Clemson Cheap Shot
Two Saturdays ago it was Brandon Spikes of the Florida Gators living the “thug life” with his eye gouge of a University of Georgia player. Well last Saturday, the on-field violence spilled over into South Carolina – specifically Clemson’s Memorial Stadium.
Clemson defensive end Andre Branch (#40, above) can be seen in the following video not only gouging, but basically attempting to decapitate Florida State guard David Spurlock. The play occurred after a scramble for a loose ball in Saturday’s game at Clemson, which the Tigers won 40-24.
Not only does Branch show utter classlessness in attacking Spurlock, but check out his behavior after the play.
Yeah … what a jackass.
Anyway, hat tip to the website Tomahawk Nation for picking this story up, and let’s hope Clemson does the right thing and suspends Branch.
“I know Clemson coach Dabo Swinney doesn’t teach this garbage, and (he) needs to act swiftly to eradicate such behavior from his program,” wrote Sports Illustrated’s Andy Staples. “He should suspend branch for a game before Branch has the chance to completely copy Spikes and suspends himself.”
Comments
By CNSYD on November 10th, 2009 at 6:41 pm
FITS you must have some super eyes. I have looked at it 4 times and all I see is two guys jawing at each other and Branch pointing to the scoreboard. Interesting that FSU would make a deal out of anything as they are famous for the “until the echo of the whistle” style of play.
By memee on November 10th, 2009 at 9:00 pm
CNSYD–Start watching at 5 seconds–you will see some dirty business. Branch is real thug. At least he didn’t stomp on Spurlock’s genitals…
By Mike at the beach on November 10th, 2009 at 9:58 pm
Wow CNSYD, you must be blind (or looking at the clip through orange colored glasses). Branch headlocks the guy for Pete’s sake, and pulled his head back like he was trying to break his damn neck. Regardless of silly school rivalries and sports loyalty, that’s thug-a$$ behavior there…
By JR on November 10th, 2009 at 10:15 pm
Look at the left side of the video for the first few seconds, Branch tackles the guy and then continues to sit on him while pulling up on his face mask.
By Look again on November 10th, 2009 at 10:42 pm
At 6 seconds into the video Branch is on the ground on top of the FSU’s player’s back. Branch wrenches the FSU player’s head back. Ooops! The Tomahawk Nation has a nice screen cap of it.
A Clemson player taking a cheap shot is hardly news…that it happened against FSU is a bonus! Doubt Dabo will do anything about it.
By Georgia Bulldozer on November 10th, 2009 at 10:52 pm
Clemson Football: A Class(-less) Act
By Jeffy on November 10th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Taters being taters. They always cheat.
By Steelerjay77 on November 11th, 2009 at 2:29 am
Outrage from eye gouging to decapitation from one site to another. Yes he grabbed the helmet and pulled it back, Refs missed it and it should have been a 15 yarder, just like any fask mask or horse collar. Suspension, no. There were tiffs and trash talk going back and forth the entire first half (and one punch by a Clemson player did get rightfully called for unsportsman-like conduct). But making it out as something that Clemson is a dirty team is BS. Branch was wrong for what he did, & if he get’s punished for it he brought it on himself. But to put it in the same boat as trying to gouge a guy’s eyes out is BS. Clemson isn’t trying to get Nigel Bradham suspended for slinging CJ Spiller into Clemson’s bench in the 4th quarter when he was clearly out of bounds. Was he trying to hurt the guy or what?
And this coming from FSU, the team that used to brag about knocking qbs out of games (by taking shots at the knees and late hits on players two yards out of bounds when their defense was great.) You guys should have better thing to do. Funny how Spurlock or any of FSU coaches haven’t come out calling for justice. Maybe they see this as stuff that happens during a football game.
By McFailure on November 11th, 2009 at 7:38 am
I’m sure that one play accounted for FSU’s lost…..and Spillers 300+ all purpose yards.
Shut up FSU. You have always been nothing but a bunch of whiny bitches, and quite frankly, its past the point of “getting old. It just plain pitiful. Own the fact that you suck. Enjoy your time at home for Christmas. Get a new coach, some educated players, and we will see you next year.
By SteaminWillyBman on November 11th, 2009 at 7:56 am
Yes, it was a dirty personal foul during a fumble scrum, but honestly, look at any fumble recovery battle and you will find this crap. No, there is not an attempt to eye gouge. This is being blown way out of proportion. He should be disciplined because he got caught, but this is basic football. Don’t be a nancy and complain because I’m sure if we reviewed your fumble recoveries this year we could find the same thing
By Toyota Kawaski on November 11th, 2009 at 8:32 am
McFailure they will get the same tier bowl as yall watch! One will go to nashville the other to orlando.
