NCAA and NFL for 2009

2009 was a bit peculiar in the world of college football. We saw a coaching legend "ran out of town", a punch, and a waffle.

5. Player treatment

I know we just heard about the news concerning Mike Leach of Texas Tech, so many may think this is here only because of that. Remember, Mark Mangino was forced out at Kansas due to allegations of verbally abusing players. Jim Leavitt is under investigation at South Florida because it's alleged that he "hit" a player duting halftime of a game. The news of Leach placing an injured player in a shed and then in an electrical room only adds to this. Back in the day, this may have been viewed as toughening a player up or a way to discipline a player. Not anymore.

4. The exit of Bowden

The way Bobby Bowden will exit from Florida State is none to flattering. The Seminoles will play West Virginia, Bowden's first stop in coaching, in the  Bowl. Bowden made Seminole football and he deserves a far better way to exit the program. He deserved to have a "tour" in order for the man who put FSU on the map to receive his proper recognition.

3. Mark Herzlich's battle

Herzlich was coming off a 2008 that many college players dream of. He was a first team All-American, ACC Defensive Player of the Year, a finalist for Butkus Award as the nation's best linebacker and Herzlich was rated a mid 2nd round pick for the 2009 NFL draft. Herzlich chose to stay at Boston College for his senior year. In mid-May, Herzlich was diagnosed with Ewing's sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. Herzlich took the disease head-on and at the end of September, Herzlich announced he was cancer free. BC doctors confirmed this. Herzlich plans on playing for the Eagles in 2010 and doctors have given him the ok to play. Since Ewing's sarcoma is found in the bones and soft tissue, a rod was surgically inserted in Herzlich's leg for support and to aid in traning. Herlich received the 2009 Disney Award for Spirit despite not paying a down.

2. LeGarrette Blount

In a game that was to promote sportsmanship, Oregon Duck tailback LeGarrette Blount did the unthinkable. After the 19-8 loss to Boise State, Blount was apprached by Boise State's Byron Hout. Apparently, Blount was spouting off during the week. Hout approached Blount by thumping on Blount's shoulder pads. Hout proceded to say something to Blount. We will never know exactly what Hout said, but Blount obviously didn't like it and Blount fired a punch t the chin of the defenseless Hout. The reason Hout was defenseless was because Boise State's head coach Chris Peterson was already in the process of admonishing Hout's behavior. But it doesn't end there. Blount then aimed his distaste to the Broncos fans. Blount attempted to enter the crowd, but he was restrained by Oregon players and personnel. Blount would be suspended for the remainder of the season, but head coach Chip Kelly would later rescind the suspension after Blount completed a reinstatement plan.

1. Urban Meyer pulls a Brett Favre

This also just happened this past week. After the SEC Championship game, Meyer had to be taken to the hospital due to dehydration. It was furhter revealed that Meyer's health was deteriorating due to a heart condition and Meyer decided that it was time to get away from the game and retire from his position. In a press release, Meyer stated he'd ignored his health for too long and it was time to address the issue. Meyer also said he wanted to take time for his family. Upon attending the Florida Gator's Sugar Bowl practice the following day, the Gator players showed spirit and Meyer changed his stance on retirement. Meyer will take a leave of absence and leave Steve Addazio as the interim coach. In an iterview with ESPN's Tom Rinaldi, Meyer said what really made him change his mind was the thought of someone else coming into the Florida situation and changing things from the way he has them. What an ego. I guess his job is more important than hs family.

The NFL provided a few good moments, too. I've already referred to one. Here's my top 5 from 2009.

Gators LB Spikes to Sit a Half. Big Deal!

Update: On November 4, Spikes informed a Gainesville publication that he was going to suspend himself for the whole Vanderbilt game. His reason for his self-promotion, I mean, self-suspension was to not be a distraction to the team.

You might remember (or might not) when the whole story about Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant hit the newswires. Almost all of us saw the video of Oregon's LeGarrette Blount after the Oregon/Boise State game. So this latest "thing" puzzles me even more. Take a look.



