SEC should consider suspending Florida’s Spikes
This shouldn’t distract from the fact Georgia was outplayed and outclassed in every way in Jacksonville – nor from the fact that the Bulldogs committed four personal fouls themselves and have devolved into one of the nation’s most-penalized and least disciplined teams.
But SEC officials should look seriously at suspending Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes.
By now, you’ve probably heard about or seen video of Spikes’ attempted eye-gouging of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in the third quarter of Saturday’s game.
If not, here it is.
Take a look and then I’ll be back.
(UPDATE: The previous video has been removed by YouTube for copyright issues. This is another version — not as clear but clear enough.)
Pretty nasty, huh?
Now, I’m sure this sort of thing happens all the time at the bottom of the pile in the NFL. I’m guessing it also happens sometimes at the bottom of the pile in SEC games, particularly with players who project to the NFL (Spikes). But there really is no excuse for it.
Spikes might claim that his attack was retaliation for twice getting his helmet knocked off by Bulldogs players earlier in the game. But trying to jam one’s fingers into another guy’s eyes is WAY over the line.
So far, there has been no reaction from SEC officials. They tend to look at these things on Mondays, and I’m sure I was one of a hundred media members seeking a statement Sunday. The hope is that commissioner Mike Slive treats this at least as seriously as he does coaches who whine about officiating.
Florida coach Urban Meyer called Spikes a “very emotional player,” adding, “If that’s the case, I will have a very serious talk with him.”
Dogs coach Mark Richt said on his Sunday night conference call that he hadn’t seen the video: “I did have someone bring it to my attention that they thought that might have happened or whatever, but I don’t want to make any kind of comment on that particular incident.”
I’ll update this late if the SEC comes out with a statement.
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402 comments Add your comment
Wally Butts
November 2nd, 2009
12:05 pm
If you will carefully view the film you will notice that Spikes helmet kept coming off because his chin strap was not fastened most of the time…His straps were dangling it down…This is a typical showboating ploy of Spikes…Florida is a better coached football team than UGA and they deserve credit fot their victory…But Meyer has recreated the “U” in Gainesville….
BigWhoop
November 2nd, 2009
12:07 pm
I want to hear from Ealy! Come on Ealy!
Dawgs Fan
November 2nd, 2009
12:07 pm
Spikes must be trash. Why would any player have that in their mind while tackling a player. Now we know why so many plastic eye shields have to be installed in helments. They need to show that piece of crap back to the street corner he came from. Trash, just trash.
Pot and the Kettle
November 2nd, 2009
12:08 pm
JS – I am no Gator fan – but the UGA holier than thou act is a bit sickening. UGA players are consistently taking cheap shots against the opposing team. Only this year when their is an emphasis on this behavior do they get penalized for it (Oklahoma St game). To say that UGA wasn’t trying to hurt Spikes throughout the game is disingenuous at best. It is not excuse for Spikes – but quit the holy roller bit.
BigWhoop
November 2nd, 2009
12:09 pm
Golic is a loudmouth blowhard trying to get press for him and his buddy Greenberg and their stupid show!
Dr. Phil
November 2nd, 2009
12:09 pm
Georgia’s undisciplined style of play certainly leads to retalliation. However, white Spikes did is just dirty. You would think that Myer would take action if he is as saintly as he would have us believe.
GatorFan96
November 2nd, 2009
12:09 pm
Two wrongs don’t make a right, but . . .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnPj3aeAzZU
bugman
November 2nd, 2009
12:09 pm
Gatorzone,
Really? You’ve got to be kidding.
Spikes helmet came off cause his chinstrap wasn’t buttoned. If you look closely you can see it flopping around while he was calling coverage. All I see is the FB blocking him and it coming off then the RT hittin him in the noggin with his helmet. I DON’T see a dirty play there at all.
Having played football for many years I know there is alot of nastiness that does occur and if the world could see it blatantly every game they would be horrified. But Spikes got caught. Whether it was justified or not isn’t gonna matter. If a UGA player had been exposed doing the same thing as clearly as Spikes, I would want him punished.
Schultzie, got some chalkboard dish for ya:
Install plexiglass eye shield on Ealey’s helmet.
Anyone else notice after the “gouge” that Spikes has eye protection?!
