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Eye-gouging is considered such a foul, filthy act that it’s banned by even our most blatantly combative exercises, including mixed martial arts and pro wrestling.
Sheriff Urban Meyer of the Gainesville PD isn’t as concerned, apparently.
Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes was caught on film purposefully jamming his fingers through the facemask of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey on Saturday in an effort to rip at Ealey’s eyes.
It was about as ugly and unbecoming of a play as there is in football.
For the act, Meyer will bench his star linebacker for the first half of the Gators’ game against Vanderbilt.
Repeat: one half. That penalty isn’t a joke, although the man dishing it out is acting like one.
There is almost no excuse for Spikes’ conduct. None. It was a dirty play and one with serious ramifications. There’s a reason violently poking your fingers at someone’s eye is a zero tolerance offense. The other guy can go blind. He has no ability to protect himself.
Football is an emotional, violent pursuit and acts like this happen more than the camera catches. “I don’t think that we did anything in that game that they didn’t do,” quarterback Tim Tebow told reporters.
That’s the excuse of a child though. The other-guy-does-it-too is never a justifiable defense. It wouldn’t even matter if Ealey had provoked him (the two had been jawing prior to the incident).
Spikes is the one who got caught.
Meyer ought to be man enough to know this, which is why his decision to dole out such a light punishment is more pathetic than Spikes’ original sin.
UF athletic director Jeremy Foley or SEC commissioner Mike Slive should’ve stepped in and issued a real suspension.
“I don’t condone that,” Meyer told reporters Monday of Spikes’ play.
Gee, really, you don’t condone it?
“We’re going to suspend Brandon for the first half of the Vanderbilt game,” Meyer said. “I talked to him, that’s not who he is. I love Brandon Spikes, the team does. We’re going to move on. He has our full support.”
Florida is begging for an adult to lead them. Meyer isn’t it when it comes to player conduct. He may be a heck of a football coach, great recruiter, perhaps even devout family man and charitable person.
It doesn’t change the fact this was a craven decision.
This is a sport, unfortunately, where you don’t need to run a program the right way to earn massive fame, fortune and support though. A large proportion of Gator fans wouldn’t care if Ealey’s eye had been damaged. It’s like that with every college team.
For too many fans it’s just about winning games. They’ll pretend Meyer is doing it the right way whether he is or not. They’ll justify Spikes’ act and the light penalty somehow.
Meyer and Foley know that. They know football runs the school and, as such, no one who runs the school will mess with football. So they’ll do as they wish and pretend it’s no big deal.
The fans will cheer anyway. The checks will clear regardless. Spikes may even have another 10-tackle, pick-six afternoon like he did against Georgia.
There ought to be more though. Dirty plays are dirty plays. Meyer may be correct that this act isn’t who Spikes is. Fine. No one is saying he’s a monster. Sitting him for a couple of games isn’t disproportionate punishment though.
A lesson needs to be taught. A standard should be upheld. Some discipline has to be displayed – both to those inside and outside the program.
The University of Florida should care about more than the pursuit of a glass football trophy.
This is about winning games by any means necessary, it’s about justifying and enabling out-of-control play, it’s about brushing off concerns about the safety of opposing players.
The timing is interesting that on the same day UF was giving a wrist slap for an eye gouge, Oregon was set to reinstate running back LeGarrette Blount for his sucker punch of a Boise State player and attempted charge at fans back in September.
It took less than 24 hours for Oregon to suspend Blount for the entire season back then.
“There is no place on the field of play for that kind of action, and his conduct was reprehensible,” school president Richard Lariviere said in a statement. “We do not and will not tolerate the actions that were taken by our player. Oregon’s loyal fans expect and deserve better.”
The initial punishment was too severe – you always want to allow for a player to rectify his mistake. Allowing Blount to work his way back to the team through contrition, sacrifice and action was the proper idea. In the end, the running back will have sat seven games.
It’s difficult to argue that Oregon didn’t act decisively and then properly.
Florida just acted in its best football interests. One of its team captains went after an opposing player with the dirtiest of plays.
He’ll sit out a half.
It’s all about blind ambition in Gainesville.
Anyone else think that this thug should be tossed out of football? I mean come on. Nothing is wrong with playing aggressive but to try to hurt someone by gouging their eyes out is ridiculous. I played school football for 8 years straight and NEVER seen anything that would equate to this. He should be banned from the sport. Pete Rose got banned for betting on a game and this thug just gets a slap on the wrist? It just doesn't make since.
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"Im only comfortable with a three man brain trust." -The Janitor
It' part of that "win at any cost" mentality that is becoming so prevalent today. We even saw Brett Favre cutt a player down at the knees earlier this year. Although Favre's block was due to ingnorance, and not malice, I'm afraid the day of the classy "Lou Gehrig" type athlete is in peril.