By whahoppened on November 11th, 2009 at 9:11 am
In a split second, in the middle of a fumble and fight for recovery, what the heck is wrong with some of you people. Football is physical. Facemask grabbing happens many, many times in every game. Intentional? some yes some no. Meant to injure, very likely no – a guy is simply grabbing what is closest and easiest to grab – in the middle of a wrestling match for a ball that’s loose. Guys grab for anything that will keep the other guy from reaching the ball – that’s all, it’s that simple – if you have to have a poound of flesh for a very minor incident – if you look with even a very biased against Clemson eye, there was no even faint attempt to gouge – jerk to hurt – very openly and obviously a guy’s best effort to keep the opponent from getting the ball -
It’s unbe;ievable that a reporter that is paid by Sprots Illustrated would stoop to such a level just to get a story with contrived headlines.
By CNSYD on November 11th, 2009 at 9:48 am
After the Spikes incident I heard a sports talk show on which George Rodgers talked about all the things he had done to him in the heat of battle at the college and pro level. His conclusion was that it was just football. So it is better to listen to those who have been there than to listen to a bunch of never beens.
By Football Fan on November 11th, 2009 at 9:48 am
Waaaaa.
By Isaac Bickerstaff on November 11th, 2009 at 10:32 am
Hold your breath and see of there is a suspension.
By whahoppened on November 11th, 2009 at 10:54 am
For the sake of fairness, the game of football – let’s just hope someone will not not themselves get pushed into a totally far out action like supension!
By BeaverTester on November 11th, 2009 at 3:37 pm
As a Clemson fan, I hate to see anything like this coming from the team I support. And as an honest person, if I saw this same video with the Clemson player being the victim, I would be very upset at the missed call. I know this “rough-housing” is a part of football, but I was never a dirty player and will never support dirty playing. As far as a suspension, this does not appear to be a suspendable incident; however, it should have definitely been a 15 yard personal foul penalty. In any case, this had nothing to do with the shallacking that Clemson put on FSU…and if Clemson hadn’t spent so much time hurting themselves with turnovers in the red-zone and missed kicks, the score would’ve been much worse..
By Football Fan on November 11th, 2009 at 3:54 pm
You’re really going to cry about that, please. Here’s the real video of the game. McDaniel’s interception and then he points to Ponder and says “I just sealed the game and now I’m going to end your season.”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfI6UZ8pwP0
By CNSYD on November 12th, 2009 at 4:06 pm
Football Fan, you heard Mc Daniel say this? I see you used quotation marks. Does that mean you have it recorded? If neither is true it is just your wild ass speculation.
By Football Fan on November 12th, 2009 at 4:48 pm
Yes CNSYD I was running beside him on the sideline… Sorry, I should have said that McDaniel pointed as if to say….
I was just in disbelief about what a bunch of pansies are out there, making a big deal about something so trivial that happened in a FOOTBALL game. I was trying to make a point, here is a legal play that someone was actually injured on and you are crying about a post-pileup scuffle that didn’t even draw a flag.
By Football Fan on November 12th, 2009 at 4:52 pm
CNSYD, after reading your other posts, I feel I must clarify. I am a huge Clemson fan. I meant that I love watching McDaniel hit Ponder over and over. If they can’t handle physical play at Tomahawk Nation then they might want to concentrate on basketball.
By Football Fan on November 12th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2009/nov/12/no-penalties-forthcoming-for-branchs-so-called/
****
No penalties forthcoming for Branch’s so-called dirty play
“Circulating on the Web is video of Branch placing his hand on the facemask of Florida State guard David Spurlock. From the video, it’s unclear whether anything more took place in the pileup as players frantically dove to cover a fumble Saturday.
Clemson also had the ACC office review the video, and the conference declared the incident a non-issue.”
****
The only thing that seems clear from this “news story” is that FitsNews reporting is indeed “Unfair. Unbalanced.”
By CNSYD on November 12th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
Football Fan, accept my apologies. I took your original comments to mean McDaniel had committed a football rule infraction. What he was pointing at or why I don’t really know. He could have been telling Ponder “don’t get in my way or you will get hurt”. I find it interesting that Ponder has not complained. To my knowledge neither has Bowden. Remember FSU is the team who used to brag about knocking QBs out of games and who took pride in “playing until the echo of the whistle”.