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
timthebrave
November 3rd, 2009
12:35 pm
Athens Police Department, I have always hated you. I think someone is jay walking. Quick go get them
FROM ALL OF US BLACK PLAYERS IN THE SEC
November 3rd, 2009
12:44 pm
Will all of you closet racist stop using the words”thug”,”crackhead”, street gangster,etc. when you refer to us. “Blood, “Bro”,”Black”,”Negro”,”Black Athlete”,”Student Athlete”, etc. is more appropriate and it helps us to recognize who you are referring to in this blog. Also, we would like to thank you for allowing us to play and make money for the SEC, get an education, and move on to make millions in the NFL or become AD’s like Damon Evans.
LSU fan
November 3rd, 2009
12:46 pm
Are the Gators still whining that one of their dirty players got caught? The Gators always — always blame the other team for their own dirty play. Florida is the perpetual dirty playing team in the SEC. I have never witnessed a Gator team with any class.
It is so funny that these Gators have gotten their Daisy Duke shorts in a wad! I guess they can drown their sorrows with a bottle of their ripple wine.
FACT
November 3rd, 2009
12:52 pm
One of the gators starting defensive players in 1992 was convicted of murder just after the season ended, but he still played!
Lifelong Dawg
November 3rd, 2009
12:56 pm
Personally, I have no problem with what Nick Williams did. I mean, it’s tough to knock Tebow out of the game with a clean hit. Kentucky did it, but that was because Tebow hit his head on his own lineman’s knee. Our best shot to beat Florida would be without Tebow, so when Williams saw an opportunity, he took it. Heck, I’d trade a 15 yard penalty to knock Tebow out of the game any day!
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
1:05 pm
I lived in Athens from 77 thru 87 and can’t tell you how many different cars uncle hershel drove, so quit with the holier than thou drivel about the cheating Florida Gators. Anyone ever heard of Jan Kemp or whatever the English Prof was who exposed UGA for a grade laundering factory.
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
1:10 pm
Paul Johnson, what is the record since 1959 (if you can add thats 50 years you moron)?
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
1:14 pm
“One of the gators starting defensive players in 1992 was convicted of murder just after the season ended, but he still played!”
I was in school at UF in 1992 and don’t recall one bit of this.
ATX Gator
November 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm
Hal: It must be swell to be able to open history books and see UGA victories over Florida. We are able to watch them live in person and not have grandpappy tell us about them. I lived in Savannah during some of those bitter years, but they are long behind all of us. You say 9 years from we will officially own you. Fine. How about we agree to say we rent you now and own you outright in 9 years?
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
1:18 pm
Your right Brian, it was a couple of years after he was kicked of the team. Whiney UGA fans still live in the past of uncle hershel and run lindsey run. They didn’t even have a winning record against the Zooker! Ha, Ha, Ha………..
GoJackets
November 3rd, 2009
1:19 pm
I still say a full game suspension would have come if he plucked it out and ate it like a boiled egg…
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
1:20 pm
Kay, we played home and home for 2 years in the mid 90’s. Remember the scores? Spur Dawg hung a half a hundred on the pups at Sanford Stadium.
Eric C.
November 3rd, 2009
1:20 pm
Ted,
You said…
“I won’t condone what Spikes did.”
“I think Spikes should have been suspended a full game.”
Enough said
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
1:22 pm
I have a better idea ATX, lets move them to the SEC west, play them every year and then again in the SEC Championship game (assuming they could win the west) and then we could lead the overall record even faster!
Eric C.
November 3rd, 2009
1:23 pm
Ha…Ted Sed…
Ted, you’ve got a severe inferiority complex to stomp on Dawg fans with such fury…what would you have without the Gators?
Eric C.
November 3rd, 2009
1:28 pm
Hey Ted, let’s go have a couple of beers and reminisce over some of the better UGA-UF memories…cool.
ATX Gator
November 3rd, 2009
1:31 pm
dawgpounder: that make except we actually lose to SEC West teams. This game is easier for us than UK, Vandy…but I do enjoy it every year. I was disgusted that the official beatdown wasn’t more until the future loosing QB tossed a freebie to Spikes.
Eric C.
November 3rd, 2009
1:37 pm
“My name is Ted, and one day, I’ll be ded, yo yo” what a great song…remember that one?
