Oregon’s LeGarrette Blount Punches Boise State Player And Words Of Wisdom From Apollo Creed
EUGENE – At 1 p.m. Friday, six LeGarrette Blount jerseys hung untouched in the Duck Store at Autzen Stadium. Another adorned a mannequin.
An hour later, every No. 9 jersey – including eight youth sizes – were taken down and stored behind the desk, no longer for sale.
“Our regional manger just called and asked us to pull them all off the shelves,” said Claire Wagner, a Duck Store sales associate. “It’s been an intense day because we have such a real intimate connection with our athletic department.
“This is the Friday from hell.”
Twenty-four hours earlier, it was a Thursday full of unbridled enthusiasm inside a store that ebbs and flows in correlation to wins and losses. Wagner said her store sold about $11,000 in merchandise on Thursday, with fans stocking up on gear for the highly-anticipated season-opener.
“It was huge,” Wagner said. “That’s two or three times the normal day of sales. We’ll do much, much less today.”
Blount’s No. 9 jersey – priced at $60 for adult sizes and $42 for youth sizes – had been among the hottest sellers in the past two weeks. In fact, No. 9 was the only number made available for youth this season.
That led a few parents to return their children’s Blount jerseys Friday. Wagner said the Duck Store understood people’s frustration and would offer store credit for the exchange.
“We were selling them like crazy,” Wagner said. “That was definitely the number that everybody called asking for. The fact that we were asked to take them off right away would seem to me that we’re trying to send a clear message. You want to support the team but you also want to set the right example.”
The few customers who did come into the store Friday were greeted with ESPN on the television, which was filled with discussion about Blount’s actions and repeated viewings of his punch.
One lady, after purchasing a cup of coffee in the store, whispered “disgusting” as she watched a replay before walking outside.
“People come in here and they just freeze in front of the TV,” Wagner said. “It’s just everywhere, everyone is watching.”
Except those working in the neighboring Casanova Center, where flat-screen televisions in the hallway that typically broadcast ESPN were instead displaying a simple Ducks’ “O” logo.
Clothing with that prominent logo remained among the most-bought items Friday. Lifelong Ducks fan Sheila Ames of Cottage Grove walked out of the Duck Store with a bag full of Oregon apparel, but none bearing Blount’s No. 9.
“That punch was totally uncalled for,” Ames said. “Poor sportsmanship. He did it to himself. He’s got nobody to blame but himself. I think the college definitely did the right thing. But we still love our Ducks.”
The ripple effect of Blount’s suspension means the Duck Store is now selling only Jeremiah Masoli’s No. 8 and LaMichael James’ No. 21 adult-sized jerseys.
No decision has been made on what the new youth jersey number would be, but a shipment of Blount’s No. 9 youth jerseys is scheduled to soon arrive.
“We had a back-order for them so they’re on their way right now from the Nike processing center,” Wagner said. “They’re en route and we won’t even be able to sell them. Probably just sit in the warehouse.
“It’s really too bad that a decision one person makes can affect so many people.”
Jeff Smith, The Oregonian
Categories: Sports News Tags: blount, blount punch, legarrette blount punch, legarrette blount punch video, legarrette blount suspended
Blount Punch Overshawdows Sloppy Opener
Blount Punch Overshawdows Sloppy Opener :Oregon senior tailback LeGarrette Blount apologized for punching a Boise State football player after Thursday night’s game at Bronco Stadium and said he would accept any punishment.
Blount punched Boise State defensive end Byron Hout in the jaw as the teams flooded the field to shake hands after the Broncos’ 19-8 win.
Blount also went after some Broncos fans.
His actions were caught by the ESPN cameras and replayed many times for the national audience.
“I just apologize to everyone that was watching this,” Blount said. “I just apologize to all of our fans, all of Boise’s fans. I lost my head. … A few guys wished me a good game, a few guys pushed me and I just kind of lost my temper.”
It was Blount who told Sports Illustrated last month that the Ducks “owe that team an ass-whuppin’” in reference to the Broncos’ two much-replayed late hits in last year’s game.
The incident began when Hout said something to Blount and tapped him on the shoulder pads. Blount drilled Hout with a right cross to the jaw as Boise State coach Chris Petersen tried to intervene. Petersen admonished Hout immediately. Hout was OK after the game.
“It’s just unfortunate,” Petersen said. “The kids played hard. It was a good, clean, hard-fought game.”
Boise State strength coach Tim Socha intercepted Blount after the punch and Blount shoved him in the chest.
Blount was restrained by teammates and directed toward the locker room. However, Blount became enraged at fans who appeared to heckle him and he had to be pulled away from that confrontation by several people, including at least one police officer.
Boise Police spokeswoman Lynn Hightower said there were no plans to arrest Blount because no criminal complaint had been filed.
“He is getting on the team bus and he is headed back to Oregon with the team,” she said. “… The chief (Mike Masterson) said these matters are handled by coaches, athletic directors and the NCAA.”
Lt. Tony Plott was one of the people who restrained Blount, Hightower said.
“Lt. Plott was simply trying to get control of a player that was emotionally charged,” Hightower said. “But he never assaulted or made any attempt to assault the officer.”
The NCAA has a policy for fighting during games, but the policy doesn’t appear to cover a postgame fight.
Oregon coach Chip Kelly said he didn’t see the incident but will review it.
“I don’t know what kind of disciplinary action coach Kelly has in store for me, but whatever it is, I’m ready to take it full force,” Blount said.
Blount, considered a potential Heisman Trophy candidate, rushed eight times for minus-5 yards in the game. He also was tackled for a safety.
His actions capped an awful start to Kelly’s head-coaching career.
“He took a cheap shot. It was a low blow,” Boise State sophomore defensive tackle Billy Winn told The New York Times. “Something like that shows you what they’re being coached. If they were coached better than that, he wouldn’t have thrown that punch.”
Said Blount: “I couldn’t have envisioned anything worse than this right here. I tell you what. That will never happen again. I will never lose my head again.”
Idaho Statesman reporters Kathleen Kreller and Jesse Zentz contributed to this report.
Categories: Sports News Tags: blount, blount oregon football, blount punch video, legarrette blount, oregon blount
