Daniel on 
Sambo on 
Chili on 
Willy Mac on 
Beau on Maybe Georgia and Oklahoma State have figured it out.
Think about it. Do you really want 200 kids that are pissed off and ready to rip each others’ heads off shaking hands and being cordial before they do so? It’s a bad mixture. Kind of like beer and milk. You just don’t do it. The handshake thing is a perfect time to get a fight started. All it needs is two things: Someone to talk shit and someone to do something about it. I think folks should take a good look at last nights Boise State/Oregon game as a great example.
Now granted, LeGarrette Blount has had an issue or two with his attitude before, but I don’t blame him for what he did. The Boise State player hit Blount in the shoulder pads and talked some shit to him. Blount looked up, saw he was surrounded by Bronco players and reacted naturally. Maybe he was defending himself. Maybe he’s an asshole. I can side with him because I can honestly say that I would have done the very same thing. If someone loses an emotional game, you don’t put your hands on them and taunt them. If you did that to me I can honestly say that I’m swinging. Hell it almost happened after the Gator Bowl last year. A lot of people hate this kid right now and I’m standing up and saying I’m not one of them. He’s getting all sorts of flak for this, but is it really just a bunch of reporters following the herd here? The scuffle with the fans? You know someone dropped the N-bomb to set that off. I mean, he did apologize. It’s simple: you talk shit, you get hit.
Now what does this have to do with the pregame handshake that they engaged in? I submit that it puts an unnatural and unnecessary strain on a situation that is already filled with anxiety, nerves, and so forth. Everyone is on edge. You’ve coached these kids to murder anything with a different color jersey on and then you want to have them go and have a nice, gentle, casual handshake and wish each other good luck? You’re forcing them to be nice. People don’t want to be forced to do anything. The pregame handshake is a veritable powder keg that just needs a little spark. The emotions are starting to spill outside of the game clock. People have shown that when there is a chance for a confrontation, it’s probably going to happen sooner or later.
Okay, so it works for service academy games. It works for small schools in small games. But not in a big time environment where you’ve got kids that go to a big university and have the weight of the world on their shoulders and have to give their heart and soul to win the game and earn their scholarship. I don’t blame LeGarrette Blount, even if he is a hot head. We all lose our cool. I don’t blame him one bit. I blame two entities: The Boise State player that popped Blount’s shoulder pads and the folks in charge that are going along with herd and forcing sportsmanship. Thanks, but no thanks ESPN. Football is a nasty and mean game. It really annoys me that people play the card that we should be teaching our kids sportsmanship and that they don’t need to see things like this. I don’t think shaking hands for five seconds nullifies beating the shit out of each other for the following three-plus hours. If you don’t want your kid involved, don’t let them play, watch, or talk about football. It’s a violent game filled with anger and rage.
Also, Byron Hout takes a punch like a bitch.
Also, he should have been punched just for wearing that headband.
1The Human Cow
on Sep 4, 2009 at 10:03 am:
I think it was one thing when he punched out Hout, but once he started trying to take swings at his own teammates, fans, and the cops, that’s a different story. Hout probably got what was coming to him, but there’s no excuse for what happened after that punch.
2Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 10:06 am:
Usually I’m three sheets to the wind when I’m in Blounts shoes, but I can see how it happens.
3Joe
on Sep 4, 2009 at 10:27 am:
Yeah Hout deserved it, the guy was just pissed in general and had a lot of people get into his face. People expect football players to act like complete animals on the field, and just magically turn the switch off when the clock hits zero. It just doesn’t happen that way sometimes.
On another note, damn that punch came in with good form. If he doesn’t make it to the NFL, he should get into some MMA.
4Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 10:30 am:
I know right? He really pivoted on that back foot, turned his body into it, snapped the wrist…. good form.
Also, we have a lot of Joe’s around here so you might want to gravitate yourself.
http://en.gravatar.com
5Joe
on Sep 4, 2009 at 10:42 am:
Alright lets check this out and see if it worked
by the way, most of the Joes around here probably have been me, I just realized this computer was using my old clemson e-mail that I cant even use anymore. Anyway I guess its about time I gravatared myself.
6ichaseferalcats
on Sep 4, 2009 at 10:48 am:
How ’bout that S SHE SHE speed on display last night? I’m glad to see Jesse Palmer got the “we spent a 2 billion to get the SEC contract, please fellate SEC on air” ESPN memo.
