Should he stay or should he go?

By By Tony Krausz/assistant sports editor
February 7, 2004
The Clash may very well have said it all when it comes to Maurice Clarett in the group's most memorable hit "Should I stay or should I go?"
Should I stay or should I go now? If I go there will be trouble. And if I stay it will be double. So you gotta let me know Should I stay or should I go?
Clarett, who was ruled eligible for the NFL draft by U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin on Thursday, should take a long, hard listen to this punk hit before he decides if he really wants to be hit on a NFL field.
The once "next great college running back" has certainly caused a fuss after leading Ohio State to a national championship in 2002.
Clarett ran afoul with the NCAA for trying to conceal thousands of dollars in extra benefits from investigators last September, which resulted his suspension from the Buckeyes and his sitting out the entire 2003 season.
The running back's story took an even bigger turn when ESPN.com reported that the beneficiary, Robert Dellimuti, was placing bets with a prominent sports book in Coast Rica called SBG Global.
ESPN.com writer Tom Farrey reported that Dellimuti, who was portrayed by associated and Ohio State coach Jim Tressell as a well-meaning guy trying t help an underprivileged kid during the original investigation, made 27 calls to the sportsbook in 2002, including 10 leading up the Fiesta Bowl win over Miami.
Of course those are just the latest in Clarett's off-field snafus.
Clarett called campus police back in April to report that a loaner car he was using had been broken into. The running back went on to lie about the value of the items stolen from the car, and in the end, the break-in led the NCAA to Columbus, Ohio.
But he is now trying to erase the mess he has made at Ohio State by going to the NFL.
Clarett's talent and size, he is 6-foot, 230-pounds, are not the problem with the back trying to make it into the NFL.
He certainly proved how much potential he has in his freshman and only season with the Buckeyes. With the 20-year-olds signature play coming in the championship game against Miami.
Clarett ripped the ball out of a Hurricane defenders hands after Ohio State through an interception in the end zone to get the ball back for the Buckeyes.
Clarett is a talented running back, but the question isn't about talent, it is about his readiness to play in the NFL.
He wasn't the best running back in college in 2002. Miami's Willis McGahee was probably the best in the 2002 college running back crop, and he even got picked up by the Buffalo Bills in the first round, even though it was well known he wouldn't be playing a single down in 2003 because of a knee injury he suffered in the Fiesta Bowl.
Clarett also didn't help his image in the eyes of scouts by having to miss a game because of shoulder surgery in 2002. The injury led to questions about the back's durability.
There were also plenty of questions about his maturity, problems with authority and if he would continue to progress on the football field.
All of these questions would have been taken care of in one way or the other, but because of the situation caused by Clarett, he was unable to prove how good he could be on and off the field.
Now in truth, the NFL doesn't have a chance if it tries to challenge the ruling that made Clarett eligible for the draft, even though he is not three years removed from high school which the league says was an agreement reached in its last collective bargaining agreement with the players' association.
Clarett is getting in. It has already happened in basketball and hockey, and the courts will push it through all the way in football.
But Clarett has to ask himself if he is ready to step into a game like professional football that has often been compared to Gladiators stepping into the Coliseum to battle Lions even though Detroit is horrible.
Clarett may not be taking on animals if he gets on an NFL field, but he certainly won't be facing Russell Crow with a prop sword.
Washington Redskins linebacker LaVar Arrington didn't give a bright prediction of what Clarett's first year in the league would be like if he does get drafted in an interview Thursday at the Pro Bowl in Hawaii.
Because of the way he's done all these things, some people here see it as disrespectful,'' Arrington told the Associated Press. I'm sure guys are going to break his tail, try to break him in.
Either he'll succeed, or he'll be a total bust. If he can make it that rookie year without being assassinated, I think he'll be all right.''
So no matter were Clarett goes, he appears to be heading for trouble. But it doesn't look like he can stay, so he will just have to go and hopefully duck a lot.