Will Oregon hold suspension all year?
I was watching ESPN and saw that Oregon University has basically kicked their running back, LeGarrette Blount, from the team for the entire season. This after Blount punched a player from Boise State across the face like a vintage Mike Tyson bout.
So the question they talked about on the shows was, did he deserve to be suspended for an entire season? Let’s talk about that.
Before we do, let’s pull some facts on LeGarrette Blount:
In 2008 he was just outside the top 50 running backs in Division I, having rushed for just over 1000 yards, and 17 touchdowns. His 17 touchdowns puts him in the top 10 of all running backs last year. His 7.3 yards per carry puts him in the top 20 in that same position…in short, he was a pretty good running back.
The major problem for Blount’s suspension is that he is a senior, meaning this could very well be over for him. Now we know that the university has not taken his scholarship, but one has to wonder…what were his grades before this incident?
There are two ideas here about the incident, but before I continue, I think that maybe Boise State ought to consider some punishment for the player that instigated it. I know I wasn’t there, but I can imagine that to make Blount “snap” like that, the Boise State player had to have said something similar to what Blount was quoted to say about a certain butt kicking (in other words).
Everybody is saying that nothing could have excused Blount for what he did, and I can agree, but that does not mean that the instigator gets away scott-free. I think Boise State ought to take a look and make sure to keep their players in line too.
Now, the two ideas of thought here are these: does Blount deserve such a heavy penalty…and two, do you think Oregon will stick to it?
Both are tied together, because Oregon imposed this punishment before the Pac-10 and the NCAA stepped in…which just might have a different reason than you think.
First, did he deserve to be suspended…absolutely. Blount’s actions far exceeded the limits of fair play and good will, which was a direct slap in the face of the idea of having these athletes shake hands (and why it was never a good idea anyway).
But was the punishment TOO severe? As a senior, he does not have any other chances to show his wares, and as we mentioned earlier, his stats show that he was a pretty good running back.
I think one has to look not just at his play on the field, but what his academics looked like. If he was doing well in classes, making good grades, then there ought to be some consideration to allow him to play. Let’s not kid ourselves folks, most athletes play on college for the hopes of going to that next level…that being the NFL. Many football players put their eggs in one basket of that NFL dream, while not taking full opportunity of a college education. I don’t know what Blount’s grades were last year, and what his academic goals were, but even though he still has his scholarship, he ought to be given some haven that a person who makes a mistake can be given a second chance.
Personally, I felt that he should have been suspended at LEAST half a season, and given a chance to work back on the team if he showed that he was trying to change. I mean…he is a student. It just kinda seems too condemning to take a fellow student and give him an absolute judgment on a mistake he made. Is this the message that we want to send to our youth, that if you screw up, you are damned forever?
Again, I know what he did was very wrong, and I can’t argue too much with the suspension by Oregon U, but is it too harsh…or does it allow for a loophole?
Follow me here….
Because Oregon University itself set the punishment, it is every bit possible that Oregon University can REVERSE the punishment. I think maybe it might have been wise for Oregon to impose this punishment, and I don’t doubt that it is quite real, but if the NCAA or Pac-10 does not rule on it, then it also allows Oregon to repeal such a punishment IF…I say again..IF Blount can show some serious progress of change.
What this means is that he has to attend classes, not get in any trouble, maybe take an Anger Management Class, and off campus activities, then there is a possible loophole that Oregon could allow him back on the field. Remember, he is a senior, and has no more eligibility. Would Oregon allow him back if he did “the right things” or, if they needed him?
Oregon still has a chance to make some serious noise in the NCAA, but if things start to go downhill, would a desperate Oregon school reconsider their punishment? If the rich alumni start to put pressure on the school, would it, could it, reconsider bringing Blount back if it gives them hope?
