Maurice Clarett: Sports Star, Cellmate, & Saint

Last weekend the church that I attend had asked Maurice Clarett to speak. In the morning service an interview was conducted by the pastor of the church. Sunday evening Mr. Clarett spoke for about an hour telling his story. What follows is a bit of what I captured of the interview and his talk.

This is a story of grace, mercy, reality, and truth. It is an account of a young man from the ‘hood, who made good on the football field, but never really fully understood.

Mr. Maurice (Reese) Clarett was the product of his environment. Growing up he wanted to prove himself to the guys in his inner city Youngstown, Ohio neighborhood. In doing so, within one three month period of time he got picked up by police three times and was headed to juvenile detention, but for the intervention of an “angel,” a man who took him under his wing convincing the judge to allow Mr. Clarett to spend the summer being mentoring him in lieu of time in the juvenile detention center. This would be Mr. Clarett’s first taste of grace (which is an instance where you don’t get what you deserve; instead you get what you need).

Truth is that in the cities of America – especially among the poor minorities – gangs and a variety of thugs substitute for missing fathers in the lives of young men. These lowlifes companions teach the young men the ways of their evil world. The young men emulate these lousy “role models” to the chagrin and dismay of their mothers and grandmothers.

Star Athlete

In Mr. Clarett’s case he was “saved” by a couple of adult men who saw potential in him and stepped up and encouraged him to pursue his athletic talents. They took him under their wings and taught him discipline and raised his expectations. Therefore Mr. Clarett became very successful throughout his high school career. He and his team under his leadership excelled.

He ended up going to Ohio State University, where as a freshman he led his team to a national championship in 2002. He even scored the winning TD in the BCS national championship. Accolades of all kinds came his way. He had a phenomenal freshmen season. He was a superstar, the next LeBron James. However, it didn’t take too long before his world was shattered.

Shackled  

Unfortunately others wanted a piece of the Clarett action and glorly. The good ‘ole boys from the Youngstown ‘hood came back into his life, and he lost his focus, his concentration. Drugs, alcohol, girls, he was basking is his celebrity and glory. He got suckered into the kind of lifestyle that leads one astray. He had several run-ins with the law. He got tossed off the football team, lost his scholarship, left school his sophomore year.

Depression led him deeper into the lifestyle that sidetracked his brilliant, promising football career. He tried to escape by going to the West Coast. But he got mixed up with an even more intense and care-free party crowd than the one he fellowshipped with in Ohio.

He attempted to get into professional football after he was drafted in the third round by the Denver Broncos. He knew he was not in shape to be a professional football player after wasting himself in Ohio and California. But he went to the Broncos training camp. He said he was a poor teammate, a chronic complainer and not as dedicated to the game as he should have been. He was released. Another failure he felt.

He returned to Ohio but soon got reconnected to the Youngstown boys from the ‘hood and returned to his immature and drug dulling depression pattern. He didn’t want to face reality.

It wasn’t until he was incarcerated in the penitentiary that he began to see the light, thanks to a warden who advised him to put himself on the right track. Mr. Clarett heeded the warden and the example and mentoring of very helpful lifer inmate, who shared the things of God with him.

Saint

When he got out of prison he was better prepared to face reality. He even played professional football again in Omaha, Nebraska, where under the direction and instruction of a pastor he said that he eventually gave his life to God as a Christ-follower in 2012.

Mr. Clarett now speaks to groups about his restored life and he helps young men to avoid taking the wrong path that he chose to take. At 30 years of age he plans to return to school to complete his degree. He wants to pursue an entrepreneurial endeavor in the field of geriatric services. While in prison he received a lot of help and encouraging letters from seniors who gave so much of themselves to him while he served almost 4 years of a 7-year sentence. Mr. Clarett seems to have made some better decisions in his “old age” of 30!

Lessons Learned

What can be learned from this young man’s journey from football star to cellmate to saint?

·        God is a gracious God, a God of second and third chances, etc. He is a merciful God. Recognize that you are a sinner and have missed the mark and accept His provision, Jesus, to completely redeem your life.

·        Be careful in choosing your friends.

·        As long as you stay focused on purposeful pursuits you are not likely to fall into temptations that will foil your plans and ruin your life.

 

·        Use your time, talent and treasure wisely.

 

You can see or hear the interview for yourself by going here.

