College football has officially forgotten Ray Ray

By Marc Hudgens  |   Monday, May 19, 2008  |  Comments( 1 )

Clemson Tigers
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During this very dry, very boring period fans must endure until college football kicks off this August, reading anything and everything related to the sport is what addicts are relegated to doing.

One of the most mundane things out there are the "top-25 news stories during spring drills" columns. ESPN and Rivals, among others, have a column apiece on this very subject.

Rick Neuheisel and Norm Chow together in Westwood.

Patrick Cowan and Ben Olson together on the stretcher.

West Virginia Board of Governors for and on behalf of West Virginia University v. Richard Rodriguez.

Ryan Perrilloux, Terrelle Pryor, Branden Ore, Joe McKnight, Virginia's off-field problems, David Cutcliffe, etcetera.

But perhaps the biggest piece of news that occurred over the past two or three months went unranked. And this little thing even got the interest of those outside the sports world.

Clemson coach Tommy Bowden informed then-running back Ray Ray McElrathbey the day before the Tigers' spring practice that his scholarship would not be renewed for the 2008-09 academic year, which shot off a firestorm in the media.

McElrathbey gained fame in 2006 after taking custody of his little brother, Fahmarr, because of his mother's drug addiction at the time and his father's gambling problems. The elder McElrathbey was struggling to make ends meet as a student-athlete and single father. But the NCAA decided to be rule-crazy and prohibit others from giving aid to this unique individual in his unique situation.

McElrathbey's plight caused a media feeding frenzy, and not just in sports. He was ABC News' Person of the Week in September 2006 and was featured on Oprah. The spotlight that shined on his plight and thereby on the NCAA, in turn, made the college powers-that-be look bad; subsequently, they allowed the Atlanta native financial help, more than likely to avoid more negative P.R. as opposed to a true philanthropic motive. Nonetheless, McElrathbey became a national hero as a result.

Fast forward to this past March when Clemson released McElrathbey. As far as reasons, Bowden stated McElrathbey will soon have his degree (this August) and be able to "pursue other opportunities." Additionally, Bowden said Clemson was already overstocked on running backs. After that, reports came out that McElrathbey was not cutting it in class and failing to get along with the coaches, among other issues. Those things were said about a young man who will earn a sociology degree inside three years. Obviously, then, Bowden's negative comments seemed false.

The media storm hit once again and members of the national stage blasted Clemson and Bowden for their “cold-blooded” and “heartless” decision, as they put it.

Regardless of anyone's opinion on the topic, what can't be figured out is how these big national media sites, in their rankings of the top football news stories this spring, completely forgot about McElrathbey's recent release from Clemson.

All can agree the entire McElrathbey story was not just huge, but it transcended sports into the realm of what all humanity should strive for. There is a box-office smash in his story, and one of those big-time Hollywood players on Wilshire Boulevard or Melrose Avenue would be wise to pursue it.

In short, the McElrathbey story should be viewed as the top news of the offseason. Too bad the mainstream college football media have lost sight of what's really important.
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About Marc Hudgens

Marc Hudgens has been with RealFootball365 since 2007, covering college football, specifically Clemson and Oregon. He also writes for SouthernPigskin.com covering the ACC. He enjoys the acidic wit of Hunter S. Thompson, is a freelance graphic designer and has written several screenplays. He...
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