7CUTigersinDV
on Sep 4, 2009 at 11:10 am:
On this subject…Blount is a punk and a baby for doing that. You’re representing your team and you can’t do stuff like that in the real world. You have grow up at some point and stop reacting to people that way. That being said…I’m just as immature as him and I would have knocked that fucker out too. So I can’t say too much.
On the game last night…I’m not sweating playing either team this year. They both looked horrific and they better both improve significantly throughout the year or we’ll paste both of them in their home stadiums. ALL INNNNN!!!!!
8Aaron Neville's Pet Tick
on Sep 4, 2009 at 11:15 am:
Have Dabo said what type of hand we are ALL IN ALL IN ALL IN with?
9CUvinny
on Sep 4, 2009 at 11:31 am:
USC: BAD TEAM
NCST: BAD TEAM
anyway, the cracka got his shit lit up
10Tully
on Sep 4, 2009 at 11:43 am:
Pair of tens?
That Hout guy definitely got what was coming to him. People are going to jump on Blount for poor sportsmanship, but who is worse? The guy talking shit (Hout) and rubbing in the loss, or the guy who reacts to it?
I hope Hout’s involvement doesn’t get swept under the rug here because he is just as liable for this shit. Willy Mac might be right about the N-Bomb stuff too. What if Hout dropped that??? Does it make it okay then for Blount to slug him? The articles I’ve read today about it severely minimize what Hout did and focus only on Blount. If you watch a few different angles of the punch, it appears Hout was taunting him and touched the Oregon player first. That in my eyes is equally bad as the punch happening. I’m really glad this didn’t happen after a Clemson game.
11Tully
on Sep 4, 2009 at 11:50 am:
I’ve been watching the video Willy Mac linked, go to the 2:15 mark and watch. Blount is walking off with his head down, obviously not looking for a fight. Obviously he’s upset, he just played like shit. This fuckface Hout comes up to him, shouts something at him, and smacks him on the shoulderpad. I’m not fully defending Blount’s punch, but that was bush league by Hout. He had it coming.
12bigcheesy
on Sep 4, 2009 at 12:40 pm:
i think it’s ridiculous to take sides with this idiot who thinks that he can “man up” and sucker punch some dude who’s already walking away. Granted, it was wrong of him to bump into him and taunt him, but give the guy a shove, talk some shit back, but to punch him in the face? This guy needs to be either kicked off the team or benched for a couple games. I don’t see how you can defend a guy when he can’t control himself like that. It doesn’t make it “right” that you can hit someone because they made fun of you. Tell that to a cop and you’ll see what side he takes.
13Josh
on Sep 4, 2009 at 12:52 pm:
First of all, I cannot tell you how much I dislike Oregon; the only two teams I hate more are Ohio State and Sakerlina. Anyway, I was watching the game in a “douchy” sports bar in Portland last night dominated by Duck fans. This is my take of it.
Blount lost his cool, we all know this, he stepped over the line and now he has to face the consequences. I feel for the first year coach that has to kick his star running back off the team after the first game but it has to be done.
Hout needs to be suspended for three games or so. He knew better than to talk shit to the man who just had -5 yards rushing.
As for the trash talking after the game by Boise State, take a look at the quotes by the Oregon players the week before the game. “We owe this team an ass whoopin’” Blount
Maybe Blount got what he deserved, thinking that he could go into Boise and run over them?
14Daniel
on Sep 4, 2009 at 12:58 pm:
Yeah, I agree. Boise State’s coach said that it takes two and there was no reason for anyone to have been talking after the game. Blount has to be more mature than that though, so why I see why he did he was still wrong for it and his actions afterward warrant a suspension. Hout though needs to be disciplined as well, he was just a punk bitch that got hit for running his mouth. It was kind of a sucker punch though by Blount, so I can’t make him out to be the next Tyson or anything.
15Tully
on Sep 4, 2009 at 1:24 pm:
@12. You should reread my post. I said I’m NOT fully defending the punch, but this isn’t a one-sided affair.
16Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 1:28 pm:
@everyone who frowns on Blount’s actions – What are you, a bunch of vaginas? Seriously. Men fighting. It happens. Quit being such a fucking pussy. This is the feminization of American males in action. You got two balls and a swinging dick between those legs? If so, motherfucker talked shit and got rocked. End of story. What the fuck guys. Did you motherfuckers graduate from UNC or Duke? Act like fucking men.
17Tully
on Sep 4, 2009 at 1:30 pm:
Well said, Wilfred MacIntyre (the made-up name I give Willy Mac in my head).
18Josh
on Sep 4, 2009 at 1:38 pm:
Which reaction does the bigger man take after a punk talks trash to you? Punch his lights out with a sucker punch and end up kicked off the team or talk some trash back and laugh in his face?