It’s quite possible that Oregon would not consider this at all, and that would indeed be a good stand, but I wonder if they would change their minds if Oregon loses a few more games, knowing they have a pretty good running back that is no longer on the team. Consider their next few games: home vs. Purdue, Utah and California. If Oregon comes out of this 1-3, this could be a problem. If they lose to Purdue…that could be a MAJOR problem….
Would it encourage Oregon to change their minds? They won 10 games last year… they don’t need to go backwards, and we have not even talked about USC.
What it seems to come down to is the eternal fight of a university doing what may be right, against the pressures to do what is popular. A guy that fights ought to be disciplined, but if he is a key component to a team that might be able to win more games, would the university turn the other cheek and let him back in? To be sure, this is not an easy call, I would not want to end an athlete’s career, but there has to be a level of discipline for fighting. Personally I’d like to think that the university could give Blount a chance instead of making the decision so final. But maybe it isn’t final, we’d have to see how it goes.
I think if Blount does well in class, and does outside activities on and off campus, and still participates on the team practices…AND if Oregon has trouble in the first few games, I think he’ll be back. Maybe by the last 3 or 4 games, but he may be back, unless the NCAA and Pac-10 puts their stamp on his dismissal.
Just have to wait and see on this. Hate to see that with any team, and we all know football players play with high emotions, often on the edge, but with discipline there ought to be some mercy…let’s see if Oregon shows some.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Handshakes in college football?
Should College Players shake hands?
It all depends.
This is based off some new rule that the college coaches wanted teams to shake hands before the game. This was met with a LOT of resistance, most notably from the head coach of Oklahoma State…remember folks, he’s a MAN!
(you have to remember the clip of his tirade to get that joke)
But in seriousness, I agree fully with him. I was watching some shows on ESPN and one of my fav shows was “Around the Horn” and “Pardon the Interruption”. On ATH, they debated this issue, and one of the columnists, Jackie McMullen, said that if a coach can’t control his players for just a few seconds then shame on him.
I agree fully with Jackie on that…and the logic is pure, but this is a game of emotions, and for that reason, I can’t fully agree with her. She is basing it on the premise that these guys are going to be nice and clean before the game starts, and that any coach worth his salt can control his team.
I strongly disagree.
Consider what these students go through in the weeks before their first game. And as I talk about it, feel free to add on stuff that Michigan is in trouble for. These young men come to practice many times earlier than NCAA rules say they should, and are worked many times MORE than the rules allow (under cover of discretion).
These young men are taught day in and day out to max out their potential, to strive to do more than their best, to push their bodies and minds to the limit. There is no room for the weak in these often hot and sweaty practices that seem to go on forever. All this is to get the play mentally ready to tear the head off any person NOT wearing their similar uniform. It’s military drilling at it’s best folks.
You get into the mind of these young men long enough, it will begin be what the coach wants it to be, and you are at the will of whatever your coach wants. Every college coach wants their players to be an animal on the field, but off the field we always expect them to be pure gentlemen. And that’s true for most athletes, but remember folks, football is a violent sport…and often times it takes a violent mentality to play it.
You go through this for weeks on end, and you are starving to hit somebody else rather than your teammates…and game time comes, and your level of beast hood is at it’s highest….
And you have to do something gentlemanly like shake hands?
Come on folks, that’s not gonna happen.
I disagree that teams ought to be trained enough to do that, what do you expect will happen if you put Texas and Oklahoma in front of each other like that…or Michigan and Michigan State, or USC and UCLA, or Florida and LSU, or any team like that?
To me it is asking too much to ask a team to do that. Now, if you brought out representatives of the team, no more than 5 from each side, that would be cool. But I like the way one guy on ATH put it, that you might have some guy on the third string that won’t get any playing time, and this is his only way to “vent” his emotions.
Or, you could have what happened at the Oregon/ Boise State game…
The gesture of good will is always important, and sometimes you see teams gather together after a game to pray…always an excellent sign of good will. But right now, at the beginning of a season, with everybody ready to hit one another, not a good idea. For this to really work, it would unfortunately take a serious situation to cause every team to realize how small football is….
