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
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
9:35 am
Paul’s Johnson,
That looks like a pretty solid resume to me.
Thanks Urban
November 3rd, 2009
9:40 am
For proving once again that the Florida Gator program has no class. And that is a long long history of being classless!
Lane Kiffin
November 3rd, 2009
9:42 am
Urban Meyer is a quaffed metro weenie who has no class. I wonder if he actually docked Brandon Spikes some pay for that eye gouging. Naaaa! We know he didn’t – probably gave him a cash bonus! We all know that Florida has the highest paid football players in college football.
Nothing new
November 3rd, 2009
9:45 am
The Florida gators have always been the dirtiest team in the SEC! It starts at the top and they have always ran a classless dirty program.
JenniferGO Dawgs
November 3rd, 2009
9:45 am
NOBOBY even touched “THE GREAT & MIGHTY TEBOW” PLEASEEEEEEEE, if we had we would have won the *amn game! Remember the press and fans has him walking on water! AS IF! Your Player was caught on tape in the wrong, DEAD WRONG and you cannot take it so who is doing the whining?! NOT Us just the nation disagrees with your COACH and how he disciplined him, he should be suspended for the rest of season and the SEC BOWL, for trying to blind someone, smack talk, shoving and pushing are one thing but this is completely evil!
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
9:46 am
Brian:
“That looks like a pretty solid resume to me.”
Yeah, as a sports agent or attorney maybe, not as commisioner of the most visible and powerful conference in the country.
Gator history....
November 3rd, 2009
9:51 am
The Gators have one of the two worst cases of NCAA cheating in history. They once played a player waiting trial for second degree murder (no suspension) for an entire season, he was found guilty and is in prison. They have a history of skipping good games and waiting up to 3 weeks for players sit out their suspensions against weak non-conference opponents. This is a program with a history of being classless. The Gators cannot and have never won with dignity!
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
9:57 am
Gator History,
I’ve been a Gator fan for as far back as I can remember, but I cannot remember the Gators ever allowing a murderer to play an entire season. Who are you talking about?
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
10:02 am
Paul’s Johnson,
So, you would rather have some moron former jock running one of the most successful businesses in sports?
Gen Neyland
November 3rd, 2009
10:03 am
Pauls’ Johnson : Just can’t let it go, can you..? Your frustration over the Dawgs game Saturday and possibly your take on their season is obviously being focused and vented on the actions of one defensive player from Florida. This what they call denial. I’d be more concerned, for example, with the fact that UGA has allowed more PA that PF. Or that UGA is -15 in the turnover ratio. Or that UGA ranks among the nations worst in penalty yards taken. Yeah, Spikes’ is a smokescreen…
Time for everyone to come off their soap boxes
November 3rd, 2009
10:22 am
We all know by now that Spikes has been benched for the first half of the Vanderbilt game. Too soft? Maybe, but it’s done. Both Coach Meyer and Brandon Spikes have acknowleded and apologized for the eye gouge.
Football is tough, we as fans, want our players to be tough. We want our coaches to coach their players hard and tough, make the teams tough. We want our coaches to be strong spokesmen for our team. Do we care if he’s cocky? No way. Do we want results? Hell Yes.
It appears in this game, both sides were guilty of playing dirty. Who played the “dirtiest”? That will always be a matter of opinion. Bottom line is that Florida won this game in every aspect. Offense, Defense, Special Teams, Coaching and it appears wardrobe.
Florida is and has been a dominant team for a long time now. They get a lot of press. Some definitly more than others. But I’ll tell you this, mistakes are mistakes and they happen. No one is immune from mistakes or bad judgement.
Let cooler heads prevail for both teams, their players, coaches and fans.
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
10:23 am
Gen Neyland:
“Pauls’ Johnson : Just can’t let it go, can you..? Your frustration over the Dawgs game Saturday and possibly your take on their season”
If you will look back at my previous posts you will see that in one I mentioned that UGA was outplayed by a better team, the #1 team in the country. Am I frustrated as an alum and lifelong fan at the state of our football program, absolutely.
But this incident has to do with the fact that a player seriously tried to maim, potentially injure for life, another player while playing a GAME! I am pissed because that nutless tool, Meyer could not man up and find the integrity and character to do the right thing and impose a realistic course of action for what Spikes did. And I’m also angry because that pantywaist, hypocrite Mike Slive did not override Meyer’s decision and impose a more severe suspension. Reprimand coaches for speaking their mind but then let Spikes walk away with a slap on the wrist. Had it been a UGA player or a player for any other team that did this, my feelings and outrage would still be the same.
Mark Richts
November 3rd, 2009
10:35 am
Mike Slive needs to be runout of town. Join my web site “get rid of Slive” now.
Come on? Florida a Historically a dirty team???
