Friday, September 04, 2009

The Punch Heard Round the World

I just happened to be getting home late last night and caught the end of the Boise State/Oregon game and then it happened. LeGarrette Blount punches Byron Hout in the chin and almost knocks him out. A bad way to show sportsmanship by any measure, and even worse since Hout didn't see it coming. We all know that Blount shouldn't have done it, but I think a lot of people were at fault here. Let's take a look at that:
1) Blount lost his cool after a tough loss. It was a time when emotions were running
high and maybe Blount should have taken himself away from the crowd if he
was THAT mad.
2) Hout, a decent defensive player, should not have taunted Blount after the game.
There was no need for him to touch Blount nor talk smack to a guy who is that
much better than you as a football player. Not a good show of sportsmanship.
3) The stadium should not have shown replays of the punch on the big screen at the
game when all it was going to do was enrage the Boise State fans. Which, it did
and they obviously were screwing with Blount as he was leaving the field which
probably instigated him wanting to go into the stands. It's amazing what some
college kids will say when they know that security is around and nothing will
happen to them. Blount had already dropped a 250 pound guy with a helluva
right cross and then you have these college fans (probably 175 soaking wet)
standing behind the security lines talking smack.
We'll see what happens, but I expect that Blount will be suspended for several games. I don't believe that I'm saying this, but the kid is a kid and needs some leniency on this one. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Yes, he needs to understand his emotions and how to handle them, but he is a kid also.
What do you think will happen? Should Blount be suspended for the year? She he be arrested on criminal charges?

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