MAURICE CLARETT SUSPENDED FOR YEAR

The story of Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett has been the top sports news recently and I hesitate to address it for that reason. But there are some aspects of the Clarett case that have not been sufficiently pursued by the media. In a report by Jason Lloyd for the Journal Register, it's stated that:

Athletic director Andy Geiger submitted his report to the NCAA on Wednesday and suspended Clarett for the entire season after revealing Clarett committed 16 NCAA violations, some of which date back to last season.

Clarett committed two violations of Bylaw 12, regarding improper benefits to student athletes, and 14 violations of Bylaw 10, regarding false and misleading statements when questioned by officials.

Now, the way I read this is that Clarett is a serial liar. How could any reasonable person believe anything the young man has to say. And, Clarett's falsities are in direct opposition to the contention that high school and college athletics builds character. That is, unless one uses the Bill Clinton definition of character.

Another underreported aspect of the case is the fact that the Ohio State University has realized no culpability. Clarett was found in violation of rules regarding benefits to student athletes and, if my memory is correct, a number of previous similar cases have resulted in sanctions being imposed on the college or university. I recall several schools being prohibited from post-season play, along with limitations on the number of scholarships, for similar violations pertaining to student athlete benefits. It would be nice to know if there's a legitimate basis for the apparent discrepancy in the imposition of penalties by the NCAA.