More than a few people were up in arms that linebacker Brandon Spikes was merely suspended for the first two quarters of this weekend's game for giving the business (That clip will never get old. Unlike this story...) to the eyes of Georgia running back Washuan Ealey.
Well, y'all can put your arms down now as Spikes himself has decided to voluntarily sit out the entire game against Vanderbilt. Yes, you read that correctly -- Spikes has decided to punish himself further.
The decision by Spikes, which comes with the support of head coach Urban Meyer and his teammates, was made in the face of criticism for Meyer's original decision to suspend for half of a game.
So now, all of the sudden, Gainesville has turned into the PGA tour, where players are calling penalties on themselves?
Anyway, kudos to Spikes for taking this step. It's a near-certainty this move will be met with a heaping helping of warranted skepticism -- especially because it's "just" the Commodores -- but, still, it's a class move by a guy who just four days ago was becoming some sort of a football pariah.
Even as a self-professed "Gator Hater" (seriously, Florida fans, do you know how idiotic you sound when you say that?), I agree with you: kudos to Spikes for taking some personal accountability - especially after being essentially forgiven by Ealey.
Not that it will matter, since it's another cupcake game for Florida, but still ...
Are you kidding me? One game? Against Vandy?
How severe is that?
This is a case where the punishment does not fit the crime. You threaten a man's vision, look like an absolute ahole on TV, embarrass Florida and get one game?
Hopefully the NFL teams have learned that once a thug always a thug and will never never draft this guy, never sign him as a free agent, never let him see the football field after his college days are done and he can spend the rest of his life driving a fork lift for Roadway Express.
Urban should have done that to begin with.
That's like when Dez Bryant was given credit admitting he lied, after he was caught. Acknowledging what everyone already knows doesn't give you any credit.
Urban caught all kinds of crap, so now Spikes is "volunteering" to stay out? I'd be WAY more impressed had that been done to begin with, and against Alabama.
Another great example of SEC ethics.
Urban this message is for you. Read it carefully.
Chip Kelly intuitively knew the right thing to do.
This is not part of the controlled violence of football, it was ASSAULT. A blatant attempt to injure an opponent, possibly for life.
So don't in the future attempt to portray yourself as a man of integrity, honor and class as you are none of the above.
Chip Kelly intuitively knew the right thing to do. It didn't take national media attention and blogs such as this. HE knew. Man of character. Despite the national attention you still have not done the right thing.
I was in the crowd of people who thought 1/2 a game was joke for punishment. However, Spikes suspending himself makes Meyer and the SEC look like keystone cops. Are you serious? The entire country knew what the right thing the was to do, but a head coach, an athletic department, and an entire conference couldn't do the right thing? And the athlete himself can figure it out??? This was a smart move on Spikes' part because he won't be missed against Vandy so he isn't hurting his team and he takes the neg media attention away from himself. Unfortunately, it shines a brighter light on the fact that Florida and the SEC blew it big time in the first place! I understand how Florida can blow it, but what is the SEC's excuse?
P.S. Could this be some kind of peace offering from Florida to avoid a Meyer suspension because of his critical statements of the refs in the last game after the SEC's edict not to criticize officals at all?
I can't believe that anyone would be stupid enough to think that Spikes went to Saban and asked to be punished further. Are you all deranged? The Florida public relations team must be working overtime?
Dez Bryant lies to the NCAA, and he's done for the year. Spikes tries to blind someone, and has to miss one game against a pud team like Vanderbilt.
This is one of many reasons why college football has become a bunch of horseshit.
Poo Flinging Monkey:
Gee I hope Spikes goes to Saban and asked to be punished more.
Hopefully during their conversation Spikes can ask the ALABAMA coach what they plan on doing offensively during the SEC championship against FLORIDA.
you dumbass!!!!
Typos aside, you get my point Homerboy. The Gators may win games, but Meyer's a sleaze and Spikes is a garden variety thug... great LB, but still just a thug.
"Hopefully the NFL teams have learned that once a thug always a thug and will never never draft this guy, never sign him as a free agent, never let him see the football field after his college days are done ..."
Yeah, the NFL never rewards thug behavior. Just ask Michael Vick.
Imagine the only way they could keep Meyer from looking foolish is to concoct a story that Spikes asked for further punishment.
Just makes everyone involved look more foolish by keeping it a top sports story a little bit longer.
Everyone who is bashing Meyer, could you kindly cite a situation where a coach has suspended a player for an eye gouge during play? Or even something similar -- the Blount incident was after the game was over, and not only did he punch an opposing player but went after fans. Really, just cite one player suspended for an eye gouge, or make a compelling case that it's never happened before in the history of the game.
If you can't do that, get the hell off of Meyer and understand that Tressel, Carroll, Richt, Saban, and everyone else have probably caught these on coaching film before and did nothing about it.
Poo Flinging Monkey:
Yeah I get your point.....YOUR an idiot!!!!
At last, another Ray Lewis coming to the NFL team near you. The Gators and their fans don't care if their team is a bunch of thugs. BTW, Spikes truly does represent what the people of the Florida stand for. If it was my taxes dollars giving Spikes a free ride, the Governor would be looking for work in a heartbeat. In Flordia, all talk and no responsible for actions.
Poo Flinging Monkey:
Gee I hope Spikes goes to Saban and asked to be punished more.
*******
Really, Saban... too bad Spikes wont be batting clean-up in the ninth when Alabama is really gonna need him!
OverratedGator - "seriously, do you know how idiotic you sound whenever you post here?"
I'm glad it is only against an SEC conference cupcake. Just think if they were playing Central Florida at home next week.
I'm glad it is only against an SEC conference cupcake. Just think if they were playing Central Florida at home next week.
