Bleacher Report

Today's athletes are quickly learning how much leverage and power they currently hold. Yet 20 years have passed since Maurice Clarett legally challenged the NFL's entry rule. Professional football remains steadfast in prospects needing to be three years removed from the high school level before they're eligible to join its ranks. No other major American sport holds the same requirement. This weekend, Major League Baseball will conduct its own version of the entry draft. Its rule for eligibility is different but could be a formula the NFL uses if/when another young, talented individual challenges the status quo and forces change through a court of law. A baseball prospect can be drafted directly out of a high school. He then has a choice. Either he chooses to become a professional and joins the minor leagues, or he commits to a collegiate program, where he'll need to complete his junior season or be at least 21 years old before becoming draft-eligible again.