Former Ohio State star running back Maurice Clarett wrote in his blog that he’s in good shape and wants to play football again when he gets out of prison.

Clarett, 25, earned a jail sentence of at least 3-1/2 years in September 2006 after being arrested on concealed weapons charges in Ohio. He could be released next year.

He has blogged periodically from prison, and his May 25 entry says he’s trying to stay in shape that could give him another chance in the NFL.

(Notably, Clarett’s blog post came one day before Judge Sonia Sotomayor, who authored the ruling that dismissed his bid to enter the NFL draft as an underclassman, was nominated to the Supreme Court.)

“I can’t hold these feelings in anymore,” Clarett said. “I want to play football again. I have a deep desire to play. I love the game. I have so much penitentiary aggression pinned up inside of me. I want to hit someone. I want to run the ball. I want to tackle someone. I want to play. I am going to play somewhere.”

Clarett was a third-round draft choice by Denver in 2005. But he never played a game. He would be a longshot to earn a roster spot in the NFL if he tried in 2010 at age 26. But he could be a candidate for the UFL if the start-up league is around then.

No wonder newspaper columnists don’t take bloggers serious – this dude’s blogging from freaking prison.

I think the only way the UFL succeeds even for a day is if it goes out and recruits players like Clarett and Michael Vick knowing that there is no such thing as bad publicity. As much as I would deny wanting to watch, I know I would tune in just to see how Clarett and Vick look in playing action again. In know way do I think the UFL will ever be profitable (especially if it foolishly runs against the NFL’s regular season), but I’d at least be a little interested in tuning in to watch Clarett and Vick play some second rate football.

The United Football League is hoping to debut in August of this year and maybe attract a fan or two. UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue figures one way to do that is to recruit a big name from prison, err, the NFL.

Last year, UFL Commissioner Michael Huyghue was candid regarding his league’s desire to offer an opportunity to Falcons quarterback Mike Vick, who might very well be suspended for a year (or more) after being released from federal custody in July. Last month, Huyghue backed off considerably, suggesting that the UFL would bow to the will of the fans. Are there any? Apparently, there are — and Huyghue apparently has consulted with them. And they apparently want Vick. According to Howard Balzer of the Sports Xchange, the UFL is believed to be plotting a run at Vick. The only potential impediment would come from a decision by the Falcons, if they don’t release him, to invoke the language in his contract preventing him from playing in any other league while on suspension. But assuming the Falcons don’t cut Vick, perhaps they’d be able to conjure a trade market for 2010 by letting Vick run circles around the slappies that will be populating the UFL.

It won’t matter if the UFL gets Vick, Joe Montana and Hershel Walker to play – it’s doomed. I don’t understand why these leagues think they can compete with the NFL. Why would you start your season in August with the NFL starting its season in September? If you want to have any chance of succeeding, play in the spring when people are in their Super Bowl hangover and would watch any kind of football. It just doesn’t make any sense to go head to head with the most popular league in the world.

That said, trying to lure Vick to playing in the league isn’t a bad idea by Huyghue. He has a new product and needs to draw attention to it – any form of attention. Regardless of whether or not people hate him, they’ll still tune in to see how Vick will look in pads again. It’ll be interesting to see whether or not the Falcons release him by that point and he catches on with the new league.

There’s a possibility Michael Vick could strap on the helmet and shoulder pads again in 2009, although not for the NFL. The upstart United Football League, which is trying to get off the ground by next year, could acquire Vick’s services once he gets out of federal prison according to SI.com’s Peter King.

The big news, I suppose, from my talk with Huyghue was this: He said the chances of a UFL team signing Michael Vick to play the 2009 season are “98 percent.” Strange percentage, but that’s what he said.

“Michael’s not going to be able to walk right back into the NFL,” Huyghue said. “He’s going to need some kind of buffer before he signs in the NFL, and we’ll be able to provide that for him.”

Some may scoff at the idea of any league allowing Vick to play football again, but this makes perfect business sense. The UFL is trying to make a name for itself, so why not make some headlines by acquiring a former NFL superstar? Even if the UFL takes some heat for allowing Vick to play, they’ll still get a ton of exposure, which is exactly what a new business wants. There is no such thing as bad press.

As far as the UFL itself goes, it’s hard to fathom that any league would be successful with how popular the NFL already is. But at least the league isn’t trying to go head to head with the NFL like the XFL (remember them?) did. If football is being played during the NFL offseason, maybe people will tune in…maybe.