He was suspended for the remainder of the year... the guy he hit is gettin his hand slapped too for taunting or whatnot..
On Fri, Sep 4, 2009 at 7:58 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > You need to see the video - he was trying to fight everyone - the other > team, his own teammates, the fans, the cops, .... > > http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/news/story?id=4446898 > > Punch at Boise ends Blount's season > > > EUGENE, Ore. -- A day after Oregon's college football season opened, it > ended for running back LeGarrette > Blount<http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/player/profile?playerId=378483> > . > Blount was suspended for all remaining games on Friday for punching Boise > State defensive end Byron Hout in the jaw following the 16th-ranked Ducks' > 19-8 loss to the 14th-ranked Broncos the night before. > > Because he is a senior, Blount's playing days in Eugene are over. > McShay: Blount Blows Chance At NFL > > His sucker punch at the end of Thursday's loss at Boise State will sink > out-of-shape Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount's chances of an NFL > career, Todd McShay writes. > *Blog<http://insider.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=4445041&name=nfl_draft> > *[image: Insider] > > > > Oregon's first-year coach, Chip Kelly, told a sobbing Blount about his > decision after reviewing tape of the altercation. > > Celebrating the victory on the Broncos' trademark blue turf, Hout yelled in > Blount's face and tapped him on the shoulder pad. Before Boise State coach > Chris Petersen could pull Hout away, Blount landed a right to Hout's jaw, > knocking him to his knees. > > Blount also had to be restrained by police from fans heckling him on the > way to the locker room. > > Later he apologized saying, "It was just something that I shouldn't have > done. I lost my head." > > Still, Kelly was taken aback when he saw the punch on tape. > > "That's not what we're all about. That's not what we coach. That's not what > we stand for and it's unacceptable," he said. > > Blount's suspension includes bowl games. He will remain on scholarship, > however, and will continue to practice with the team. > > "He is taking this very hard," Kelly said, choking up. "He understands he > made a mistake and he has to pay for the mistake. But we're not going to > throw LeGarrette Blount out on the street." > > Kelly said he hoped Blount's ultimate legacy "won't be a YouTube clip of > what happened to him on September 3rd in Boise, Idaho." > > Hout won't be suspended for taunting Blount. Boise State spokesman Max > Corbet told The Associated Press in an e-mail that Petersen planned to spend > time with Hout this week to help him learn from what happened. > > Mike Bellotti, who stepped aside as head coach to become Oregon's athletic > director this summer, said the Pac-10 was consulted about the punishment and > supported Oregon's decision. > > Bellotti was with Kelly when Blount was told of the suspension and > described the running back's reaction as dismay. > "It was a very difficult decision and one I don't think he was expecting, > but he was aware there was a certain amount of gravity to the situation," > Bellotti said. > > Oregon president Richard Lariviere called Blount's behavior > "reprehensible." > > "We do not and will not tolerate the actions that were taken by our player. > Oregon's loyal fans expect and deserve better," Lariviere said in a > statement. > > Blount, a 6-foot-2, 240-pound transfer from East Mississippi CC, rushed for > 1,002 yards and a school-record 17 touchdowns last season. > > On Thursday night, he had eight carries for a loss of five yards. > > In February, Blount was suspended indefinitely from the team for "failure > to fulfill team obligations." Bellotti did not share details, but Blount > reportedly missed offseason team meetings. > > He was reinstated before spring practice. > > Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott was at the game and saw the punch. > > "We commend the University of Oregon and its leadership for taking swift > and decisive action in response to this incident," Scott said in a > statement. "The Pac-10 strongly emphasizes sportsmanship and fair play in > all its athletic competitions and expects high standards of sportsmanship > from all participants, including student-athletes. In this case, those > standards were not met and the university has taken appropriate disciplinary > actions." > The NCAA also weighed in. > > "Under no circumstance is fighting acceptable. ... Sportsmanship is > everyone's responsibility, including student-athletes, coaches, officials, > institutions and fans," NCAA spokesman Erik Christianson said in a > statement. > > Players from both sides, Blount included, met at midfield for a pregame > handshake Thursday, the result of a sportsmanship initiative developed for > this weekend's games by the American Football Coaches Association and the > NCAA. Grant Teaff, the AFCA's executive director, said Friday the incident > would not dampen the weekend. > > > "This case points out that we still need to have a commitment to > sportsmanship and respect," Teaff told ESPN's Joe Schad. "It was sad as I > watched [the events in Boise], but the good news is nobody joined in. That > would have been a brawl back in the day. This was one player who was > frustrated and infuriated and lost control." > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ GATORS: ONE VOICE ON SATURDAY - NO VOICE ON SUNDAY! 1996 National Football Champions | 2006 National Basketball Champions 2006 National Football Champions | 2007 National Basketball Champions 2008 National Football Champions | Three Heisman Trophy winners: Steve Spurrier (1966), Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007) - Visit our website at www.gatornet.us -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
