George O’Leary gives us the low down on the post-game hijinks at the Liberty Bowl:
UCF coach George O’Leary said a Georgia football player shoved a Knight, sparking a brief altercation seconds after the Liberty Bowl ended.
A clip of ESPN coverage of the game posted on YouTube showed UCF sophomore defensive end Troy Davis punching Georgia sophomore running back Washaun Ealey seconds after the No. 25 Knights (11-3) beat Georgia (6-7) 10-6 in the bowl game Dec. 31. Davis was pushed back into the camera frame as his teammates were running toward midfield to celebrate the win, indicating someone may have shoved the Knight backward before he raised his arm and connected with Ealey’s helmet.
“I checked with my coaches on that,” O’Leary said. “Exactly what happened was this: The game ended. We were coming on the field and most of the Georgia kids ran off the field. No. 3 [Ealey], who basically had a tough game and was very mouthy during the game, came running toward Troy and shoved him in the head. And that’s why you see the film of him going backward.
“Now Troy made the mistake punching him back, hitting him. It’s always the second one in that gets caught.”
O’Leary said UCF assistant coaches Brent Key and Jim Panagos stepped in to quickly end the scuffle.
“Pretty much our coaches were right there,” O’Leary said. “Coach Key and Coach Panagos. And they got between it. Holding that kid [Ealey] back, who still wanted to start trouble.”
There’s your finishing touch on a stellar season, Dawg fans.
Get The Picture 
Pathetic…not that I believe every word of the story.
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I have never know O’Leary to embellish anything??? Cough Cough….
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yeeeeeah… the kid that threw the punch was the victim… I’m sure he was a choirboy up until that point too and didn’t have it coming (at least a little bit).
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I really feel Ealey should have been cut loose after the driving incident. He was specifically warned not to drive, hops in a car, wrecks, gets the clink, pisses on the shoes of the head coach and remains on the team.
If Richt and McGarity wonder why there has been a disciple problem they should ask themselves why that kid was allowed to stay on the team. That is the kind of decision making from the head coach that removes him from a position of authority and respect among his charges.
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That pathetic example of discipline was the Hobnail boot in the 2010 season. Coach Richt showed everyone watching that he had clearly lost the respect of the players in the program and was alright with that.
Like raising children, once you let them walk all over you, it is hard to ever win respect back. I don’t think Coach Richt will be able to do it, but hope he somehow can.
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I’m just curious, but do you have examples of very successful coaches (Corch, Saban, etc.) who are willing to dismiss starters for these types of issues? I think people just look at numbers of arrests as an example of the “program run amok” without looking into the infractions (not using your middle name, emerging from an alley, etc.).
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This was nothing close to “emerging from an alley.”
Ealey’s incident came on the heels of Dontavius Jackson and Tavarres King getting arrested. It was a chicken-shit, transparent “suspension” that allowed Ealey to come back for the Scu game because Caleb King was hurt.
Surely it was nothing like Ronnie Wilson being allowed to remain on UF’s team, but the details of Ealey’s case…..
Ealey was charged with the speeding and tag violations on May 30, and when he failed to appear for a July 12 hearing, his driver’s license was suspended, Municipal Court Clerk Rhonda Bolton said Friday.
“He was well aware. We were well aware,” Richt said. “If you have a suspended license, you can’t get behind the wheel of a car.”
But Ealey was behind the wheel of a 2004 Chevrolet Impala early Friday, Williamson said.
“It was foolish,” Richt said.
An employee of UGA Parking Services “witnessed the accident, made contact with the driver and advised him to wait because police had been called,” Williamson said. “The driver advised he could not wait and left the scene” after parking the car.
…..made it imperative that Coach Richt take a stand in the situation. Were he to have it to do over again, I suspect that Coach Richt would have “Derrick White’d” Ealey, but he did not, and Ealey when on to have a terrible season anyway.
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I know the details of Ealey’s case. And I don’t think he should have been kicked off the team. He did a dumb thing. He got a ticket. He should have gotten a ticket. Should all the kids who get tickets be kicked off the team?
And you haven’t provided any examples of other successful coaches dismissing starters for offenses such as this. Do you have any?
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Ealey’s offense is disobeying a direct order and warning from you Head Coach that you are not to be driving. That’s insubordination and regardless of what Saban and Corch do he should have been given the heave ho. Sorry, but that’s the kind of behavior that shows up your coaching staff. Richt gave him a pass, further weakening any chance he had righting the behavior ship in 2010.
