4:39 PM Fri, Sep 04, 2009 | Permalink |
As you've all heard by now, Oregon suspended RB LeGarrette Blount for the season for punching Boise State DE Byron Hout. The punch came after Hout went out of his way, ran up to Blount and taunted him. The Oregon Ducks did the wrong thing.
First off, Blount should be suspended indefinitely with the stipulation he can play again only if he shows remorse, completes anger management, and apologizes to Hout, the Broncos, and his team.
Make sure the suspension runs through half the season and possibly through three-quarters of it. But give him a chance to bounce back. This is college. This is where kids learn to become adults. This is place for teenagers can make mistakes before they go out into the real world.
A couple of years ago, former Duck basketball player Aaron Brooks gave then Huskies guard Ryan Appleby a vicious forearm shiver to the face. Brooks was suspended two games. Yes, 2 games. Not the season. Not the rest of the season (in all fairness it was the PAC-10 tournament and Oregon's season was over). But two games at the beginning of the next season. The suspension had little or no impact on the team.
So what happened to Brooks? He stayed in school. He stayed at Oregon, instead of transferring closer to home (Seattle). He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in the first round of the NBA Draft. Brooks is now a starter with Houston. The former Duck also went on a tear during the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Brooks got the message. He sat his 2 games and was given a chance to mature. Blount deserves that same opportunity. Some of the so-called "experts" say he's gone from 2nd or 3rd rounder to undraftable.
Oregon instead went with a knee-jerk reaction because it was all over the headlines. Ten to twenty years ago, a coach at a major institution would have maybe made the athlete run extra sprints or hold him out of the next game, provided it was against a creme puff team. But now there's a hypersensitivity to anything bad. In order to appease the masses and act like you know what you're doing, Oregon (or any school doling out punishment) acts swiftly and, in my opinion, unjustly.
"Football at the University of Oregon is a privilege, and with that privilege goes responsibilities" -- Oregon head coach Chip Kelly
Someone should also tell coach Kelly it's a privilege to coach a football. Coach Kelly and Boise State coach Chris Peterson should bear some responsibility. Both need to realize it's their privilege to teach the student/athletes the proper way to act before, during and after the game. Coach Kelly should learn it's a privilege and his duty to escort Blount out of the stadium before another incident, like with the fans, could happen. Coach Peterson should tell Hout it's a privilege to play football. It sounds like the instigator will only get a talkin' to. Coach Peterson and Boise State should tell their fans that it's a privilege to watch a college football game. Will those fans get suspended or banned from games? I doubt it.
This is an event where everyone needs to take part of the blame. Of course, Blount should shoulder the most for his actions. If nothing else, every institution and coach across america can use this as a learning experience. It's too bad Oregon went too far and failed to provide one for Blount.
LeGarrette Blount need to lose his scholarship and be expelled from school. Oregon college football players are getting into the habit of excessive force. This is not behavior that needs a reward. Do the right thing and let this one pay his way to an education.
Blount got exactly what he deserved. I mean you can't take some taunting after you lose when you were taunting before the game? Suck it up and deal with it Blount. Oregon did the right thing, I wonder if the prosecutor's office will do the right thing as well and file assault charges because that it what it is. He is lucky if this is all that happens to him.
While I agree with you that the punishment should have been an indefinite suspension with the opportunity to return for the end of the season, I disagree with a lot of the rest that you said.
First off, Hout (the taunting player) should also face disciplinary action. What he did was classless and has no place in football. That, however, does not excuse what Blount did.
It needs to be realized that Blount did not just throw a punch; that was just a the first in a chain of events which included him avoiding his teammates (who were trying calm him down), resisting his coaches who WERE (contrary to what you said) trying to guide him into the tunnel, and trying to force his way THROUGH A POLICE OFFICER to attack some fans. Had this happened outside of a football stadium, this player would be facing jail time.
Had he just thrown a punch, it probably would have been a 2-4 game suspension, as the offense would have been similar to that of Aaron Brooks. Unfortunately this is not the case.
Also, this is not his first offense. He's been problematic in the past.
I'll acknowledge that back in the day, when men were men, and you walked uphill, barefoot, in the snow to school, etc, the penalty would have been much less. But does that make it right?
Like I started off saying, I would have preferred your suggested action, but I don't think the Ducks necessarily got it wrong.
Clearly that was the punch that cost Blount millions no matter what happens. I agree though, half the season and make him earn his way back on the team. Plus, since the game was over, file felony charges and make him work through the legal system. If he is convicted as a felon and that creates eligibility issues then so be it. But, is it really fair to ruin a kids (and yes he is a kid, not the first to due something dumb) life over one punch in a game?
Your security system sucks. If you want me to type the letter as shown, and you can't make them clear enough to decipher, don't blow up what I have written. I am out of here to better websites. So long King 5. It's been nice to know you, but not that nice.