Hint: The second choice lets you play football the rest of your senior year in college.
19Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 1:42 pm:
I say you knock him out. Seriously. You’re a badass runningback with a rep to protect. Blount will get a second chance. Seriously, did you see the headband the guy was wearing? You’ve got to knock his lilly ass out. Dude talked smack, then acted like nothing was going to happen and he could say what he wanted without consequences.
20Josh
on Sep 4, 2009 at 1:47 pm:
LOL. Nice observation of the headband.
21Sharp
on Sep 4, 2009 at 2:05 pm:
Personally, if you can’t take some shit talking, don’t play sports. Everyone who has ever stepped foot on a competitive field has talked to shit to the other team. It’s life. Maybe Hout did drop the N-bomb, and had they been in a bar somewhere…hell, Blount should’ve taken him down. But seriously, if you’re on the field, diamond, court, etc. learn how to handle yourself. Lord knows there were times when I wanted to deck someone while playing ultimate frisbee, so I’m sure these guys emotions run high. But it was dumbass move on both players’ parts.
Anyway, but yes, handshaking has got to go.
22Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 2:09 pm:
Your argument negated itself when you said “Lord knows there were times when I wanted to deck someone while playing ultimate frisbee…”
23Sharp
on Sep 4, 2009 at 2:15 pm:
@22 – I was basically saying that if I get pissed in something like that, then I’m sure they really get pissed. Sorry, I’ll go with the highest level that I played at – high school baseball. Both were at fault, but I think it’s fucking retarded to go swinging just because someone called you a name, or whatever he may have said. And what about going after the fans and shit? I mean, seriously, damn.
24Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 2:23 pm:
You know that the only reason a black guy would go absolute ape shit like that someone had to have called him the n word. That dude went from being pissed off, then was collected and content to just go back to the showers and then snapped. There had to be an n bomb from the fans, you just know it. Headband probably said something to the effect of “good game, chump” and rightfully got his lights turned out. You just know the fans said far worse.
25Tom
on Sep 4, 2009 at 2:33 pm:
This is so stupid and so indicative of how crappy our society is these days. Let me break it down so you guys can follow:
- For years and years teams of all different sports have shook hands after games as a sign of mutual respect for a battle hard fought
- Some dumbass punches someone else while teams are shaking hands last night
- Shaking hands is stupid and must be stopped
Really people? Really?
How about ban the recruiting of dumb fucking thugs who can’t read at a first grade level first? Hrmm?
26Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 2:56 pm:
Tom, this happened after the game. I’m stating that it could and will happen before the game. Thanks for not even reading the article and going straight on to your point and your opinion. What’s wrong with our society is people like you who want to be a fucking talking head and have not a nary fucking idea of the stuff you’re putting out there. The big whigs are forcing people to shake hands before the game after putting them in the mindset that they should hurt the guy on the other team. After the game, sure, shake all the hands you want. Like someone said earlier, it means more then. It’s deserved. You really are out of your element. Wander back over to your place now sweety.
Thanks for reading the article. No seriously. Thanks. I mean that.
27Tom
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:00 pm:
You really think it makes a difference whether they do it before or after the games? You’re completely missing the point. Before the game, after the game, whatever, it’s a practice that has been commonplace for years and years. Now one moron throws a punch and everyone is suddenly up in arms about the practice of shaking hands.
Pull your head out of your ass and think about things on principle instead of concretes.
28Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:02 pm:
Tom, you still don’t get the point. And you’re hawking this post. I want pregame shakes gone because our society is forcing these guys that are tweaked up to kill one another to be kind to one another before they do so. Football is a nasty sport, you should know that having played at the level. I’m not up in arms about this either. Damned if you do, damned if you don’t. There’s always a Tom out there to bitch at you for your actions and opinions.
29Joe
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:06 pm:
Tom, don’t be an ass. People thinking they can say whatever they want without consequence is whats wrong with society. Fans sitting in the stands and saying whatever the fuck they want because its taboo for athletes to retaliate. Fuck that, be responsible for what you do. If you want to talk shit to a beast, then accept the knock out. If some punk from Summerville would have come up after the game and hit me on the shoulder pads and said some crap I would have decked his ass too. People nowadays in general are little shits, they need to learn a lesson. Hopefully this ass clown learned his leason and wont do it again, I bet he will though. Also that incident stemmed from exchanged words before the game during the hand shaking I think.
