Brandon Spikes Suspended

by Year2 on Nov 2, 2009 1:58 PM EST in Football Comment 55 comments

From the Gainesville Sun:

"I don't condone (what Spikes did)," [Urban] Meyer said at his weekly news conference. "There's no place on the field for that. We're going to suspend him for the first half of the Vanderbilt game. That's not him. But we love Brandon Spikes and the team is going to support him.

"It's hard. I just spoke with him not too long ago. We're Florida and we expect certain things. ... I did speak to the (SEC) commissioner.

"I wanted to move on and then I saw it and said, 'That's not right.' "

I'm not sure that a half is enough for this, but from a practical standpoint, I don't know how much it matters. He was never getting suspended for more than one game for it, and I would have expected the general reaction to be "yeah, but it's only against Vandy" regardless. So far under Meyer, no one has been suspended for at least an entire game without being arrested or failing a drug test.

According to Meyer, Spikes says he was just retaliating for having his own eyes gouged earlier in the game. I have not yet watched the telecast and my seat at the game was about five rows below the clouds, so I can't say for sure one way or another if that's true. I've seen it reported elsewhere that Spikes was the recipient of some overly physical play, but I can't confirm it first hand.

Spikes is a notorious hothead, but he's not a random cheapshot artist. About the worst he's done sans provocation is whatever that wiggling thing he did to Knowshon Moreno on the second play of the Florida-Georgia game last year (which, while it could qualify as taunting, it is not a cheap shot). For that reason, I would tend to believe on first blush that he really was eye gouged earlier in the game.

Regardless, you can't retaliate and a suspension was warranted. Eye gouging has no place in football, and he deserves to see the bench.

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Only 1/2 game?

While I’m glad Coach Meyer acted quickly and decisively, I’m ashamed for UF that its only a half game suspension. Dustin Doe’s lack of class last week almost/should have cost the gators a TD, and received no (known to the public) punishment. Now Spikes doesn’t get at least a full game on the bench ?!

If this keeps up UF will become the next UM/FSU as far as integrity and class goes. Come on Coach Meyer! I don’t want my school brought down to that level.

by DonnerPartyof1 on Nov 2, 2009 2:13 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

This will just inflame the concern trolls further...

I’d like to do a Venn Diagram of “concerned fans” saying Tebow should be kept out of games as long as possible and Spikes should be suspended as long as possible. No matter how good these fans’ HD signal is, they don’t know what Spikes was doing, they are speculating. Now, he had no business at all inside Ealey’s helmet, but only Ealey and Spikes know what happened, and Ealey wasn’t injured, was he? Throwing around terms like “gouging” and “blinding” are incredibly provocative, especially when Ealey isn’t even showing up on UGA’s injury list and had 90 yards on Saturday.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 2:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

That doesn't matter whether he was hurt or not

You don’t even pretend like you’re going after another person’s eyes. It’s beyond comprehension that all that warrants is a half-game suspension against Vandy. This is eerily similar to the Zook suspending Channing Crowder for 2 games sandwiched around the Tennessee game.

http://hobnailboot.wordpress.com/

by AuditDawg on Nov 2, 2009 3:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That's a nice sentiment and all

But the head coach believes it to be an eye gouge. He had access to the same tape and he talked to the player in question. He said that Spikes did it in retaliation for something earlier in the game.

I don’t know how, after knowing all that, this falls under a “you don’t know what he was actually doing” umbrella. And just because Ealey didn’t miss any time and isn’t on the injury list, it doesn’t mean that Spikes wasn’t trying to do it. If the intent was there, and by all of Meyer’s accounts it sounds like it was, then the suspension is warranted.

Team Speed Kills
SBNation's SEC Blog

by Year2 on Nov 2, 2009 3:14 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I agree.

This is a “misdemeanor” offense being dealt a “misdemeanor” punishment. My beef is with everyone trying to turn it into "felony “assault” (which are words someone on this board actually used), its absurd. Gator Haters need something for Sunday through Friday, I guess this is it for Week 10.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 3:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You're just flat wrong...

we don’t take a single day off during the week to Hate on some Gator.

