Wednesday, August 09, 2006

The Clarett Tragedy Continues

Maurice Clarett led the Ohio State Buckeyes to the national collegiate football championship in 2002. But things have been all downhill for the once-promising running back ever since. He's had one run-in with the law after another.

After allegedly making an illegal U-Turn early this morning, he's said to have led officers on a high speed chase, resisted arrest, and was found to be harboring four loaded weapons in his SUV. Violence or threatened violence have figured in previous Clarett arrests.

Unable to make it in the NFL, Clarett is now on the roster of the Mahoning Valley entry in the Eastern Indoor Football League. But talk about enabling negative behavior! The team is known as the Hit Men. Their web sit glorifies gangsters of yesteryear and when you navigate through the site, clicking a new page sets off the sound of a discharging rifle.

Maurice Clarett's fall has been terribly sad. But in each step of the way, whether in the form of hometown backers, some of my fellow OSU alums, or a minor league football team, he has been almost encouraged in pursuing a self-destructive life style.

I pray for Clarett.

I hope that the Hit Men will change their name and their violence-lauding image.

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