Much to my dismay, I saw this young man was playing.
This is LeGarrette Blount. He is a senior who plays football for Oregon. Well, sort of. He has had lot of problems. When he came to Oregon from a Mississippi junior college, he got to play and was a good player. But his coach suspended him for not following the rules and for other reasons.
Then Oregon got a new coach this past year and Mr. Blount was quickly re-instated. After their first game this year, when Oregon had lost to Boise State, LeGarrette Blount walked over to the Boise State sideline and sucker punched a player.
It took quite an effort to get Mr. Blount pulled away and he managed to hit one of his own players and then taunted Boise State fans as he was being dragged out. His coach suspended LeGarrette for the rest of the season.
Yet the season long suspension lasted only part of the season. Despite the premediated and completely henious act of sucker punching another player after a game, this young man -- because he is a good athelete -- got to play.
I can't begin to tell you how much I hoped Oregon State would win - and they almost did.
But when it was all over Oregon had won and LeGarrette Blount was being hugged by fans and walking around with roses held up in the air. Everyone had forgotten all about the Boise State incident.
Well, not quite everyone. I remembered. And I think a lot of other people did, too.
And on Janaury 1, I will be pulling for Ohio State to kick Oregon all over the field and maybe one of those really big, bad Ohio State lineman will give LeGarette Blount a bit of his own medicine. But no sucker punches. Just on the field. Within the rules.
And after the dust settles on the Rose Bowl, the Oregon Ducks will really wish they were in Kansas.
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