BT, I may have missed it but I didn't see where you referred to Spikes above as a punk so I wasn't referring to you. And from all I can tell Spikes is a fine young man and a heck of a football player who came back for his senior year when he would have been drafted high last year. As far as you disagreeing with my statement that's your right. Corey, what kind of question is it did he provide video evidence? If Meyer showed up a a news conference with video evidence of something happening to one of his players you would have been to first to criticize Meyer for that. Give me a break. I am disgusted with what happened, however I think that no matter what Meyer did most of the folks here calling our player a punk, saying the punishment was a joke etc etc etc, would have had something negative to say no matter how it was handled. That's your right and I recognize it as your right. I don't respect such petty comments, but I do recognize your right to make them. Have a nice evening.
Bill, What Corey meant was: There is video proof that Spikes did this. Anyone can say that he was wronged first. When the Tennessee receiver and the Florida DB had the slap fest, you had video evidence that your guy was fighting back against a wrong that was perpetrated upon him. Here, you do not. Taking the word of the player is great if you are only talking to other Gators. Here you are not. This is the United States where proof is necessary to convict. You are convicting the Georgia player of doing it first without that proof and guys here will nail you to the wall for it. In this case, if this was a court trial, the proof is there against the Gator. Where is the proof against the Dawg? Give it 24 hours and put yourself in their shoes. See how you feel about it then.
Tom, I clearly understand what Corey meant. It's a moot question, whether it happened or not to Spikes doesn't make any difference, he is getting punished. I could give a #$%#$ less whether the other guy is punished or not, he's not a Gator and I'm concerned with the Gator program and Spikes should be punished. However no matter how Meyer handled it the normal complainers on this topic would have howled it was not enough. That does not include you and Terry O.
I think that is a quite unfair assessment Bill. Spikes could have done permanent damage and the way the video shows him thrusting his hand inward, he was doing this with extreme malice. I can understand why someone on the outside looking in would think a half game suspension against Vandy is pretty light. The Oregon RB got several games for throwing a punch. That won't do near the permanent damage that gouging the eyes can do. Most people her are expressing the opinion that the punishment does not fit the offense. They view your acceptance of it as biased.
Most if not all of you did not see the game on CBS. Earlier in the game Spikes was shown on the sideline with his helmet off and getting his eye attended to. Also, in a play before that Ga was called for a PF for yanking his helmet off. The Dawgs played dirty all day and I don't justify what he did but all you have seen is his infraction only and nothing else about the day. If Saddam Hussein would have helped an old lady across the street you could have said what a nice guy he was if you didn't know the whole story.
Tom, the player did not even have a scratch on his face to the best of my knowledge. I said I think it is disgusting, I think he should have been punished. Light or not light in anyone's opinion he was punished. As to my opinion as to how several people on this topic would react to something Gator ....... ???? I just stated my opinion of such.
Let me just add that I think it was stupid on Spikes part. That I also think that a lot of things go on in the piles that never get caught and never get punished and the outrage over Spikes is over done. He is being punished, if it isn't up to the standards here then so be it.
I said I don't justify it. But there are mitigating circumstances that none of you saw or are admitting to have seen. Georgia played a dirty game and had already injured Spike's eye. No one on Georgia is suspended but Spikes is.
I don't think anyone even mentioned your name here. All you are doing Dave is adding fuel to the fire. If you want to add something, help Bill out and go to your recorded copy of the game and post video of Spikes being injured. Otherwise, your additions are conjecture.
I can accept that football isn't a ladies tea party and that things go on that don't get caught on film for all to see, but when they do get caught on film then something has to be done. I was however glad to see that Spikes accepted that he had done something wrong and apologized for it. My disappointment is that Meyer attempted to justify Spikes actions by saying somebody did something to him first. OK but the Georgia RB wasn't the guy who did it was he? So why was he the guy who Spikes attempted to injure? Believe me I don't care if he was an ND or Texas player, I would have supported a 1 game suspension. The provocation was earlier and there is no justification to try and purposefully injure another player as payback for something that happened earlier. But I'm done. I know Bill is as fair a guy as there is around and when he says he doesn't support the actions of the player that's good enough for me. Time to move on, punishment has been given and it's done.
I said that Spikes was shown on the sidelines with an injured eye....which he was....and that a Georgia player received a personal foul for ripping off Spike's helmet. Where is the conjecture?
Terry, I don't think Meyer was justifying Spikes action, he just described the flow of the game then went on to say that's not Florida and that's not Brandon Spikes. I do believe that the player on the ground was the same one that had knocked Spikes helmet off. However that doesn't matter, what Spikes did was wrong and Meyer and Spikes clearly said so. As to my comments about some of the comments here I stand by them but believe like you do it's time to let it die.
Dave it is time to move on. Read your guy's own words. He did wrong and has apologized for his actions.