Same thing should have happened to Blount. If you're fine with him coming back, don't get your panties in a wad because of this guys punishment.
Curious as to the source of the article.
It took less than 24 hours for Oregon to suspend Blount for the entire season back then.
“There is no place on the field of play for that kind of action, and his conduct was reprehensible,” school president Richard Lariviere said in a statement. “We do not and will not tolerate the actions that were taken by our player. Oregon’s loyal fans expect and deserve better.” The initial punishment was too severe – you always want to allow for a player to rectify his mistake.
Listening to Boselli about this today on the radio he said most fans don't have a clue what goes on in the pile and this is no big deal. It probably happened to Spikes a couple of plays before and happens all the time. This time the camera happened to catch it.
I wouldn't go by what some hack reporter writes - lets see what kind of noise the other coaches and players make, if not much then you can bet that they know the score - and based on what happened to me when playing rugby I don't think Big Bo is far off the mark.
BTW Boselli is a big USC guy and doesn't have much time for Florida.
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Current THT College Football Pick 'Em Second Place!
CRWYR Yacht Name: Menzies
Defining and analyzing humor is a pastime of humorless people.
You are right there. I mean their WHOLE sports program is nothing but thugs. One of my high school team mates ended up going to Florida to play ball. Im not going to name any names but his GPA was below 2 and never took the SAT and some how got into Florida. This was 12 years ago and from what I understand it is still the same.
Another example is Joakim Noah. I mean really? What a joke....
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"Im only comfortable with a three man brain trust." -The Janitor
Same thing should have happened to Blount. If you're fine with him coming back, don't get your panties in a wad because of this guys punishment.
Curious as to the source of the article.
It took less than 24 hours for Oregon to suspend Blount for the entire season back then.
“There is no place on the field of play for that kind of action, and his conduct was reprehensible,” school president Richard Lariviere said in a statement. “We do not and will not tolerate the actions that were taken by our player. Oregon’s loyal fans expect and deserve better.” The initial punishment was too severe – you always want to allow for a player to rectify his mistake.
Bullshit. Rectify somewhere else.
I copied and pasted this article from Yahoo.com.
__________________
"Im only comfortable with a three man brain trust." -The Janitor
Listening to Boselli about this today on the radio he said most fans don't have a clue what goes on in the pile and this is no big deal. It probably happened to Spikes a couple of plays before and happens all the time. This time the camera happened to catch it.
I wouldn't go by what some hack reporter writes - lets see what kind of noise the other coaches and players make, if not much then you can bet that they know the score - and based on what happened to me when playing rugby I don't think Big Bo is far off the mark.
BTW Boselli is a big USC guy and doesn't hve much time for Florida.
I played football for 8 straight years in school. I was a center. I was in the dog pile 75% of the time. Yes. Crazy stuff happens like bending fingers and etc but to gouge someones eyes? I mean that is taking it past hitting someone at the knees. This is possibly taking away someones sight. It is uncalled for. I never seen that in my 8 years.
No matter what happened on the previous plays it still does not justify someone GOUGING someones eyes. Period. On most teams this would result in a CODE RED being brought down upon the player that did this. However at the U of F he will probably get another star on his helmet.
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"Im only comfortable with a three man brain trust." -The Janitor
Actually, the video link was enough. I've got no time for that, him or Blount.
I agree! If my old coach was his coach he would tie him to the goal post and have the whole team run tackle drills on him all while the coach sprays the hose pipe in his helmet.
Then he would kick his ass off the team.
It would be a good time for all.
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"Im only comfortable with a three man brain trust." -The Janitor
I am a Florida Fan and make no excuses for Spikes behavior and I agree there should be more punishment than a half game suspension. Course I saw the Georgia player INTENTIONAL grab Brandon James and wrench his neck clear around and that was intentional also. Point is, alot of bad stuff happens, I think a cure for it would be if the NCAA would set some standard punishments then it would take it out of the coach's hands. Players conduct in both the NCAA and the NFL is way out of control. I dont like all the celebrating that goes on either, what ever happened to just getting up and handing the ball to the referee, now they all have to jump up, act out just because they made a tackle. Football lost its class about 20 years ago..
__________________ "All that's necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing."Benjamin Franklin
your an idiot,attack the best disciplined kid on the team.
Yes, I am an idiot. You've spoken to me, you know me well, have reviewed any tests I might have taken in grade school, high school, and college. You also oversee my actions at my job and around my home, and after having compiled all the facts, you are certain that I am, in fact, an idiot.
I'm still butt hurt that the refs had to win the Arkansas game for ya.
Last edited by sweptvolume; 11-03-2009 at 07:12 AM.
University of Florida's = Thug University!!!
