All eyes and pressure will be on Adu

How young is too young for professional athletics? It is a question that has been pondered by many over recent decades -- particularly, recent years -- with the Maurice Clarett saga in college football. However, Clarett is five years senior to the latest professional American athlete, that being 14-year-old soccer phenom Freddy Adu, who will remain in the United States and play for Major League Soccer.\nAdu was announced as the newest addition to the MLS in an attempt to lure attention to the sport of soccer in America, and it likely will work to some extent and for at least a short time period. Adu is reported to have the soccer equivalent talents of 18-year-old basketball star LeBron James and is already being compared to all-time soccer greats Pele and Diego Maradona.\nHis talents definitely are not in question as Adu has already represented the United States on international spectrums with the Under-17 team at the World Championships. Currently, Adu is even competing with athletes on par with Clarett's age as he was added to the U.S. U-20 team competing at the FIFA World Youth Championships alongside two Hoosier collegiate soccer players.\nAdu will play for the D.C. United franchise of MLS, which allows Adu to stay close to his home of Potomac, Md. Unfortunately for Adu, the United have struggled in recent years and, just Monday, fired their coach, so Adu will immediately be looked upon to turn around a toiled franchise. Terms of Adu's contract were not publically disclosed, but it has been reported that he would already become the highest-paid player in MLS, which is a single-owned operation. Players are signed to the organization, not individual teams.\nWhile Adu's reported contract of $250,000 does seem miniscule in comparison to like contracts of talented rookies in other professional leagues, or even the winnings young stars garner in tennis, it is ridiculous that MLS is paying more to a 14 year old than any other player in its organization. Adu is sadly going to be looked upon to completely revitalize a slumping sports organization and will be heavily promoted as the face and future of all American soccer.\nIronically enough, had it not been for FIFA regulations against players under the age of 18 signing professional contracts with teams in foreign countries, Adu probably would have been long gone for the bigger cash values he could easily have received overseas. FIFA regulations have not stopped such foreign soccer powers as Inter Milan, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United from offering him more money than MLS to play in one of their youth programs until he turns 18, then risking the chance that he would re-sign to play with their professional team.\nWith all the commotion about Adu signing and staying to play in MLS, it will give American soccer one more boost of life to try to promote the game and make it a premier sport in American culture. As a fan of soccer in America, especially at the college and national level, I would love nothing more than for the Freddy Adu craze to bring new-found interest to soccer across the country. However, I am not holding my breath, and neither should you.