November 3rd, 2009
10:36 am
Dirty team, hell NO. Some bumps in the road, but not historically a dirty team. The bad memories for the opponents are of Spurrier running up scores, talking trash to get under the skin of the opposing team. Hell yes he did that, Meyer does too. Florida never won an SEC Championship until the 90’s. (Some claims to fame for being “first” in the SEC when they were on probation because of Charlie Pell).
Dirty NO, Playing tough in a tough league, YES!
Pit Bull
November 3rd, 2009
10:36 am
Count me in Mark, I joined “get rid of Mike Slive!
Iron Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
10:47 am
What qualifies as truly unacceptable or criminal behavior to Urban Meyer and many of the FL fans on this site? This is almost as bad as it gets – trying to blind someone? Harm someones eyes for life? Are you kidding? And for all of the overweight fans that say they played and this goes on all the time – go back to your dream world. This doesn’t happen with quality players. No one with any self respect tries to blind another player.
Seems that some of these fans have been “blinded” (pun intended) already when they say Spikes was responding when TV showed him head butting a UGA player after the play was blown dead near the beginning of the game.
GA played bad, we deserved to lose the game but no one deserves to lose their sight playing football. Urban, when this guy really hurts or kills someone down the road you are partially to blame so just remember that you you have to face someone’s mother, brother, husband or wife – you could have tried to do the right thing and took a pass.
Jack Christiansen
November 3rd, 2009
10:51 am
Typical Florida– urban is such a hypocrite. Golic is right- totally chicken bleep. And Slive sucks up as usual.
And look how the gator fans justify and raltionalize this kind of chicken bleep behavior. How typical is that?
At least urbie didn’t blame the flu.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
10:55 am
You gator fans for the most part are such classless idiots. I’m sure there are some good ones on here but I didn’t have a chance to read them all.
You fools defend this gangsta by saying “his helmet had been ripped off”? His hat came off twice on 2 hard knocks. No one tore it off. He is a thug, he has been since he got there. That’s ok though, that’s what it takes in Florida to win national championships… remember Miami?
You can not defend it by saying they do it all the time either. If you said that, then tonite when your children do something stupid that every child does… you are required to laugh it off. Whether its beer, drugs or whatever… all the kids do it.
Look, UF whipped our butts fair or not. And with a school in a state of 4 billion people, with 60,000 enrolled students and student athletes graduating at a rate of 36% (one of the lowest in the nation) you’re bound to be good on the field. But defending this garbage, makes those of you who did so garbage as well. A UGA player jacking Tebow up during a live ball, yeah it could have been flagged… but it’s little defense against some thug jabbing another player in the eyes intentionally attempting to harm him. Ealey could have been very badly if not permanently hurt by that. If something had been done to 51, why not be a man and face to face take on the offender? Because he’s not a man, he’s a coward and his coach has now officially condoned it as has the SEC.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
10:57 am
good points Iron Dawg, remember when Donnan used to allow Quincey Carter to smoke dope on campus, multiple drug possessions went un punished and reported… see how that helped him in his life down the road? Dope destroyed a very talented mans life because his mentors thought it was more important that he played on Saturday.
ATX Gator
November 3rd, 2009
11:01 am
All Gators wish Ealey a full and speedy recover from what we understand may be career ending injuries. We also hope that any finger sprains from ripping Spikes helmet off recover as well and the clothes-line face-mask. This should be motivation so you won’t need to borrow Grambling’s helmets, or do any cool dances. It doesn’t matter though. I hope your outrage makes 17/20 feel better.
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
11:03 am
Hal:
Good points, especially the one about one of the lowest graduation rates in the country. Kinda makes the picture a little clearer regarding the state of FL and the classless fans of ALL of their universities.
Iron Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
11:07 am
Interesting that Meyer’s wife brought this up as she must be a decent person. I wonder how she would feel if she had a son blinded by one of his “players” in an action that he evidently is okay with. Regarding the Tebow hit, if the play was still in action and if Tebow and hit someone people would be raving on how he plays until the whistle is blown, etc. A “hit” and trying to “take someone’s sight” are two different things. And, UGA get penalized plenty, deserved and undeserved so FL fans should get off those unseen penalties that they say weren’t called. No one is complaining that this wasn’t seen by the game officials that clearly can’t seen everything but on the fact that when clearly shown on game film with no question the University of Florida basically says “we love our criminals, their criminal behavior and refuse to do the right thing when the opportunity presents itself. We (UF) will do the very minimum to comfort our misguided players vs. trying to help educate and make them productive members of society.”
Iron Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
11:12 am
Is Donnan still coach at UGA? Did we get presented facts regarding this at the time and then defend inaction on our coachs part? Ummm…FL fans don’t really have much ability for higher thought.
anthony
November 3rd, 2009
11:22 am
It is so strange and sad, to read so many idiots compare an accidental fingers going in the mask of Tebow during live action of a play. To a play, where a player intentionally put his hands in a players eyes and then twisted his fingers to try to inflict damage, while laying on top of him after a play. These idiots are so biased by their own hate they are blinded by common sense.