Bye weeks: The time to tweak your fashion sensibilities.

by DavetheDawg on Nov 2, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I have a theory

I think that if Wayshawn Ealey had turned out be have been injured at all by this act that Brandon would have been suspended for a longer period. Urban AND the SEC commish both agreed on the term of punishment, so obviously even the big guns understand what happened was a first time offense, and that brandon spikes is not a dirty player in most instances and just let his emotions get the better of him. But if Ealey had been injured Coach would’ve done the right thing and suspended him for a longer time and possibly have made him apologize publically, which he may still do. But as for U of F becoming the next Miami or FSU or even Georgia (they have the most personal fouls in the country mind you, and had 4 on saturday) i think thats a bit harsh. We are not a bunch of thugs and undisciplined cowboys here like those teams. Urban does what is needed and does it in complience with SEC guidelines. And why are you talking about Dustin doe’s celebration against MSU?NEWS FLASH: EVERY PLAYER IN THE COUNTRY CELEBRATES TOO MUCH. Its how football is, sure it was a bad call and shouldve been turned over but you definately CANNOT judge that because it happens in EVERY SINGLE GAME.

by gatorempire127 on Nov 2, 2009 3:17 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

The half-game suspension looks more like bowing down to public pressure than an actual punishment. It reeks of Bowden’s style of enforcing discipline.

As far as UF becoming UM/FSU/UGA, I never said they were at that level, just headed in that direction. When Gaffney did his throat slash Spurrier called in out in public, suspended him, and forced a public apology (granted he’d been in trouble before). I think what Spikes did is waaay worse than a throat slash and therefore should not have a lesser punishment.

I like the way Brandon treated Knowshon last year, but I don’t like this year’s play at all. Last year was agressive and intimidating. This year was closer to a street crime.

So what if UGA was playing dirty? (they were, I was there) It doesn’t mean that UF should be in the headlines and youtube for their retaliation. Show ’em up on the scoreboard instead.

by DonnerPartyof1 on Nov 2, 2009 4:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You really think poking someone in the eye and not hurting him is that much worse that somone thrashing another players throat??? A lot more could go wrong slashing a throat than can be done poking an eye, for instance: uhhh death? There are a lot of vital things near the throat, like the windpipe, trachea, jugular vein and cootid artery. And lets keep in mind its very hard to permanently blind a person by poking them in the eye unless you put it half way back in their skull or severely scratch the retina or just pop it all together which is pretty much impossible.

by gatorempire127 on Nov 2, 2009 4:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

wait hold on scratch that comment

i didnt realize you meant the celebration throat slash thats my bad and your right on that part.

by gatorempire127 on Nov 2, 2009 4:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

No problem. If it had been an actual throat I would be for locking him up, not suspending him.

by DonnerPartyof1 on Nov 2, 2009 5:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

hahaha yeah so true i was like 8 or 9 when that happened so i didnt realy remember

by gatorempire127 on Nov 2, 2009 5:12 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

This Georgia fan

…wishes his team tackled like Brandon Spikes, and pines for the days when we had supposedly dirty players (Odell, Pollack) playing in Athens.

by D.N. Nation on Nov 2, 2009 3:51 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Pollack?

Someone actually called Pollack dirty?

Odell yeah – I see it. But Pollack is more of a choir boy than a bad boy. Possibly someone mistook his enthusiasm for the game as poor sportsmanship (ala Tebow)?

by skigator93 on Nov 2, 2009 5:22 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Also,

I can assume you are on the Michigan boards complaining about the groin punch, and hit to the jaw, neither of which RichRod did anything about…

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 5:46 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

Except...

the Michigan player was suspended for the hit to the jaw (for an entire game, too), albeit by the Big 10 and not RichRod personally. Quit trying to justify that there’s any reason that it’s okay for Spikes to try to gouge another player’s eye out. It’s bush-league, and it hardly matters that Early wasn’t seriously hurt.

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 7:03 PM EST reply actions 0 recs

He wasn’t hurt. Period. Fullstop. That fact matters. Spikes’ punishment fit the crime. End of story. The rest is just haters hating.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 7:20 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Nope.

Half game suspension for attempting to blind another player? He had no other intention. Had he been successful, he should have been suspended for the rest of the season. Spikes shouldn’t get handled with kidgloves just because he (thankfully) didn’t manage to hurt Early, despite his intentions.

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 7:28 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Absurd.

This is where everyone’s logic breaks down in hilarious fashion. If Spikes had been trying to blind someone, that someone would have been blinded. Your hate makes you irrational.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 7:32 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

And your Gator love makes you say stupid things.

If he wasn’t trying to blind him, what was he trying to do? Help him scratch his nose? I’m just wondering if you actually believe the things that come out of your mouth.

