First, baseball. Obama said:

One case in particular involved a matter of enormous concern to many Americans, including me: the baseball strike of 1994-1995. (Laughter.) In a decision that reportedly took her just 15 minutes to announce, a swiftness much appreciated by baseball fans everywhere — (laughter) — she issued an injunction that helped end the strike.

Yes, everyone had a good chuckle over this, because it's just sports after all. But it was Sotomayor herself who, as a federal district judge in 1995, pithily and forcefully declared that something larger was at stake in the baseball strike, a fact ignored by the sort of facile people who dismissed the work stoppage as a pointless dispute between athletic millionaires and short billionaires. "This strike," she said, in the same courtroom where Curt Flood lost his bid for free agency in 1970, "has placed the entire concept of collective bargaining on trial."

Ruling from the bench, she directed owners to restore free agency and salary arbitration while bargaining continued and in doing so effectively ended the strike. It was a headslappingly obvious decision; Sotomayor famously needed only 15 minutes for deliberation. I asked former players union head Marvin Miller about the ruling. "It was an open-and-shut case," he said this morning. "You can't unilaterally change what has been negotiated. I'm not trying to minimize what she did. An awful lot of judges fold even in obvious cases. What she did was simply to apply the law as the NLRB [National Labor Relations Board] and the courts had already determined. But when a judge straightens it out in a sentence or two, that's marvelous."

Her decision in Maurice Clarett v. National Football League is more problematic. U.S. District Judge Shira Scheindlin had struck down the NFL's age restriction, thus making Clarett eligible for the draft. Sotomayor was a member of a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit that overturned Scheindlin's ruling. (Note to Peter King: The question before the panel was not, by any means, whether the rule was "unreasonable or unfair." This is not what judges do. Most 10-year-olds understand that.)

In the panel's ruling, Sotomayor held that the age rule, which requires a player to be three football seasons removed from high school, fell under a labor exemption to anti-trust laws — bear with me here — and in effect had been collectively bargained by the NFL players union (even though the rule appears nowhere in the collective bargaining agreement). It's a tricky opinion that simultaneously restricts a worker's right to earn and buttresses a creaky, paternalistic rule dating back to the days of Red Grange, but, more progressively, treats the act of collective bargaining — no matter how ineptly one side may be bargaining — as sacrosanct.

It's also an infuriating opinion, one that, thanks in large part to the NFLPA's much-documented incompetence, basically countenances the collusion at the heart of our sports leagues' age requirements. In recent weeks, conservatives have gone bark-at-the-moon loony over Obama's stated desire for a Supreme Court justice who rules with "empathy." The Clarett decision, at least, was anything but empathic — it was a cold-eyed and literal-minded ruling from a judge who is nevertheless destined to spend the next hundred news cycles being branded a fire-breathing anarcho-syndicalist by the idiot right.

Obama Picks Sotomayor, Citing Intellect [New York Times]

Clarett, who is serving a 7 1/2-year prison sentence on a variety of charges, is currently at the Toledo Correctional Institution, from which he has been writing a blog since October. Only as we find out from The Columbus Dispatch, there is no computer access from that facility. From Bob Hunter's column in the Dispatch:

Inmates don't have computer access; his mother, Michelle Clarett, confirmed yesterday that he calls his blog entries to family members who post them for him. The entries — a mixture of philosophy, advice, famous quotations and humor — started last October.

And so the question is raised, is Clarett actually writing his own blog? Writing a blog post by calling it in to a second party seems like an unlikely, laborious process; unless, like me, you were a journalist before the days of email. Calling in a story to someone who transcribes it actually was pretty routine. Our protagonist (presumably) addresses the situation:

Ghost writer, huh? Thanks for the "backhanded compliment." It is ALL Maurice Clarett, one letter at a time, one word at a time, one sentence at a time. One conscious thought and one inspirational quote at a time. I study from the best. I only inquire about the greats that overcame great obstacles. Reading from world leaders, dictators, plutocrats, and even tyrants helps me keep my situation in perspective.