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Every offense is disobeying a direct order. Every football coach in America tells kids to go to class. And every college kid in America skips class. For football players, this is disobeying a direct order. Should those kids be kicked off their teams? I would say no.
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I’m not digging at you, but it would be appropriate just to reprint the comments from your first post on this incident.
In addition to Washaun’s sin of mouthiness, he forgot the ‘talk the talk/walk the walk’ proverb. An alterate title for this post could be ‘Washaun Ealey, Metaphor For a Season’
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Isaiah Crowell….PLEASE come to UGA.
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Hmmm…..maybe a conversation with players from the Calhoun football team would be appropriate…..
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Yep, kissing another 18 year old’s ass will really help the situation. I am sure that Crowell will be pushed to reach his full potential in Athens, lmao.
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Are you in the “better to have a 1 star kid who bleeds red and black than a 5 star kid who thought about going to Alabama” camp?
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Ealey – basically a mongrel that can carry a football. He’s beyond stupid, which would make him a terrific fit at Auburn.
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“basically a mongrel”
Interesting. and it is “who” not “that”.
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*sigh*
Red Blackman is apathetic.
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Pangoss? Surely it’s Pangloss. He tells the best of all possible stories.
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Ealey’s performance disappoints me to this day, but I don’t believe a word of anything O’Leary says. Not a word.
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Oh I see…..we are to believe a guy that cheated on him resume. Personally, I will pass on Mr. O’Leary’s credibility.
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I tell you one thing about his resume, he knows how to prepare for and defeat my Bulldogs.
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Doesn’t O’Leary have a losing record against Georgia?
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Lest we forget, the times he won with the nerds it was with ineligible players.
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were his players ineligible this time?
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Let’s hope Malcome or somebody steps up in the spring to limit Ealy’s carries next year.
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Ealey is also personally responsible for 3 losses this past season. If you can’t hold onto the ball and you can’t block you need to keep your mouth shut.
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+1.
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He is a major disappointment anyway you slice it.
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No excuse for Ealy’s behavior but I’m sure responsibility is 50% each side. O’Leary is a liar and a tool but his team beat us fair and square. It’s 2011. Let’s move on.
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Ealey is a thug. Always has been. Ran his mouth constantly in high school at opposing players and COACHES. Nothing has changed. Good high school player but just average in college because he won’t listen, uncoachable. Dumb as a rock too. Don’t know how he stays eligible. Think back on every shoving incident this year and he was involved somehow. Sad waste of God given talent.
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Is a “thug” different from a “mongrel”?
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Not to me. I recall our Presbo using the word mongrel to describe americans. “We’re all a mongrel bunch” inferring that we all come from many diverse backgrounds. Well maybe Presbo, but not JaxDawg. And I meant “mongrel” when referring to Ealey as a step below a thug.
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“Not to me. I recall our Presbo using the word mongrel to describe americans. “We’re all a mongrel bunch” inferring that we all come from many diverse backgrounds. Well maybe Presbo, but not JaxDawg. And I meant “mongrel” when referring to Ealey as a step below a thug.”
Thanks for sharing your racist dictionary, Jax….and your spelling and grammar.
Who, or what is a “Presbo?”
Slippery slope here Senator?
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I believe by “Presbo” he means the President of the USA. He’s mashing it up with what many consider a racist characterization from folk literature.
Also, if he’s of “pure blood” then I’m a monkey’s uncle.
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99.9% scottish, as are many southerners. Of course, it’s not cool to be over 50% anything anymore. We have to be “diverse”.
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geesh, jax. Way to up the creep factor. Not so sure you should ever try to explain yourself.
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Wow! The only way to keep a bloodline that pure is by introducing no outside genes.
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+1
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LOL you could not be more right. That sounded a lot worse than it is. And (not get waaaaay off topic), but my family going back 3 generations have been steady with the scottish thing, no intermarriage or anything crazy, just follow the lines from Nova Scotia to NY to Jacksonville and Thomasville, which is where the trains ended at the time. I won’t bore you but it’s really not that complicated. McComb, McDuff, etc. You could certainly find some English if you look a little – but I can say one thing – 100% wasp for sure. Probably like yourself and a few (few million) other southerners/americans. It’s a compliment, so don’t be hypersensitive or offended.
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Try something original for once, mr. hypersensitive.
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Jax – what the hell? Mongrel as “a step below a thug”?
If you’re not pushing the race button, please explain. If you are, please don’t do it again.