Spikes should also be forced to play without the visor on his helmet. It takes a real "man" to reach into the helmet of another player to gouge their eyes when you are too much of a coward to play without a plastic visor protecting your eyes.
To anyone who cares to read, please continue:
At the risk of appearing to be either a "fool", or an "idiot", or any other of the epithets that seem to be gaining popularity in the comments regarding this incident, I wish to take this opportunity to add the following "fuel" to the "fire".
Firstly, I will acknowledge that I am a UofF graduate (1965 - long before most, if not all, of you were born). This does not, however, imply that I am in any manner prejudiced in my response.
Secondly, it seems to me that the commentary regarding this issue basically aligns itself, with a few exceptions, within two camps - those who want to respond to this young man's action by inflicting the severest penalty (these are mostly the so-called "gator-haters"), and those who would like to just acknowledge the suspension penalty and move forward (these are mostly the "gator-lovers" as I will call them).
I might remind you that this is likely a 22-year old man (I do not know his actual age) who in playing a game, and in the heat of the moment, committed an act that should NOT have been committed. I do NOT condone his action, but neither do I crucify him for it. He made a mistake. He has apologized for it - not only to his team and to the public, but also directly to the other young man involved. He has also voluntarily assumed additional discipline for his action. I personally do not believe in "an eye for an eye", nor do I believe in "a tooth for a tooth". But this is my belief, not necessarily yours.
What else are you asking for him to do? He is NOT a "thug", and he is NOT a "bad" person. He made a mistake.
And so to those who want to inflict some type of life-long penalty against this young man, I ask you why? I believe Mr. Spikes has already done this himself, because he will remember this incident always. And I will further confidently state that I feel certain that Mr. Spikes is just as glad as everyone else that no actual damage was done to Mr. Ealey.
Finally, if Mr. Spikes were your son, what would your punishment toward him entail? How severe would it be? Could he ever say enough to satisfy you that he is sorry? I choose to believe that he has learned from his mistake, and I truly hope that he has.
Is Spikes the first athelete in NCAA history to suspend himself?
why are detractors complaining that he's be suspended against vanderbilt? who cares who the opponent is?
that just screams that you don't care about the punishment versus the crime, you just want to see florida really get punished.
bottom line - it was a failed attempt at poking an eye. the victim himself said spikes didn't hit his eye, and the victim has said he doesn't think it warranted a suspension. spikes volunteers to make it a full-game, and still people complain.
how about the georgia players that were successful in poking? no mention of them i see. at least we have a double-standard.
anyone stop to read the line where Easley said Spikes never actually hit his eye?
so i'm taking it the world wants spikes crucified for intent, then?
the comparisons to dez bryant are lame - everyone knows the NCAA screwed the pooch on that one because they have no real authority, so when they get a chance they overreact.
bryant has nothing to do with this, and i don't see them as remotely the same. same thing with blount - blount straight-up punched a guy after the game was over, and went after fans. how is that even remotely similar to the jostling that goes on in EVERY scrum on the football field?
spikes' biggest mistake is that his was caught on camera, unlike the times the georgia players were doing the same, but successfully, prior to this. Tebow was successfully poked in the eye earlier in the game as was brandon james. those two times don't warrant any mention, stories, or suspensions i see....
This was planned from the very beginning to help make Spikes look better.
What a joke...
He should also be fined one game check. In Florida that is a pretty stiff fine.
Agreed it was a nice gesture and shows he does use his head for something besides a helmet rack.
I love hearing the term THUG?? What qualifies as a thug? Use to reference a person 's activity that related to gang affiliations? I guess now it just used to describe any black player that performs an objectionable act?
Just another Florida university cheap shot thug. WOW, what a sacrifice. He sits out during a gimme-game and lets his bumps and bruises heal up. He has all the discipline and character required to be a part of a sports program at UF or U of Miami or FSU....none.
He'll be another illiterate NFLer trying to stay out of jail while posing with his posse. Let's hope he has a short, injury filled NFL career so he can get back to Liberty City and his hommies.
Yes Gatorman, you are an idiot. Sticking your fingers inside a facemask once could be forgiven, with the appropriate apologies and attitude. But this sub-human species, Spikes, sat on the man and repeatedly stuck his entire hand into his facemask. Looked like 5-6 times at least.
He should be kicked off the team and expelled from the NCAA. I would have loved it if he had done it to me when I played at Kentucky in the '70s. The masks were much more open and the wearer's head much more manuverable. By the 3rd or 4th time he would have drawn back 4 bloody stumps.
He's a punk, a coward and a shiftless scumbag.
alaskamusher:
Yeah...sure you would have!!!!
You would've been wimpering saying "yes sir, can I have another" ....Right, tough guy????LOL.....
Well this is pretty convenient, considering Spikes has been nursing an injury all season -
Looks like a better guy, and gets the week off against a cream puff to rest his ailments...
alaskamusher was overheard talking during the game:
Who do that "Spikes" fella think he is. Them "colored folk" better learn to behave like civilized people.
If he don't settle down, me, my cousin Jethro, and my other cousin Ed will have to go get our sheets and go show that "boy" how to act. We'll tar & feather that there boy!!!
He'll learn to act like us god fearing, non-aggressive, non-violent civilized folk!!!!! That's how it's done down here in Kentuckee....
gatorfan1:
Well gatorbait1 you keep living your life as an armchair football hero. I'll just go to my safe and polish up my 1983 Super Bowl ring and ask my african-American wife if she thinks I'm a bigot.
alaskamusher:
Make sure you say hello for me....and keep looking on her face.....when you see that big smile come across it...YOU'LL know why!!!! LOL....