I'm a fan of the American football. The cutoff date for college players to enter the NFL draft just passed (past?), and the whole sports radio world (my roommate and I switch between this and Air America all day) is up in arms because USC's quarterback Matt Leinart - a damn good player, Heisman Trophy winner and lead the Trojans to a #1 ranking two years in a row - decided to not enter the draft and instead stay at school and play college ball for a final year.

By the reaction of radio folk, you would think this young man had just gleefully shot a puppy.

They can't comprehend why Leinart would pass up a multi-million dollar opportunity to stay at school, of all places. The derision in their voices is almost tangible.

He can rock on with his bad self is what I say. And I'm not a USC fan by any stretch of the imagination (goooo, Ducks!)

He values his education. Leinart will get out of USC with a degree and the backing for a real-world career if (god forbid) he gets injured playing ball next season. He's showing all the meatheads out there that college isn't just a pass to a life full of ugly, expensive cars in the name of fame.

How screwed would he be if he signed a one-year contract with any given NFL team and, in his first game of his professional football career, is sacked out of his shoes and snaps his femur? Hard to do, but it's happened. He will have then given up his education for a contract that is, as of that moment, null and void. By staying in school, Leinart faces less of a chance of this happening (I don't think there's a NFL team with an offensive line like USC's, but I could be wrong), has the support of a team and coaching staff he's familiar with and - hey! - he gets an education, to boot!

Somewhere along the line all this is forgotten in the name of the almighty dollar.

Rock on, Leinart, for having a clue.