per ESPN NEW YORK -- A federal appeals court will hear the dispute over whether Maurice Clarett can enter the NFL draft less than a week before the draft takes place. The NFL on Tuesday tried to convince a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that it should block Clarett's entry by staying the effect of a lower court judge's ruling that he be allowed in the April 24-25 draft even though the former Ohio State running back is only two years out of high school. The appeals panel instead agreed to set oral arguments for April 19 and suggested it might immediately rule whether Clarett can enter the draft, with a written ruling to follow explaining its reasoning. NFL lawyer Gregg Levy told the appeals court he was satisfied with the plan. "We want a decision before the draft. That's what's important to us," he said. Added NFL chief counsel Jeff Pash, speaking at the NFL meetings in Palm Beach, Fla., "We are very optimistic. We think it is a positive indicator of the seriousness with which the court of appeals is taking the argument." Pash said if the court rules in the NFL's favor before the draft, Clarett, Southern California sophomore Mike Williams and seven others would not be included. Clarett's lawyer, Alan Milstein, convinced the appeals court not to stay the effect of the lower court ruling Tuesday, saying such a ruling would cause NFL teams not to take his client as seriously before the draft. "They did not issue a stay," Milstein told The Associated Press. "They set forth an expedited briefing schedule. Nothing happened today that was unexpected. The court is just doing what it needs to do to work hard and get Maurice in the draft -- and with plenty of time to do it." Milstein also rejected the NFL's suggestion that Clarett would be unharmed if he was kept out of the draft by a stay, then permitted to enter a supplemental draft if the appeals court eventually rules in Clarett's favor. Milstein said Clarett would lose leverage to negotiate a contract, as well as practice time and time to learn his new team's playbook, if he were not drafted in April. Clarett announced his intention to enter the draft after U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin in February tossed out a league rule that a player must be out of high school three years for draft eligibility. She said the rule violated antitrust law. The NFL then extended until March 1 the deadline for underclassmen to declare for the draft. Pash said Tuesday that if the league gets a stay, then loses the appeal, it would hold a supplemental draft for Clarett and the others within 10 days of that decision. But those players already have forfeited their college eligibility. Ohio State suspended Clarett before last season for accepting money from a family friend and for lying about it to NCAA and university investigators. In 2003, he rushed for 1,237 yards and led the Buckeyes to a national championship as a freshman. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- I would love it if these two yahoos got left out and had to enter the supplemental draft or go play in Canada.
i hope so. the damn NFL is a Business and should be able to hire who they want. It is stupid that they can't make their own rules as to when someone is quilified to be in the nfl. If this ruling happends I hope they change the wording to make players have to finish all 4 years. I wish they would do this in all sports. In basketball i would gurentee the players would be better when they come in. Not everybody is like lebron and can step right in. alright enough of my rambling i'm just getting pissed. anyways if this rulling does happen clarret will just goto another women judge and get it overturned.
The NFL is a business, and they are free to hire whom they choose. No NFL team will be forced to draft Maurice Clarett. None. Not a single one. The reason NFL teams will attempt to draft him-no matter where they make that selection-is because he will put fans in the seats, he'll attract interest, media exposure, and generally boost the image of the franchise that selects him, though for dubious reasons, in my opinion. After Clarett, I hate to say it, but no one is holding a gun to any of the other team's heads, either. The reason they draft these players is because of talent, not because they're coerced...
They did...it's in the collective barganing agreement. The court overruled that to allow Maurice in the draft.
Well said.... if A TEAM wants to draft Clarett they should have the freedom to do so. Clarett should also have the freedom to declare for the NFL. If it backfires on him, the blame will be placed squarely on his shoulders. He's a grown MAN and will face the positive or negative consequences of his own actions.
The only court higher than the 2nd Circuit is the U.S. Supreme Court and in my opinion they wouldn't bother with this until after the draft (if they ever bothered with it at all). That being said, Clarett and Williams will be in this draft. U.S. District Courts tend to be really careful with high profile cases because they don't want to look stupid by getting a major ruling overturned on appeal. The judge who made this ruling made darn sure that he had some really good reasons for ruling the way he did. IMHO there's no way that this gets overturned.
Spoken like a lawyer Tigerlaw. I am forced to agree with TE on some of his points on this one. If a person wants to sell his services to the highest bidder he should have the right to do so even if it is a dumb decision. The NCAA Gestapo should lighten up on their rules and let a player return to college if he gets a poor draft position or isn't drafted at all. Williams will be a first round pick but Clarett will be lucky if he dosen't drop below the 4th round.
Exactly. It happens in baseball. I think it may have something to do with the fact that baseball has an anti-trust exemption.
