A possible landmark lawsuit

Discussion in 'Other Sports' started by Red Card, Sep 23, 2003.

  1. Red Card

    Red Card Member+

    Mar 3, 1999
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Clarrett who starred for Ohio State's 2002 football team and helped bring them the national championship, is suing the NFL for the right to be drafted before the NFL appointed time (3 years after high school).

    If Clarrett succeeds he will severely damage the cozy relationship between the NFL, the NCAA, and the NFL players union, and define a new amateur sports landscape in the US.

    How will this affect soccer? I don't know that, but if the landscape changes, somehow soccer will be affected.

    http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tm...p/20030923/ap_on_sp_co_ne/fbc_ohio_st_clarett
     
  2. Dr. Wankler

    Dr. Wankler Member+

    May 2, 2001
    The Electric City
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    My guess is this will affect soccer so little that this is probably an "Other Sports" item and not a B & M item. No disrespect or anything, I just don't see how this lawsuit can have anything to do with MLS, which has no rules against drafting high school-aged kids, let alone college drop outs.
     
  3. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree with Dr. Wankler. This has nothing to do with MLS, which has the least-restrictive age policies among any American team sport.

    Thread moved.
     
  4. skipshady

    skipshady New Member

    Apr 26, 2001
    Orchard St, NYC
    Are you sure? I could've sworn Bobby Convey had already played two years at UVa when he was drafted at age 16.
     
  5. DoyleG

    DoyleG Member+

    CanPL
    Canada
    Jan 11, 2002
    YEG-->YYJ-->YWG-->YYB
    Club:
    FC Edmonton
    Nat'l Team:
    Canada
    Does the rules allow college eligibility as long as they don't sign a contract?
     
  6. Garcia

    Garcia Member

    Dec 14, 1999
    Castro Castro
    Yea, soccer and baseball draft young guys that they know will not sign.
     
  7. appoo

    appoo Member+

    Jul 30, 2001
    USA
    I HATE Clarett for what he is attempting to do. If he succeeds than like College Basketball, the most talented ballers will just skill College and head straight to the NFL. And it won't be about playing time either. It'll be about money. Just like it is in the NBA. If this passes in time, you might see Reggie Williams, Mike Williams, Walter Reyes, Larry Fitzgerald, Austin Scott, and other physical studs bolt for NFL riches. They might be very raw but they know they'll still be drafted based on pure potential. NFL doesn't have a rookie wage scale like the NBA does. They can sign the teenagers to 7 year deals and then just develop them. What he is trying to do is horrible and I hope College Football fans all over America let him know about it.
     
  8. appoo

    appoo Member+

    Jul 30, 2001
    USA
    this will be more like College basketball I'm thinking. And the NCAA has a date thats basically the last step. Pull out of the draft before that date and you can go back to school, don't and your done. Also if you sign an gent you lose your amatuer status for any NCAA sport.
     
  9. skipshady

    skipshady New Member

    Apr 26, 2001
    Orchard St, NYC
    Except they won't for several reasons.
    1. Size, size, size. Undeveloped basketball players can still get into games by playing a smaller position and you don't have to be that developed to have an impact in the NBA. Not so with the NFL. Kids who are 1, 2 years out of high school are simply too small to even survive.
    2. Salary cap. Yes, the NBA has one too but it's a hell of a lot more flexible than the NFL equivalent. NFL teams can't afford to have players who aren't contributing.
    3. Developmental league. An unemployed NBA-er has more options than an unemployed NFL-er because outside of scout teams and NFL-E, there's no place to go, really. Leaving college and not making a roster is less of a risk.
    (Of course, I'm just guessing here)


    I wouldn't have a problem with players leaving early or skipping college altogether. If an NFL team thinks the player is ready, then that player is ready. And the player is making a career decision - take the money now and slow your developement or spend time in college and hope that there's more money later. Neither we the fans nor Paul Tagliabeau should be making that decision for him.

