Byron Hout Got What He Deserved

Is LeGarrette Blount a crazy hothead who deserves to be suspended? Absolutely. But isn't part of you a little bit pleased that he wiped that fucking smirk off Byron Hout's face?

Congratulations to the American Football Coaches Association for dreaming up the brilliant PR gambit known as Sportsmanship Weekend. Getting two football teams who do not like each other to shake hands before the game really taught everyone a valuable lesson about the importance of fair play and respecting your opponent. Blount also wiped that idea right off the map, but let's not forget that it was Hout's equally egregious display of poor sportsmanship that sparked last night's incident.

As Hout passed Blount in the post-game celebration he pointed at Blount, clearly said something insulting, and then slapped him on the shoulder. The reason he didn't see the punch coming was because his own coach was pulling him aside to politely point out that he was being a jackass. Not to sound like a third-grader, but he started it and if anyone wants to cry about the need to eliminate this scourge from the game then that does matter.

Does that excuse Blount at all? No way. You've got be to bigger than that, especially later on when it was the fans who were doing the taunting. (Fans who should probably have kept their mouth shut too. Blount would have ripped them in half if they didn't have security to protect them.) He should be suspended for multiple games, but if Hout gets off with nothing but a sore jaw that'll be too bad.

What does everyone else think?

The Oregonian

The Ducks running back should be arrested and charged with assault today for slugging Hout, who wasn't even looking. Also, Blount should be served up by first-year head coach Chip Kelly as a reminder of everything the program should never become. It was cheap. It was embarrassing. It was disgusting.

Sports Pros(e)

Blount, who's own coaches say he has a lot of maturing to do and was suspended once in pre-season practice already, put the key quote on the board, saying Oregon owed Boise State an "ass-whoopin' " after the Ducks 37-32 upset lost last season in Boise. Unfortunately for Blount, he forgot to open up his can in the 19-8 loss.

Bleacher Report

I have been embarrassed by happenings at the Oregon athletic department before. Dismissals, the lack of action after Luke Bellotti was arrested for drunk driving, Dante Rosario kicking a Cal player in the head and not being punished, you name it. The kinds of things that happen to every college football team and I never like, especially when it happens to my team. But this was so public, so egregious, and showed such a lack of maturity that I simply feel like all my Ducks' paraphernalia needs a good washing.

Willamette Week

Is this the end of the white jerseys?

Wiz of Odds

This last video was posted before the game by something called the Armenian Demon. After Thursday's loss, his whereabouts are unknown.

Every Day Should Be Saturday

He's as completely suspended as Byron Hout was completely bitchmade by Blount's sucker punch. Unsportsmanlike? Oh, certainly. Dirty? Completely, yes, but shit, would you so much as step on Blount's shadow without his permission now? Somewhere he and Ron Artest are walking through a suburban mall right now punching people in the face randomly and talking about how awesome smoothies are.