An earlier post:

I just recently had a member of prison administration question me about the authenticity of my blog. They also came to verify that I am in school. In the midst of all that, I also detected that the person was phishing to see if I was going to talk about the prison in any way. My answer to that is, "No." I have no interest in discussing prison's day to day operations. That serves no purpose in my life. I created this site for other reasons. There are too many young men and women that need hope and inspiration. To a large degree, prison doesn't exist to me anymore. I'm mentally removed, on certain levels. My mental sentence expired when I decided to educate myself. I spend all of the hours of my days developing my life's vision. I don't have the time to think about prison. I'm just waiting for my physical sentence to expire.

I guess this isn't the controversy of the decade; really, who cares if the words are actually his? And what purpose would be served by Clarett farming out the writing duties to a blog no one knew existed for the first three months of its existence? It's not like it's going to get him out of prison any sooner. And he can't be angling for a book deal: No one is going to want a prison story that doesn't include any actual details about being in prison. Clarett's posts are rambling takes on philosophy and history; just the kind of thing you'd study all day if you had nothing to do but peruse the prison library book cart.

Some close to the situation believe that the blog author definitely is Clarett. Reaction to Hunter's Dispatch column:

"That was a niece piece you wrote on Maurice in the Dispatch today. It was fair and balanced. Most importantly, it was right on point. Indeed, "The Mind of Maurice Clarett" is a sincere expression of his inner most thoughts, beliefs and life's experiences. Dominic Mango and I were Maurice's attorneys on his criminal case and I have stayed in close contact with him ever since. I am pleased to report that Maurice is doing extremely well. He has been a model inmate throughout. Now that his course materials have finally arrived from OU, he is thrilled to be back working towards his college degree from The Ohio State University."

Get busy bloggin', or get busy dyin', I guess.

Maurice Clarett On Blog Comments [The Mind Of Maurice Clarett]
Clarett Can Still Get A Reaction — Both Good And Bad [The Columbus Dispatch]
Clarett Blog Reveals A Man Working To — As Well As For — Change [The Columbus Dispatch]

He should begin serving his sentence immediately; when he is released, assuming he makes parole, he will be 27 years old.

It is unknown whether members of the infamous "Jerusalem Group" Israeli mob have connections in his eventual prison, but Clarett, in an ultimately pretty sad end, definitely will have plenty of time to get back into shape and decrease that 40 time. Which, after all, very well might be the main reason he's in this predicament in the first place.

Clarett Pleads Guilty, Will Serve 3 1/2 Years [Columbus Dispatch]

Anyway, Clarett was officially indicted yesterday; he's facing a rather whopping five charges, including carrying a concealed weapon — perhaps the hatchet. He will be arraigned on Monday, and one of the charges includes a mandatory one-year sentence. Meanwhile, his lawyers, forever on the ball, spent last week filing a failed brief asking for the court to pay for a public opinion poll about whether or not Clarett could receive a fair trial.

All told, though, a year in the pokey might not necessarily be the worst experience for Clarett, when you think about it. Should certainly help him get in shape, anyway.

Maurice Clarett Indicted on New Charges [Forbes]

Clarett was allegedly being threatened by a man named Hai Waknine, who was a member of an Israeli crime syndicate called The Jerusalem Group. ("Typical," a friend told us yesterday. "We get a good mob organization, and our name still sounds like someone you'd go to for venture capital.") After Clarett was cut by the Broncos last year, he had no money to pay Waknine back for all he'd been given ... and next thing you know, there were hatches and Grey Goose.

It all seems to have gone terribly wrong for Mo, and at this point, it almost seems less something to make fun of than something to pity. But, if you're still taking enjoyment out of this story, after the jump, we present the newest addition to Madden 2007, coming out next week.