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 7:57 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Maybe you can tell me first how, if he was trying to blind Ealey, he was unable to?

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 8:07 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

how long do you think Curren should get suspended if he'd done the same thing to Tebow?

I guarantee that you’d be saying that he’d need to be suspended for the rest of the year.

And it would be justified. SPIKES WAS GOING FOR THE GUY’S EYES!!! No he didn’t blind him, but he very well could have. Do we only punish them if they actually finish the job? If someone tries to rob a bank and is unsuccessful, do we only make them spend a night in jail? Cuz that’s basically what you’re saying. Whether he hurt the guy or not is beside the point. He was sticking his fingers in the guy’s eyes.

by jsholt969 on Nov 2, 2009 8:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

no punishment would have been necessary

Curran would have been punished plenty on the spot.

the above is made purely in jest for those unable to discern the difference.

by skigator93 on Nov 3, 2009 1:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So, if I try to shoot someone, and miss, that means that I wasn’t actually trying to shoot them? Because that’s what you’re saying.

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 8:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

That’s what I’m saying? Are you an idiot? Ealey was in a prone position. Spikes had all the leverage in that pile. He’s 6’3 and 260. This is a case where true intent would have had a 100% chance of success.

I don’t know if you’ve ever worn a football helmet, but it is very easy to get to the eyes if that had been Spikes’ intention. There’s a lot of other stuff he could have been doing, such as nose pulling, scratching, that are simply painful and humiliating.

That Ealey was not seen getting his eye examined on the sidelines (as Tebow had to earlier) is pretty strong evidence that eye-gouging, or even intent to do so, was not on the menu in that pile.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 9:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So what exactly do you think Spikes was trying to do?

Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.

by cocknfire on Nov 2, 2009 9:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

If I had to speculate, which is what I insist everyone else is doing here, my guess is that he’s gripping his facemask and jarring it around. A flagrant offense, but no worse than anything the Georgia players were pulling all game.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 9:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Crap

Just re-read this. Apologies, meant to say “gripping his helmet and jarring it around.”

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 11:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Wow, you actually do believe the crap that you spew. You have my sympathy, sir.

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 9:41 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Yawn.

Save your sympathy for your team’s season.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 9:44 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

My team may not have an 8-0 record...

But they also don’t have players intentionally trying to blind opposing players. I’ll take that any day of the week.

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 9:47 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You mean...

…you’ll take concern trolling a team with an 8-0 record Sunday through Friday to take away from the pain of losing to a crappy Ole Miss team and a Florida team having a bad day. I’m glad you have your storyline for the week. Congrats, “sir”.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 9:56 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You like to throw the word "troll" around.

Look in the mirror. You’re an embarrassment to good Florida fans everywhere (and the bad one’s too).

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 9:58 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Hahaha

You’re the one who never replied to my substantive answers above. You’re the one who thinks he knows what was actually going on in that pile. You’re the one who “knows” what Spikes was trying to do. And I’m the troll? Hahahahaha.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 10:13 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Sure I did.

You just didn’t like them, so you called me a “troll”. You’re right, I don’t know what happened in the pile; neither do you. The problem is, there’s video that shows Spike’s hand inside Ealey’s helmet, not “gripping his facemask”. How am I a troll again?

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 10:23 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I never said I knew...

In fact I specifically said I was speculating. Which is exactly what you are doing as well. Your earnestness in believing that Spikes was trying to blind a man is what makes you the troll. Any more questions?

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 10:33 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

So your speculation is correct, despite video evidence to the contrary, yet my speculation makes me a troll? Gosh, I’m more impressed with you by the minute.

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 10:38 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I never said your speculation makes you a troll, I said “Your earnestness in believing that Spikes was trying to blind a man is what makes you the troll.”

The video evidence shows his hand inside the helmet. Everything else is speculation. I said what I think after cocknfire asked, and it is just as valid as your opinion.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 10:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, so my opinion is valid? I thought it made me a troll? Which is it?

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 10:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Read the post again, slowly.

And that’s your last feeding for the day, I’m afraid.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 10:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

You love the strawman argument, don't you?

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 11:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Do you know what strawman means?

“Half game suspension for attempting to blind another player? He had no other intention.”

by dxf04 on Nov 2, 2009 7:28 PM EST

by falcontom on Nov 3, 2009 12:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Oh, you're back.