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
1:40 pm
gator dawgpounder:
“Paul Johnson, what is the record since 1959 (if you can add thats 50 years you moron)?”
What does 1959 have to do with anything dumbsh..?
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
1:45 pm
FACT,
Until you can provide a name or any kind of story, I’m going to have to call BS on your murder story.
uga121
November 3rd, 2009
1:45 pm
if that lowlife piece of trash would cut his trashy hair his helmet would stay on. you can take one look at that moron and tell he is a worthless waste of skin.
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
1:48 pm
FACT,
Either provide the name or retract what you said about a murder.
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
2:00 pm
PJ you always say we own you for the overall record; yes that’s right but you have to go along way back, how about to about 1949, numb Nu….
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
2:08 pm
Now this from Urban’s monday press conference: “We let them play,” Meyer said. “We broke the contain with (quarterback) Tim (Tebow). We got them on the edge a little bit more than we’ve done. A little bit of that’s dictated by who you’re playing.” I guess our offence wasn’t as good as we thought, we were just playing uncle willie’s dawgs.
monty
November 3rd, 2009
2:09 pm
The guy is a thug, I mean look at him. He looks like he could be selling drugs down on the local street corner.(gang banger) Not mentioned was the elbow he delivered to Ealys helmet on a run up the middle when the play had been whistled dead for a false start I believe. In that instance EAly either popped him back or jawed at the ref and when nothing happend he jawed at Spikes.(memory is fuzzy). Clearly the idea was to play dirty and to intimidate. If a GA player did that to Tebow he needs to be reprimanded. Sometimes hands in the face is accidental and unavoidable.Sometimes it is a criminal act by a thug. Personally I wish the NCAA would do something to reign in all the long hair and tattos and stuff of that nature. I mean we have 7-8 yr. old kids thinking thats the way to look, give me a break. Bear Bryant would of had none of that mess. What ever happened to being a positive roll model for kids?
Steve Spurrier
November 3rd, 2009
2:12 pm
The Florida Gator fans are all stupid redneck hick fans. That is why I left that infestation of thugs in Gainesville, Florida.
Gators are rednecks!!!!
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
2:14 pm
Yea Steve, have you tried Commerce or Monroe?
GATORS ARE STUPID REDNECKS!!!
November 3rd, 2009
2:15 pm
And everyone in the NCAA knows it!
— Ronald Reagan
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
2:21 pm
gator dawgpounder:
“PJ you always say we own you for the overall record; yes that’s right but you have to go along way back, how about to about 1949, numb Nu….”
Your previous post stated that we should only count from 1959 forward now you’re saying 1949. I am stating that since the series started, UGA has won more games. Period. Is that too hard for someone with an IQ less than 90 to understand? Let me spell it out for you GAYtor douc..bag. W-E O-W-N Y-O-U.
You shouldn’t have dropped out of high school in the 9th grade, tool.
Yeeeehaaa! Waaaahooooie!
November 3rd, 2009
2:22 pm
Knowbody kan out redneck we Gators! We ar the biggist redneck trailer hix in the planit Urth! Yeeehaa! Wahoooie! Go Gators!
Univursity ov Florida alumni
class of 1999
The Longest Yard III
November 3rd, 2009
2:24 pm
Brandon Spikes is destined to play prison football!!!!
Gators are silly rednecks!!!!
November 3rd, 2009
2:25 pm
Gators are silly trailer trash rednecks!!!!
– Bill Clinton
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
2:28 pm
Wait until Spikes gets into the NFL and pulls that crap on someone like Hines Ward or Ronnie Brown and then gets his a.. beat down by a real, tough guy. He will soon come to realize that he’s playing in a league of men, not boys.
psycock
November 3rd, 2009
2:32 pm
Ealey should have Spikes arrested on Assault and Battery charges – he should be in jail, not on the football field. I have zero respect for Urban Meyer anymore. Also, don`t forget Mike “no spine” Slive. The guy is so worried about someone getting hurt that SEC fans can`t celebrate victories on the fiel/court like every other conference in America. It`s amazing how this is only dangerous in the SEC schools, nowhere else! Yet, someone almost getting their eyes gouged out is supposed to feel that sitting out 30 minutes of the Vandy game is justice for the perpetrator? I`m starting to believe the conspiracy theories. Guess Florida and Alabama can do just about anything between now and the SEC Championship game and get away with it. If you`re one of the other 10 teams, better be on your best behavior! Slive should resign.
