Running back Washaun Ealey says Florida Gators Brandon Spikes should not be suspended

Georgia Bulldogs running back Washaun Ealey said on Tuesday that Florida Gators middle linebacker Brandon Spikes should not be suspended for Spikes' apparent attempt to gouge Ealey's eyes.

Ealey told reporters on Tuesday that Spikes "shouldn't, I think, get suspended at all."

Florida Gators coach Urban Meyer announced a half-game suspension for his All-American linebacker on Monday for Spikes' unsportsmanlike behavior during UF's 41-17 win against Georgia on Saturday at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium.

Ealey told reporters in Athens, Ga., that his eyes were not harmed when Spikes reached his hand into Ealey's facemask. "I had my eyes close and he really didn't gouge my eyes," Ealey said. "My eyes are OK. He really didn't get his hands close to my eyes. He was out there playing football and having fun."

Having fun? Umm, OK. Good to know Ealey still has both of his eyes.

Does Ealey's take on Spikes' suspension change your opinion of Spikes' actions and his half-game suspension?

-jo-

Comments

[dan]

not really. i thought everyone's reaction was over the top. there is hypocrisy there too; these same people love to watch safeties and linebackers destroy players over the middle or on kickoffs, but draw the line at eye gouging? i understand the "dirty" nature of it but i don't understand how you can jump up and cheer a huge potentially paralyzing hit and then be horrified by an eye gouge. you have to take football, or any competitive contact sport, for everything that it is...and this is part of it.

[tbone1999]

Jo,

Isn't it obvious now that the Georgia rb came out and said what he said that this was two sided?

Since you are part of the media the reported this as a one sided affair, it's only fair that you write a story on Brandon Spikes and his career at Florida highlighting the positives including coming back for his senior year when he could be in the NFL making millions especially after what happened to Bradford.

[Gator John In Pinescrest -Lovin' It!]

Of course he doesnt want him suspended...because now they will look at film closely and you will see what Ealey did to Spikes to make him made enought to retaliate like that!E aley is afraid he will be suspended too when they see the shots he took at Spikes! This is "lets keep amoung us" talk. It goes on in every rivalry. If anyone is surprised that just means they never played football. I can remember having the skin on my stomach twisted really hard on the bottom of a pile....like a giant titty twister! It hurt like hell!

[Big Slap Shot Bob]

Clearly this kid knows they were doing it too - it's all in good fun??? Both Tebow and Spikes took cheap shots before the incident, which doesn't excuse Spikes' actions, it just means only Spikes got caught doing it by the cameras.

Does anyone really care? Everyone who's played football knows what happens in the piles. Let's move on, please.

[MiamiGator]

Easley is a classy guy.

We may need to get Brandon aome anger management. Imagine if he got caught doing during the BCS Championship. Awkward!

[Goody]

tbone,

Go back and read my cover story on Brandon Spikes in our preseason football special section if you want to read glowing prose of Brandon Spikes. Try and gouge an eye? Score touchdown, I'm going to write you scored a touchdown. Make a tackle, I'm going to write you made a tackle. Attempt to gouge an eye, well, you guessed. Moving on ...

-jo-

[RicoPallazzo!!]

Everyone - media and blogging hacks - should've spoken to or waited to hear from the alleged victim himself (Easly) about the incident before hacking away at their respective keyboards with all this disingenuous righteousness about Spikes' actions. Crap. He got caught, he deserves the 1/2 game. I say sit him a whole game, he and his tender groin could frankly use the additional recovery period.

MiamiGator:
Why do you persist in trying to "fool" the people on this board that you are a Gator fan? You really aren't fooling anyone, and you come across as a pu55y frankly, for not revealing your Cane allegience. Others do. What's the matter? Why the fear? Come out of the closet....

[Sarasota 'cane]

MiamiGator:
Why do you persist in trying to "fool" the people on this board that you are a Gator fan? You really aren't fooling anyone, and you come across as a pu55y frankly, for not revealing your Cane allegience. Others do. What's the matter? Why the fear? Come out of the closet....

Posted by: RicoPallazzo!! | November 03, 2009 at 07:27 PM

How ironic that someone with over 100 different aliases would call someone out for the same! What a "D" Bag!

