA. The NFL does not want it's coaches and scouts locked out of campuses across America for stealing to many players.
The NCAA is the biggest joke of all. Their precious amateur status for the players so the NCAA and schools can collect millions/billions off the football players backs. Not even a stipend is allowed for underprivileged college players who can not even afford to stay in school. IF this is all about education,why does the NCAA strip a player of his remaining eligibility if they get an agent or if they tryout for the NFL and fail?
This is all about business and money. Keeping the NCAA happy so this ridiculous merry go round system will continue and the powerful (NFL , NFL owners and NCAA) can continue collecting their huge billion dollar pay checks.
The biggest embarrasemnt for the NFL is the league does not trust its individual teams not to draft NFL ready players. Nobody is holding a gun and forcing the NFL teams to draft these young players. USC WR Mike(?) Williams is getting screwed in this whole thing because he gave up his elegiblity because a court told him he was elegible for the NFL.

Well, DW, I agree and disagree with you. The Mike Williams issue is regretable, but the league maintains they warned both Williams and his representatives that they would be seeking to revoke the draft eligibility that the verdict had created. He should have been aware that this outcome was possible.

I also agree that the league's interest is not in protecting the educational interests of young players. The NFL is protecting their product, and should be commended for doing so. There is no constitutional right to play in the NFL - I checked. The league has set up certain guidelines to insure that the players for its franchises are physically, mentally and emotionally mature enough to perform like professionals and not diminish the product they sell. These rules are arbitrary and make no sense, but since deciding matters on a case-by-case basis isn't feasible (operationally or legally), the arbitrary rules stand. There are other venues for players who don't meet the criteria to play football and make a living - they just don't pay as well. If the argument is that Clarett can't make a living playing for the CFL, then he can be like the rest of us and run with a smaller posse. Dave Dickinson is a QB for the Calgary Stampeders, and he makes $375,000. That's a great deal more than I make, so I'm sure Maurice Clarett can survive on it until he turns 21.

[Hogskin]

WHOA, Defensewins. That was a lot of powerful assertions to make about the MOTIVES of others. Whatever the motives are, how can anyone complain about what it does to/for many, many people. This system gives thousands of guys who can not afford it a FREE college education, and a great shot at a financially successful life outside of PRO sports. The NFL/NCAA system is even providing much of the funding that ultimately supports scholarships in OTHER sports. Then, for the hundreds of guys who become multimillionaires in the NFL, I hope no one is griping for THEM. I sure don't want to hear another "slavery" comment relating to a multi-millionaire athelete. What utter nonsense. These guys have opportunity handed to them on a silver platter, and all they have to do is play sports to earn it. Guys like Clarett, through repeated dishonesty and rules violations, damage their chances. But the STILL can get the opportunity. Amazing. How can anyone say this is unfair? It is a shame what happened with Williams, but he was impatient and took a huge gamble. The NFL stated from the outset that they were going to fight it legally. Williams got bad legal advice. Many others stuck it out and were patient. Hopefully, Williams will not be hurt by this in the long run. Clarett? I really don't care - this guy will always be trouble.