Consider what happened after 911.…
Only then did our country, and sports, understand the importance of ALL of us getting along. We might be going through some economical situations, but it has not gotten to the point where many of those teams would consider the whole state of affairs before a game starts.
Now, do I believe shaking hands is a good idea…sure, in theory. But you are asking guys to “break character” before a game, this is not what coaches teach their players. IF you are going to do it, I think it would work best for representatives, not the team, to shake hands.
In all seriousness, I think the only teams that are capable of pre-game handshakes are our military schools, Army, Navy and Air Force. I say that because I believe those guys are more disciplined than a regular school. It would also be a positive show of good will to see our boys in uniform shake hands before a game. But outside of that, I just can’t see Ohio State shaking hands with Penn State or Michigan… I didn’t say it can’t happen, I just don’t see what you gain by doing that. I mean, are all the fans going to say, “awwww, ain’t that cute. The Longhorns are shaking hands with the Sooners….NOW GET OUT THERE AND BEAT THEM TO DUST!”
We’ll see how this rule plays out. I’d like to see gestures of good will in any sport, but the gesture has to come from compliance from both sides, not handed down from some authority. Good will comes from the heart, so if two teams decide to do it, that is far better than if they were told to do it. But again, we shall see how it plays out.
It all depends.
This is based off some new rule that the college coaches wanted teams to shake hands before the game. This was met with a LOT of resistance, most notably from the head coach of Oklahoma State…remember folks, he’s a MAN!
(you have to remember the clip of his tirade to get that joke)
But in seriousness, I agree fully with him. I was watching some shows on ESPN and one of my fav shows was “Around the Horn” and “Pardon the Interruption”. On ATH, they debated this issue, and one of the columnists, Jackie McMullen, said that if a coach can’t control his players for just a few seconds then shame on him.
I agree fully with Jackie on that…and the logic is pure, but this is a game of emotions, and for that reason, I can’t fully agree with her. She is basing it on the premise that these guys are going to be nice and clean before the game starts, and that any coach worth his salt can control his team.
I strongly disagree.
Consider what these students go through in the weeks before their first game. And as I talk about it, feel free to add on stuff that Michigan is in trouble for. These young men come to practice many times earlier than NCAA rules say they should, and are worked many times MORE than the rules allow (under cover of discretion).
These young men are taught day in and day out to max out their potential, to strive to do more than their best, to push their bodies and minds to the limit. There is no room for the weak in these often hot and sweaty practices that seem to go on forever. All this is to get the play mentally ready to tear the head off any person NOT wearing their similar uniform. It’s military drilling at it’s best folks.
You get into the mind of these young men long enough, it will begin be what the coach wants it to be, and you are at the will of whatever your coach wants. Every college coach wants their players to be an animal on the field, but off the field we always expect them to be pure gentlemen. And that’s true for most athletes, but remember folks, football is a violent sport…and often times it takes a violent mentality to play it.
You go through this for weeks on end, and you are starving to hit somebody else rather than your teammates…and game time comes, and your level of beast hood is at it’s highest….
And you have to do something gentlemanly like shake hands?
Come on folks, that’s not gonna happen.
I disagree that teams ought to be trained enough to do that, what do you expect will happen if you put Texas and Oklahoma in front of each other like that…or Michigan and Michigan State, or USC and UCLA, or Florida and LSU, or any team like that?
To me it is asking too much to ask a team to do that. Now, if you brought out representatives of the team, no more than 5 from each side, that would be cool. But I like the way one guy on ATH put it, that you might have some guy on the third string that won’t get any playing time, and this is his only way to “vent” his emotions.
Or, you could have what happened at the Oregon/ Boise State game…
The gesture of good will is always important, and sometimes you see teams gather together after a game to pray…always an excellent sign of good will. But right now, at the beginning of a season, with everybody ready to hit one another, not a good idea. For this to really work, it would unfortunately take a serious situation to cause every team to realize how small football is….