Lawyer: Clarett Has Ties To Alleged Israeli Mobster [ESPN]

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But it's not. It's in fact, the featured item on the Mahoning Valley Hitmen homepage, which is pretty much final official proof that "commissioner" Jim Terry is an opportunistic windbag who will do anything to make people believe his pretend league is real. Honestly, if you buy "tickets" to these "games," you deserve to lose your money. It's just Darwinism, really.

Meanwhile, Terry was advertising open tryouts for the team at a high school field in Warren, Ohio. Problem is, nobody at JFK High School gave him permission, and when the female principal came out to kick him off the field, "it got ugly," she says. "It was not a pleasant conversation."

The site now says tryouts are still on ... though with no date or location. Might we suggest jail?

Mahoning Valley Hitmen [Official Site]
Hitmen Tryouts [WKBN]

Judges are funny that way. When a guy's making "I'm about to kill myself" phone calls, wearing a bulletproof vest, pulling from a Grey Goose bottle in front of cops, and storing his gun next to his lint roller, judges sometimes question their sanity. They like to err on the side of caution in those cases.

This trial, by the way, actually has nothing to do with the recent arrest. This one's about the New Year's Day accusations of Clarett allegedly sticking up a couple of people at gunpoint. Mo's lawyers didn't want to do the mental health evaluation, in part because they believe they can get an early acquittal on these charges and get Maurice sent home early. I don't think they've been reading the papers.

Clarett trial postponed for mental health evaluation [Columbus Dispatch]

Well, turns out, the Hitmen got some more bad news, arguably worse than Clarett's arrest: The "team" has lost its stadium.

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.''

We feel bad for Mr. Anderson, who probably never had any idea what he was getting into. Fortunately, the Hitmen have seen "far worse situations than this," so that's good.

Thunderplex Ends Relationship With HitMen [Tribune Chronicle]

(UPDATE: By the way, there's a strange rival league's blog that loves trashing this non-existent league.)

No, we just wanted to point out this quote from Mahoning Valley Hitmen "coach" Jim Terry:

"We gave him a chance and now we'll wait to see what happens," he said. "I've seen far worse situations than this."

Apparently, Terry has been doing his recruiting in Beirut.

Because even though we figure we should probably just let Clarett fade off into Bolivian, it can be so hard to say goodbye sometimes. You understand.

This Could End Up Affecting The Eastern Indoor Football League Opener [Deadspin]
Clarett Arrested After I-70 Chase [Columbus Dispatch]
Clarett Arrested. Again. [Every Day Should Be Saturday]

Police then found an arsenal of weapons inside the SUV, including a loaded assault rifle and three loaded handguns. A hatchet, clothing and an open bottle of vodka were also taken from the vehicle, Wayne reported.

Here's how it went down, according to police.

• Around 2 a.m., cops noticed an SUV "driving erratically" and began to follow it as it turned onto Interstate-70 in Columbus.

• The SUV made a random U-turn, at which time police put up stop sticks (those things that give you flat tires). The SUV was undaunted and exited the Interstate, slowing into a Tee Jaye's Country Place restaurant parking lot, where it struck the police car.

• Then the trouble really came. "(Clarett) was resisting to the point that they felt it was necessary to try to use a Taser," said Columbus police Sgt. Mike Woods. "He had a bulletproof vest on and the Tasers would not penetrate that, so they used Mace. It took several officers to get his arms behind his back and get him under control and handcuffed."

Yeah, you hate to see that. Clarett had been scheduled to appear in court today on a previous robbery charge, though, ultimately, they might end more concerned about the hatchet.

Clarett Arrested; Police Find Arsenal Of Weapons Inside SUV [NBC4]
Clarett Arrested After Freeway Chase [Columbus Dispatch]

(Clarett's mug shot is after the jump, by the way. Handsome.)

(UPDATE: An Ohio radio station is reporting that Clarett took an open swig from a bottle of Grey Goose in front of the arresting officers. Totally not a good idea.)

We thought we might check in and see how our old friend Maurice Clarett is doing, now that he has fired his lawyers just two weeks before his trial. Well, he has some new lawyers, and they have exactly a fortnight to, you know, find out what the hell the case is about.

