What goes around, comes around

My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over.

Maurice Clarett will spend the next three and a half years in prison. Well it's about time. The gist of the deal is that to end the two criminal cases against him, he pleads guilty to aggravated robbery and carrying a concealed weapon. He gets a 7 1/2-year sentence with release possible after 3 1/2 years and then five years of probation after the prison sentence.

What exactly does this mean? Well, for starters it means that one of the most promising running backs in the country won't be playing football any time soon. He will be lucky to see daylight for more than an hour a day.

Secondly it may mean that the Mahoning Valley Hitmen may come to a sudden stop. Wouldn't that just be sweet. No more third string team playing in a third string venue with third string management. Without Clarett, they lack a single notable player. They retain the idiotic and bombastic leader in Jim Terry, which is unfortunate but he too will fall (not criminally, I imagine, but probably financially).

The bottom line is that there is no way the Valley can sustain two arena football teams. With the bigger money and bigger venue, the Thunder will be the dominate team. I see very few people heading to Masury to see the Hitmen play on an indoor soccer field when the Thunder have a brand new arena downtown in which to play. That is not to mention that there are other things to do downtown such as restauraunts and bars which, last time I was there, Masury lacks.

Bright times are ahead, folks, and without Clarett and the Hitmen, they are even brighter.