Oregon RB LaGarrette Blount has been suspended for the season including any postseason play the Ducks happen to make. As a senior RB, this essentially ends his college career, and according to ESPN's Todd McShay makes a once late 2nd-early 3rd round guy "undraftable." It's a fitting end to his career marked by troubles with fitness and the other things involved in football besides on-the-field performance. The move to keep him on scholarship is a nice touch as a last ditch hope that Blount can get his act together. More than likely it's a lost cause, but there's really no point in pulling it from him at this point.
I still fell that Boise State should have take corrective action against Hout though. He instigated contact with an already-agitated Blount and honestly, how surprised can he be with the reaction? That in no way excuses Blount for his reprehensible actions, but how does Hout skate through this unscathed? If BSU HC Chris Peterson won't take action, I'd like to see the MWC or NCAA step in and suspend him for at least 2 games.
Showing posts with label Thuggery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Thuggery. Show all posts
Friday, September 4, 2009
Blount can dish it, can't take it
While the Oregon/Boise State game certainly didn't deliver the offensive fireworks many hoped for, the bad blood between the teams boiled up in the post-game celebration. Earlier this week, Oregon RB LeGarrette Blount ran his mouth this week about owing Boise State and "ass-whooping" after last year's Bronco win in Autzen Stadium. Even the pre-game handshake went off without a hitch.
Once the game started, the Broncos thoroughly dominated the Ducks, including holding Blount to -5 yds on 8 carries. As a team, the Ducks (under new head coach and alleged offensive mastermind Chip Kelly) mustered just 152 total yds and controlled ball for less than 18 minutes of the game. It was an utter embarrassment for a team some though might challenge USC and Cal for the PAC-10 title this season. Frustrations came to a head when BSU sophomore DE Byron Hout taunted Blount, who quickly retaliated with a sucker punch when Hout turned away. The celebratory dance after the punch only made it worse. Blount was literally dragged off the field by coaches, teammates, and security personnel as he was taunted by the Boise State student section on the way to the tunnel.
In a perfect world, Hout wouldn't have dance up to Blount and said whatever he said, most likely something along the lines of "How'd that ass-whoopin' work out for you there, buddy?" But he did, and as a coach-proclaimed "more mature player,"the onus falls on Blount to be the better man, which he obviously wasn't. If you're going to talk tough before the game, you've got to be able to take it back after the game, particularly if you do nothing in the game.
In my view, Hout should receive the same punishment that Blount does from the NCAA. Hout initiated the physical contact. The Boise players basically surrounded the Oregon offense as the clock ticked to 0:00, exacerbating an already tense situation.
To Blount's credit, he did calm down enough to issue this apology:
He hurt his team last night with a poor on-field performance, embarrassed himself and his team with his post-game antics, and will now be a major distraction to a seemingly fragile Ducks team as the NCAA and HC Kelly will have to decide how to punish him. Based on his spotted history at Oregon and his reprehensible behavior last night, I don't know how Kelly keeps him on the team.
Once the game started, the Broncos thoroughly dominated the Ducks, including holding Blount to -5 yds on 8 carries. As a team, the Ducks (under new head coach and alleged offensive mastermind Chip Kelly) mustered just 152 total yds and controlled ball for less than 18 minutes of the game. It was an utter embarrassment for a team some though might challenge USC and Cal for the PAC-10 title this season. Frustrations came to a head when BSU sophomore DE Byron Hout taunted Blount, who quickly retaliated with a sucker punch when Hout turned away. The celebratory dance after the punch only made it worse. Blount was literally dragged off the field by coaches, teammates, and security personnel as he was taunted by the Boise State student section on the way to the tunnel.
In a perfect world, Hout wouldn't have dance up to Blount and said whatever he said, most likely something along the lines of "How'd that ass-whoopin' work out for you there, buddy?" But he did, and as a coach-proclaimed "more mature player,"the onus falls on Blount to be the better man, which he obviously wasn't. If you're going to talk tough before the game, you've got to be able to take it back after the game, particularly if you do nothing in the game.
In my view, Hout should receive the same punishment that Blount does from the NCAA. Hout initiated the physical contact. The Boise players basically surrounded the Oregon offense as the clock ticked to 0:00, exacerbating an already tense situation.
To Blount's credit, he did calm down enough to issue this apology:
"I just apologize to anyone watching that," Blount said. "I just apologize to all of our fans and all of Boise's fans. That's something I shouldn't have done. I lost my head."But it's too little too late. He talked smacked, fell flat on his face, and lashed out by suckerpunching the first someone who brought it up. Emotions run high, particularly in a grudge match like that, but the best players channel that emotion positively on the field. Blount let it get the best of him.
