I don't know about where you live, but around here (in Columbus, Ohio) college football is a Big Deal.

The news came out today that the United States Supreme Court upheld the lower courts' decisions that Maurice Clarett, Ohio State's former running back, could be prevented from entering the NFL draft this year because he was not yet far enough out of high school.

I will admit to having become a pretty big fan of Ohio State football over the nearly 25 years I've lived here, but I'm not writing this because of the Buckeyes. That it was Ohio State instead of Michigan or UCLA or, well, wherever is just one more fact in the court case. Doesn't really matter.

What does matter, at least the way I see it, is how poorly this young man has been making decisions and what an amazingly sticky corner he has painted himself into.

Consider...

There's no question Clarett can play football. As a freshman he was an important, impactful player. When he was on the field you didn't go grab a beer or hit the Head, because every play had the chance to be The Play. A terrific and powerful runner, he was absolutely a joy to watch.

When he was healthy.

But he was unhealthy a lot. If you're not from here you may not know it, or may have forgotten, but Clarett only played college ball one season. Of that season he was either compromised or just flat out sidelined by a shoulder stinger for, if memory serves, four or more games.

He started the season Big and, as it turned out, ended it that way by stealing back a critical interception then scoring the National Championship-winning touchdown but much of the second-half of the season was a second-rate performance due to his injury.

OK, that happens. It's a tough sport. I understand. But wouldn't you think after a good but so-so season like that you'd want to put another good, solid year of football under your belt before going pro? I sure would. You know it would have meant more money (further injuries excepted).

But he decided early he was going to the pros, much influenced, I'm sure, by his buddy LeBron and his teenage millions. In the course of events he and his mother accepted things (her Hummer, for instance) that were too-thinly-veiled NCAA violations, then skipped enough classes to make sure he was on academic probation, too.

He screwed up enough that year to have to likely miss his entire sophomore year as a penalty. But hey, he was Going Pro.

Let's review:

Did stupid things and skipped class, which gave him no choice but to miss last season entirely.

Then he signed with an agent, which completely eliminated his ability to return to college ball should he want to. Then sued and, eventually, lost.

More review:

More stupid choices, another year of no playing ball. And, oh by the way, not taking any classes either, I'm sure because he's gonna Be Rich.

Right.

The end result is a once-promising young man from a poor family who could have really made something of himself if he'd just played by the rules (and gone to class). But he wanted a shortcut. Instead of two years of nationally-televised football games and all the exposure that brings, he has two years of NO football and a nationally-televised court case. And no education.

What he's got is a tried-and-true approach to failure, carefully orchestrated by what I'm sure is a loft full of expensive lawyers and greedy hangers-on.

P. T. Barnum once said any publicity was good publicity and he didn't care what you said about him as long as you spelled his name right. Somehow I don't think that's what's going to be the outcome here and it is truly a shame.

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