30RichmanA2
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:19 pm:
Well you have the right to say whatever you want, but if you say something stupid, don’t get pissed when people laugh. Kind of like Hout. He said something stupid, got lit up, and now he is getting laughed at by most of the people that see that clip. I know I laughed. And Lou Holtz just started talking about Woody Hayes on ESPN just now. Thats kind of funny.
31Tom
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:26 pm:
Joe I agree about the fan, he should have kept his mouth shut. The Boise player should have kept his mouth shut too. That still doesn’t mean that the Oregon dude should go around punching anything that he feels like. He was acting like a mindless brute, swinging at his own teammates.
Football isn’t like the movies. In football, at the higher levels, you approach the game as a job, as a challenge, and as something that you respect. You don’t see the game as the fans see it, especially the more immature ones. You don’t “hate” the other team. You want to win, you want to execute, you want to hit hard, and you want to succeed.
Only kids and superfans get so worked up about the game that they want to kill each other. Football players don’t. Not the good ones, at least. Granted, there are a few out there who are extra loud and hyper and always talking shit, but they are generally always on their backs once the whistle blows.
This kid from Oregon didn’t punch the other guy because he was “coached to want to kill him” (coaches in real life don’t make those speeches, well, not winning coaches at least), he punched the kid because he’s a dumb fucking brute who was pissed off that he lost the game and he wasn’t mature enough to handle it. That’s it. There’s nothing else to it. It’s not because they were shaking hands, it’s not because the coaches got him hyped up, it’s not because the fans wanted a different outcome, it’s because one fucking moron still thinks at a 3rd grade level and his actions demonstrated it.
32Tully
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:34 pm:
That was a well thought out post, Tom.
I agree to a point. We can call him a brute and that he thinks at a 3rd grade level, but we don’t know what Hout said to him to provoke him like that. We also don’t know what the fan said to him to provoke him like that, either.
If it was a condescending ‘good game’ and the slap on the shoulder, then that probably is not grounds for his action. I’m not trying to justify Blount’s reaction, but Hout said SOMETHING to provoke him that badly. It’s not surprising that the coach 3 feet away supposedly didn’t hear what Hout said. I bet he is covering for his player who would be the bad guy in this if the media knew what he said.
Blount definitely deserves a punishment, but so does Hout.
33Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:37 pm:
Ok, lets play your game. You could say the sport is now Blount’s livelihood. Hout threatened Blount’s livelihood with his words and his euro-pop boy band headband. Blount did work son. Handled his business. Why can’t you enjoy this like a normal man?? You’re acting like men fighting is unnatural and new. This is awesome.
34RichmanA2
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:51 pm:
Euro-pop? Didn’t one of the justin timberlake boy band guys wear a head band JUST like that? They were European, were they?
35Jon
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:52 pm:
Willy Mac, the only person to troll his own website.
36Daniel
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:54 pm:
No, this is not how ‘men’ act. Blount had 60 minutes to show he was a bad ass and couldn’t do it. So he sucker punched some asshole who said something he didn’t like. Men fighting is fine, that’s what people tune in to and play football for, to fight. This “oh he called me a name so I hit him” shit isn’t how “men” act, that’s how little kids act. Let’s don’t extrapolate this out into “oh this is how society is changed, whoa are we, blah, blah, wah wah”. Most of us on here are under 30 so we don’t really know shit about how ‘society has changed’ anyway.
This is about poor sportsmanship on both sides. Hout should have known how to win and Blount should have known how to lose. To say though that Blount acting like any grown man acts is a ridiculous; adults don’t do stupid stuff like this unless they want to be A.) in jail or B.) dead/beaten up.
37ichaseferalcats
on Sep 4, 2009 at 3:58 pm:
If you look at the replay…Hout just repeated the line Blount had given reporters earlier that week which was “we owe this team an ass whoopin’”. Blount should have been prepared to hear that thrown back in his face. Blount also took a swing at one of his own teammates who was trying drag him off the field and he acted as if he was going after fans – police, teammates, and coaches had to restrain him. Of course Hout should have been more gracious in victory but mocking Blount for his own dumbass comment is fairly innocuous. If that comment under the circumstances gives someone the right “to be a man” and sucker punch another guy and subsequently go fucking berserk on fans…well then fuck me – all god damn society would free fall into a boxing match and I’m not that big, athletic,…well I guess I’m a pussy. If feeding off your emotions in the heat of the moment makes you a man, then Blount is a MAN. If he was so right and justified in his actions then why did he apologize so soon and seemingly sincerely? Also Blout has had several off the field issues so it’s not as if this was an isolated incident of immaturity or just a freak incident.
