Wednesday’s question of the day: Should Oregon reinstate LeGarrette Blount?

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Oregon is reconsidering its season-long suspension of LeGarrette Blount after his celebrated opening game punch against Boise State. Should the school and Pac-10 reinstate him?

Reporters from the Tribune family tackle the question of the day, then you get a chance to chime in and tell them why they are wrong.

Chris Dufresne, Los Angeles Times

Of course the Pac-10 should reinstate him. The problem with Oregon’s decision to suspend LeGarrette Blount for the season after he punched Boise’s Byron Hout on Sept. 3 was the school acted swiftly but didn’t take enough time. That’s right--both. Because the game was televised on ESPN and the punch was seen around the world, there was tremendous pressue for Oregon to deliver, um, a knockout blow of its own. A season-long suspension was probably too much, but it seemed acceptable at the time. Had Oregon Coach Chip Kelly thought it through for another day, though, he may have done what he should have done: suspend Blount ‘indefinitely,’ leaving wiggle room to bring Blount back without looking like he was back-tracking or caving in. The decision to bring Blount back now is made easier because it’s not like the Ducks needed him to hand USC the worst defeat of the Pete Carroll era. Oregon has actually fared better without Blount as it has allowed for the suprise emergence of freshman tailback LaMichael James.

Desmond Conner, Hartford Courant

The question of whether LeGarrette Brown should have been suspended for the season in the first place is one worth asking. Was the penalty too harsh from the outset? Half a season would have done the trick, but Oregon wanted to take a hard-line stance right way after Brown punched Boise State’s Byron Hout this season.
And now it’s re-thinking its position? Whatever has Oregon and Pac-10 officials reconsidering the suspension now should have been considered before making a swift decision. Bottom line: the punishment was too harsh.
Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes only gets a one-game suspension for sticking his hand into the helmet of Georgia’s Washaun Ealey and moving that hand back and forth. It was a gang-tackle and things you could never imagine go on in a pile, but Spikes appeared to be going for more than just bringing Ealey down.
Like the Blount play, Spikes’ intentions were obvious. Just as obvious is that the half-game suspension he’s getting should be more.

Andrea Adelson, Orlando Sentinel

Oregon running back LeGarrette Blount did something reprehensible when he took a swing at a Boise State player after the Ducks lost their season opener. He deserved to be punished, but not for an entire season.

So Oregon and the Pac-10 should reinstate Blount for the remainder of the year. He has apologized, stayed out of trouble and gone to practice every day. Why should his future be punished for one regrettable action?

Now our attention is turned to another dirty play, Florida linebacker Brandon Spikes attempting to eye gouge Georgia running back Washaun Ealey. Spikes was suspended for a half against Vanderbilt this Saturday.

The debate about which was worse has ensued. Former NFL player Mike Golic said on his ESPN radio show this week, “I’ll take the punch over this garbage. Any day of the week over that garbage on the field of sticking your fingers in somebody’s facemask and trying to blind him.”

We are a society of second chances. Blount should get his. He has been punished enough.