*Note: This is not Assignment 1 for NGSII, this is simply me getting "it" off my chest.

As I am in the middle of editing my first assignment for NGSII, I noticed the curious headline:

"Memphis' Williams to leave for NBA"

Sure, the kid is huge at 6'9" and 235 pounds. He was one of the top freshman in the country last season. He finished last season at 13.2 points a game and averaged 6.2 rebounds a game, in addition to helping his team land a number one seed in the NCAA tournament. That's all fine and dandy, but how does any of that make him ready to enter a professional league?

Before you start "commenting" below, I know I was the one who praised the talents of 21 year old LeBron, but that doesn't mean I didn't have my doubts back in the day. In fact, I had real big issues with Kobe when he skipped school to enter the NBA  in the late 90's.

Perhaps it's a personal issue I have. You see, when I was 16, I had several friends who left school early to move to Los Angeles and New York to "make it" in entertainment. They all got their snazzy agents and took their college funds to pay rent instead of paying tuition. Yes, I was jealous because my parents wouldn't allow such a thing. Instead, I finished high school, went to college, and in my senior year I was wined and dined by several New York agents to sign, and I did. I'm proud to say that of all the people I knew who left school early to sign with an agent, all but ONE have left the business...but I'm still here! I just think that there is something to be said for taking the time to GROW UP and act like a kid before you find yourself in the middle of a very intense and complicated adult world.

I know that my experience is by no means on par with a collegiate athlete, but in many ways it is. I was lured by the idea of money and fame, and so were many of my colleagues. Yet, what I gained in life experience between age 18-22 prepared me to handle the pressures I currently face.

Perhaps a better example of this "scenario gone wrong" is that of Mr. Maurice Clarett. Here was a kid who broke down doors his freshman season as a running back for Ohio State. His accolades included 1,237 rushing yards (a freshman record), 18 touchdowns, and he helped take his team to 14-0 and a National title. (Not too shabby, eh?) Well he thought he was so beyond college after one season, that he'd go ahead and challenge the NFL's rule that a player must be three years removed from high school before entering the draft. To make a long story short, he lost, and thankfully the Supreme Court denied his request to have to case reviewed because even the judge knew it was a waste of time. To make a long story short, Clarett was indicted in NCAA violations and criminal acts prior to the 2005 draft. At the NFL combine in 2005, he was given the name "Slow Mo" because his times were so terrible, he didn't even complete the workout because he quit. For some unknown reason the Denver Broncos drafted him no. 101 that year, but Clarett never even made it to the field or play a single game before he was fired. Today he currently stands to face charges on aggravated robbery and is said to be in debt nearly $1 million dollars for legal fees.