AZ Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:10 pm
Jeff, I would be the SEC Comis got the job because he was well qualified to handle the position. I think you are a little paranoid there. The SEC is being run by Tech Alum and UGA cannot get a break is really reaching. But if that is what you think then more power to you.
grrrrtrfan
November 2nd, 2009
12:10 pm
Dawgman..perhaps he just apologize…
AZ Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:11 pm
Sorry, should be I would bet.
Cuz
November 2nd, 2009
12:12 pm
Why don’t we put Waushan and Brandon in a Texas cage match. Folding chairs will be allowed.
Steve
November 2nd, 2009
12:12 pm
To John’s comment above: You say the affected player didn’t mention the eye-gouging, etc., when interviewed after the game… the POINT is… it’s like taking a swing at someone and missing, it’s not that he did or didn’t gouge the UGA player, it’s that he ATTEMPTED to gouge his eyes, whether or not he was successful is NOT the point…
grrrrtrfan
November 2nd, 2009
12:13 pm
Nuff said when comparing to “da U”
http://www.gatorsports.com/article/20090614/ARTICLES/906149963/1136?Title=Comparing-UF-s-rivals-arrests
Decatur 4 Life
November 2nd, 2009
12:13 pm
Everyone needs to understand that Ealey is not going to say anything after the game about the incident. He knows that the jaw jacking and dirty play was going on both sides, UGA had no choice but to do it trying to gain an edge. Florida should’ve recognized that and stayed out of it, they didn’t and because of that Spikes could miss some time. Might not seem like much but one game could end their national championship hopes. That’s all it takes.
Steve
November 2nd, 2009
12:14 pm
Oh please get over it. If you actually played college football you would know this happens all the time. Its not that big a deal.
Wally Butts
November 2nd, 2009
12:14 pm
look at the picture of Spikes at the top of this article…no chin strap…another example of the SEC reps refusing to call penalties of Fla…again Fla is better than us right now…but Spikes is a “thug”…check into his background…
Jefferson
November 2nd, 2009
12:14 pm
UGA should just have forfeited the game.
jason
November 2nd, 2009
12:14 pm
A couple of things I find interesting about this play. 1) It was not a pile that alot of people like to say. Spikes was obviously the last one there and on top and was easily visible in what he did. 2) why the heck did no other UGA player come to Ealy’s defense. SR vs. Frosh. #71 watched what happened and did nothing about it. UGA can gather up PFs after PFs, but if there is a time in whinch one needed to occur (this was the time), nothing happened. 3) who really cares. Spikes was wrong and needs to be suspended, but he was also good at hiding from the refs and lucky not to be caught. Unlike UGA where they do stupid crap like this right in front og the refs. I am a UGA fan, but I find the style of play by these DAWGS as an embarrassment. UGA went into this game trying to play in your face with physicality and tried to intimidate the Gators. Well, UGA now whines like babies because UF B!tc& slapped UGA back.
AZ Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:17 pm
Steve, not sure you are correct there. Swinging and gouging are two entirely different events. One may see what BS did as attempt to gouge but another my see it as inadvertantly getting his hands inside the face mask, you don’t know intent. When a player swings at another player you know the intent is to hit that player and if he misses, too bad. Not saying that BS was not wrong.
Gator 4 Life
November 2nd, 2009
12:18 pm
Caterdawg,
The 80’s was almost thirty years ago, like your ONLY title. Look at the last 20 games. Brag about that stat. 17 out of 20?
All I’ve heard is how “you don’t have Percy Harvin this year” and now it’s “you won’t have Tim Tebow next year”.
Guess what, Dawg Beeotches? You tried to thug out and Spikes stooped to your level but you still CANNOT beat Florida.
Georgia’s coaches should be arrested for impersonating an SEC coaching staff. Richt and Co. are a damn caricature of what could be. Pathetic. If Richt doesn’t make wholesale changes, he deserves what he gets every year which is a whole lotta Gator up his Dockers.
Cox was running for his life and you guys want to bench him. How about the OT that couldn’t block Cunningham (a GA boy, I might add) off the edge?
grrrrtrfan
November 2nd, 2009
12:18 pm
Jefferson, agreed. if UGA had just forfeited the game, we wouldn’t having this conversation with the same result.
