Although this article is about a football player, Brandon Spikes, and his poor decision of attempting to poke another football player in the eyes. This article is about the "high stakes" of winning on the college level and what teams will do to accomplish that goal. How sports on every level, from little league to the pros have lost what it means to have discipline, honor and respect.

Brandon Spikes, a linebacker for Florida, was caught on film intentionally trying to jam his fingers through the face mask of Georgia running back Washaun Ealey.( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cISxU8Crulw&feature=player_embedded) A very dangerous play to say the least. These two players were jawing before the incident, but that is no grounds for that type of dirty play. There was a possibility of him blinding this young man and ending his college career because "you got caught up in the moment".

Tim Tebow, Florida's All-American quarterback said, " I don’t think that we did anything in that game that they didn’t do,” . Which is a very childish excuse. It also shows two things, although he may have matured as a football player, he still thinks like a kid. It also exposes the theory of most football programs, "WIN"!! By any means necessary.

Coaching "Let Down"

Here is the ugliest part of this whole situation. Coach Urban Meyer, acting swift, stated that he doesn't condone that type of behavior. So, he has suspended Spikes for one half of the next game. One half of the next game.....the first half. One half! Yes, one half! That is a insult to any coach who says that he has discipline on his team. You suspend a player for one half when he falls asleep during team meetings, when he is late to practice, violates team curfew rules. None of that compares to trying to intentionally injure another teams player by poking at his eyes. I commended the Oregon program for acting swiftly in the suspension of LeGarrette Blount, after he punched another player after a game. Suspending him for the year, at the time, may have been harsh, but it was to show everyone, that type of action would not be tolerated. At the least, Spikes should have been suspended for one game. Since there was no harm done, I could see that. But one half, come on, that is a insult. Then, why is it always the first half. Why not the second half, when the game is may be decided.

As a former standout running back, a football player and currently I have been coaching youth football for 15 years, I understand what it means to be in the heat of battle. In highschool and college I remember there were some teams we played that when I got tackled, I knew I couldn't be at the bottom of the pile for long. I also knew that I needed to wear a protective cup. But, I can't ever remember someone going for my eyes or anywhere above the shoulders. I am not condoning either actions. I do know that this goes on. But if you get caught you should have to suffer the consequences, and the consequences should be more than just one half of football. You can miss one half of football by catching cramps!

Eye Gouging: A Part of Football?

Players are saying that everyone is doing it. Ealey even said as much when asked about the incident, "I'm pretty sure it goes on back and forth," he said. "We probably do it and other teams do too. It's all football. We're just out there trying to have fun." This response shows inmaturity. From a competitor, this is a answer that you would expect. But in all honesty, there is no place in football for that. I am not saying that Brandon Spikes is the dirtiest player to ever play the game. I am saying that Spikes should be punished for his actions accordingly, and a one half suspension is not accordingly.

I love football. I use to eat, drink and sleep football. At a very young age, 5, I started playing for a neighborhood team coached by my brother. We were from a very rough neighborhood. We would play against each other and against other neighborhoods. We didn't have pads or helmets, but we ran plays, we had offense and defense and we played hard. Tackle football! "Hood against hood", that is what you would always here. We would meet at whichever teams 'Home" field. Homefields would be a lot, some junior highschool field or where ever we could play. We had this one field we played at that was a nice field, but, it had a cactus patch right in the middle. Like on the 50 yard line. Hard-nosed football, and I mean the two teams really didn't like each other on the field. This was for neighborhood bragging rights. Although players would get hurt, we never played "dirty". Someone may get hurt just within the play, but, we were never just intentionally trying to hurt anyone. We respected the game too much. Plus we always wanted to beat you when you were at your best, no excuses about someone being hurt.

Football: A "Violent and Physical" Sport

After hearing Ealey's comments, I had to remember that this is just a young man excited about playing the game that he loves. I may have made the same comment when I was young. But, attempting to gouge some one in the eye is not a part of the game. And, it is definitely not having fun if anyone is playing like that. You want to play hard, you want to win, but at the end of the day, no one wants to see someone injured on the field. Because as an athlete, you always have take into considerations that could be you that's hurt. There are enough things going on in a football game that can get you hurt just by accident. So having someone trying to intentionally hurt you is just pathetic.

As one of the commissioners of a youth football program, I always tell the parents that football is a very "violent" sport. That is the truth. Violent meaning that the aggressive contact of the pads and the throwing of one's body into another is dangerous. I say that because it is true. Our bodies were not designed to take that kind of abuse. Now, after all of that, injuries are purely accidental, most of the time it is falling the wrong way, cleats caught in the grass, ankle twists and so forth. Then you have someone that tries to poke another player in the eyes. That is ridiculous.

