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.
Tell us what you think about the site
Customer Care »
Vacation stops, manage subscriptions and more
AJC Services
Sections
Other Editions
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
1,082 comments Add your comment
Mark Richt
November 2nd, 2009
4:08 pm
I would like to apologize to the Bulldog Nation for the performance of our team.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:08 pm
LAWID JEEEEZUS!!!!
IMO DIE…..HERSCHEL WALKER ABOUT TO DIE!!!!
Old School Gator
November 2nd, 2009
4:08 pm
Mark must have the same test quiz for the football players that they did for the basketball players. Question # 1. How many yards in a 100 yard football field?
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:08 pm
When I masturbate it’s an affair.
Ray Goff
November 2nd, 2009
4:08 pm
Hey guys! I hear you may be looking for a new coach soon. I have experience and I even beat UF once.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:08 pm
there are too many Herschel Walkers for Herschel Walker to keep track
cds
November 2nd, 2009
4:08 pm
An act like this, and if the coach had any guts, would end any player that was my player for the season.
Crank
November 2nd, 2009
4:09 pm
Hank
Apparently you were in Folkston for your family reunion. How was gumming that corn on the cobb, toothless?
DawgMan
November 2nd, 2009
4:09 pm
Typical Florida, first deflect then justify. The reason his player eye-gouged was to retaliate. Really? If you watch the replay of Spikes helmet come off,the player had grabbed his shoulder pads and pulled and his helmet popped off. Just like it did numerous times because he doesnt snap it in. it’s Florida’s way of drawing penalties that don’t occur. Most of their drives against Arkansas, Georgia, LSU and Tennessee were kept alive because of phantom penalties. Typical Florida, justify the reason why your player plays dirty. Typical
GatorFan96
November 2nd, 2009
4:09 pm
Will Richt suspend Nick Williams
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cERuyek02wA
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:09 pm
We hate conventions. 30 names tags pisses Herschel off.
Jim Donnan
November 2nd, 2009
4:09 pm
Ray, you better back the hell off. This is my team.
Charlie
November 2nd, 2009
4:09 pm
Two cheers for being a blatant homer. There was a lot of dirty play from UGA is that game too, except that you neglect to mention it and actually cast aspersion on Meyer as you do that. Why don’t you call for the heads of the players for UGA who were doing the same (also caught on TV)? I remember why, Georgia fans cry and throws fits only slightly less often than Lane Kiffin.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:09 pm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDvFbD7wIAg
Mark Richt to Paul's Johnson
November 2nd, 2009
4:10 pm
You know, ith really harth to thalk with you in muh mouf.
Driver 8
November 2nd, 2009
4:10 pm
You Gator pu$$ies cry for 2 years about the end zone dance, and how you were shocked, SHOCKED at how “classless” that was, but try to blind a guy and it’s “stuff that happens all the time-get over it.”
What would have happened if a UGA linebacktor did that to your precious St. Timmy. Good god, you’d call for a lynching-actually the whole CFB world would call for it.
Save the sactimonious crap for your own blogs.
Golic
November 2nd, 2009
4:11 pm
Hey gators, Golic didn’t play for Georgia – unbiased conclusion, you dip shads. And tell the linebacker with the bong under his hair to keep his chin strap on and his helmet won’t come off. You won but you’re still behind in wins & losses…..It goes in cycles….this too, will change…..Imagine how ugly it used to be?? Wow
Joe N
November 2nd, 2009
4:11 pm
Hey Jeff, will you “update” your blog with a comment about this? I knew you wouldn’t! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDvFbD7wIAg
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:11 pm
the dancing yesterday was cool too. With that and the wardrobe changes you guys were one Herschel Walker away from a Britney Spears concert
Dawgman
November 2nd, 2009
4:12 pm
Whoa, I just realized that I think Florida really stinks and the only reason they are any good is because of phantom calls. Yup, 18 games in a row and a national title but the only reason is because of phantom calls. No I am not whining.
Damn, Florida is in my head.
Ken
November 2nd, 2009
4:12 pm
This is unfortunate, but it shows why Florida dominates because of what they teach thier players. If this was a UGA player gouging at Tebow eyes, they would have wanted the UGA player kicked off the team. I think Spikes should be barred from playing for the rest of this season. One half of the Vandy game is a joke, but it shows where Meyers and the UF stands on discipline.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:12 pm
17/20 is a cycle?
Gator Nation
November 2nd, 2009
4:13 pm
We’d like to thank UGA for consistently sucking throughout the past 20 years.
Here’s to you…
Champaign Dawg
November 2nd, 2009
4:13 pm
Bah. gators eat boogers. End of story.
Look, ain’t a Dawg fan alive who is proud of the current state of our football team. If you are honestly dumb enough to think we Dawg fans are more worried about Spikes punishment than we are about the way we are playing, then you are also possibly dumb enough to try to justify Spike’s action. I’ve been on the Rivals UGA site most of the last 2 days. We’re all sick of the way UGA is playing. That is far and away the most frequent topic. Very little about sweet little Brandon.
So you’ll have to forgive me if I put more stock in what Mike Golic says about Brandon’s eye gouge than in what you Gator fans think about it. Golic is no Bulldog. But he also isn’t a punch drunk, no class Gator fan. And I’m pretty sure Golic was on the bottom of an awful lot of piles and tackles and cheap shots in his day.
IF MIke Golic calls you a chicken shat player…You are a chicken shat wuss, no matter what Elliot Garcia says.
