A couple of things: If you all think that no Tiger has or does do anything like that in the pile, you people are delusional. It happens on every team. Is it right? Hell no, but I hate the Gators for reasons other than this. That would be hypocritical. There are things that go on at the bottom of the pile that are acceptable. Sucker punching, nut kicking, hair pulling are all A-OK. But the eye gouging crosses a line big time because it can cause serious and permanent disabling injury. If it weren't and issue before now, why do you think so many players wear eye shields? The punishment seems a bit light IMO, but a full season suspension for it is just ridiculous. A game. Maybe 2 at most. I will not defend his actions, but I wonder if there was anything that happened earlier to Spikes or a Gator teammate that may have caused retaliation like this? I don't know and neither do any of us, I just know how the justice system works in team sports. The bottom line is he's the villain for getting caught. He should be punished. But I'm not going to pretend that the Tigers always take the high road and that makes us better than Florida. We've never had our guys get caught doing this. I hope we never do. But we have punched, clawed, and kicked at the bottom of the pile This you can be certain of.
One of the articles said that CUM was talking about how it was retaliation. But he acted like this was ok. And brings me to MY thoughts on the matter: 1.) College football is different from the pros (or should be) 2.) College ball should be about teamwork and work ethic, not about trying to injure someone you play against once a year. 3.) Spikes should be suspended for at least an entire game and Slive should have nuts to enforce this, just like his whining about the whining of SEC officiating. 4.) I'm sure I'll think of something else later.
Just heard Spikes suspension has been amended to one full game. Looks like the pressure caught up with Meyer.
Florida's Brandon Spikes suspended himself for the entire game vs. Vanderbilt - ESPN "group decision?" I call BS. Meyer pulled Spikes into that room and said "Hey, too much public attention, we're sitting you the whole game but, to make you look honorable, we'll say you came up with the idea, deal? Good, okay." And it is working perfectly...Spikes is being redeemed as a responsible, young man.
No question this is what happened. I can't believe the media is falling for this. I'll be interested to see if any of the columnists call BS on this.
what would be really interesting is if by some miraculous chance Vandy started scoring on them, and Florida was in jeopardy to lose the game, Vandy could win with a late 4th quarter drive, would Meyer go Saban and bring Spikes in the game to defend it.
Why the hostility? You are saying that if you see me wearing a Gator hat you are going to attempt to punch me in the face? How does this make you any better than the player you are criticizing? It's fine to be pissed about the situation, it pisses me off too. But damn man, cool off, not all UF fans are d*ckheads. Every fan base has their share but not all of us are like that. As far as the play, anybody that has played organized football from pop warner on up knows this stuff goes on. It does not make it right but it goes on, this time it was caught on film. But when the opposing player states he does not think the suspension is warranted, you know there was more going on than just this one play, again no excuse for what Spikes did. And yes, many UF fans were also calling for his suspension, and no, not just for one half. Many of us were calling for him to be suspended indefinitely. A dirty act like that reflects poorly on our team and our university and punishment is not just warranted, it's expected, it's demanded. Even by some wearing orange and blue.