He hurt his team last night with a poor on-field performance, embarrassed himself and his team with his post-game antics, and will now be a major distraction to a seemingly fragile Ducks team as the NCAA and HC Kelly will have to decide how to punish him. Based on his spotted history at Oregon and his reprehensible behavior last night, I don't know how Kelly keeps him on the team.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Hornsby Indicted, Kicked Off Team
And all I can say is good riddance to bad trash. It was a mistake to recruit to the guy in the first place. And save your canned "second chance" rhetoric. This guy was a despicable cancer who blew through multiple chances at Florida. Because he's tall and athletic, he was given yet another chance, which he predictably threw away.
Before you can say it, no, it's not a shame and no, it's not sad. It's pathetic. There's much positive going on in Oxford right now to involve a pariah like Hornsby. If the only thing he's interested in is fighting in McDonald's parking lots at 3AM or running up bills on a dead girl's credit card, then he has no business being in Oxford or any other college town.
And, please, don't let the door hit you on your way out of town... you'd probably try to steal the doorknob off it.
Before you can say it, no, it's not a shame and no, it's not sad. It's pathetic. There's much positive going on in Oxford right now to involve a pariah like Hornsby. If the only thing he's interested in is fighting in McDonald's parking lots at 3AM or running up bills on a dead girl's credit card, then he has no business being in Oxford or any other college town.
And, please, don't let the door hit you on your way out of town... you'd probably try to steal the doorknob off it.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Anthony Dixon arrested
Anthony Dixon was arrested Saturday night for three of charges including driving under the influence after he allegedly refused to take sobriety tests. While there's no denying that Dixon getting busted for DUI is stupid, it's something that the majority of you reading this probably could have been busted for at some point at your time in (Insert College Town Here). But he's a senior leader on a team in transition and it's just a couple of weeks until practice starts up. Mullen and crew did not need this.
What I'm curious to see is how Mullen handles the situation. His predecessor wowed the media with "Be Good or Be Gone," but under Croom, the Bulldogs had arrest numbers that would make Urban Meyer blush, and not many of them were "gone". Mullen has made no such decree and is a Meyer protege, so it will interesting to see how this works itself out in the coming months. Will it be "handled internally?" Will he be suspended for Jackson State? What about Auburn?
As one of the few SEC-caliber players the Bulldogs have on the offensive side of the ball, I expect the punishment will be light. There's no way he misses Auburn and even missing the 2nd half of the JSU game would be a surprise to me. It's not like he was counterfeiting dollar bills, right?
What I'm curious to see is how Mullen handles the situation. His predecessor wowed the media with "Be Good or Be Gone," but under Croom, the Bulldogs had arrest numbers that would make Urban Meyer blush, and not many of them were "gone". Mullen has made no such decree and is a Meyer protege, so it will interesting to see how this works itself out in the coming months. Will it be "handled internally?" Will he be suspended for Jackson State? What about Auburn?
As one of the few SEC-caliber players the Bulldogs have on the offensive side of the ball, I expect the punishment will be light. There's no way he misses Auburn and even missing the 2nd half of the JSU game would be a surprise to me. It's not like he was counterfeiting dollar bills, right?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Not worth the trouble
Jamar Hornsby's case was delayed until Mid-August. Houston Nutt wouldn't comment if Hornsby would still practice with the team while his case was in limbo.
It's shameful that we even offered and signed this kid. Call me callous, but the credit card theft crosses a line of decent humanity from which there is absolutely no return. It wasn't his first run-in with the law in Gainesville either, just his most publicized.
And don't feed me the canned "everybody deserves a second chance" line. Hornsby has blown more chances than anyone deserves. The fact that he was recruited at all with his criminal background is a harsh glimpse into the "win-at-all-costs" of major D1 football.
Replacing Jamarca Sanford will not be easy, but Hornsby is not the answer. 2009 has too much potential for greatness to jeopardize it only nefarious characters such as Hornsby.
It's shameful that we even offered and signed this kid. Call me callous, but the credit card theft crosses a line of decent humanity from which there is absolutely no return. It wasn't his first run-in with the law in Gainesville either, just his most publicized.
And don't feed me the canned "everybody deserves a second chance" line. Hornsby has blown more chances than anyone deserves. The fact that he was recruited at all with his criminal background is a harsh glimpse into the "win-at-all-costs" of major D1 football.
Replacing Jamarca Sanford will not be easy, but Hornsby is not the answer. 2009 has too much potential for greatness to jeopardize it only nefarious characters such as Hornsby.
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