Paul ( You doesn't have to call me Johnson)
November 3rd, 2009
11:32 am
Jeff,
Recruiting thugs is the way National Championships are made at Florida. Look at all those great teams at Miami and Florida State. Well, they have been out recruited by FU in the last five or six years.
1 2 3 4 5 Gators don’t take no Jive
Ted
November 3rd, 2009
11:35 am
41 (Forty-one). 17 (Seventeen).
17 out of 20.
2 MNC in 3 years vs. 1 in 65 years.
The University of Florida is a higher ranked academic institution than the University of Georgia.
So, basically, my degree is better and worth more. My football team is, and has been for a while, better than yours. In fact, pretty much everything except the women’s gymnastic team is inferior at UGA as compared to UF. So all these ramblings by UGA fans? Just insignificant musings from inferior individuals who hate the fact (and yes, it is a fact) that everything about their school sucks as compared to those “hated” Gators.
And, because of that, you spread the hate. Spikes is “ a classless thug” for his actions. Yet no mention is made of the illegal actions of such fine upstanding individuals such as Nick Williams or Josh Davis. Or, of course, that Tebow did get poked in the eye (unlike Ealey) and had to rinse out his eye on the sideline. But, alas, no, all that matters is that Spikes is the only wrongdoer here. And, of course, let’s not forget that “POS” Meyer. While I think Spikes should have been suspended a full game, it would still not change the beliefs on Meyers and his “thug” program. But, once again, no mention is made of UGA having eight players arrested before the 2008 season alone. Or that Richt, the hypocrite, suspends Vance Cuff for the Vandy game for the same basic offense that Vince Vance had (driving without a license and a secondary traffic offense), with the latter not getting suspended. Of course, suspending a back-up CB for Vandy isn’t the same as a starting OL against Florida. But, yet, only Meyers recruits thugs and only Meyer does a horrible job of disciplining players. Believe that if it helps you sleep at night.
Regardless, keep on hating. It changes nothing. Had Spikes been suspended for the rest of the season, it still would not change anything. UGA would still suck as a school and a football team. You’d still have a coach who knows nothing of how to coach players and would rather be a contestant on Project Runway.
So while I won’t condone what Spikes did, nor will I argue that half a game (and not a full game) suspension is justified, what I will do is let all you inferior UGA fans in on something – you all need to worry about why your school and your coach are inferior to UF than worrying about the length of any suspension Spikes deserves. Because until you fix your own house first, you are simply petty, pathetic individuals.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
11:37 am
Iron Dawg, just to be clear… I’m a Dawg pointing out Donnan’s faults and how it affected a player similar to Spikes maturation down the road. To UGA’s credit and frankly kept very quiet, Donnan was run from the inside due to instances like Quincey and Jasper Sanks drug issues having as much to do with his dismissal as his record.
ATX Gator…. you make our argument so much stronger with your hubris (you might want to look the up at http://www.dictionary.com). You are a misguided fool. Most likely a fair weather gator that doesn’t know if a football is pumped or stuffed. Reasonable gator fans have stood for whats right and called for stronger punishment.
Gator Trash
November 3rd, 2009
11:37 am
Not that it was any mystery, but good to finally see 100% that Gator fans are just as trashy as their thug players that have no business being anywhere near the UF campus, let alone playing on their football team. Meyer is a win-at-any-cost POS scumbag. Very embarrassing for the SEC.
Earth to Ted
November 3rd, 2009
11:39 am
Ted,
I feel ya buddy. I’d be trying to deflect the fact that the program I blindly pull for allows such disgusting, uneducated crackheads to represent my team as well. Keep fighting the good fight little fella.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
11:40 am
Ted I haven’t even read your whole post but I must stop you already. What magazine said UF was higher ranked academically? You’re out of your mind! And 1 national championship? Really?? Do more research bud… don’t post with a pea brain
now I’ll read more non sense…
Kay
November 3rd, 2009
11:43 am
I keep wondering, why does GA play Florida EVERY year in Jacksonville, FLA???? It is obviously a HOME game for Florida EVERY year??? A distinct disadvantage for GA Every year.
I am sure this has been discussed much, but it still does not make any sense to me. I keep thinking, Is GA really this DUMB?????
If this game means so much to GA, why not play it home and home?
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
11:46 am
Hal,
Perhaps you should do some research. By the most recent graduation rate date, Florida actually graduates 68% of football players while Georgia only graduates 48%.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
11:46 am
OK Ted I finished… wow, lotta anger in there Teddy? Where’s all that coming from? We’re the angry one. After all, we are losing to you guys a lot lately and you better believe we’re checking into that.