Consider what happened after 911.…
Only then did our country, and sports, understand the importance of ALL of us getting along. We might be going through some economical situations, but it has not gotten to the point where many of those teams would consider the whole state of affairs before a game starts.
Now, do I believe shaking hands is a good idea…sure, in theory. But you are asking guys to “break character” before a game, this is not what coaches teach their players. IF you are going to do it, I think it would work best for representatives, not the team, to shake hands.
In all seriousness, I think the only teams that are capable of pre-game handshakes are our military schools, Army, Navy and Air Force. I say that because I believe those guys are more disciplined than a regular school. It would also be a positive show of good will to see our boys in uniform shake hands before a game. But outside of that, I just can’t see Ohio State shaking hands with Penn State or Michigan… I didn’t say it can’t happen, I just don’t see what you gain by doing that. I mean, are all the fans going to say, “awwww, ain’t that cute. The Longhorns are shaking hands with the Sooners….NOW GET OUT THERE AND BEAT THEM TO DUST!”
We’ll see how this rule plays out. I’d like to see gestures of good will in any sport, but the gesture has to come from compliance from both sides, not handed down from some authority. Good will comes from the heart, so if two teams decide to do it, that is far better than if they were told to do it. But again, we shall see how it plays out.
North Texas vs Ball State
North Texas vs. Ball State
What HAPPENED???
I was ready to watch a full plate of college football, with the South Carolina vs. NC State, then the Oregon vs. Boise State, but there was another game that I had a chance to watch, that being North Texas vs. Ball State.
And I was quite amazed to see that a team that was 1-11 last year, that being North Texas, could go up to Ball State and beat them…in their own house, after the amazing season that the Cardinals had last year.
To refresh your memory, Ball State was actually ranked near the end of the season last year, and had a perfect record to finish the regular season. A perfect 12-0 While at the same time, North Texas wins only ONE game last year, and that game was to Western Kentucky, a team that was in their first year in Division IA (or FCS or whatever the call it). And even then, they still gave up 40 points, winning 51-40.
This matchup folks, should not have been nearly as entertaining as it turned out to be. And the stats may well show that the North Texas Mean Green had the advantage in time of possession (30 minutes to 13), and offensive yards (512 to 309), but you just have to wonder if something else was going on…mentally.
I know Ball State is a better team than that, we saw that last year, but I gotta tell ya, since they finished the season 12-0, they have gone 0-3 since then, almost as if winning isn’t as important as it used to be… or maybe the Cardinals believe that going perfect has no real reward.
Disagree? Back up to last year and follow me.
Coming out of the Mid-American Conference, they started out beating Northeastern but got their first good win by beating Navy 35-23. Now I know Navy isn’t a top 25 caliber team, but they are better than average, so this win was indeed a strong step for Ball State. They would score 40+ points the next 3 games, including a win over Big 10 member Indiana, and then shut out Toledo 31-0.
At this point the nation was slowly taking notice of Ball State, and the slight possibility of them being a “BCS buster”, a term I hardly agree with, since the current BCS bowls actually ALLOW a non power conference school with a great record in…. hardly BUSTING in if you are allowed…but that is another story.
Anyway, Ball State is 6-0 before running off 5 more wins in a row, and nobody is even close to touching them. Now the talks were about how teams like Boise State, Utah and now Ball State should be included in the BCS bowls. But others argued that the soft conference and weak strength of schedule would never allow Ball State to play in a BCS, no matter how they fared.
Their last regular season game was against Western Michigan, a game they win easily to go to their conference championship. By beating Western Michigan 45-22, they proved that they were indeed one of the best teams in the nation, clearly the best in their conference. I mean, how many other teams can claim they have gone perfect in the season? Not a very long list of teams, to be sure.
But here is where the problems may have started for Ball State. Last year I remember reading that no matter how good Ball State finished, they were contractually obligated to certain bowls, none being the BCS or the high dollar bowls. Whether they were 12-0 or 7-5, as the conference champion they had no choice but to go to one of the bowls designated for the Mid-American Conference.