Courageous (2011)

I saw this movie, Courageous, last weekend at a large shopping mall near Columbus, Ohio. It was at one of those multiplex theaters, 16 theaters.

Courageous begins as the story of four sheriff deputies. Through the stories of their lives and situations that these deputies face, they learn by experience the fact that fatherless children are most likely to get into trouble. Many fatherless children join gangs and end up in jail. Our nation has done a poor job of encouraging and promoting fatherhood. Instead, though what may have been well-intended by some, the welfare state has criminally contributed to the destruction of the family.

These deputies, along with a young Hispanic father, together and individually, discover and decide what kind of fathers that God wants them to be. They begin to take responsibility for their families and children.

The movie delves revealingly into the lives of each man following their evolving decision to become better fathers. Each man faces challenges to his newly acquired beliefs about fatherhood. The movie addresses vital issues in a realistic, serious way, yet with just enough wholesome humor to entertain and inspire.

The men realized their need to spend more time with their families and they begin training them in the Word of God.

This all takes great courage.

RATING
 
This movie is exceptional. It is life affirming and motivation to life live with the purpose for which it was designed by God. It communicates essential and vital issues commonly faced by all men. Courageous is a ‘five star out of five stars’ flick. It can be simultaneously a learning as well as an entertaining event.

Every father, every man should see this movie now while it is playing in a nearby theater, or purchase or rent it when it is available.

The movie has its own website: http://www.CourageousTheMovie.com/.

gregjaye also contributed to the content of this post.

Flywheel, A Movie Review

I seldom watch movies, and even more rare do I write movie reviews, but here is a review of a movie that I watched on DVD recently. gregjaye, fellow blogger, several years ago also wrote a brief review of the same move you can see it here.

The movie Flywheel is about an entrepreneur who owns a used car lot. He bought a classic sports car which did not run and had his garage mechanic work on the car to correct the problem.

As a used car sales man he was making deals with people and selling cars above their worth and making them think they were getting a good deal at the same time. Admired by his employees the sales men working for him adopted his style. He didn’t spend much time with his family since his priority was making money. He learned that his son did not want to grow up to be like his dad and his wife’s questions irritated him.

Finally, he became feed up with the situation and asked God to forgive him and decided to do business God’s way. He cut the mark up on the vehicles he was selling to fifteen hundred dollars. The two sales men working for him objected that it would cut into their finances and quit. The man washing the cars was given the added responsibility of selling used cars. The proprietor worked longer hours and decided the proper thing to do was to give back all the money he had over charged his customers. The mechanic after working with the sports car for weeks decided it needed a new flywheel. That was the reason it would not run. The needed part was symbolic of what the proprieter needed, which was being obedient to God.

The bank was after him for more than thirty thousand dollars. A woman brought the car she had bought back crying and saying she could not finish making the payments so she gave him the keys. He said, “Wait a minute.” Ten he looked up the amount owed. Graciously, he wrote ‘forgiven’ on the credit slip and gave the woman the title for the car.

An extra sales man was needed to help sell cars at a low wage so the proprietor prayed and asked God for one. A college student came willing to work for minimum wage at selling cars for the experience. The bank was pressing the used car lot owner for its money by the end of the week. A news story ran Thursday night that only one reputable used car dealer was found of several checked. It was this man’s. The nest day people were waiting to buy cars when he showed up for work. All the cars sold and when the bank vice-president showed up there were no cars on the lot. All the cars had sold and enough money was made to pay the bank back in full.

The two sales men that had quit said the owner of the used car lot was dishonest and could not be trusted. That was why they had quit his business. The news crew confronted the owner and asked if this was correct. He acknowledged, “Yes”. The people who had been given the money back came and confronted the news people at the used car lot and demanded to tell their story of how he had given their money back. This made a hero out of the owner.

The mechanic by this time had secured a new flywheel free, installed it and the sports car was running fine.

The entrepreneur got his son out of school and took him for a long ride in the sports car.

The movie was entertaining, inspiring, and enjoyable to watch.

The Express (2008)

REVIEW

I’m a Cleveland Browns fan. Pitiful isn’t it? I observed the old Browns stolen and moved to Baltimore by that schmuckster of an owner, Art Modell. As a Browns' fan I’ve endured the sad state of affairs that the new Browns brought to the deforested city. The kind of football played by the new Browns has been insulting to the memory of the two most famous Browns, (Coach) Paul and Jimmy.