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I don’t have to defend a damn thing. Neither “thug” nor “mongrel” are racist terms, although some people (cough) jump to that conclusion. You and mr. hypersensitive should look ’em up.
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You don’t get to decide that, as you (and I) also don’t get to decide that “Kleenex” and “Google” mean something other than their literal definitions.
Words change meaning in accordance with use and context.
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Furthermore, you might look up mongrel. It certainly is commonly used as a derogatory term for mixed race. “Not to me”–right.
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So what’s your point? The fact that you want to get your .02 in this conversation doesn’t change the fact that neither words are racial or prejudicial. But thanks for pointing out that use and context thing. What are you, a first year law student (or english major)? And blame Presbo for revitalizing Mongrel – not me. But sure, I’m a mongrel on some % level, like all of us, but unfortunately not our mascot. And no hypersensitive crowd, that’s not a shot at uga.
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My first point is that you cannot on one hand claim that “thug” and “mongrel” mean the same thing to you (when they do not to anyone else speaking English, in fact or in use) and then on the other claim that neither word pertains to race, when mongrel surely does and has and thug has come to be associated that way.
My other point is that you don’t get to redefine words on your own no matter how much you wish to. You can deny all you want but you’re not getting it your way.
So regarding my status on a blog written by a lawyer and full of college graduates, words do in fact matter, and I humbly request you recognize that or go and watch a little telly where the debate would be moot. (Or maybe visit the AJC blogs, as nobody seems to care about the actual meaning of anything they say there either). Ultimately my .02 as a reader here has the same value yours does.
Just be glad we’re not arguing your other ridiculous claim–your uber-pure geneaology. Cheers! 🙂
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Your insight is yours alone. You sound self-smitten — have you found anyone who thinks you’re as awesome as you do? I bet not.
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mongrel.
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Sho do seem to have some unresolved anger issues here.
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Might be willing to overlook his jackassery if he didn’t always fumble at key moments.
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Agreed. Ealey has had moments of being too mouthy as well as the late night excursion, but if he was getting it done on the field, I’m sure we’d all find a way to forgive and understand.
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Based on some of the comments from the last several days, I can hardly believe me eyes to read that some of you folks want to dismiss someone from the team. 🙂
Don’t you know that these kids have a right to be on the football team?
Have a great day,
BD
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You a red-hat-wearing fomenter of dissent you scoundrel.
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Over-signing then forcing out duds vs dismissing a problem prone starter who lead the team in rushing for consecutive seasons?
Don’t let logic get in the way of a good snipe.
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The number of arrests of UGA players has more to do with a large number of police employed in a small college town. If you look at the football programs with a large number of arrests, mist share that same trait. Do you think GT police and Atlanta police are investigating missing motorcycle helmets and laptops? No, they have rapists, murders, and car jackers to occupy them. When I was a UGA student, I was pulled over by police a dozen times. During the 20 years since I left I have been pulled over once. It was always my belief that UGA police never gave me any breaks and were quick to arrest and give citations. UGA may in fact be indisciplined, but I’m not concluding that due to any arrests.
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So it’s not that players should not be stealing motorcycle helmets and laptops, but rather, that the police should not be bothered with such trivial matters.
I see.
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It’s that UGA players probably don’t engage in undesirable behavior at any greater rate than other schools. They just have overzealous Athens/UGA police who want to come down on the players.
Look at Gainesville, where the motto of the police/prosecutors in regards to football players is literally, “no body, no crime.”
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Wait, is this the AJC or GTP?
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Why don’t we suggest that this kid transfer?
His on field mouth is comparable to Arnold Harrison and his off field stuff is in Odell territory.
To be fair, he racked up huge numbers in A ball after flunking twice. If Michael Cooper had spent two more yrs at Screven County, I’m sure he would’ve gobbled up huge yards and a title.
CMR needs to cut bait.
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Not even close. Odell was in a class by himself.
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We need to stop having a problem with dismissing kids, or now renewing their scholarship every year. If they are bad kids, or just bad football players, the scholarship goes. There is a reason for the scholarship, and that is because you are one of the best 85 or so football players we can possibly have. It isn’t a right that you are entitled to.
Ealey should go if we have ANY other options.
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He’s just misunderstood. Everytime you look up, somebody’s giving him the business — Nick Williams at G-Day, Brandon Spikes last year, the UCF player, etc. I don’t know why everybody likes to pick on ol’ Washaun. /rolls eyes
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Yeah. Brandon Spikes was the victim. Ealey might have even said something about his momma. So, he obviously deserved to be blinded.
/rolls eyes
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