Meyer goes soft on Spikes with half-game suspension
Urban Meyer just took, "Stand by your man," a little too far.
Florida coach Urban Meyer’s apparent policy on eye-gouging is now clear. Only a successful blinding or maiming can result in a full-game suspension.
Meyer suspended Brandon Spikes for only the first half of the Gators’ next game against Vanderbilt for eye-gouging Georgia running back Washaun Ealey.
I’m not sure if missing one half of a Vanderbilt game really qualifies as discipline. But apparently SEC commissioner Mike Slive didn’t want to get in Meyer’s way on this one. I guess Slive only worries about the real serious issues: sound bites about referees, not trivial matters like jamming fingers into eyeballs.
What happened Saturday certainly did not affect the outcome of Georgia’s 41-17 loss to Florida. The Bulldogs themselves have devolved into one of the nation’s most-penalized and least-disciplined teams. Meyer felt compelled to say the linebacker was retaliating for earlier incidents that resulted in him having his helmet knocked off and being poked in the eye (he said).
But Spikes’ act was on another level.
“I don’t condone that,” Meyer told reporters in Florida. “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.”
Ealey was not available for comment Monday. It was a day off for Georgia players (the NCAA mandates one day off per week for players). Coach Mark Richt declined comment on the incident Sunday night.
But that didn’t stop this from snowballing into a national story Monday. The strongest comments came from Mike Golic, co-host of ESPN’s morning, “Mike and Mike” radio show. Golic has some credibility. He was a defensive lineman at Notre Dame and an eight-year NFL veteran. He has been at the bottom of a few of these piles. So what does it mean when he calls this, “one of the biggest chicken-bleep things I’ve seen in my life”?
And what does it mean when he says it was worse than when Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State’s Byron Hout in the season opener? (Blount initially was suspended for the full season by Oregon. But several weeks later the school announced a tentative reinstatement, and he may return this week against Stanford.)
“You can clearly see Brandon Spikes’ fingers go into the facemask of the running back for Georgia, and, I don’t mean just go in there — go in there and twist around,” Golic said. “It is a bad looking eye-gouge. And I know this guy is a tough player and I know he hits and I know he’s considered one of the best linebackers. But that’s one of the biggest chicken-bleep things I’ve seen in my life. Ever. Ever! To be that good of a player and have to do that – stick your fingers in a facemask and try to blind a guy, eye-gouge him, is pathetic, Brandon! Pathetic, that you would do it!
“There needs to be some disciplinary action. Everybody wants to talk about LeGarrette Blount from Oregon for punching that kid. I’ll tell you what. I’ll take the punch over this garbage. Any day of the week. Any day of the week over that garbage on the field of sticking your fingers in somebody’s facemask and trying to blind him. Stick your fingers in their eye? Are you kidding me…?”
Golic later said: “What a horrible move that is. What a classless, unsportsmanlike move that is.”
Meyer said his wife and defensive coordinator Charlie Strong both mentioned the Spikes’ incident to him. His initial reaction was to move on. Then he saw a replay of the incident decided to speak to Spikes about it.
But his initial balking indicates he didn’t want to suspend Spikes at all.
“Very emotional things happened in that game in particular that were not good for either side,” Meyer said, “but the bottom line is we’re Florida and he’s Brandon Spikes and we expect certain things.”
Nice speech. But it would’ve meant more if there was some action to back it up.
If you haven’t seen video of the play, you can view it here.
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1,082 comments Add your comment
Mike Golic fat ass Georgia always over rated
November 2nd, 2009
4:23 pm
weight watchers loser… how many cheap shots did his fat ass dish out when he played college and in the nfl ? bet he was no saint.
Gatorhater
November 2nd, 2009
4:23 pm
You see, you can’t tell that I hate the Gators from my name. But because we just got our arse kicked for the 17th time out of 20 (and did I mention I hate the Gators) everything they do disgusts me. And Spikes is the worstis human ever. Yay!!! Goooo DAWGS!!!
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:23 pm
Enough about me let’s talk about me.
DK
November 2nd, 2009
4:24 pm
Thanks to all of the Gator fans out there thqat have made me see the light. I have always pulled for the SEC on the national scene but not this year. It’s one thing to talk a little trash, but the garbage I’ve seen gator fans write here makes me think that the Florida football program and its fans must be the most classless bunch in football. What goes around comes around. Go Texas!
Vince Dooley
November 2nd, 2009
4:24 pm
I am now asking for the resignation of Coach Richt.
WorldVision kid on the right side of the page
November 2nd, 2009
4:24 pm
child please
Equal time
November 2nd, 2009
4:24 pm
So, instead of focusing on the real issue of Georgia’s ineptitude, you decide to make a mountain out of a molehill. Is that all you got, Schultz? What other non-issue are you going to crusade for?