If you could punch a guy in sports everytime someone talked shit to you, every fucking game in NFL would be a goddamn brawl. Anyone ever heard the shit talking that goes on between NFL WR’s and CB’s? The stuff said in those conversations would make George Carlin blush.
And now we are making assumptions on what the fans did or didn’t say? I’ve read a lot about the incident today and haven’t seen any reports of anything racial slurs being said (though of course it doesn’t mean their weren’t words said by the fans). There is a time and a place for one man to punch the shit out of another man – this was not that time for Blount. The consequences of his actions seemingly far out weigh any satisfaction he may have gotten or justification for the incident (caveat – if Hout called him a “ninja” then Blount in my eyes reserves the right to go get a tire iron of his car to beat Hout with).
As far as shaking hands before a game, that’s fucking RA-tarded. Football players are almost expected to be in a semi-kill mode before the game and now we want these same guys to go from banging their head on a locker to shaking hands with the enemy before the game? After the game is the time for handshaking and what not on an individual basis. Go out and congratulate your opponent or walk on into your locker – individual choice. 99% of the time this scenario works out as both teams competitors normally are exhausted and have found some mutual respect from their “battles” on the field.
38Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 4:06 pm:
@ Jon – Its my site, I have to.
@ Daniel and ichase – fair enough, i retract my “man” comment. i was just a little heated.
Beautiful knockout though, can we agree on that? It wasnt a sucker punch though. Hout pulled a bitch move and did the chirp and turn. Not Blount’s fault that Hout didn’t have his guard up.
39Sharp
on Sep 4, 2009 at 4:14 pm:
@38 – Willy Mac, I just saw where Blount stated something along the lines of, “I don’t even know what he said, I was just upset that he touched me.” So the N-bomb, ass whooping, etc. are kind of out the window. If he really didn’t hear anything, seems like an odd way to react to getting slapped on the shoulder pads. I have a feeling he heard what the fans were saying though, and those kids/guys are lucky to still have their heads.
40Jon
on Sep 4, 2009 at 4:14 pm:
@38 When you getting to Clemson tomorrow?
41ichaseferalcats
on Sep 4, 2009 at 4:21 pm:
I will wholeheartedly agree the punch was beautiful and dare I say…made EPIC by LSUfreek.
I don’t mind one man punching another but I just haven’t seen anything to make me think Blount had much if any justification in this incident. He talked trash, sucked donkey balls in the game, and had it thrown back at him. If you can’t handle a remark like that then 1) don’t make predictions/trash talk and 2) don’t run for negative yards.
Heard Peterson, Boise State head coach, on the Dan Patrick show and he said there would be some punishment for Hout. Peterson seemed to handle it well and talk about the right things in the interview. Said it was a heat of the moment incident and that he hoped both sides would learn from it – he would be talking to his team about winning graciously. Had Peterson had any ties at all the the southeast I would have loved for him to have ended up at Clemson.
42Willy Mac
on Sep 4, 2009 at 4:53 pm:
@39 – I didnt even say anything about Hout dropping the N bomb, I said that about the fans he tried to kill headed to the locker rooms. Someone definitely said it over there.
43Daniel
on Sep 4, 2009 at 6:22 pm:
@ 41: I agree, Peterson would have been a great pick up for us. I thought he handled it well and he gave Hout a pretty good lecture after he got himself up off of the field. This whole thing has gotten blown out of proportion by ESPN though, this kind of thing happens pretty much every year. Miami and FIU got into a much worse fight, as did us and Carolina, Rudy Tomjanovich got laid out on a hard ass basketball court in the 70s, Ty Cobb basically went Rambo on everyone, etc., etc. I heard Robert Smith saying on College Football Live something to the effect of (and I may have misinterpreted) that if he had used the N word then that would be justifiable for Blount to have hit him but I disagree with that. While I agree that that is a word with terrible ramifications and meaning, I don’t think it warrants battery. Would that hold up in court? I don’t really know what he could have said that would have been worthy of him sticking him in the face. The most vile thing I ever heard towards an opponent was directed at Steve Kerr whose father was killed by terrorists in Beirut. When Kerr played against Arizona State their fans shouted “Where’s your father?” and “Go to Beirut” at him. His response was 22 points, 7-7 from the field and his team won by 28 points.
44Sharp
on Sep 4, 2009 at 7:40 pm:
@42 – yeah I kind of worded that wrong. Didn’t mean for it to say that you were using that excuse…there have been others saying the N-bomb was what provoked the punch. But I agree about the fans, they easily could’ve gotten their asses kicked.