The 2-quarter benching sure doesn't seem severe enough to me.

Oregon suspended Blount for the year* after sucker-punching the Boise State player. And what wasn't common knowledge, I have heard on pretty darn good authority, that the Boise player used the "N word" in taunting Blount.

And what did Oregon do after the suspension? Undefeated since, beat three ranked teams including the absolute dismantling of USC last Saturday (which I attended.)

So sometimes suspending the star is a huge plus for the team.


*Looks like they will reinstate Blount this week, after 7 games.

I haven't seen this mentioned on here...what if Spikes' action was retaliation? Does it change anything? I didn't see what he did, but I did see him (Spikes) get his helmet ripped off and poked in the eye pretty early in that game. He came out of the game for a play or 2. Any chance his actions were retaliatory?

My personal opinion is that this is another instance of the over invasion of of a woosified PC media creating a PR firestorm that's much ado about nothing. The players usually (or they used to anyway) have a way of settling things on the field. Kudos to the GA player for understanding that concept.

WAG!

WAG, I kinda have to agree with you, although I have stayed out of this because I am at UF and not objective. Yes, it was in retaliation for an uppercut that knocked Spikes' helmet off. Football is a violent game, much less violent that it was in the old days, but still violent. My office is right across the street from the football stadium. To see these enormous young men walk across the street every morning on pre-season practice days is to be in awe. You take that kind of mass, add to it the way they are mentally prepared to hit people or be hit, to do anything to win, combine that with the (relatively) controlled violence of a football game, and no wonder stuff happens in the pile. I was kind of surprised at how shocked everyone was, and from what I read the Georgia player was, too.

I have read that you do NOT want to be in one of those piles during a rugby game!

With apologies in advance to those who may be offended... Captain Insano shows no mercy

Like probably many of the men on this board I played football and it was my sport of choice in college as well. It is a very violent sport and there are alot of things that do go on in a game. But there are some things that are out of bounds. Spitting in someones face , intentionally trying to hurt someone by going after a knee or as we used to say , going low. And of course taking your fingers reaching inside a players facemask and trying to grind his eyes out. The great Jim Brown once bit a players finger almost off in a game. His comment was "Whats outside my facemask is fair game whats inside my facemask belongs to me." The player was trying to do the same thing to Brown that Spikes attempted.

Spikes actions go above and beyond what is accepted in the game. The Georgia player is saying what alot of players would say in this situation. He doesnt want to come off as some crying whimp. But its not up to the players to decide in a situation like this. Spikes went way over the top with his actions. There has to be some discipline in the game or it will get totally out of hand. Coach Meyer had an opportunity to put this to rest but he chose to create this firestorm by the way he did deal with it.

You can hit someone as hard as you possibly can and if you knock them out and put them in the hospital its just part of the game. You might even get a helmet sticker for a big hit. But putting your hand inside a facemask of a player trying his best to hold onto the football who is being gang tackled and then grinding violently at his eyes is not part of the game. It is so out of bounds its ridiculous. There is no defense for it.

quote:

Originally posted by 2Bmom:
WAG, I kinda have to agree with you, although I have stayed out of this because I am at UF and not objective. Yes, it was in retaliation for an uppercut that knocked Spikes' helmet off. Football is a violent game, much less violent that it was in the old days, but still violent. My office is right across the street from the football stadium. To see these enormous young men walk across the street every morning on pre-season practice days is to be in awe. You take that kind of mass, add to it the way they are mentally prepared to hit people or be hit, to do anything to win, combine that with the (relatively) controlled violence of a football game, and no wonder stuff happens in the pile. I was kind of surprised at how shocked everyone was, and from what I read the Georgia player was, too.

I have read that you do NOT want to be in one of those piles during a rugby game!

With apologies in advance to those who may be offended... Captain Insano shows no mercy

I don't disagree that there weren't dirty plays on both sides but I believe Spikes needs to learn how to properly wear his helmet, it came off 3-5 times during this game and I've seen it come off in other games also. As far as the attempted eye gouging, their really is no excuse for it, no matter what happened before that play.

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Coach May nails another one...

44
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Coach May,
You're obviously entitled to your opinion and I'll agree to disagree with you on this. However, your story about the great Jim Brown kind of proves my point about players settling it amongst themselves. One could say that JB almost biting the guy's finger clean off was so out of bounds it was ridiculous. After all that could be considered attempted aggravated assault. But, it was done in retaliation for getting intentionally poked in the eye which Spikes probably believed happened to him earlier. I bet no one ever tried to poke JB's eyes again after they heard what happened, and that's what I believe Spikes was reinforcing. Once again these are players settling it amongst themselves.

I do agree that the better choice would have been to make a big legitimate hit on someone, but I just don't think this was such a big deal that he should be kicked off the team or suspended as some have suggested.

I also disagree that Coach Meyer created this firestorm by taking the disciplinary action he took. If he had taken no action, I'd say he contributed to it, but he assessed what happened and decided on what he felt was appropriate. The firestorm was created by the PC media and ESPN's never-ending appetite to fill 24 hours TV time with whatever they can whip up into a story.

Again, these are only my opinions, but I wanted to make the point that I hadn't heard raised here that I believe it was retaliatory and not just "out of the blue".

WAG!

First of all I do NOT condone what he did or any dirty play... BUT

It is football; these guys are drilled to be aggressive and to try to absolutely destroy everyone in their path from the time of Pop Warner. Play fast, hit hard, hit harder, intimidate and hit harder again.

Leave the criminal element out of all on field trangressions as well please.

Spikes suspends himself for a whole game, but it is against Vanderbuilt how bold!

If he agrees he did wrong, why not for the whole season?

Are you serious Homerun? For the whole season? That would be too harsh for the thing he did. At least he is taking responsibility for what he did and not blaming it on someone else or avoiding the responsibility.

Win at all cost nobody criticizes the win these days. Very little sportmanship left.