Gene Wojciechowski at ESPN.com:
Something has to change at Miami, beginning with the punishment. Atlantic Coast Conference commissioner John Swofford meant well when he initially issued a one-game suspension for all 13 UM players involved in this disaster area, but the penalty was laughable. It isn't a slap on the wrist; it's a soothing caress and manicure."These suspensions send a clear and definitive message that this type of behavior will not be tolerated," said Swofford.
No, they didn't. They sent a clear and definitive message that you miss only one game if you do what Reddick did, which was swing his five-pound helmet at FIU players like it was a medieval weapon. Had he connected with skull or flesh, he could have killed somebody. Then what would have the ACC done? Two-game suspensions?...
...A line was crossed Saturday night. Crossed, and cleared by a terrifying mile. What began as childish trash-talking soon became physical confrontation, then a series of escalating cheap shots, then street fighting. It reached nauseating critical mass with the sight of a 6-foot, 205-pound Division I-A athlete swinging a helmet at someone with the intent to injure.
This wasn't a simple bruise mark for Miami and FIU. This was something more grotesque, something that made you question what kind of people these players were.
At SI.com, Stewart Mandel is ticked:
Saturday night's fiasco was a complete disgrace to college football -- but that's only part of the reason I'm so angry. No, I'm furious and downright baffled as to how administrators at Miami and the ACC -- the very people that should be most embarrassed by this -- feel that a one-game suspension against Duke is an appropriate punishment for the participants.Posted by dan at October 16, 2006 9:38 PM