Ex-Ohio State RB Maurice Clarett Arrested

[PittsburghSucks]

WOW is this guy crazy or what?

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Maurice Clarett was arrested early Wednesday after a highway chase that ended with police using Mace on the former Ohio State running back and finding four loaded guns in his truck, a police spokesman said.

Officers used Mace to subdue Clarett after a stun gun was ineffective because the former Fiesta Bowl star was wearing a bullet-resistant vest, Sgt. Michael Woods said.

"It took several officers to get him handcuffed," Woods said. "Even after he was placed in the paddy wagon, he was still kicking at the doors and being a problem for the officers."

Clarett was being interviewed at police headquarters. Authorities planned to charge him with carrying concealed weapons and other counts, Woods said.

Clarett made an illegal U-turn on the city's east side and failed to stop when officers tried to pull him over.

Clarett was being pursued by police while driving eastbound on Interstate 70 when he darted across the median and began heading west. Clarett drove over a spike strip that was placed on the highway, flattening the driver's side tires of the SUV, Woods said.

Clarett exited the highway and pulled into a restaurant parking lot, where officers removed him from the SUV after he failed to obey numerous orders to exit the vehicle, Woods said.

After Clarett was placed in a police van, officers discovered a loaded rifle and three loaded handguns in the front of the vehicle, Woods said.

Woods said he did not know where Clarett got the guns or why he had them and that federal authorities plan to trace their ownership.

Clarett, 22, is currently awaiting trial on two counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of robbery and one count of carrying a concealed weapon in a separate case. Authorities said he was identified by witnesses as the person who flashed a gun and robbed two people in an alley behind the Opium Lounge in the early hours of Jan. 1.

Clarett scored the winning touchdown in the second overtime to lead Ohio State to the 2002 national championship, the school's first since 1968. But that was the last game the freshman played for Ohio State. He sat out the 2003 season after being charged with misdemeanor falsification on a police report, then dropped out of school. He sued to be included in the 2004 NFL draft and lost in court.

A surprise third-round pick in the 2005 draft, he was cut by the Denver Broncos during the preseason.

[mohelmets]

This guy is obviously a retard and should be removed from society.....

Talk about ruining a potentially great career with stupidity.....What a MO-RON...

Mike

[DG_ThenNowForever]

What else do we have from the "No One Should Be Surprised This Turned Out Badly" department?

Man, couldn't the OSU athletic department have given this guy a job? As I recall he certainly did an awful lot for that school and its coffers.

[See Red]

An obvious comment, of course, but this kid has completely screwed his life up. He had a chance for greatness -- hell, he was even thrown into the perfect situation when Mike Shanahan gave him a second chance. But he pissed it all away. At first, it was somewhat sad to see the turn his life took, now it's almost laughable everytime he makes the news for something as moronic as this. I hope it's not too late for him to get his life back together.

[SabreGuy]

Yeah, I really do feel sad for him. Maybe he's doing it all to himself, I don't know, but the kid's life has spiralled completely out of control. He had a chance to turn it around, but he couldn't make it work out. I don't see how or when he'll ever be able to turn it around. It's just sad. He had a lot of potential.

[sscrunner06]

What's wrong with this guy? There is simply no excuse for his stupid, out of control behavior. I really hope that we never hear any more about Maurice Clarett again, because I'm sure it would just be more bad news.

And judging by this latest episode, I'm convinced that it may be too late for him to get his life back together. What a shame.

[TFoA]

It always seems like with every new generation of athletes, there's always one that trouble just seems to follow..

80s: Daryl Strawberry (though I believe he's gotten his life together now)

90s: Lawrence Phillips

00s: Maurice Clarrett.

Damn shame, he could've been great, too.

[DGivens87]

Damn shame, he could've been great, too.

For some reason, I really do wonder "what could have been?" with this guy.

He has an outstanding freshman year, playing on the best team in college football at the time, then is seduced into thinking he should be eligible for the draft, and from there, it just seems it was all downhill from there. It just seems like he's has incredibly poor judgement in who he keeps company with.

Imagine if he had just stayed two more years at the Ohio State? He could've been a first round pick.

Like the quote from "A Bronx Tale": The saddest thing in life is wasted talent.

[OB33]

in other news, the sun rose, the sun set, bin Laden's hiding like the coward he is, and money still can't sprout limbs and play basketball

[NJTank]

Maybe he will get to play in an exhibition game with his fellow inmates against the gaurds one day. Thats likely to be the only football he will see now.

[MrAsterisk]

Imagine if he had just stayed two more years at the Ohio State? He could've been a first round pick.

You really think that would have made a difference? He would have just had to work a little harder to piss away the extra success.

His life was screwed up before he filed his lawsuit against the NFL. Anyone who feels sorry for Maurice Clarett desperately needs to rethink his or her priorities. This is a man (a grown man who must be held responsible for his actions) who had no shortage of second chances, and managed to capitalize on none of them. He has been granted many more opportunities than thousands of more worthy people and yet he has failed every one.