The Express is a movie that captures some of the best of the historical, rather than the present hysterical, Browns. The Express is the tragic, yet inspirational, story of what was and what could have been in the 1960s with two great former Syracuse University backs in the same backfield. The Cleveland Browns were so impressed with Ernie Davis and so desired to have these two be a powerful one-two punch that they traded a great wide receiver, Bobby Mitchell, for the rights to draft Davis. Davis was the first black Heisman Trophy winner while at Syracuse University in 1961.

Growing up in Cleveland during the 60s Davis was just a name to me. I did not follow the Browns all that closely and didn’t understand what an outstanding person and player Davis was in college. Everyone knew about Jim Brown’s exploits both on and off the field. The movie version of Brown was quite tame.

It is hard to imaging that it has been almost 50 years since Davis was picked number one in the 1962 NFL draft. Jim Brown helped to recruit Davis to Syracuse. Syracuse Coach Ben Schwartzwalder was a big influence on Ernie Davis’ life.

RATING

I rate the movie **** out of *****. Above all, it was based on a true story of a 23 year old black athlete’s life and death. His life was cut short by a devastating disease. But the man achieved some great accomplishments during his short life. There were challenges on the football field and off the field. He was the brunt of intense racial hatred that still stirred openly, especially in the South. The obstacles he faced and overcame were well depicted and displayed in the move.

RECOMMENDATION

I recommend this movie to every Browns fan and everyone who loves an inspiring story of courage, fortitude, loyalty and dedication. This movie should be available in rental stores or in public libraries.

Forever Strong (2008)

Forever Strong was one of those real finds in the Wal-Mart $5 DVD bin. You take a chance when you don’t know anything about a movie except what you read on the DVD case. This time I struck it rich. The description from the back of the DVD case read in part, “A stand-up-and-cheer movie about loyalty, courage, and conviction, set amid the intense and often fierce completion of championship rugby?”

First, “Why Rugby?” and second, “What is Rugby?” There is a famous American high school rugby team in Utah that has one a series of championship over its 30+ year existence. Rugby is a sport from which American football evolved. Rugby was born in England. It has never really caught on here like baseball, basketball, football or even soccer. Yet, it is made interesting via this movie.

D-Man2010 on IMDB.com provides this concise summary of the plot of the movie, “Rick Penning lives life just like he plays rugby; fast, hard-hitting and intense. When life on the edge lands him in jail, prison ward Marcus Tate offers him a chance to get back in the game by playing for his rival, Highland Rugby. Reluctantly Rick joins the team where he must adopt the grueling training schedule and unique code of conduct that Coach Gelwix enforces, or finish out the season behind bars. Egos clash as bitter competitors struggle to become a team. An unlikely brotherhood is formed with his Highland teammates, just as Rick is released from jail and sent back home to rejoin his former team, coached by his overbearing father. Heading into a faceoff with Highland at the National Championship, Rick is forced to choose where his loyalty lies."

I like what the real Coach Gelwix says about the movie in one of the DVD special features, which captures his philosophy and Highland Rugby program, “. . . The movie is a collection of stories of things that captured the essence of who we are (the Highland Rugby team & program) . . . It will be a movie that people will watch again and again and because you walk out inspired, you walk out wanting to be a better person . . . The movie accurately portrays who we are, what we teach, and the values we hold dear. Those values are eternal. Those values always work. It will be one of those reminders of what life should be and what life can be, and for all that we are forever grateful for Forever Strong.”

RATING

I give the movie a ****1/2 out of *****. It is an excellent value to either rent or purchase or watch on TV when it comes around. I highly recommend it to the sports fan or non sports fan. It is inspirational and dramatic. It is the story of character, second chances and victory in life and on the field of play. The acting is good and you really get a real orientation and appreciation of the game of Rugby, which before I watched this movie I knew next to nothing about. It's really a tough game, even tougher than American football, where you wear helmets and shoulder pads . . .

Have you seen this movie? Let me know what you think of it is you have seen it or will see it.

What's Your Take on Life?

Quote Unquote

"Life is ten percent what you make it and ninety percent how you take it." --- Ben Franklin

Compassionate "Conservative" versus "Compassionate" Liberal

K.C. sent and email with the two photos below, which contrast the large ego, arrogance, and aloofness of one president and the true touching awareness and concern of another president. What a contrast. Bush was no conservative, yet he cared. While Soetoro a/k/a Obama obliviously shows no compassion or care. Its a matter of character or lack of it. Pictures speak countless words, don't they?

