tsteele316
Mr. Such and Such
Employer disputes claim by Clarett of bogus pay
Friday, November 12, 2004
Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett worked briefly for a Columbus real estate company in the summer of 2002 but wasn’t paid for work he didn’t do, a company official said.
"Clarett worked like a day or two . . . and when the NCAA investigated before, we were cleared of any wrongdoing," said an official of Columbusbased M/I Real Estate Co., who gave the information only on condition that his name would not be used.
Clarett told ESPN The Magazine that the Ohio State football staff found him phantom jobs to put money in his pocket. He said he was paid even when he didn’t show up for work.
Clarett could not be reached for comment yesterday, and his mother, Michelle, did not return calls.
The magazine also reported that former OSU linebacker Marco Cooper said he, too, worked no-show jobs.
But Cooper told The Dispatch that he did painting and repair work for a Columbus company the summer before his freshman season in 2000.
That company was M/I Real Estate Co., not M/I Homes, which Cooper named in yesterday’s Dispatch. M/I Homes, also based in Columbus, has no affiliation with M/I Real Estate Co.
M/I Homes senior vice president Phil Creek said records maintained by the company show that it has not employed an Ohio State football player since 2001.
Cooper, who no longer plays for OSU, worked fewer than 40 hours at M/I Real Estate Co., the company said, adding that Clarett put in even less time.
"He (Cooper) worked sporadic hours at a lower hourly rate than full-time personnel, and only got paid when he worked," Brett Kaufman, executive vice president of M/I Real Estate, said in a statement issued yesterday.
"There was absolutely no bogus pay nor illegal benefits for Cooper or any other OSU athlete who ever worked with us."
The real estate company also released documents from Ohio State’s Student-Athlete Employment Program showing that Cooper earned $351.75 from M/I Real Estate Co. His hourly pay rate was $10.50.
"Clarett made much less than Cooper," the company source said.
Oh ESPN, your house of cards is falling fuckwads.
Friday, November 12, 2004
Rob Oller
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
Former Ohio State tailback Maurice Clarett worked briefly for a Columbus real estate company in the summer of 2002 but wasn’t paid for work he didn’t do, a company official said.
"Clarett worked like a day or two . . . and when the NCAA investigated before, we were cleared of any wrongdoing," said an official of Columbusbased M/I Real Estate Co., who gave the information only on condition that his name would not be used.
Clarett told ESPN The Magazine that the Ohio State football staff found him phantom jobs to put money in his pocket. He said he was paid even when he didn’t show up for work.
Clarett could not be reached for comment yesterday, and his mother, Michelle, did not return calls.
The magazine also reported that former OSU linebacker Marco Cooper said he, too, worked no-show jobs.
But Cooper told The Dispatch that he did painting and repair work for a Columbus company the summer before his freshman season in 2000.
That company was M/I Real Estate Co., not M/I Homes, which Cooper named in yesterday’s Dispatch. M/I Homes, also based in Columbus, has no affiliation with M/I Real Estate Co.
M/I Homes senior vice president Phil Creek said records maintained by the company show that it has not employed an Ohio State football player since 2001.
Cooper, who no longer plays for OSU, worked fewer than 40 hours at M/I Real Estate Co., the company said, adding that Clarett put in even less time.
"He (Cooper) worked sporadic hours at a lower hourly rate than full-time personnel, and only got paid when he worked," Brett Kaufman, executive vice president of M/I Real Estate, said in a statement issued yesterday.
"There was absolutely no bogus pay nor illegal benefits for Cooper or any other OSU athlete who ever worked with us."
The real estate company also released documents from Ohio State’s Student-Athlete Employment Program showing that Cooper earned $351.75 from M/I Real Estate Co. His hourly pay rate was $10.50.
"Clarett made much less than Cooper," the company source said.
Oh ESPN, your house of cards is falling fuckwads.