As the title of the video precisely describes, that was Florida Gator linebacker Brandon Spikes intentionally sticking his fingers into the front of the opponenets helmet and gouging at the eyes.

Georgia running back Washaun Ealey was defenseless from the attack by Spikes. Head coach and "sheriff" Urban Meyer announced that Spikes would be suspended for the first half against the Gators upcoming opponent, Vanderbilt.

Meyer on Spikes:

"I don't condone that," Meyer said. "I understand what goes on on the football [field], but there's no place for that. We're going to suspend Brandon for the first half of the Vanderbilt game. I spoke with him. That's not who he is. That's not who we are. He got caught up in emotion."

I smell something rotten in the Swamp...and in the SEC.

Look at what Bryant got for lying (granted, to the NCAA) and look at Spikes "punishment". I don't remember hearing of Bryant attempting to harm an NCAA investigator. Spikes systematically went after Ealey's eyesight. And he'll miss only a half against an inferior opponent. What if Florida were playing Alabama?  Or even a top 25 opponent from a different conference? Do you honestly think any "punishment"/suspension would be levied?

Many excuses were made for what Spikes did. From an article on ESPN.com, check out this quote from Florida's QB Tim Tebow:

"I don't think that we did anything in that game that they didn't do," Tebow said Monday. "If you go back and look at it and study it, you can see it in the film, too. It was an intense game, both teams were very passionate about it."

All you are saying, Mr. Heisman, is that your teammate stooped to the same level as Georgia. And that's if the Bulldogs actually did as you are suggesting. It still does not warrant Spikes committing such a spineless act.

The SEC's commissioner Mike Slive has ruled that the suspension is OK by them. What if the eye gouge by Spikes was being done on, say, Alabama's running back Mark Ingram? Would this still be a legit "suspension"?

And here's where I'll revisit the LeGarrette Blount issue here. Blount was, at one time, suspended for th season during a couple of altercations in Boise after the Oregon/Boise State game. Blount has the possibility of returning to the Ducks this week after doing a "laundry list" of things administered by Oregon's Chip Kelly.

I have this for Meyer and Slive: Blount threw a punch in order to do harm to an opponenet. How are the actions of Brandon Spikes any different?

All this proves one thing. Slive doesn't run the SEC. Florida football does.

Blount to be a Duck again?

It was the punch that everyone saw. You saw it on SportsCenter. You saw it on YouTube. You might have even had a friend email it to you. You were absolutely in awe of what had happened. Yet, there's a chance that the guy that threw the punch will be back playing this season.

This is what I'm referring to if you haven't seen this already.



Oregon Ducks running back LeGarrette Blount took a shot Boise State's Byron Hout after an exchange following the Broncos 19-8 win over the Ducks on September 3. What makes this "shot" more apalling is that the NCAA had members of each team participate in an pregame handshake as a show of sportsmanship. Blount was one of the particpants in this ceremony.

Today Ducks head coach Chip Kelly is addressing the media after today's practice regarding Blount's status. I'm sure this press conference will be highly attended. I will give Kelly credit on this aspect: Blount has been attending class and participating practices as a member of the scout team. Keeping Blount involved was the best thing to do. This way, Kelly was showing Blount that he wasn't going to let this incident (and there's been another) ruin Blount's life.

When this first occurred, I mentioned on a post from September 4th that Blount had previously been reprimanded and suspended for "failure to fulfill team obligations" in February. Apparently Blount was not holding up his end of the bargain as far as winter workouts were concerned. Some will say that Blount had already been given a second chance and that the Ducks program should have washed their collective hands of him. First, the suspension and then the punch.

It looks like that may not be the case. Kelly has had a "plan" in place to potentially reinstate Blount prior to the end of this year. But Blount has been receiving advice from some very prominent individuals including Tony Dungy, Kermit Washington, and Harry Edwards. Kelly might not have the pull to get Blount on the proper track, but these guys do.