Alleged President Soetoro a/k/a Obama looking for the cameras?

Former President Bush looking out for Senator Byrd.

Resurrecting the Champ (2007)

I return to writing on Wednesdays reviews of movies that I have recently seen. It has been a while since I wrote a review and hope to catch up on the backlog of movies I have seen, but not reviewed.

Samuel L. Jackson and Josh Hartnett star in this “coming to grips with who you are” drama. This is not a sports movie. Although sports, precisely professional boxing, serves as an important backdrop to the movie. It is the story of a washed up ex-boxer and a talented but mediocre, passionless sports writer. The two desperate persons meet by divine intervention (there is no such thing as chance) and end up helping each other discover their real selves.

Both men are living a lie. The boxer is an alcoholic living on the streets, pushing a food cart. The sports writer is the son of a famous sportscaster father, who seems to be just getting by on this vast, but untapped, talent. He lives in suburbia as a typical yuppie.

A gang of white thugs are antagonizing and beating up on the black “Champ” played by Samuel L. Jackson when Josh Hartnett’s character, the sports reporter/journalist comes upon them and breaks up the “fight.” The sportswriter gives the boxer some money and later develops a relationship with him when he learns that the boxer was a leading boxing contender who even sparred with Rocky Marciano.

“I am not a bum, I’m homeless,” was one quote of the Champ that stood out to me. He was responding to someone’s comment that he was a bum. That quote showed a spark of self-respect.

The sports writer is depicted as a separated man with visitation rights with his young son, who he continually lies to regarding the sports stars who he tells his son are his close friends. He thinks his son will not respect him without pumping himself up in that way. Josh Hartnett’s portray reminds me of Jim Carrey’s attorney character in the movie Liar, Liar. Although Resurrecting the Champ doesn’t go into the reasons why the couple separated, one could guess the journalist’s wife thought he was an underachiever.

The two men were both lost spiritually and otherwise. The movie doesn’t really address the spiritual lost condition of the men, but shows that reality well. They are also socially lost or not fully in touch with who they are as men and as individuals.

In the end the Champ comes to terms with who he really is, coming to grips with the lie he had been living for years. He does so partly through his interaction with the sports writer. Champ became estranged from his wife and son because he was fighting and living under an assumed name of another fighter who once actually was one of the top contenders to a boxing crown. The family broke up after the family found out that he wasn’t who he pretended to be.

The writer, who is so anxious to write a powerful and moving story, thinks he has it when he encounters a man whom he thought was a major boxing contender. He writes a masterpiece of a story and receives much adulation, but the story turns out to be untrue. He does a turnaround though and admits his errors and “grows up” becoming honest in his dealings with others, and especially in interactions with his son.

This is a very good story and the movie moves quickly. You can see the gradual transformation in the lives of each of the two main characters.

RATING

I would give the movie ****1/2 out of ***** for how it enfolds the agonizing, realistic personal struggle of both of these men and how it affected them as well as others. The movie would be worth purchasing, or at least renting

. I would highly recommend the movie. For Hollywood, it is an excellent movie.

Scouts Honor

Words To Live By

I never was a Boy Scout. My brother was one briefly. Compared to gangs member, drug pushers, gang members, porn, drug, gambling and game addicted youth Scouts stand up and out. Instead of belittling and making life difficult for the Boy Scouts of America, we should be supporting and encouraging them in every way we can.

Here are twelve words that appear in the banner header of the Cradle of Liberty Boy Scout Council website:

Trustworthy
Loyal
Helpful
Friendly
Courteous
Kind
Obedient
Cheerful
Thrifty
Brave
Clean
Reverent

These words almost seem out of place in 2008, or at least the secular humanist elite in academia and their politically correct educational, governmental, and science bureaucrats, judges, politicians and assorted leftist activists would have you believe and they often act as if they are obsolete and unfashionable. They laugh at traditional American values, principles and virtues.

However, these remain wholesome, virtuous words and ideas and character qualities.

These are the virtues and qualities that apparently are unwelcome in downtown Philadelphia nowadays. The Boy Scouts are being asked to reject and surrender their mission and standards in order to be permitted to continue to occupy the building which they honorably built, renovated and preserved for 80 years.

