Tuesday, March 3, 2009

The Mind of Maurice Clarett

There are many places I would like to go in the sports world. I would like to see a Michigan Football game at Notre Dame, I would like to attend a Super Bowl, play golf at Augusta National, and dress up in funny hats and attend a Kentucky Derby.

One place I never thought I would visit is the Mind of Maurice Clarett. There is a famous TV commercial that stated, "a mind is a terrible thing to waste" I would also argue so is talent.

With newspapers failing at an alarming rate and most Americans getting their news and sports from the Internet, even Maurice Clarett has a blog from prison. Maurice is serving a 7 1/2 year sentence for robbery, carrying a concealed weapon without a permit and resisting arrest. He is currently serving his time at the Toledo Correctional Institution (TCI).

I wasn't aware that inmates were allowed to have Internet access or even have the ability run their own blogs. Do they have cell phones and wireless lap tops as well?

Don't get me wrong, I am all for rehabilitation and having these young men educate themselves while in jail, I just wasn't aware they had the ability to be on the Internet. Does anyone know when the Starbucks at TCI closes?

I wish the best for Maurice and hope he gets his life together. His downward spiral was quick and sad all at the same time. If the blog helps him pass the time, then so be it. I even looked at a few of his posts, it seems his intent is to help enlighten others and give hope where there isn't any: here is an excerpt from one of his posts:

Hate it or love it, I’m here to uplift and offer specific suggestions to people in life altering situations. Pain and loneliness hurt. It births depression. It breaks families up. I don’t hide that part of my life. The things that I speak on are real. I’ve been in many different circumstances throughout these twenty-five years surviving things others could not. Surviving the game of life is drastically different than surviving the 4th quarter of the Fiesta Bowl. Remaining sane while being locked down twenty-three hours a day during the beginning of my incarceration built character and revealed to me what I was really made of. Respect me and the viewers of this blog by bringing something constructive and positive so someone else can possibly change their life

A few commenter's on his site have said that there maybe a ghost writer writing his blog and Maurice says it's all him. My advice is, if your looking for a enlightenment or direction, there are many other sources you can turn to then Maurice's site.

So believe or not, read it or not, but Maurice is now running with the power of the written word over the leather of the pigskin.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maurice's blog is better than yours and that's coming from a Michigan football fan. Where as you are cynical, he is hopeful and positive.
Maybe you should read a few more posts and take them to heart.

Anonymous said...

clearly this is not his own writings.