Bigger than Winning

Coach Meyer says that is not who Spikes is and that Spikes has the full support of the team. So you are supporting him because he is a good guy. Ok, but what you are doing is allowing for this type of action to continue. So in the next game if someone attempts to poke Tebow or any player in the eye, and succeeds, what will the punishment be for him? According to the standard Coach Meyer has just set, his punishment should only be one game. For blinding or almost blinding another player, one game. One half for attempting to poke another player in the eye, another half if he succeeds at poking another player in the eye.

The ramifications of this is bigger than just Florida trying to win a few games. This is sending a poor message to every high school player, junior high school player and little league player in this country. As long as you are a good player, we will only "slap" you on the hand and tell you not to do it again. Every coach that tries to preach discipline to his program has just lost a few more kids. Kids who think now it is ok to play dirty, the punishment is not that bad. College coaches and their programs should be held to a higher standard than that.

Coach Meyers punishment is just more proof that college sports is just about winning. These football programs bring in a lot of money. Especially when they are winning and getting bids for the major bowl games. Here is some of the money paid out to universities for playing in bowl games in 2008:

BCS Bowl Championship - $17 million (total), Fiesta Bowl - $17 million, Sugar Bowl - $17 million, Orange Bowl - $17 million, Rose Bowl - $17 million.

There are a host of other bowl games that paid out from $300k to $3.25 million .

Then there is always the argument that coaches are being fired for not winning. I don't care how many athletes they are graduating, if they are not winning, they are not bringing in the money. Period. So with that being said, coaches are being pressured.

In my case, I am just a volunteer. Don't get it wrong though, they do fire volunteer coaches for not winning. (sounds crazy, but it's true) I sat out my best player for a playoff game because he was having some discipline problems in school. We almost lost that game. But, I would like to believe I taught him an invaluable lesson. I was told I was stupid for sitting him out for that game. But, I have my beliefs and I have a standard that I set for my team. Win or lose we will have discipline, on and off the field. Hopefully the values we are teaching them, they will be able to apply to life off of the football field.

Discipline: Coaches Responsibilty, An invaluable Lesson

I don't know Coach Meyer and I don't know Brandon Spikes, but I do know a little bit about football and it's failure to discipline athletes creates people like Pac-Man Jones, Plexico Burress and a host of others. These guys didn't just get like that once they reached the pros. Most of them have always been discipline problems. A lot of times though it is overlooked because these guys are talented.

Here is how I believe a coach should handle a situation like Brandon Spikes. Call him into the office. Ask him, " Brandon how much do you like playing football? How much do you love your team? He will say, " I love playing football and I love my team. Then you ask him, " Do you understand that playing football is a privilege? Do you understand that a scholarship is a beautiful opportunity to play football and get a education, something that a lot of athletes don't get." He will probably say, " Yes". Then you say, " Obviously you don't love the team or playing football that much. You also must not understand that playing football is a privilege. because if all this was true, you would not have put yourself in a situation to not be playing football with your team. You have let yourself, your family and your team down. If you understand all that I have said to you, then you understand that I have to suspend you for 1 or 2 games." If he says, he understands, then you suspend him for a game and make him do a formal apology (in person to the other player if possible).You also give him some things he need to complete before his return to the field. If he argues and says he don't understand, then he may need to miss a few games. Sure your defense may not be as strong, but hopefully you have helped some young man along in life. Maybe he will think before he does any action(s) that may cause him to be punished. That is our job as coaches. Somewhere along the line that was lost in between winning and getting the big money bowl games.

Unfortunately, this is pretty much a far fetched idea of mine for sports especially on the college level. But this is true even on the little league level. Most coaches feel, that is not their responsibility, to teach life skills and the disciplines of life. When in reality it is. The truth is that as sad as it may sound, athletes will sometimes listen to their coach before their parents. Athletes follow examples set by other players and coaches.

The example that Brandon Spikes and Coach Meyer have set, will take a little more power out of the coaches hands when speaking about players being responsible for their actions. Maybe this is the first time that Spikes has done something like this. Maybe it is not. One thing is for sure is that being suspended for one half is not the most powerful deterrent that could have been used in this case.

A coach who has discipline on his team and enforces it is rare these days. If a coach enforces his discipline he may lose some of the stength of his team for one or two games, but he has taught some young man or woman an invaluable lesson!

Coach Meyer has let down any coach who has disciplined any athlete in his program, but most of all he has done Brandon Spikes a great injustice for not making him "responsible" for his actions.