Essentially the Boy Scouts are being held hostage until they conform to those that hold ideals of an immoral, unhealthy, unnatural and abnormal behavior set. Unless they conform they are gone. The Boy Scouts are being asked by the PC mayor and his political cronies to stop doing good and to start conforming . . . Ridiculous

More fitting words, apparently more pleasing and acceptable for downtown Philadelphia today are:

Mistrust
Disloyal
Selfish
Unsociable
Rude
Rebellious
Morbid
Wasteful
Cowardly
Immoral
Irreverent

Is that what you want, Philadelphia? Well that is what you will get, if and when you drive the Scouts out.

Lady Liberty Salutes . . .

You . . .

"A cartoon by Michael Ramirez at Investors.com

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Memorial Day is a time to remember those brave patriots who fought for America in various wars throughout the centuries. Their sacrifices are yet appreciated by many in this nation. We have freedom because of them. Though many misuse their freedom and exploit it for their own selfish desires, let us follow in the footsteps of those who considered the principles and values on which America was founded and for which America has stood, worthy of their ultimate sacrifice. Let us live as if their sacrifices where not in vain. Thank you guys and gals . . .

Invincible (2006)

Mark Wahlberg stars as Vince Papale, and Invincible is about a very unlikely National Football League player. This movie is based on a true story, which made it that much more attractive and interesting for me.

Vince Papale is an ordinary guy in many ways; he is 30 years old, a part-time substitute teacher, and bartender. He is blessed with the ability to run fast (clocked at 4.5). In the movie we see him playing football with the guys in his Philadelphia neighborhood. He was an accomplished athlete in high school but never played football at the college level.

Then one day the new coach,. Dick Vermeil, fresh from big college football fame, takes a job with the low-down Philadelphia Eagles NFL team. He has the task of restoring their pride and some of their past glory. He gets an idea to hold an open tryout in the summer preceding his first season. This is part publicity stunt and part trying to discover a player against great odds.

Well, Vince decides to try out and to everyone’s amazement, even his own, he makes the team and the drama intensifies. The movie is part Rocky and part Rudy.

RATING

It is a story of love of the game, persistence and overcoming all obstacles. I highly recommend the movie and give it a rating of ****1/2 out of *****. Buy or rent it. It is worth your time, especially if you enjoy sports. It is a well made, good Disney movie. The slam, bang football action near the end of the movie is very realistic.

Eight Below (2006)

And we thought we had a blizzard this past Friday and Saturday here in Central Ohio. Have you ever seen Antarctica in the winter? Eight Below, the movie, gives us a glimpse of what it is like in Antarctica. Snow, ice and wind and that is about all. Life is limited and must be hardy. I think I had it rough shoveling the 12-18 inches of snow off of my driveway.

Eight Below is the story of a small expedition team traveling to a far flung outpost at the bottom of the world. It is based on a true story. Two men take off with a team of Siberian Huskies in search of a meteor rock. The story is about both man and dog. It is a story the team of Siberian Huskies and their adventures both pulling their sleds and trying to survive a long winter after they had to be left behind by their master.

Seeing the scenery itself is worth the price of the movie. The frozen wasteland is beautiful in its own way. Mountains, glaciers dog-biting monster-seals, and no evidence of Algore’s hot air and imaginary man-made global warning was to be found down there, just a lot of COLD air.

It was a good adventure film. It had suspenseful. It was a story of survival.

THE IDITAROD

In a timely story also related to harsh environments and difficult challenges, I heard on the news today that a 37-year old man just won the famous Iditarod Dog Sled Race in Alaska. It took him 9 days to complete the 1100 mile race. The following comes from a Baltimore Sun Blog called Mutts, which reported on the race,

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“Lance Mackey won his second consecutive Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race on Wednesday morning – a race marred by the death of three dogs, injuries to several others, and the crash of a small plane carrying three Iditarod volunteers.”

It takes special people to tackle such challenges as the shown in this movie and in racing in the Alaskan Iditarod Dog Sled Race . . .

RATING

I rate this movie **** out of *****. This is a good family movie. It is a movie depicts excellent character qualities such as courage, loyalty, trust, devotion, and determination.

Eight Below and the Iditarod both put winter here in the Midwest in proper perspective for me . . .