Jay Mariotti..............Blount should have gone to jail

[michael89156]

FEBRUARY 16, 2011

Jay Mariotti: LaGarrette Blount should have gone to jail
Source:   Posted by Tom Jones at 2:51:09 pm on February 16, 2011



You remember Jay Mariotti. He's the long-time sports columnist who became even more popular by his appearances on ESPN's Around the Horn. His career is on hold right now following a domestic violence incident last August with his girlfriend. In the end, he pleaded guilty to one count of misdemeanor domestic violence, while six other misdemeanor charges were dropped. He ended up being fired from AOL, where he was a columnist, and no longer appears on Around the Horn.

In his first interview since then, Mariotti talked with national sports commentator/writer Jason Whitlock on Whitlock's podcast. During the conversation, Bucs running back LaGarrette Blount's name came up. Blount was suspended during his senior year at Oregon when he punched a Boise State player following a game. Mariotti said at the time and repeated in this latest interview that Blount should have gone to jail.

"He hit him,'' Mariotti told Whitlock. "It's on videotape. He hit him with a punch. Period. End of story. ... If that had happened on the street, somebody would be hauled in.''

Later in the interview, Mariotti said he was glad to see Blount doing well.

"Turns out in the end, he took his lumps,'' Mariotti said. "He gets drafted lower in the NFL because of it, he loses money because of it. Tampa Bay is wise enough to take a shot at him and look at him. He'll end up becoming a great success in the NFL. Good for him.''

The Web site TheBigLead characterized the interview like this:

"Sounding defiant and angry, as if he were somehow wronged, I listened to Mariotti on Jason Whitlock's podcast. Well, I had to stop listening after Mariotti was insistent that LeGarrette Blount should have gone to jail for punching that Boise State kid on the field after the Oregon game. Mariotti seems to struggle with logic and reason, and he remains the same knee-jerk simpleton who polluted TV and newspapers for the last decade. If you thought he'd be humbled by the arrest and losing his jobs at ESPN and Fanhouse, think again.''

[JDog]

I don't think you will find many who wouldn't agree he should have gone to jail for that.

[MiltonMack21]

Nope, he punched a man who put his hands on him. The only part I don't agree with was getting after the fans.

[JDouble]

"He hit him,'' Mariotti told Whitlock. "It's on videotape. He hit him with a punch. Period. End of story. ... If that had happened on the street, somebody would be hauled in.''

What a jackass. It wasn't on the street. It was on a football field. If you did just about anything on the street that you do on a football field you would go to jail. It's a different situation and different rules on the field. To his logic Haynesworth should have been hauled off in hand cuffs after he stomped that dudes face. Andre Johnson should have been taken directly to jail after last season's fisticuffs with Finnegan.

Why is it that the people that put no thought into what they say and just spew out verbal diarrhea 24/7 are the ones that get to be on talk radio and write articles?

[JDouble]

Nope, he punched a man who put his hands on him. The only part I don't agree with was getting after the fans.

One of the fans sucker punched him. That is why he blew up again a second time. It doesn't make it ok....but if I had a bunch of rednecks screaming racial slurs at me and then some little prick sucker punched me....I'd go ballistic too. Especially while I'm still all fired up from what just happened moments ago. So I'm not judging the kid. I did much worse when I was 20.

[GameTime]

I don't think you will find many who wouldn't agree he should have gone to jail for that.

no way should he have gone to jail.

[JDog]

Nope, he punched a man who put his hands on him. The only part I don't agree with was getting after the fans.

Ya, lightly putting hands on a guy deserves a full power punch.   Good morals your mom taught you there son.    I suppose you think it's ok to punch out the guys at the stadium who frisk you as you come though the ticket gates as well. 

[JDog]

"He hit him,'' Mariotti told Whitlock. "It's on videotape. He hit him with a punch. Period. End of story. ... If that had happened on the street, somebody would be hauled in.''

Absolutely.  I couldn't agree more.

[Tampa-Two]

Theres fighting in hockey... should they go to prison too?

[JDouble]

Apparently.

[JDog]

Theres fighting in hockey... should they go to prison too?

Fighting and sucker punching are two different things.   If Blount had turned the guy around and challenged him to a fight like a man, I would have seen nothing wrong with it.   Instead thug boy Blount sucker punched a guy not even looking.   That was a criminal act and he deserves to go to jail for that.

[GameTime]

blount pulled a thug move and sucker punched the guy.  then he paid his price.  jail has no place in the equation imo.

[Pewter214]

Nope, he punched a man who put his hands on him. The only part I don't agree with was getting after the fans.

Ya, lightly putting hands on a guy deserves a full power punch.   Good morals your mom taught you there son.    I suppose you think it's ok to punch out the guys at the stadium who frisk you as you come though the ticket gates as well.

I am sorry but there is no sport where a fan should ever get involved besides mockery. One fan is threatening him with a chair and the other one hits him? What sport allows that? The officer/security did NOTHING to stop those individuals. Blount actions are not warranted but there is a point where you have to protect yourself. If i were to put my hands on someone like that, I would expect to get punched.

[MiltonMack21]

Nope, he punched a man who put his hands on him. The only part I don't agree with was getting after the fans.

Ya, lightly putting hands on a guy deserves a full power punch.   Good morals your mom taught you there son.    I suppose you think it's ok to punch out the guys at the stadium who frisk you as you come though the ticket gates as well.

He pushed him, simply because you like having other men put their hands all over you doesn't mean other men like it.

[JDog]

LOL!   You actually think Blount was "defending" himself by sucker punching that guy?    Talk about an ignorant homer.    If he was on the Falcons, you'd be calling him a criminal (like he is).