NEW YORK Judge: Clarett eligible for NFL

The ruling could open the door for other teen football standouts.
NEW YORK (AP) -- Suspended Ohio State running back Maurice Clarett was ruled eligible for the NFL draft today by a federal judge who concluded that the league's rule violates antitrust laws.
U.S. District Judge Shira A. Scheindlin ordered the NFL to let Clarett enter April's draft.
Clarett, a native of Youngstown who graduated from Warren Harding High School, played just one season at Ohio State, leading the Buckeyes to the 2002 national championship. He was barred from playing in the 2003 season for accepting improper benefits from a family friend and then lying about it to investigators.
Clarett sued the NFL last summer to challenge the league rule that a player must be out of high school three years for draft eligibility. Today's ruling, if not successfully appealed, could allow teenage football standouts to take advantage of the marketing and business opportunities available to young athletes in other sports.
The league had argued that Clarett should not be eligible because its rule resulted from a collective bargaining agreement with the players and is immune from antitrust scrutiny. The NFL also argued that its rule is reasonable and that Clarett cannot bring such a lawsuit.
Judge's ruling
"While, ordinarily, the best offense is a good defense, none of these defenses hold the line," the judge wrote in a 70-page ruling.
She said Clarett could bring the lawsuit because he was fighting a policy that excludes all players in his position from selling their services to the only viable buyer -- the NFL.
"The NFL has not justified Clarett's exclusion by demonstrating that the rule enhances competition. Indeed, Clarett has alleged the very type of injury -- a complete bar to entry into the market for this services -- that the antitrust laws are designed to prevent," she said.
Ohio State had no immediate comment, said Steve Snapp, its sports information director.