We know of Dungy's working with Michael Vick and that in itself should raise some eyebrows. Washington is the perfect person to help Blount because he's been exactly in Blount's shoes. On December 9, 1977, Washington threw a punch at Rudy Tomjanovich during an on-court altercation. Washington received a 60 day suspension for his part and Tomjanovich received $3.2 million.

Edwards, I think, is the key. His focus has been on African-American athletes and their experiences. Edwards is also a prime advocate of African-Americans being involved in sports management. In an interview with Time from March 6, 1989, Edwards delivers a most thought provoking statement:

"We must teach our children to dream with their eyes open," he said. "The chances of your becoming a Jerry Rice or a Magic Johnson are so slim as to be negligible. Black kids must learn to distribute their energies in a way that's going to make them productive, contributing citizens in an increasingly high-technology society."

Edwards has also served in a consulting role for the San Francisco 49ers and the Golden State Warriors. His primary role was to recruit African-American talent for positions within the front office of those organizations. He still is greatly admired and since the early 70's has been greatly involved in the sociology of sports.

The main force behind Blount's reinstatement has been those attending the Ducks games. "Free Blount" T-shirts were seen at the Ducks last home game.

In baseball it's three strikes and you're out. What about football?

Football has four downs. Blount's on third and long.

Oregon tailback LeGarrette Blount: Caught on Tape

Update: Oregon announced that Blount has been suspended for the season. At one time, Blount was being touted as a dark horse Heisman candidate. While I was watching ESPN, Robert Flores said the one NFL individual told him that Blount went from being a second or third round pick to undrafted. No hopes of Heisman and the chances of an NFL career are truly slim.

Everyone's probably seen it. This is a full version (along with highlights) of the events that transpired after the Oregon-Boise State game last evening. The principals involved are LeGarrette Blount of Oregon and Byron Hout of Boise Sate.



The most bizarre and ironic part of this story is what transpired before the game. Someone in their wisdom found it necessary to have a pre-game ceremonial handshake as a gesture of good sportmanship. Blount was one of the participants.

If you watched the full 3 minutes, you noticed that Hout appears to slap Blount on his shoulder pad and say something in Blount's direction. It's almost as if Hout was taunting Blount. Then, the infamous punch was thrown. A punch all of the world would know see and remember.

What degree of blame does Hout have in this dreaded incident? He does bear some. Very little, but some. A grade school teacher once taught me that not only are there sore losers, but sore winners as well. That appears to be the case with Hout. But Blount showed the ultimate display of being a sore loser.

Blount's future as an Oregon Duck remains clouded. Blount was suspended in February for "failure to fulfill team obligations". Those team obligations were reportedly winter workouts. Not a big deal considering last night's developments.

Oregon athletic director Mike Bellotti said he would confer with Pac-10 officials before making a decision. Oregon's new head coach Chip Kelly had this statement after the events:

"There's no place in college football for that," Kelly said. "…This [Boise State] is a heckuva football team. It shouldn't be marred by something after the fact. They beat us, and to react poorly after the game is not what we're all about. I just told the kids in the locker room that we have to learn how to play with emotion, not let emotion play with us. When you go out and get beat in a football game, you go out and shake that guy's hand and you go in the locker room and prepare for your next opponent. That stuff has no place in our program and won't have any place in our program."

And what does Blount have to say of his actions?

"I should have handled that situation a lot better than I did," Blount said. "I apologize. We will never have a game like this again. … The game as it went on, just got more frustrating and more frustrating for me in general. I shouldn't have said anything. I shouldn't have done anything."

The game was extremely frustrating for Blount: 8 carries for -5 yards. Not a stat line any running back would be proud of having. But Blount might not get another chance to handle a similar situation "a lot better". While his apology will most likely be accepted, his actions will be what everyone remembers.

And his actions could lead to his dismissal from Oregon's football program.