Byron Hout Provoked LeGarrette Blount Punch After Boise State-Oregon

Oregon football player LeGarrette Blount punched Boise State football player Byron Hout after Thursday night's game, and Blount is, rightly, getting a lot of criticism in the sports media this morning. But Hout deserves a share of criticism, too: He's the one who provoked the incident.

Watch the video closely, and you'll see that Blount, dejected after his team just lost, was walking off the field with his head down. Hout then grabbed Blount and shouted something. We don't know what Hout said, but whatever it was, it prompted Boise State coach Chris Petersen to run up to Hout, restrain him, and yell at him. Suffice to say, if Hout had just said, "good game," Petersen wouldn't have reacted that way.

Only after all that did Blount level Hout with a vicious straight right to the chin. Blount's punch was worse than Hout grabbing him, and it was worse than just about anything Hout could have said. But if Hout hadn't provoked Blount, the punch wouldn't have happened.

Petersen, to his credit, not only restrained Hout but said afterward, "It was just emotions getting the best of players" -- suggesting that he knew it was players on both teams, not just Blount, who overreacted in the heat of the moment. And it's also to Petersen's credit that after Blount punched Hout, none of the other Boise State players retaliated by punching Blount, which would have made an ugly scene even uglier.

Still, while everyone is calling this morning for Oregon to suspend Blount, Petersen should send a powerful message by disciplining Hout as well. Hout wasn't an innocent victim.

What do you think of the Hout-Blount incident? Tell me on Twitter @MichaelDavSmith.

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)

9-04-2009 @ 9:08AM

mike said...

Change the skin colors of the 2 players. Do you think it changes the way people look at the incident?

9-04-2009 @ 10:42AM

rexroi said...

No. Bad sportsmanship knows no color. Moronic of you to suggest otherwise. I coached junior high football for 20 years, and over that time I saw bad behavior among players filter down from the pros to our age group and even younger. Both players in last night's game deserve punishment, but the pressure to produce a winning team is too much for teams and leagues to overcome. After slaps on the wrist, these two bad examples will return to their teams. And, to Mr. Smith, who wrote the article, a punch is worse than ANYTHING Hout might have said.

9-04-2009 @ 10:44AM

stevenurke said...

Mike, I agree with you completely. It would make the black piece of trash now a white piece of trash for punching the other player. How astute of you to bring race into the equation.

9-04-2009 @ 12:06PM

yumflip said...

Of course it does, but noone will publicly make that declaration. It's an admission that we aren't the people/country that we try to make ourselves out to be.

9-04-2009 @ 1:22PM

Tom said...

NO!

9-04-2009 @ 4:04PM

bmadad said...

9-04-2009 @ 4:49PM

worlddotcom said...

Mike,
You are......a mental douche bag.

Sports (was/is) one of the only colorless activities in this world.

Blount was wrong, but lets not forget how it started.

A. If the knucklehead had not said anything, this would not have happened. With that, Blount's reaction was out of line and he will suffer the greatest monetary penalty.

He is going to be suspended and NFL teams now see him as another hothead which always cost you at least 2 rounds.

B. Hout actually should also be suspended for at least one game, but his embarassment of getting dropped with one punch by a running back is far more penal than the one game out.

Therefore, Mikey, color had zero to do with it unless you are offended that the fat guy got dropped with on punch.

9-04-2009 @ 5:21PM

Missy said...

Uh... honestly didn't even think of that until you brought it up. Good for me, I guess.

9-04-2009 @ 9:12AM

roybige130 said...

What a bunch of thugs. This is what happens when you recruit trash

9-04-2009 @ 9:44AM

Jim said...

Agree, they are both at fault here. I think appologies, shake hands and then move on.

9-04-2009 @ 9:49AM

idahodriftboater said...

apparently michael david smith is unaware of legarrette blount's "we owe boise state an ass whoopin'" statement prior to the game. of course someone was going to say something to him after his pathetic eight rushes for minus-five yards. c'mon michael, think about it a moment. sure hout should have had more class but blount was the thug in this instance.

9-04-2009 @ 1:21PM

cjgdnight said...

Boatdrifter,

My grandfather used to say don't let your alligator mouth overload your hummingbird A$$.

Blount shouldn't have said what he did, but it wasn't personal to any player (we owe them)... Hout made it personal by assaulting Blount as an individual both physically and with his alligator mouth.. Hummingbird Hout got knocked out on national TV.

That win shouldn't get BSU into any BCS.. It was a horibly sloppy game but more importantly, they acted like classless punks who don't deserve to be there. BTW, THAT is why the BSU coach was saying... "just players being amped up" when what he was really saying was "my classless program still deserves to compete with the big boys." He was not defending Blount.

Shame on both schools.

9-04-2009 @ 9:51AM

jay said...

skin color has nothing to do with it, if your a black piece of trash or a white piece of trash there is still one common denominator. blount should be finished, not for the punch, but for not leaving it at that, and for going after fans....

9-04-2009 @ 9:53AM

i especially liked blount's "c'mon sucker" dance as he backed away after throwing the punch. nice choreography.

9-04-2009 @ 10:03AM

greatqb44 said...

Blount opened his mouth then couldnt back it up and then got pissed when he got called on it..then a sucker punch and a back pedal...classy guy

9-04-2009 @ 10:05AM

oh, and one other thing ... spin it michael.

9-04-2009 @ 10:08AM

ziggy29 said...

Get the reporting right. The article states that Hout "grabbed" Blount. He did no such thing -- he merely tapped the shoulder pad. He shouldn't have done anything; what they did to Blount and Oregon should have been a sufficient response to the trash talk. But it was NOT "grabbing". I'm not sure it warrants suspension, but some in-house discipline might be in order. As for Blount, give him a choice -- a 4-game suspension contingent on completing anger management counseling or kick him off the team.

And for goodness sake, leave the race card out of this.

9-04-2009 @ 10:11AM

Tracy said...

What the story leaves out is Blount was suspended from spring practice for fighting. They were not sure if he was going to make the bsu game. But since bsu beat them last year the coach let him play. What the video doesnt show is him going after his assistant coach as well. It also doesnt show him fighting with his own players then the fans. It took two cops two security officers and another coach to restrain him. He should be suspended from playing any sports.

9-04-2009 @ 7:42PM

rosecity55 said...

hey Tracy....you might wanna do some research before you post.....IN FACT, he was not suspended for fighting, he was dismissed from a practice because he tackled another player after the whistle was blown....NEITHER player heard the whistle, and all was well after CK and Blount spoke.
There was NO QUESTION he was going to play thurs.
it also doesn't tell that his great aunt who raised him passed away two weeks ago and that she was asking for him and it killed him he didnt make it to Florida in time.
And finally, it doesn't mention the fan that picked up a chair to throw at him, or the fan(S) that called him a f***ing n****r.
Culpability all around....

9-04-2009 @ 4:51PM

andrew said...

Michael David Smith can not be a legitimate columnist. Blount made some comments before the game that he most definitely did not back up. The Boise State player simply reminded him of that fact. Blount is a thug and if this doesn't get him kicked off the team then I sincerely hope next time he attacks his own coaching staff instead of the opposing teams players and fans.