Hey Swamp Donkey!

Go 'canes!

[ReptilesRule]

Ealey is well aware of the "back and forth" that was going on in that game. If he were to criticize Spikes, he would only bring scrutiny to himself and other Bulldogs who played dirty in the game.

[mrs.tebow]

tebow obviously needs to teach spikes how to act like a true sport. sportsmanship should easily rule the game. I have learned that just helping a player up in basketball is easier than listening to them yell at you for bumping them. sportsmanship Is important. spikes needs to learn that.

[dan]

actually i am the guy who called you a d-bag. thanks for proving me right yet again.

[Drtycane]

of course he shouldn't be suspended...maybe he should steal a laptop or have weed on him or beat his gf...
foley and the frauds....24 and counting
BTW you lovely Turds...Eduardo Clement is a Cane...#10 RB in the nation.

Sincerely,
Randy Shannon

[dan]

actually i may have called the "turds" and "goobers" guy a d-bag. sorry for the confusion but clearly i am right either way.

[Chris]

Undoubtedly there are a bunch of opinions on this Spikes story. Here are two guys with differing opinions.

[And Remove Your Foot From Your Mouth While Your At It]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnradio/player?id=4615898

Posted by: Sarasota 'cane | November 03, 2009 at 01:40 AM

tbone,

Make sure you listen to this, it's a classic.

Posted by: MTX-Cane | November 03, 2009 at 11:25 AM
.
.

Moron Mike Golic can start writing that apology now ...

[Eye For An Eye ...]

"He really didn't gouge my eyes," Ealey said. "He really didn't get a chance to get close to my eyes."

Georgia running back Washaun Ealey.
.
.

Can't disagree with what we all thought we saw. But it really looks like he was trying to jam his fingers between the kids forehead and helmet so he could rip it off his head and get him one of those nice new shiny black Georgia lids as a souvenir . But kudos to the Georgia equipment staff. The helmet fit great and the kid was buckled up tight as a drum. Unlike all these kids now adays strapping up with 2-3 buckles so their hats fly off for a little TV face time...

Anyways, it was a chippy game. That hit on Tebow

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9hhhH5pndwE

is what got it all going.

"You Fu$k with my BULL, and you'll get my HORNS."

#51 Brandon Spikes

[Goody]

Rico, I don't see anything wrong with calling Spikes out. What he did was obviously dirty whether you think that type of stuff is "just a part of the game" or not.

-jo-

[yana94]

A message to everyone: Brandon Spikes has apologized and admitted his mistake. He got punished for his act. He is just a human being bound to commit mistakes. Now let's all look at ourselves in front of a mirror and ask a question: Am I God to judge other people's actions? Will it make me a better person for condemning such action? The answer is NO. So let's all move on now and look forward to next weekend football game.

[MTX-Cane]

ESPN Home Page

No Harm Done
Urban Meyer sent a clear message with his failure to seriously discipline Brandon Spikes: He'll allow nothing, not even thuggish behavior, to damage his pursuit of a repeat national title. Pat Forde »

I'm glad the country is starting to see who the new THUG U is! Go Gators!

[MTX-Cane]

SI.com Home Page (The media isn't letting up)

http://kevin-blackistone.fanhouse.com/2009/11/02/florida-turns-blind-eye-to-eye-gouge/

ThugF!

[GatorJoe]

Jo - I think you've done a great job on both sides of this story.

As a Gator fan all of my life and someone who is pretty level-headed (though an admitted Gator Nation follower, an oxymoron of sorts) I can see both sides of this story.

Bottom line is that "it" happens. In the heat of battle, all kinds of things happen that most of us only hear about. That doesn't make it "OK" though. Not something you want to teach your kids and not something you have to be proud of. Brandon is way too much of a class act and better player and my only hope is that this won't tarnish his reputation. (Channing Crowder and his mistakes, anyone?)

Thanks as always Jo, love the blog. Especially because it's almost basketball season and I can read football news anywhere, but Billyball news is hard to come by.

[ko classic]

It was wrong
And it should have been a 15 yd penalty,as a few of the other instances
Not a suspension