But Ted, you and your pathetic friends need to realize that St. Tebows eyes were poked in the course of a play on accident. He was jacked up more than one during a live ball play. Your degree isn’t worth shyt simply because UF has a better football team at the moment and no credible publication has ever said the university of florida was a highly ranked academic institution. Your graduation rate is the lowest in the SEC pal.
You’ll just have to let us rant for now though. We’re a little jaded, angry with our team, coaches and life in general but trust me… as a fan who’s seen both momentum swings in the series now and one who used to believe UGA’s would never end. Be careful the vitriol that you spew, it will swing again… and somebody’s gonna remember who you are!
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
11:50 am
A little help for Hal: http://stanford.scout.com/2/827873.html
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
11:51 am
Brian, not according to this website. The figures you found are from 2007 if I’m not mistaken… but I’ll look further. Earlier today UF’s football programs reported graduation rate was 36% v/s UGA at 51% on this site.
Elliot Garcia
November 3rd, 2009
11:51 am
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j301/slmdls1/sports%20randoms/ealey20shove.jpg
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
11:52 am
Hal, it’s the same story in basketball. UF graduates 89% while UGA graduates only 23%.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
11:55 am
yeah Brian just went to the NCAA’s site and saw the same numbers but again that’s for Freshmen who entered as much as 9 years ago. The AJC had more recent data and showed a dramatic decline in UF’s graduation rate under Meyer. I read the article but I don’t recall who wrote it… suggest you search the site for it, promise I didn’t make it up.
Gator 4 Life
November 3rd, 2009
11:56 am
I hope Willie Martinez is the next head football coach at GA when Richt wises up and goes home to FSU.
rick james
November 3rd, 2009
11:57 am
brandon spikes is a bitch
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
11:57 am
Brian you’re right but once again… except… the basketball numbers are very old as well and include 2 fired coaches that had a complete exodus of players. Any player who enters the system and doesn’t graduate counts… transfers and all. In b’ball no one graduated, I’m stunned it’s 23%.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
12:01 pm
oh and by the way…
am I the only one who thinks Spikes looks like he’s either, or he’s been on growth hormone since he was 10?
ATX Gator
November 3rd, 2009
12:02 pm
Thanks for linky Hal. 1/2 game suspension, full game suspension; it’s all good. The only team Vandy won’t be giving us a game anyway. I mean, you guys beat them, right? I think y’all are taking the right approach to this awful, really, truly awful, event. Focus on it and you can pretend we don’t own you.
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
12:11 pm
ATX Gator:
“Focus on it and you can pretend we don’t own you.
The overall win loss record between the two team is 46-38-2 with Georgia ahead.
I guess you DON’T own us you inbred, cousin pumping P.O.S.
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
12:14 pm
ATX…
1) “We” aren’t focused on it, only what, maybe 10 or so of us on here still bitching about it. Our coach, admins etc haven’t said a word.
2) You don’t own us…. yet anyway. You’d have to win 9 more years straight to get the trophy for that. (That’s the number of wins behind UF is to date +1). Do that, you own us but by the way… it has been a hell of a comeback.
ATX, could you imagine having been a fan when UF lost 21 of 25 to UGA? Of course not… fair weather fans like yourself wouldn’t have been around. We’ll be back boys, not soon enough though.
timthebrave
November 3rd, 2009
12:19 pm
Eye gouging is illegal in mixed martial arts but I think it should be allowed in college football. It is obvious by the fine sportsmanship that Spikes showed that he is an upstanding young man. I really respect the fact that our coach would defend him by saying “they did it first”. I liked how our quarterback says that spike’s behavior was justified and shows good christian behavior. It also really shows his leadership skills like tebow said. I hope for my children to one day follow his fine example. As soon as the footage can be found of a georgia player eye gouging it will show that our coach was correct and not child like in justifying that. I am sure that the footage is out there even though it is not online yet. Sincerely, your average gator fan
GoJackets
November 3rd, 2009
12:23 pm
If he plucked it out and ate it he would gotten a full game…
what about it
November 3rd, 2009
12:26 pm
The first time his helmet came off there was a foul called. The second time was legit and in a play. If you noticed he was able to put his helmet back on without undoing the chin strap at the bottom. That means his helmet was not tight enough to start with. One of the first things my boys were taught in high school was if you want to keep your helmet on you need to have to unbuckle to take it off. Maybe he should have to play the second half of the VAndy game without a helmet or maybe wwith a patch over 1 eye.
Athens Police Department
November 3rd, 2009
12:32 pm
At least Spikes didn’t get arrested for this incident, like the UGAy players that have been driving around Athens without a driver’s license! This incident with spikes will go away, but those poor UGAy players that got arrested it will stay on their record forever!
Kabat
November 3rd, 2009
12:34 pm
Its funny that the only people who seem to be defending this are Gator fans….hmmm, go figure