    Basically, the 3-year rule is an unspoken understanding between NFL and college football. NFL is basically saying "Look, we don't want to spend the money developing players so you keep the guys for 3-4 years, pay them practically nothing and make some money."
    So yeah, it is about the money.
     
  10. Garcia

    Garcia Member

    Dec 14, 1999
    Castro Castro
    This due to going from 12 to 7 to 4 to 3 to 2 and possibly 1 round in the NBA.

    In these other drafts there a dozens of rounds, and in the MLS, two drafts, right?

    At least in the NBA, these kids have to choose before they are chosen. That makes all the difference. I never understood the difference, but the NCAA sees one.

    The whole "signing with an agent" is not the issue here, so don't mix it up.
     
  11. Garcia

    Garcia Member

    Dec 14, 1999
    Castro Castro
    NBA is more flexible, but the NFL is not free money like the NBA.

    See, the NFL has a cap where a team can cut a certain dates, take hits and lessen the hit and all that, but the player, and the player is the topic at hand, the player, who would be most affected in this whole scinero, can only count on signing bonus money, not the millions inked in the contract per year.

    In the NBA, we have players who retired years ago still getting paid. Don't even think that the NBA would go for the incentive leden contracts like NFL players seem (and I like) to like.

    I guy who (Floyd was it?) beat the NBA lost many playing years and has commented that Maurice would be ill advised to file a lawsuit...based on the real need for it.
     
  12. Garcia

    Garcia Member

    Dec 14, 1999
    Castro Castro
    No doubt that the NCAA is a free minor league system, but to be fair to the NFL, they do spend money on developement from NFL Europe (a whole different league in another continent!) and the practice roster.
     
  13. skipshady

    skipshady New Member

    Apr 26, 2001
    Orchard St, NYC
    I would say that's another reason why eliminating the 3-year rule wouldn't have a major effect on NFL and college football.

    If a basketball player's picked in the first round, then he has guaranteed money, and he knows that he has at least 3 years to establish himself in the league.
    An NFL draftee doesn't have that luxury because NFL doesn't do guaranteed contracts. And there's a very real chance that a team will cut him if he doesn't produce. This should discourage undeclassmen from making the jump if he isn't ready.


    Also: ESPN breaks it down
     
  14. microbrew

    microbrew New Member

    Jun 29, 2002
    NJ
    Len Pasquarelli delves into the labor law aspect.
    http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/columns/story?id=1621876

    "What there isn't in the collective bargaining agreement, however, is any explicit language regarding the NFL's rules for draft eligibility. Article XVI of the CBA deals with the draft. Its 13 sections lay out rules covering the annual timing of the draft down to workouts for draft eligible players. But there is nothing about eligibility."

    What there is, is an understanding and agreement between the player's union and the league, but nothing on paper.
     
  15. Garcia

    Garcia Member

    Dec 14, 1999
    Castro Castro
    So what you are saying is that a team has to have the will to draft him regardless of the silent agreement?

    Would Paul Tag. come in and void the pick and punish the team?
     
  16. RichardL

    RichardL BigSoccer Supporter

    May 2, 2001
    Berkshire
    Club:
    Reading FC
    Nat'l Team:
    England
    I don't really understand the technicalities of how the draft works, but is there any ruling which stops a talented 18 year old from just signing for any NFL team he wants? Do all new players have to be drafted? Although perhaps rarer these days, in English soccer you often get get kids signing for the team they supported as a kid. Why shouldn't young potential NFL players be entitled to that same right?
     
  17. skipshady

    skipshady New Member

    Apr 26, 2001
    Orchard St, NYC
    But if there is an 18 year old who can compete in the NFL, why not? And if no 18 year old could ever compete in the NFL, what's point of having the rule?

    There probably isn't a single 18 year old who can compete with Gary Kasparov in chess, but it wouldn't make sense to have a rule barring 18 year old from playing chess with Kasparov.
     
  18. ThreeApples

    ThreeApples Member+

    Jul 28, 1999
    Smurf Village
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No player can sign an NFL contract until he has made himself available for the draft. If he makes himself available and then nobody drafts him, then he is free to sign with any team.
     

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