Sonny Clusters
November 2nd, 2009
12:19 pm
Clusters was never one to gouge eyes. Coach wouldn’t allow it. One time, Stinky Wintes was in a pile and one of those Cobb County boys was on the bottom and wanted up and away from Stinky Wintes but Stinky was having none of that. He just lay there on top and stunk. That was about as mean as we’d play and that was pretty bad when Stinky Wintes was all sweated up and in a pile. Gouging’s not all you can do.
football fan
November 2nd, 2009
12:20 pm
A suspension is in order. A message needs to be sent across college football that this behavior will not be tolerated. Florida / SEC needs to do something in response. No action = approval of this behavior.
jason
November 2nd, 2009
12:21 pm
Funny thing about that video. Spikes was also obviously off sides at the snap of the ball.
jason
November 2nd, 2009
12:22 pm
football fan, No action would be status quo for the Gators.
Gambler
November 2nd, 2009
12:23 pm
I got gouged when I took Georgia and the points. Should the Georgia program be suspended for their bloody shambles too?
AZ Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:23 pm
Now we have a new one, he was offsides. Offsides so he could gouge out his eyes. This is getting really deep. Come on UGA fans that was last week. You now have to face a tough Tenn. Tech team that will be licking their chops to come at you.
Brandon Spikes
November 2nd, 2009
12:24 pm
Settle down, lets put this issue to rest. First it was never my intention to gouge or poke anyones eyes! I was just picking boogers out of his lil bitty nose, my own boogers leave a bitter aftertaste and I was hoping to sample his boogers. Coach has told me from now on I can only pick my boogers or possibly someone off the scouts teams boogers. My humble apology. Peace out!!
jason
November 2nd, 2009
12:25 pm
Seriously after the first altercation between Spikes and Ealy in the first qt, there should have been some ejections there. The refs lost control of the game by allowing the the players a little more freedom to play. If an ejection (one player from each team) would have occured, it more than likely would have stopped the BS. UGA was playing awfully dirty in that game. They did not seem to care if the refs saw the type of play or not.
I'm a Man, I'm 40
November 2nd, 2009
12:25 pm
Jill, I would like to spit in your face. Gator fans are the scum of the earth – Tim Tebow is the spawn of Satan.
kevin
November 2nd, 2009
12:26 pm
If you want to see if Urban Meyer and the Gators have class…….just watch how this unfolds…..Meyer will never suspend Spikes, because they are all classless idiots. If any thing is done….it will be because the SEC imposed it…..Urban Meyer recruiting someone like Brandon Spikes speaks for the “class” of the whole Gator nation. And coach Richt continues to “no comment” what needs to be said and done……damn, where is Steve Spurrier when you need to say what needs to be said…..but thats another whole story!
AZ Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:27 pm
wow, not one of you talker about hoping he gets hurt, he is a thug and will be arrested, and knowing he will get gunned down, even know the young man. I think the UGA football team reflects the nature of their fans if what is said on this blog means anything. I don’t think any player on either side goes out to hurt another player. those who think that have never played the game.
Dog poop
November 2nd, 2009
12:28 pm
I’m no dog fan, but this type play needs to STOP. I’m sure UGA players have done bad things also. If this type crap goes on under every pile after a play. Then SEC, ACC, and ALL confererances need to watch for it and STOP it.Every team has its THUGS. If they do this type of cheap shots they should be punished. Alot of these guys come from violet areas. But most coaches don’t care.All they want to know is, can he play football?
Joe
November 2nd, 2009
12:28 pm
Here is hoping and praying that Spikes either tears an ACL or somehow gets hurt and his career is over. That’s what classless people like him deserve-
jason
November 2nd, 2009
12:28 pm
AZ Jacket, No just saying ot was funny that he jumped early and did not get back. It was a dirty play, but the DAWGS started that crap first. The face mask by Gamble on that first long run was awful. That should have to 15 yard penalties. One for Late hit out of bounds and the second for a flagrant face mask. Gamble got his money’s worth on that face mask. That made up for all the 5 yrd (that are now 15 yard)facemasks UGA has recieved.
AZ Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:29 pm
I’m a Man, I’m 40, your name is only half right…maybe. No man would say what you just said. If you are 40 you are sick and need help.
Rodster
November 2nd, 2009
12:29 pm
What do you expect from Rasta Man? He’s a thug. Is anyone really shocked?