Vivid Entertainment
November 3rd, 2009
2:33 pm
The best up and coming porn talent is almost always University of Florida coeds!
Hal
November 3rd, 2009
2:54 pm
ATX… I have very vivid memories of those days. I was in the stadium, half lit with a few buddies. Afterwards we would all go nail a few gator coeds so they new what real men were swingin’. Just got an email from your sister asking for it just one more time!
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
2:59 pm
Paul’s Johnson; Hmm, I guess thats your way of saying you are a Richard from Commerce, Hal the problem is every redneck in georgia is hammering his redneck sister or some fat boy deliverence pig. Haaaaahaaaa
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
3:00 pm
ATX Gator:
“How about we agree to say we rent you now and own you outright in 9 years?”
The only thing that you’re renting is space in your boyfriend’s BVD’s.
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
3:02 pm
Let’s just say your name is Johnson and leave Paul’s out of it. How much did it cost your sweet team to rent the Black helmets from Grambling?
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
3:05 pm
gator dawgpounder
As usual, your post make absolutely no sense.
Not every redneck in GA is hammering their sisters, some are hammering your mom. Tell her to stop blowing up my phone, I’ll mail her drawers to her.
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
3:09 pm
Johnson, the only thing you own is what is in your right hand. If it takes a UGA degree to think that it’s smart to drive to Jax every year and get your asses kicked, then I guess they don’t teach logic, course it’s better than getting a half a hundred hung on you every other year in the prettiest stadium in the SEC.
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
3:10 pm
At least my mom isn’t my sister
gator dawgpounder
November 3rd, 2009
3:11 pm
Bye for now big boy, I must go make some more money day trading.
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
3:15 pm
gator dawgpounder:
“Bye for now big boy, I must go make some more money day trading.”
That’s similar to what your mom says when she is leaving except for she says “Bye for now big boy, I must go make some more money selling my a..”
What are you trading? the same thing your mom is selling? You’re too stupid to have a job.
ATX Gator
November 3rd, 2009
3:17 pm
41-17. That’s right; forty-one to seventeen. Athens is pretty and your campus is pretty, your university is mediocre, your team is awful and you have bad coaches. Move the game from Jacksonville if you want because the HBC hung half a hundred on you there. Enjoy your continued demise.
Dawg Tired
November 3rd, 2009
3:19 pm
I basically posted a comment on Bradley’s article on Saturday night that said exactly what Golic said. My main point was that what Spikes did was much worse than what the Oregon kid did. Hit me but don’t try to take my eye sight! I too have been in those pile ups, but what Spikes did is totally unacceptable. Besides, Spikes was not really in the pile up. He didn’t really show up until after the play was over and he went in there with one goal only – to hurt a fellow player. But not to worry, he’ll be sorry he can’t hurt a Vandy player until the second half.
The failure to throw Spikes off the team says it all: “All we care about is winning and that includes winning at any costs.” I promise you a Gator fan will come on here and agree that it is all about winning and totally clueless about what is wrong with that! Fortunately, most Gator fans are not that stupid, but some are.
Slive is absolutely gutless. His only concern is that UF go undefeated so as to get that shot at the NC. What a wuss! This is the wrong message to send to the thugs.
These people are absolutely clueless when they equate trying to gouge someone’s eyes out with an excessive celebration. That sort of sums it all up. Intentionally trying to poke someone’s eyes out is not bad, but celebrating a TD is. Talk about clueless! Sad, very sad.
Brian
November 3rd, 2009
3:26 pm
You know what, folks, it really is all about winning.
grrrrtrfan
November 3rd, 2009
3:30 pm
uhm…surely the AJC is ALL over Ealey saying Spikes shouldn’t be suspended…
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20091103/ARTICLES/911039929/1136?Title=Ealey-says-Spikes-shouldn-t-be-suspended
grrrrtrfan
November 3rd, 2009
3:31 pm
Herrrreeee Schultz…..here is your scoop! see my previous post…silence…hmmm
Paul's Johnson
November 3rd, 2009
3:40 pm
grrrrtrfan:
“uhm…surely the AJC is ALL over Ealey saying Spikes shouldn’t be suspended…”
The reason he has said this is because he is mature kid and is willing to take the high ground on this matter and move forward.
I wish be would have bitten that P.O.S’s fingers off.