Consider what that must have meant to those guys playing for Ball State.
The reward for perfection, is literally nothing. You play the schedule in front of you, you win all the games, you go perfect, and in the end, you go to a lesser bowl than maybe you should have. It seemed to imply that nothing Ball State could do is worth a real reward. Call it a glass ceiling if you will.
Now I won’t argue it because personally I felt that Ball State didn’t play a tough enough schedule to be considered into any BCS formula. And with Utah and Boise State also then undefeated, how could anybody consider Ball State? No doubt, an awesome season, but in the end, it was not considering of greater rewards.
Imagine how a team that worked so hard would feel if their best efforts resulted in them going to a bowl that is hardly a reward for a perfect team. Is it possible that the morale and drive for perfection tapped off with Ball State when they realized that their post season was pre-determined? How would YOU feel?
If there is any truth to this, it might explain what happened when Ball State played Buffalo in the conference championships. To Ball State, there really was nothing to play for, to Buffalo, there was everything to play for, and it showed. Buffalo crushed Ball State 42-24 to win the conference championship.
But it went further than that.
Ball State played Tulsa in the post season, losing 45-13. The team that was swatting every opponent in front of them like flies was now hardly putting up a fight. It almost seemed like they were still shocked that their 12-0 perfect season meant nothing to anybody outside Ball State University. Something mentally had to have happened for this team to have done so well, to have fallen so fast.
So fast forward to last night, playing North Texas.
Is it conceivable that Ball State still felt that going perfect has no reward, that all you really have to do is win your conference to go to a pre-determined bowl? Is it also possible that they saw a 1-11 team and assumed that they could win this game without a great effort, and on THEIR home field.
I won’t doubt for a second that there was some overconfidence, I mean, you don’t get afraid of a 1-11 team that comes in your home town, especially when you were 12-0. It had all the makings of a 56-3 beat down…but something else was going on, and I believe some of it might be in the heads of the Ball State Cardinals.
Could they be wondering, “what’s the point of going perfect”?
And in so, could they have lost that edge that gave them such a great year last year? In the regular season last year, the FEWEST points the Cardinals scored was 24, against Western Kentucky (ironic….). Yet in the post season, this same team scored only 24 points, then 13 points…last night they scored 10.
And let’s not forget that North Texas still had to show up to win, and a great win it was, no doubt. But now you wonder, what will Ball State do the rest of the season… with Army and Auburn on the schedule, they need to figure out if they are committed to winning, or still sulking from being dissed in a perfect season.
Only time will tell….
What HAPPENED???
I was ready to watch a full plate of college football, with the South Carolina vs. NC State, then the Oregon vs. Boise State, but there was another game that I had a chance to watch, that being North Texas vs. Ball State.
And I was quite amazed to see that a team that was 1-11 last year, that being North Texas, could go up to Ball State and beat them…in their own house, after the amazing season that the Cardinals had last year.
To refresh your memory, Ball State was actually ranked near the end of the season last year, and had a perfect record to finish the regular season. A perfect 12-0 While at the same time, North Texas wins only ONE game last year, and that game was to Western Kentucky, a team that was in their first year in Division IA (or FCS or whatever the call it). And even then, they still gave up 40 points, winning 51-40.
This matchup folks, should not have been nearly as entertaining as it turned out to be. And the stats may well show that the North Texas Mean Green had the advantage in time of possession (30 minutes to 13), and offensive yards (512 to 309), but you just have to wonder if something else was going on…mentally.
I know Ball State is a better team than that, we saw that last year, but I gotta tell ya, since they finished the season 12-0, they have gone 0-3 since then, almost as if winning isn’t as important as it used to be… or maybe the Cardinals believe that going perfect has no real reward.
Disagree? Back up to last year and follow me.