Maurice Clarett has none of my pity, and he doesn't deserve yours.

[JayMack23]

What I can't understand is why is ESPN giving this guy so much TV time. He couldn't even make an NFL team last spring.... he aint worth the publicity.

I say go ahead and ban him from the NFL, just because he such a moron and makes it a yearly tradition to get in trouble with the law.

[Sport]

Man, couldn't the OSU athletic department have given this guy a job? As I recall he certainly did an awful lot for that school and its coffers.

I think Maurice Clarret is the last person Ohio State would hire for any job. He didn't just burn his bridges when he left, he blew those bridges to pieces.

[Fred T. Jane]

The plot thickens. It was sadly amusing to see the coach/GM ask if anyone in his area wanted to have them play in their arena, to contact him. All of this was on ESPNEWS...

http://www.tribunechronicle.com/Sports/art...?articleID=7266

Thunderplex ends relationship with HitMen

BY DANA SULONEN Tribune Chronicle

Yesterday?s arrest of Maurice Clarett is the least of problems for Mahoning Valley HitMen coach/general manager Jim Terry.

Early Wednesday morning, Dave Anderson, general manager of the Thunderplex in Vienna, sent an e-mail to Terry saying the Thunderplex was backing out of the Mahoning Valley HitMen project, and would not be the home of the future Eastern Indoor Football League team.

Citing the e-mail Anderson sent, ??After thoughtful consideration, and review of available information regarding the Hitmen and EIFL, we have decided that it is not in the best interest of the Thunderplex to be a part of, or participate with the Mahoning Valley HitMen.??

When asked if Wednesday?s arrest of Clarett triggered Anderson and the Thunderplex to pull out of the project, Anderson says the decision was made prior to the arrest.

??We had originally told Jim that we wanted to see where things were after the PONY tournament took place,?? Anderson said. ??We had time now to sit back and see what he had put in front of us, what he had put together and we weren?t happy with it. The Clarett incident was more of a confirmation for us that we made the right decision.??

Anderson says he sent the e-mail early Wednesday morning. Terry claims he never received the e-mail and speculates that Anderson wanted to retreat from the project months ago. He also responded to Anderson?s way of exiting the project as, ??he is a coward, he?s hiding.??

??After Boardman, we went to Dave Anderson, and the number one thing we said is that ?you can?t do is back out,? ?? Terry said. ??We?ve produced everything he?s asked us to produce, including Maurice Clarett. There is a bigger reason for him pulling out. Did I think this was going to happen, no. Was I prepared, yes. We already have plans C and D ready to go. If I was a con man or if I was a crook , I would have bolted a long time ago. ??

Anderson does admit that many things he asked Terry to produced were produced. But Anderson goes on to say that some unresolved issues were the reason for backing out of the project.

??The final straw for us was the business with the Pittsburgh River Rats. We thought it was handled very unprofessional. That was pretty much the deciding factor.??

Terry is currently involved in a lawsuit involving the Pittsburgh River Rats, claiming that the team, intending on playing in the American Indoor Football League in 2007, stole the name of a team he planned on having in the EIFL, the 3 River Rats.

Both Terry and Anderson say that no formal, written contract was signed, but both say there was a document going back and forth between the two sides. Also no money had changed hands between the two, but Terry wants Anderson to answer to what he is to do with money that he says has already come into the organization.

??Dave Anderson has worked with us to get this thing going,?? Terry said. ??We have over 300 season tickets sold. We have guys preregistered to try out. We have closed to $30,000 to $40,000 in sponsor money. Turf is up there. We?ve come to far for him to back out. If Dave Anderson thinks he?s just going to wash his hands, he has another thing coming. I don?t have guns in my car, I have done nothing illegal. I just tried to bring a business to the community.??

Anderson said that no money has come through the Thunderplex and he had not been involved with any selling of tickets or anything else.

Though Terry says that this ??isn?t over yet?? when it comes to the Thunderplex, Anderson says that it is, and he wishes Terry the best of luck.

??I do wish him best. I happen to feel that project was a good one, just not the way of his method of operation.??

[NJTank]

HE was a block away from someone he robbed and was going to testify agaisnt him when he was spotted by police, that is very puzzling in it self what was he doing there.

[TNT44]

The plot thickens. It was sadly amusing to see the coach/GM ask if anyone in his area wanted to have them play in their arena, to contact him. All of this was on ESPNEWS...

http://www.tribunechronicle.com/Sports/art...?articleID=7266

Thunderplex ends relationship with HitMen

BY DANA SULONEN Tribune Chronicle

Yesterday?s arrest of Maurice Clarett is the least of problems for Mahoning Valley HitMen coach/general manager Jim Terry.

Early Wednesday morning, Dave Anderson, general manager of the Thunderplex in Vienna, sent an e-mail to Terry saying the Thunderplex was backing out of the Mahoning Valley HitMen project, and would not be the home of the future Eastern Indoor Football League team.