Spikes was unlucky enough to get caught on camera doing what everyone other player on that field does. What about the late hits on Tebow that never get flagged? Where’s your article on that? It’s a man’s game. Deal with it. Any player that doesn’t want his eyes gouged should wear a visor, the same way any player that doesn’t his knee bent sideways into his ear wears a knee brace.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:24 pm
It’s we like big butts and we cannot lie.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:25 pm
HUNKER DOWN US HAIRY DAWGS!!!!!
VolsRBack
November 2nd, 2009
4:25 pm
Hey georgiadawg1970:
They “assulated” Fulmer’s wife? That sounds pretty serious.
Dawgman
November 2nd, 2009
4:25 pm
We need to join the ACC
spectator
November 2nd, 2009
4:25 pm
I’m not a fan of either team, but I think it is hilarious that georgia fans are calling a florida player a “thug”. Georgia fields a team full of “thugs” and hot dogs and is led by the no class coach Richt. The players are a reflection of their coach. Against Florida they started piling up the penalties from the start, and the refs even let a few of their cheap shots go. Until georgia starts showing some signs of recruiting quality people they should never criticize the actions of someone else’s player. As for Golic’s comments, as I recall he was kind of cheap shot player also so it is funny to hear his “outrage” at the incident. As for Spikes, I watched the video and couldn’t see him “gouging” the guy’s eye; just doing what goes on in football piles a million times. Maybe georgia should wear black min-skirts next game if it is getting too rough for them.
Pat Dye
November 2nd, 2009
4:26 pm
UGA isn’t man enough to win this type of game. They have to complain about things that had no outcome on the game, even though penalties have shown UGA is the dirtiest team in the SEC this year (and it’s not even close). I bet Auburn takes them to the woodshed and I don’t want to even get started on Ga Tech.
6-6 at best if not not bowl eligible.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:26 pm
To me, Herschel Walker look like a leprechaun to me.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:27 pm
WHO DAT, WHO DAT, WHO DAT SAY DEM HERSCHEL’S AIN’T BAD? WHO DAT???
Oh God NO, please cheer for us DK!!!!!
November 2nd, 2009
4:28 pm
back to the trailer bum
SCOREBOARD
November 2nd, 2009
4:28 pm
FORTY-ONE
SEVENTEEN
GatorFan96
November 2nd, 2009
4:28 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cERuyek02wA
Old School Gator
November 2nd, 2009
4:28 pm
Golic, I’m your Dad!
Joe N
November 2nd, 2009
4:28 pm
the curs cannot stand the truth. I can understand that, given how you’ve been dominated for most of your lives. Truth is still this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cERuyek02wA We’ll see if the hometown rag even mentions it.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:29 pm
y’all stop it, Herschel is trying to sleep!!
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:29 pm
I’m ghey
Lonesome Dove
November 2nd, 2009
4:29 pm
To Drunkdawg – AMEN!! I keep thinking society has reached its base, but after reading some of these comments and observing some of the behavior in and around the stadium this past weekend (including an intoxicated UF student urinating in front of several children) I am convinced we have not yet reached bottom. There are good fans from both schools, usually the alumni, and there are very poor fans from both schools, most of whom never attended either school.
Dawg-Gone Losers
November 2nd, 2009
4:29 pm
DK – you cheer for Texas and I’ll cheer for whoever plays UGAg in the Independence Bowl. Deal?
n
November 2nd, 2009
4:29 pm
Typical thug behavior from a thug program. UF has displaced UM as the new thug university. Good thing is he’ll be gone next year and end up on the front page of some newspaper because of his “emotions”. Every class needs a Vick, Pacman, or Plaxico. Looks like 09-10 has theirs. Goodluck Fu@Khead!!
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:30 pm
Even Herschel thinks Lonesome Dove is a wuss.
Joe N
November 2nd, 2009
4:30 pm
Georgia’s going to try wearing pink mini-skirts next year.
Crystal Footballs
November 2nd, 2009
4:31 pm
Ooops, I don’t belong in Georgia. I must have taken a wrong turn at Albuquerque.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:31 pm
I just booked a great flight to Shreveport on Priceline.com!!!!!!
gdawginkalamazoo
November 2nd, 2009
4:32 pm
Joe N, I think #39 needs to take a seat for game too. That was uncalled for and could have hurt Tebow. Too bad the refs missed it. Both teams and both fan bases are better than the bickering going on here. Sportsmanship should prevail and as I mentioned above both coaches need to have the tape reviewed and hand out some bench passes. Whether it was called or not during the game this isn’t good for either team. And you won’t see me whine about anything. Spikes gets his punishment and its done with.
Calvin Klein
November 2nd, 2009
4:33 pm
Mark, things don’t look so good there. I’ve got an opening for a guy with your fashion sense.
Call me.
Mark Richt
November 2nd, 2009
4:33 pm
Watermelon Rind, Cadillac Car, Who dat say how stupid we is!