Silver Helmets and Jorts
November 2nd, 2009
4:13 pm
Golic
“WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR”
LMAO, how sad
Golic
November 2nd, 2009
4:13 pm
Whoa, since the 30’s the series is in Florida’s favor. Well…well…I can still talk about stuff that happened before my dad was born…. I think I’m going to beat my chest again.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:13 pm
eye gouge-deplorable
late hit caught on tape-nothing
arrested 2 days before the game- starter
Silver Helmets and Jorts
November 2nd, 2009
4:15 pm
Driver 8
WAH…WAH WAH
You are the one who is crying. We just came out after your little boogie and shoved a hobnail boot up your ringus two in a row. No crying there, we just took care of ours. But we know the UGA folks aren’t man enough to take care of theirs thus the crying here about the poke. Just like you weren’t man enough to take care of the timeouts we rolled on you.
This is a man series, UGA is bringing boys.
Brandon Spikes' Hair
November 2nd, 2009
4:16 pm
Why is everyone picking on me?
Joe N's mommy
November 2nd, 2009
4:16 pm
You never played football, did you? Hitting someone on their feet is not a penalty or a felony. Now go to your room.
Silver Helmets and Jorts
November 2nd, 2009
4:17 pm
Golic,
Instead you can just pop off about winning back when El Debarge was in.
Driver 8's Mother
November 2nd, 2009
4:17 pm
Get off the computer!
Joe N
November 2nd, 2009
4:17 pm
Like Danielson says at the end, “This will come back later in the game.” I wonder of the AJC will ask Richt to suspend someone, if even for a half?? Methinks the answer is no. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cERuyek02wA
Golic is Lame
November 2nd, 2009
4:18 pm
Remember parachute pants and Member’s Only jackets.
YOU REMEMBER. WELL THEY ARE CYCLING BACK!!!!!
Trinton Sturdivant's knee
November 2nd, 2009
4:18 pm
hey fellas. What’s shaking?
Golic is Lame
November 2nd, 2009
4:18 pm
I’ve got my Zoobas laid out and I’m ready for UGA to dominate again.
WOOF WOOF WOOF
GATORHATER
November 2nd, 2009
4:19 pm
It just goes to show what kind of man Brandon Spikes is. He is not a man of integrity and I wouldn’t have him on my football team. Retaliation? Are you in the fifth grade or something!! I only did it because they did it to me and how long after he got poked in the eye did he retaliate? It seems to me to be at least half of a quarter later or a quarter later. A real man in his position should have just continued playing the game and let the scoreboard and his team speaks for themselves. Be the bigger man.
For those gator fans saying that we are just whining because we lost….give me a brake. I would have complained about it if Ga would have won or even if one of Ga player did it to one of the UF players. It is just a dirty play by a dirty player.
Mark Richt
November 2nd, 2009
4:19 pm
I’m cycling too!
Elliot Garcia
November 2nd, 2009
4:19 pm
Nobody hated Ron Zook!
Bill
November 2nd, 2009
4:19 pm
Gators are thugs including their courch Meyar, and I suspect some of the will pay for this incident, since our coach can’t nut up and even call it what it is. Our players are too scared of committing fouls to play hard. I would have had a player head-hunting Timmy Tee and this goon, Brandon Spikes all game long just like Auburn did to Tennessee’s Eric Berry. He likes to take cheap shots too, but he sure couldn’t handle someone taking it to him. He took that game off.
gdawginkalamazoo
November 2nd, 2009
4:20 pm
Logan Gray, now that was a funny post. Nice zip on that pass too.
Golic is Lame
November 2nd, 2009
4:20 pm
GATORHATER…give you a ‘brake’ LOL
Joe N's mommy
November 2nd, 2009
4:20 pm
It’s nice to see a 207/lb. freshman put Tebow on his azz!
Buck Balou
November 2nd, 2009
4:21 pm
`You Georgia fans are the biggest bunch of whiners. Go get some self esteem. Act like winners. Quit crying.
Herschel Walker
November 2nd, 2009
4:21 pm
I like big butts and I cannot lie.
All the other Herschel Walkers can’t deny.
Golic is Lame
November 2nd, 2009
4:21 pm
Who the heck is coach meyar???
robundrh2o
November 2nd, 2009
4:21 pm
what a bunch of whining LOSERS. When is CMR going to suspend ANYBODY for the thug plays, i.e. Late hits on the QB, eye poking spikes, Blatant facemask against Brandon James. Hello pot this is kettle calling………until the head thug CMR does something about his criminals I don’t think anybody in Athens should be throwing stones.
LoneStarGazer
November 2nd, 2009
4:21 pm
Hey, I am an SEC alum and fan, but “my dog was not in the fight” (not having gone to Georgia or to Florida). However, (1) Meyer was embarassing trying to make it seem as if it mattered what Spikes had done to him before — “she hit me first never” worked with my parents and shouldn’t work with men about to graduate; (2) the part of the game I watched was replete with “dirty play” on both sides of the football, and the officiating crew did a darn poor job of maintaining control of the game, indeed tolerating blatant thuggery in the beginning; (3) Mike Slive and the SEC obviously would have been more upset if Mr. Spikes had criticized the SEC officials!; (4) This kind of thing needs to be “ruthlessly suppressed” at the league level, when the head coach declines to take the high road.
I’m with Golic — trying to blind a guy is worse than cold-cocking him.
Joe N's mommy's rabbit
November 2nd, 2009
4:22 pm
Of course he didn’t have the ball. When he did UGA bellied up to their master. Nice defense on the TD breaking run up the gut.
Hank
November 2nd, 2009
4:22 pm
Shut up crank!! We were there to feed them something other than greens