Meanwhile, in the not-really-a-league Eastern Indoor Football League, they're pressing ahead with promotions that Clarett will be the league's top attraction. The Mahoning Valley Hitmen Web site, with the slogan "Get Whacked Indoors" — Get Away From Me, Indoor Football! — is pimping Clarett's ecstatic quote about the league: "I don't have many other options." Oh, the current poll question: "Should the Hitmen play teams from other leagues?" Considering the league has three not-actually-real teams, we're gonna go with "yes."

Mahoning Valley Hitmen [Official Site]
New Legal Team On Board To Defend Clarett [Columbus Dispatch]
Maurice Clarett's Imaginary League [Deadspin]

Clarett yesterday fired his lawyers — including William Settina, famous for defending a man who robbed Kroger stores while wearing a chicken suit — because they "different on his represention." Also, he, uh, hasn't paid them.

This leaves Clarett completely without representation just two weeks before his trial begins. He has not said yet if he's going to represent himself, or what's gonna happen. But yeah. Not good. This is totally going to ruin his Eastern Indoor Football League career.

Clarett Fires His Lawyers [Columbus Dispatch]
Maurice Clarett's Experience Defense Team [Deadspin]

No, this is the Eastern Indoor Football League, a startup league whose Web site claims will be begin play in "Winter 2007." Clarett's team, the Mahoning Valley Hitmen, currently has four players but plans on "holding a tryout sometime soon." The league has three teams and also has a stirring rules page.

As for Clarett:

"I've never seen a player this excited at this level of play," Hitmen "coach" Jim Terry said of Clarett. "This isn't a runner's league. It's a passer's league. And (Clarett) is going to try to make it on the ground."

By the way: We have a league too. It plays its games on the fields right by our bathroom and has a television contract with the network that houses itself in our refrigerator. We're more of a runner's league, though, and we exist every bit as much as the Eastern Indoor Football League does right now. Good look, Mo!

Indoor Team Might Put Clarett Back On The Field [Columbus Dispatch]
Eastern Indoor Football League [Official Site]

Impressively, our man gangsta Grimace came in a close second, followed by Fred Smoot and Maurice Clarett. Nobody is all that frightened of Jim Mora, Jr., which is a point in everyone's favor, we think.

Full results below. As always, thanks for making your voice heard.

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Henceforth, a Deadspin poll: Which sports-related personality would you least want to run into at a McDonald's? Poll will be open all night and most of the day tomorrow.

It's a tougher call than you might think. Vote below.

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One would think it would be difficult to gain too much notoriety as a defense attorney in Columbus, Ohio, but, then again, we are talking about Ohio State here. Oh, and guys who rob grocery stores wearing chicken suits. No, really. In 2004, Donald Haines robbed two Kroger stores wearing a chicken suit. What makes this story even stranger? Haines had previously worked as Kroger's mascot, Pepe the Penguin. And Settina represented him, saying, ""something snapped in Mr. Haines' head." (We'll guess it was a rubber band. Just one, though.)

After you've defended the chicken suit guy, Maurice Clarett, jeez, that's easy.

Clarett Posts $50,000 Bond For Club Robbery [The Lantern]
'Chicken Suit' Robber Sentenced [Local6]

On Sunday, Columbus police filed a warrant for Clarett's arrest after he allegedly showed a gun and robbed two people of a cellphone outside a bar called "the Opium Lounge." Then it appeared that Clarett was on the run. Then it appeared that maybe they had the wrong guy after all. And then, right after Ohio State's win last night, Clarett turned himself in. He's now facing two felony charges with potential sentences as long as 20 years in prison. He is probably being arraigned this very second; his lawyers have said he will plead not guilty.

This whole story, we'll be honest, sounds fishy to us. We know Clarett has had his problems ... but waving a gun outside a bar to steal a cellphone when everyone one in town knows who you are? That's not the time of crime that signals violent intent; that's the kind that signals mental illness.

Clarett Turns Himself In [Columbus 10]