Coming out of the Mid-American Conference, they started out beating Northeastern but got their first good win by beating Navy 35-23. Now I know Navy isn’t a top 25 caliber team, but they are better than average, so this win was indeed a strong step for Ball State. They would score 40+ points the next 3 games, including a win over Big 10 member Indiana, and then shut out Toledo 31-0.
At this point the nation was slowly taking notice of Ball State, and the slight possibility of them being a “BCS buster”, a term I hardly agree with, since the current BCS bowls actually ALLOW a non power conference school with a great record in…. hardly BUSTING in if you are allowed…but that is another story.
Anyway, Ball State is 6-0 before running off 5 more wins in a row, and nobody is even close to touching them. Now the talks were about how teams like Boise State, Utah and now Ball State should be included in the BCS bowls. But others argued that the soft conference and weak strength of schedule would never allow Ball State to play in a BCS, no matter how they fared.
Their last regular season game was against Western Michigan, a game they win easily to go to their conference championship. By beating Western Michigan 45-22, they proved that they were indeed one of the best teams in the nation, clearly the best in their conference. I mean, how many other teams can claim they have gone perfect in the season? Not a very long list of teams, to be sure.
But here is where the problems may have started for Ball State. Last year I remember reading that no matter how good Ball State finished, they were contractually obligated to certain bowls, none being the BCS or the high dollar bowls. Whether they were 12-0 or 7-5, as the conference champion they had no choice but to go to one of the bowls designated for the Mid-American Conference.
Consider what that must have meant to those guys playing for Ball State.
The reward for perfection, is literally nothing. You play the schedule in front of you, you win all the games, you go perfect, and in the end, you go to a lesser bowl than maybe you should have. It seemed to imply that nothing Ball State could do is worth a real reward. Call it a glass ceiling if you will.
Now I won’t argue it because personally I felt that Ball State didn’t play a tough enough schedule to be considered into any BCS formula. And with Utah and Boise State also then undefeated, how could anybody consider Ball State? No doubt, an awesome season, but in the end, it was not considering of greater rewards.
Imagine how a team that worked so hard would feel if their best efforts resulted in them going to a bowl that is hardly a reward for a perfect team. Is it possible that the morale and drive for perfection tapped off with Ball State when they realized that their post season was pre-determined? How would YOU feel?
If there is any truth to this, it might explain what happened when Ball State played Buffalo in the conference championships. To Ball State, there really was nothing to play for, to Buffalo, there was everything to play for, and it showed. Buffalo crushed Ball State 42-24 to win the conference championship.
But it went further than that.
Ball State played Tulsa in the post season, losing 45-13. The team that was swatting every opponent in front of them like flies was now hardly putting up a fight. It almost seemed like they were still shocked that their 12-0 perfect season meant nothing to anybody outside Ball State University. Something mentally had to have happened for this team to have done so well, to have fallen so fast.
So fast forward to last night, playing North Texas.
Is it conceivable that Ball State still felt that going perfect has no reward, that all you really have to do is win your conference to go to a pre-determined bowl? Is it also possible that they saw a 1-11 team and assumed that they could win this game without a great effort, and on THEIR home field.
I won’t doubt for a second that there was some overconfidence, I mean, you don’t get afraid of a 1-11 team that comes in your home town, especially when you were 12-0. It had all the makings of a 56-3 beat down…but something else was going on, and I believe some of it might be in the heads of the Ball State Cardinals.
Could they be wondering, “what’s the point of going perfect”?
And in so, could they have lost that edge that gave them such a great year last year? In the regular season last year, the FEWEST points the Cardinals scored was 24, against Western Kentucky (ironic….). Yet in the post season, this same team scored only 24 points, then 13 points…last night they scored 10.
And let’s not forget that North Texas still had to show up to win, and a great win it was, no doubt. But now you wonder, what will Ball State do the rest of the season… with Army and Auburn on the schedule, they need to figure out if they are committed to winning, or still sulking from being dissed in a perfect season.
Only time will tell….
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