Citing the e-mail Anderson sent, ??After thoughtful consideration, and review of available information regarding the Hitmen and EIFL, we have decided that it is not in the best interest of the Thunderplex to be a part of, or participate with the Mahoning Valley HitMen.??

When asked if Wednesday?s arrest of Clarett triggered Anderson and the Thunderplex to pull out of the project, Anderson says the decision was made prior to the arrest.

??We had originally told Jim that we wanted to see where things were after the PONY tournament took place,?? Anderson said. ??We had time now to sit back and see what he had put in front of us, what he had put together and we weren?t happy with it. The Clarett incident was more of a confirmation for us that we made the right decision.??

Anderson says he sent the e-mail early Wednesday morning. Terry claims he never received the e-mail and speculates that Anderson wanted to retreat from the project months ago. He also responded to Anderson?s way of exiting the project as, ??he is a coward, he?s hiding.??

??After Boardman, we went to Dave Anderson, and the number one thing we said is that ?you can?t do is back out,? ?? Terry said. ??We?ve produced everything he?s asked us to produce, including Maurice Clarett. There is a bigger reason for him pulling out. Did I think this was going to happen, no. Was I prepared, yes. We already have plans C and D ready to go. If I was a con man or if I was a crook , I would have bolted a long time ago. ??

Anderson does admit that many things he asked Terry to produced were produced. But Anderson goes on to say that some unresolved issues were the reason for backing out of the project.

??The final straw for us was the business with the Pittsburgh River Rats. We thought it was handled very unprofessional. That was pretty much the deciding factor.??

Terry is currently involved in a lawsuit involving the Pittsburgh River Rats, claiming that the team, intending on playing in the American Indoor Football League in 2007, stole the name of a team he planned on having in the EIFL, the 3 River Rats.

Both Terry and Anderson say that no formal, written contract was signed, but both say there was a document going back and forth between the two sides. Also no money had changed hands between the two, but Terry wants Anderson to answer to what he is to do with money that he says has already come into the organization.

??Dave Anderson has worked with us to get this thing going,?? Terry said. ??We have over 300 season tickets sold. We have guys preregistered to try out. We have closed to $30,000 to $40,000 in sponsor money. Turf is up there. We?ve come to far for him to back out. If Dave Anderson thinks he?s just going to wash his hands, he has another thing coming. I don?t have guns in my car, I have done nothing illegal. I just tried to bring a business to the community.??

Anderson said that no money has come through the Thunderplex and he had not been involved with any selling of tickets or anything else.

Though Terry says that this ??isn?t over yet?? when it comes to the Thunderplex, Anderson says that it is, and he wishes Terry the best of luck.

??I do wish him best. I happen to feel that project was a good one, just not the way of his method of operation.??

Jim Terry is a conman. The Thunderplex pulling out is no surprise. I've been following indoor football for a while and this guy is the most hated person in the indoor football community.

[ROCHitman]

HE was a block away from someone he robbed and was going to testify agaisnt him when he was spotted by police, that is very puzzling in it self what was he doing there.

Wow. I hadn't heard that until now.

Maybe that explains the bulletproof vest.

That's the most disturbing/puzzling part of the story.

Mo Claret was never going to a be a NFl back, yet alone a good one IMO

He just wasn't big and strong enough.

Now we know he doesn't have the dedication and mental framework either.

GO BLUE!

[slapshot]

My prediction: "The Longest Yard" as a reality show.

You heard it here first, folks.

[paynomind]

Threads full of the holier-than-thou sure do piss me off.

The guy has some sort of mental issues to have acted like this. Did anyone read the article from the guy Clarett called that night?

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=2545078

Is is VERY sad.

I don't feel like his behavior should be excused, or that he shouldnt be held accountable. Not at all.

I just absolutely hate to see a guy, who grew up on one fo the toughest streets in one of the worst cities in the US have a small glimmer of hope.. and open window for him to be able to crawl out of, to get himself and his family out of that situation and to some finantial solvency, but then fail.

This isnt a guy who is deciding he's too good for the law, or that he's above rules... this is a guy whose chemicals in his brain dont connect the right synapses, and his decision making process is flawed.

He was a fantastic running back at OSU. His play where he tracked down the defender who had intercepted the ball, (picked up a fumble? cant remember) then stipped him, to turn it back the other way, was one of the best plays I had seen at that level.

Sad is the system that allows a person with obvious problems to flounder like that. Sad is the fact that several unnaed rappers supported Clarett's lifestyle while they waited on him to get back to the NFL. Sad is the fact that right now, jail is the better place for him to live, because the survivability rate is far higher than in his grandmother's neighborhood he'd have to go move back to if he got out of jail.

This story is sad, and I wish there was some positive outcome choice that was feasible. As it stands, there isn't.

And thats sad.

[Mings]

Yeah, it sucks for someone that had so much potential to fall so extremely fast.

But I'm glad that Jim Terry is getting what came to him. Horrible business man, and he lacks ethics. I'm glad I was warned beforehand.