Decatur 4 Life
November 2nd, 2009
12:29 pm
If anything blame the coaches. Richt might have started it a few years ago with whole team running on the field following a touchdown, last year Meyer made matters worse when he called timeouts at the end of the game being up by so many. Those decisions have turned this rivalry into a war. UGA knew they didn’t stand a chance with stingy defense and high potent attack of the Gators so they tried to out physical Florida and take their minds off the task at hand. It didn’t work, and all it showed was how bad the blood is between these two border rivals.
John
November 2nd, 2009
12:32 pm
As one who’s never strapped on a jock in his life (role playing with the wife on Conjugal Wednesdays doesn’t count, does it?) I gotta believe the Spikes eye gouge is being blown somewhat out of proportion.
Football is a rough game (here’s where my never-strapped-on-a-Bike credibility comes under fire) played by aggressive and angry young men. The aggressiver and angrier the better I might add.
Other posters have stated Spikes was probably retaliating for similar transgressions perpetrated against his physical person. Doggone if those after-the-whistle piles don’t get nasty.
I ain’t trying to draw a moral equivalent between a hair pull (or multiple hair pulls) by UGA players and Spikes’ apparent intent to permanenly deprive this UGA kid of 50% of his vision.
Well even if the SEC renders the Gators’ defense Spikes-less for a spell, I expect the likes of Vanderbilt, Florida International and even FSU (talk about a once-storied program on the skids – at least UGA’s got company) won’t give their DC any sleepless nights.
jason
November 2nd, 2009
12:33 pm
AZ Jacket, go read my 12:14 post. It says what I think of the play.
One other thing off topic. I think it is crap that Tech moved up only one spot in the polls. There is a bias nationally towards your Jackets. Don’t worry though by this time next season you guy will have that respect.
Jeff
November 2nd, 2009
12:33 pm
AZ jacket- its not just UGA- take a long look at what has gone on in the SEC this year- qualified? ha! what a joke. If he was “qualified” he would be taking action on the many bad calls that have gone on this year. The only reason he suspended the crew is because he was forced to- the other coachs were yelling loud and clear. He is a wimp and a Urbans boy at best.
CT
November 2nd, 2009
12:34 pm
Go back and watch the tape. The first cheap shot was on a play that was blown dead for a false start (imagine that). After the whistle, Spikes took a forearm to the head of Ealey and Ealey pushed back. After that, Josh Davis pulled Spikes hair and his helmet came off in the process. Tackling by the hair is legal. When you are an offensive lineman, it’s holding (I would guess). When you do it after the play, it’s a personal foul, which is where Davis got into trouble.
The point is that Spikes started the crap and there’s no accountability for it (so far). Well, unless you count the “strong talking to” that Urban will deliver. This goes back to the first play of last year as well, in my opinion.
Jep Palmer
November 2nd, 2009
12:35 pm
Another million dollar body with a two cent brain.
Much like our current players who commit constant fouls.
We need an IQ test for players….never mind….we could’nt field a team.
AZ Jacket
November 2nd, 2009
12:36 pm
Jeff, I guess you know everything that goes on in that office so I will step back and let you feel that things are crooked in the good ole SEC. Not a big fan of the SEC so I don’t really care. If you are going to blame someone for your short comings may as well take it to the top.
Jeff
November 2nd, 2009
12:37 pm
so now AZ Jacket- you’re all high and mighty..what a joke dude. Those comments have come from others as well. That your not disgusted by that tells us alot about you
FLA DAWG
November 2nd, 2009
12:37 pm
The Dawgs have been hounded for two years for Excessive Celebration in the endzone.
Spike committed a criminal offense and should be kicked off the team.
CT
November 2nd, 2009
12:38 pm
Spikes came through the line and delivered a great hit on Moreno, which is football and a great play, but then he was allowed to be unsportsmanlike and lay ontop of Moreno for several seconds and scream (what I doubt was anything close to English) in Moreno’s face.
Moreno didn’t retaliate, incidentally.
Go Dawgs!
j
November 2nd, 2009
12:39 pm
pups got their rear ends kicked, you all need to stfu, grow a pair, and show up next year to defend your honor.
WTF. the dogs have no honor just crybabies and preseason champs.
This Just In
November 2nd, 2009
12:39 pm
Spikes is suspended for the first half of the Vandy game. Wow.