Sapphire Stephens
November 2nd, 2009
4:34 pm
n- how long did it take for your mama to teach you how to spell your name?
aaron
November 2nd, 2009
4:35 pm
what a cop out from urban…. how emotional of a game could that have been? they wiped the floor with us. the only people who seemed to be upset were bulldog fans, not florida players and certainly not anybody on georgia’s sideline.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:35 pm
n PLEASE!!!
Dawgman in Waycross
November 2nd, 2009
4:35 pm
Fellow Bulldogs. We have lost our way. Their is no excuse for our poor performance on Saturday. Shame on us and our program.
Golic
November 2nd, 2009
4:36 pm
Listen up. The Yellow Jackets(GT)left the SEC, what 45 years ago?, and you only recently past them in # of SEC titles. You are still way behind Bama, UT & UGA in conf titles. Woooo, I shutter – what a glorious history you frogs (sorry, gators) have. Kind of like FSU that was once a girls school. Can you imagine? Not one SEC title until 1990? I shutter, woooo, geeee…Actually, I think most frogs think the conference started then……..what jokesters…
Classy Fan
November 2nd, 2009
4:36 pm
Does anyone know when Ealy gets out of the hospital? I would like to send him a get well card. I guess it needs to be in Braille since Ealy is blind now.
fair n balanced
November 2nd, 2009
4:36 pm
Any news on Williams and Davis sitting out their half?
bigclaude
November 2nd, 2009
4:37 pm
Just so everyone knows,I’m a die hard (curse out the TV) when things aren’t going well fan of the Dawgs and Falcons.
The suspension of Spikes for 1/2 game (against Vandy no less) is a joke, but if one of our guys did it then he probably wouldn’t have been punished at all. CMR would have just made him go to church, or hang out with his wife pouring water on the sidelines.
I love my team, but I can’t stand this image that the program is acquiring. The senseless “whole team” celebration is just a part of the overall image of our program. The team is undisciplined. They continue to rack up one idiotic personal foul penalty after another. And would you stop with the dancing on the sidelines already???!!!!! The celebration against UF in 2007, the dancing on the sidelines, the stupid penalties, that lack of discipline. It all adds up to one thing. We have a new nickname. We are now THUGA!!!!! And until CMR starts holding players and coaches accountable we will continue to be THUGA.
I can handle us losing. Being a Falcons fan prepares you for that. But what is the point of acting like the old school Miami Hurricanes? At least they won titles. We can even top .500 and though!! Stop with all of this crap and just play ball. I’m very close to pulling the plug on these guys until this crap stops!!!! No more “THUGA”!!!! Please!!!!
Mrs. Jeff Shultz
November 2nd, 2009
4:38 pm
This probably isn’t the time or place, but it’s not uncommon for my husband to go soft on me.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:40 pm
how many national titles does uga have, Golic?
john
November 2nd, 2009
4:40 pm
…..AND THIS THUG IS SUPPOSED TO BE GETTING AN EDUCATION AT THE UF.WHAT A JOKE!!!!!!
Paul's Johnson
November 2nd, 2009
4:40 pm
First of all, I have to say that I hate Florida with every fiber of my being. Not just the GAYtors but the state, it’s people, every university and all of their programs and everthing else that resembles or reminds me of that cesspool.
I have especially hated the UF since I was a kid being brought up a UGA fan and knowing the rivalry and having the hatred instilled in me.
My father was a salesman and he was relocated to Jacksonville for two years when I was a teenager. Living there during that time fueled my hatred even more.
My freshman year of high school, my football team played the championship game in the GAYtor Bowl. After the game as everyone was clearing out of the locker room and heading for the buses, I told my coach that I had forgotten something in the locker room and ran back down the hall into the room, it was empty and I peed in a handful of lockers and took a dump in two more.
That’s my mark on GAYtor football.
Go to hell UF.
Innocent Bystander
November 2nd, 2009
4:40 pm
Typical SEC crap.
History
November 2nd, 2009
4:41 pm
Football fans only bring me up when their team sucks.
The Gators have won 3 national titles since your last one.
UF is better now than you ever were.
Hieroglyphics
November 2nd, 2009
4:42 pm
hey, remember when UGA won it all? Yeah, me neither
Paul's Johnson's Mom
November 2nd, 2009
4:42 pm
Hey you little prick, get off the computer and come rub my bunions.
DantheMan
November 2nd, 2009
4:44 pm
If this had been Curran or someone else for the Dawgs that did this, they would’ve been immediately suspended by the SEC. I guess this is why people are too chicken bleep to hit that pansy Tebow like he should be hit.
Howyalikemyjortznowloozers
November 2nd, 2009
4:44 pm
Seriously people…Brandon was simply trying to express with his fingers the number of National Championships we have in the last three years to your uninformed running back. Love the helmets!