That quote is certainly not an example of strawman, so I’m not sure what your point is, if you even have one. I’ll be waiting here whenever you’re ready to contradict yourself again.

by dxf04 on Nov 3, 2009 12:10 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Okay, let's stop this particular back and forth right here

This has gotten way past the point of debating the issue and gotten into “I know you are but what am I.” We’re getting close to warning situation right here.

Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.

by cocknfire on Nov 3, 2009 1:03 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Meyer said he was eye gouging, Spikes apologized for eye gouging,

what more evidence do you need?

by jsholt969 on Nov 2, 2009 10:39 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Show me the quote.

by falcontom on Nov 2, 2009 10:48 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Coach Urban Meyer suspended Spikes on Monday, two days after the defensive captain apparently attempted to gouge the eyes of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey in a 41-17 victory.

“I don’t condone that,” Meyer said. “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.”

Spikes issued a statement apologizing for what he did.

“I accept responsibility for my actions and I accept the consequences of my actions,” he said. “I would like to apologize to my team and the coaching staff and Washaun Ealey. Football is a very physical and emotional game, but there is no excuse for my actions.”

Sure Meyer doesn’t say specifically in the quote, but based on what everyone is saying happened, if that’s not what happened, Meyer would have clarified what Spike’s intentions were.

Basic reading comprehension.

by jsholt969 on Nov 2, 2009 10:53 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Just to further my point,

the “that” in Meyer’s quote would be referring to eye gouging.

by jsholt969 on Nov 2, 2009 10:54 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

I don't care what team Spikes is on,

what he did was wrong and terrible. It doesn’t matter if the team he plays for is 0-8 or 8-0, it was wrong and a 1/2 game suspension is an absolute joke.

by jsholt969 on Nov 2, 2009 10:09 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs

well if you know the law

you would know the punishment for attempting to shoot someone is less than actually shooting someone. i think that might be his point.

Buffalo, that's where it's at baby. - Adam 'Pacman' Jones

by silverstreak3k on Nov 3, 2009 2:06 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Just a thought.

I know this is gonna sound biased and very “Gator Nation” of me but im not trying to be because i agree with the punishment and that it was not the right thing to do. But jsholt969’s last comment popped a question into my head that i wanted to get out there and see everyones opinion, dont kill me for askin im just curious.

Q: Would we really care if it were a player from a team that wasn’t undefeated or as well known? Would we really care if it were a player thats not as well known or as good as Brandon spikes? Would we all be up in arms and at eachothers throats if it were the latter?

i welcome opinions and am not looking to argue im just curious.

by gatorempire127 on Nov 3, 2009 12:03 AM EST reply actions 0 recs

One need look no further than the incredible furor over... ummm... yeah, what was his name again?

Ya know… over at Michigan… for that groin punch… which actually was a fist… that landed on a guy’s groin… and where the coach didn’t even suspend the guy at all!!

by falcontom on Nov 3, 2009 12:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Well, we didn't have much reason to discuss the Michigan thing as an SEC blog

But there’s a legitimate question here about whether we would be as worried were it, say, Vanderbilt. I would hope we would still criticize the player and punishment in question. The only difference here is that some of the venom undoubtedly comes out because it’s Florida. But that poses another question. If it were a fan base that was less passionate about its team or having a worse season, would there be as much defensiveness as a part of Florida fans. That wondering goes both ways.

Team Speed Kills. All SEC, all the time.

by cocknfire on Nov 3, 2009 1:02 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

honestly

i dont think we would care at all if a vandy player did this to ealey. i doubt it would get any press on here. maybe a fanshot

Buffalo, that's where it's at baby. - Adam 'Pacman' Jones

by silverstreak3k on Nov 3, 2009 2:09 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs

Any time something like that happens, no matter who it is or what team they play for,

they deserve to be punished severely for something like this.

The problem with that question is that I don’t go looking for situations like that. If one came up, I’d feel the same. It’s attempting to blind somebody whether that person is playing for Florida or Western Kentucky. It’s just as wrong in either case. Unfortunately, Western doesn’t get as much scrutiny as Florida because Florida is number 1 and Western is 120. Maybe it’s not fair that Florida gets the extra scrutiny, but we KNOW Spikes did it. Don’t know about others.

And if I knew about the Michigan guy, I’d say he needs to get punished for that also.

by jsholt969 on Nov 3, 2009 3:00 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs