Shortly after the last season's college football calendar wrapped up, the game's rules committee kicked around a few ideas to make its version of football a little kinder and gentler, to borrow an old phrase. Specifically, it wanted to crack down a little more on unsportsmanlike acts like taunting and showboating.It considered treating such offenses during a game as live-ball fouls that could wipe out a play, including a touchdown. It pondered revising its guidelines on sportsmanship to include harsher penalties for offenders and make coaches more responsible for their players' behavior before and after games, not just during them. It even discussed encouraging conference officials to be more willing to discipline their coaches and member schools for such boorishness.
Luckily for Boise State coach Chris Petersen and one of his defensive ends, Byron Hout, the college football rules committee tabled their discussions until after the season that just kicked off. Otherwise, Peterson would be forced to punish Hout for Hout's role in Thursday night's ugly meltdown in Boise, Idaho, as Boise State kicked off this season against Oregon.
Recall that the NBA's infamous brawl during a 2004 Pacers-Pistons game in Auburn Hills, Mich., didn't result only with nine players being suspended and five of them being charged with assault that led to sentences of a year on probation and community service. It also resulted in five fans being charged, including a knucklehead named John Green, who threw a cup at Ron Artest from the stands that sparked Artest's rampage and turned the game into a brawl.
Then it got uglier. Blount struck at teammates trying to restrain him. He went after fans. He had to be wrestled away by police. Lucky for him he hasn't been charged by police with assault and battery.
Blount, who was immediately apologetic for what was unquestionably a reprehensible response to words, got suspended on Friday by his school and his coach for the rest of the season. From my vantage point it is too harsh a penalty. The near riot between Miami and Florida International players a few years ago resulted in 31 players suspended for one contest. Something in between a game and a season for Blount -- a half a season's suspension, maybe -- seemed more reasonable to me. I would've liked to see him given an opportunity to redeem himself before this season ended. But it is difficult to defend him against whatever heavy punishment was going to befall him.
It is equally difficult, however, to defend Boise's punishment for Hout. It is, essentially, nothing.
It is equally difficult, however, to defend Boise's punishment for Hout. It is, essentially, nothing.Boise State coach Petersen appeared on ESPN2 Friday morning and said there would be "internal consequences" for Hout. Is he going to be made to wash the urinals in the locker room? Petersen admitted Hout said something to Blount before Blount lashed out and said that he will use the incident as a "teachable moment" for his team. "Don't you guys ever do something like that again, or else! You hear?" The coach said the fight "has been addressed and will be addressed again." It's on YouTube, after all.
Petersen refused to elaborate on what "internal consequences" are, but Max Corbet, assistant athletic director for Boise State, told KTVB in Idaho that Hout would not be suspended.
If only the guy who sparked the Malice at The Palace was so lucky. Green, who was a bad apple with several criminal convictions, was banned indefinitely from Palace events and had his Pistons' season tickets revoked.
I don't have any information that Hout is the same kind of lout. But he certainly acted like one on Thursday night. He should be sitting out of Boise State's next contest at the least. If his coach and athletic director and school president won't sit him down, then his conference commissioner, Western Athletic boss Karl Benson, should. The NCAA rulebook already underscores exactly what Hout did as taunting, "pointing the fingers, hands, arms or ball at an opponent."
This is precisely why college football's rule makers were looking into tightening up their rules against taunting. It isn't so much about sportsmanship, although we'd all like to see as much of it demonstrated as possible. The football coaches' association suggestion this season that teams shake hands before trying to take off each others' heads was a fine one. I think it would be better done after playing, mimicking hockey and soccer, or, better yet, the heartfelt huddling of opponents sharing a moment of faith we see so often now.
Cracking down on taunting is, instead, about staying away from what it can lead to, gratuitous violence. We get enough of that in the game. At some point there needs to be respect for the vanquished. We don't have to have a bunch of Brock Lesnars rubbing salt in the wound of the beaten. "We want [the players] to play with enthusiasm and celebrate with their teammates and enjoy the game," the Southeastern Conference's coordinator of football officials and college football rules secretary, Rogers Redding, told The Associated Press earlier this year about the committee's exploration into cracking down on taunting and showboating. "The line gets crossed when there's taunting, and inciting."
And someone can get hurt, like Hout. That's why he deserved more punishment than the embarrassment of getting KO'd.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
9-05-2009 @ 8:48PM
Murph said...
So let me get this straight Kevin. If you’re a grown man touting an illegal firearm down the front of your pants and are lucky enough to just shoot yourself and not some innocent patron or kid walking down the street. You shouldn’t go to prison ?! But if you tap someone on the shoulder and say something to the tune of “I guess you owe us two whippins now.” a dressing down and running the stadium steps isn’t enough? How about the sucker punching kid? I am sure you think a charge of assault is out of line for the poor kid who never had a “Proper Mentor” . I hear Tony Dungy is going to call him though so everything should be GO come draft time. Is this the workings of your racist mind? If I am wrong please let me know
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9-05-2009 @ 9:09PM
asswhipe23 said...
You are wrong. Just like both the athletes. Wrong.
9-05-2009 @ 9:03PM
ronastroro said...
i agree. they were both out of line and 1 game for hout is justified.
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9-05-2009 @ 9:05PM
asswhipe23 said...
Bravo. You are right on the money with how the two player's actions were very wrong. One clearly out weighing the other in stupidity. And now, neither punishment truly fitting the crime. One "school" of thought could argue that Oregon outscored Boise in the game of teaching integrity to their student athletes.
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9-05-2009 @ 9:49PM
edbap said...
Blout got what he deserved, and so did Hout. After reading in SI how they deserved an "ASS WHIPPIN", Hout was well within the limits to address Blount after the game. He didn't hit him, he tapped his shoulder pad to get his attention. Blount shoulda thought it out, after all, he is a senior in college, he should be able to think ahead. As for the NBA riots, different animal, different game, different site. Leave Idaho alone, Great State, Great People, Great football. Great players, not thugs from the south. If I was in Boise now I would look Hout up, so I could shake his hand.
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9-07-2009 @ 12:42AM
cdub said...
thugs are not regional.
9-10-2009 @ 10:03AM
bboy929 said...
People forget that other players have done this AND COACHES done this before but they were not kicked off/or from the team. one HUGE name that pops out is Ohio States coach WOODY HAYES (who now have a trophy named after him. by the way he was not a 21yr old senior but the COACH. ESPN/ABC and it's sportscasters can make a statements now that universities, ADs & feel compelled to follow their suggestion rather than COMMON SENSE! Both players were wrong but suspensions yes getting kicked off the team NO!!!!
9-05-2009 @ 11:11PM
allstarace said...
BLACKstone does not disappoint---EVER......Coach Rick Pitino is supposed to tender his resignation at Louisville for an affair he had six years ago(and was quite remorseful about it) but this college thug is a victim for being punished. Like Vick. Like Burress......Why the double standard? the last three are black and Pitino is white....it's simple. Kevin BLACKstone is an unapologetic, hypocritical racist who should be fired immediately.
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9-06-2009 @ 12:42AM
sammhitz said...
Does someone actually pay Hypocritestone to spew his racist crap? I guess it wasn't taunting when Blount was quoted in a nationally published magazine about "ass whooping". And as is typical Raciststone garbage, he has to find some non-paralel incident, no matter how far back in history he has to go, to prove that this is just a continuation of whitey holding blacki(stone) down. Why all the anger, both of you, let it go.
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9-06-2009 @ 5:47AM
jbudd00 said...
WWW.FIREKEVINBLACKISTONE.COM people we need to start a website or a petition to aol or something the racism that comes from this 'man' has got to stop...apologizing for every single black athlete who does something to tarnish the image of sports...Kevin he suckerpunched him!! But don't worry you are very predictable I knew as soon as I saw this story that you would come running to his defense. If a black athlete shot and killed another athlete in the middle of the field you would say he should only be suspended for the first half of the next game and that jail would be too harsh and he is a victim of his environment. AOL please get rid of this guy!! There are many other TALENTED black writers who deserve a shot at this that can do their job without being a racist
9-06-2009 @ 11:03AM
Tellitlikeitis said...
Dear Kevin, you "neglected" to say that Blount clearly and inappropriately started it all by publicly saying BS needed an AWing. Yes, Hout should of kept is mouth shut after the game but he didn't and was guilty of committing a tit for tat. Maybe what he sould of done was sucker punched Blount for his Awing comment. Then we all could agree that he should be suspended. There does "seem to be" some underlying rascism behind Blount's punch and Kevin's comments.
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9-06-2009 @ 11:14AM
Dale Roberson said...
Like any other comment section, some of you should drop----. Common sense people, not this dumb stuff of racism and firing. This is a violent sport, which most of you have no idea what goes on in preparation for the game. It is intense, not playing on your laptop. TRUE EMOTIONS the entire game. And if you lose, it's personal. So if you don't know don't comment just to get a rise out of someone. They both were wrong.
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9-06-2009 @ 12:49PM
Danielle said...
Dale Roberson: ALL games can be violent, and ALL losses are personal. Sportsmanship and courtesy are possible regardless of the circumstances. The players 1)need to be taught good sportsmanship, and 2)need to be held accountable when poor sportsmanship is displayed. Blackistone is right in his assessment of the situation and entitled to his opinion of that evaluation.
KB: Good article. I agree with you that Blount is fortunate stiffer penalties weren't applied. I'm not sure I agree that Hout deserved more punishment. I saw him say something, but he didn't appear to be taunting per se... but I didn't hear his comment. See you on the Horn!
9-06-2009 @ 1:29PM
sjacsc said...
Hout is getting off too lightly, agreed. Because Bosie State isn't doing the right thing doesn't have any bearing on what Oregon is doing.
Consider the fact Blount was suspended last season for "team infractions" and the fact Oregon has also kept his 100% scholarship in force. This is clearly a school thinking about the long term future of one of its recruits rather than his impact on their football team. Why not applaud Oregon for caring about the young man's future while blasting Boise State for obviously putting football in front of all else?
Re racism, Blackstone is a first rate reporter and treats all athletes and stories equally. Before you start calling names study the facts!
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9-09-2009 @ 6:33PM
Brad said...
Let's see Hout taps the guy on his shoulder pad say's something ( I'm sure it wasn't nice ) and tries to walk away and Blount reacts with physical violence ( a cowards sucker punch ) swings at his own team members, tries to fight some idiot fans but yet Hout got off to easy,,,,,hmmmmmm and you want others to study the FACTS.
9-06-2009 @ 2:25PM
drb107 said...
Why do you insist on making this a racial issue, is everything a white person does to a black person racism, no joking, poking fun, or anything, but its alright for blacks to do the same thing. Blount should have said kiss my **s not punch the guy and start a mini riot for nothing other then his feelings were hurt. I didn't see this as anything racial at all, the guy punched another guy for a joke, not a racial slur. Sheesh this race baiting is getting out of hand. The NCAA should make a new rule, black and white players cannot talk to each other at all. Is that the answer?
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9-17-2009 @ 12:44AM
reporandy said...
I can't believe anyone is seriously claiming that what Haut did should be punished with suspension. Haut didn't do ANYTHING WRONG. What he did EVERY other player does constantly, they call it trash talk.
The only possible way to understand Mr Blackistones take on this story is that MR Blackistone is AN ANTI-WHITE RACIST!
Comparing Houts actions to throwing a cup of beer at someone is outrageous BS! Also claiming that Haut would have been in trouble by the league for this if the rules had been changed? What the? The rules change would have applied DURING THE GAME, if at all(I doubt it would have applied even then, this was not taunting or showboating)definitely this incident happened after the game, so this rule would not be applicable, even if it hadn't been shelved. Nope, the only logical way to view Mr Blackistones reaction, is through the lens of anti-white racial hatred.
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9-06-2009 @ 5:44PM
scpof said...
blount got what he deserved. what did hout do? do we know what if anything he said? hout deserves no punishment. just trash talking right?
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9-06-2009 @ 6:27PM
reporandy said...
This is worse anti-white racism than when Obama tried to say the cop who busted his buddy the 'professor' at Cambridge, was guilty of acting stupidly.
The black kid is guilty of several felonies including assault on a police officer, but Mr. Blackistone doesn't even mention them, instead he tries to portray the white kid as a criminal like the one who threw a beer at Ron Artest.
Anyone who can't see this article for the anti-white/pro-black racist hit-piece that it is...
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9-06-2009 @ 9:09PM
Mesaman said...
Objectivity would rule that Blount deserved what he got. The question now is would he have assaulted Hout if Hout had not taunted Blount after the game was over. What Blount did before the game is history and any case against him must be proven by the facts not his past. I think Hout and Boise State walked off with the loot and are not the heroes they have made them selves out to be. Hout should be benched for at least the next game.
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