We're still subjected to nearly 30 year old grainy footage of Woody Hayes hitting a player on the opposing team, but Marcus Vick, fresh off a one-year suspension from Virginia Tech after two criminal convictions, gets a free pass from the national media after elbowing a coach.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05277/582194.stm
Football: TV camera catches Vick's bad side
Hokies QB appeared to elbow WVU coach
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Given that it's the one-season anniversary of a Rutgers week when an obscene gesture by a West Virginia receiver garnered widespread attention and criticism, Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez wondered yesterday if similar incidents Saturday involving Virginia Tech star Marcus Vick will get similar play.
Including the one where Vick elbowed a Mountaineers coach.
From ESPN footage, it appears Vick shoved his right elbow into the back of the head of a surprised defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel or defensive backs coach Tony Gibson after Vick was run out of bounds with 4:04 left in the second quarter of Virginia Tech's 34-17 victory at Mountaineer Field.
"I'll probably just reserve comment," Rodriguez said. "We haven't seen the TV replay, just what we can see in the back [of where their video camera focused]. I don't know what the intent was, or if there was any; it might have been an incidental thing. I haven't paid much attention to it, to be honest. We've already moved on to Rutgers."
Speaking of Rutgers, it was Oct. 30 last season when Mountaineers receiver Chris Henry got two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties and ejected, extending a middle finger while he exited the Rutgers Stadium field. Rodriguez suspended him from the first half of the next game.
Vick, suspended from school last year for two separate run-ins with the law, received verbal abuse from some Mountaineer Field fans Saturday and seemingly gave it back. He brandished a middle finger at fans after running out of bounds with 11:01 left in the third quarter, an act captured on ESPN's broadcast and noted by analyst Chris Spielman.
Near that quarter's end, he punctuated a 23-yard run by tossing a football in the facemask of Mountaineers cornerback Dee McCann, who retaliated, and each got an unsportsmanlike penalty. And then there was the elbowing that Rodriguez referenced.
Asked if it seemed that the reaction to Vick hasn't come close to the post-Rutgers response over Henry, Rodriguez said, "I guess that's for other people to judge. Obviously, we weren't happy with Chris' behavior in the game. I heard about it, and the program heard about it. ...
"It is an intense game, and things happen. Some of the things that happened with Marcus shouldn't happen in football. I'm sure his coaches will talk to him about it. Just like we did with Chris."
Virginia Tech officials said they plan no disciplinary action for their starting quarterback as the No. 3 Hokies play Saturday against Marshall.
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05277/582194.stm
Football: TV camera catches Vick's bad side
Hokies QB appeared to elbow WVU coach
Tuesday, October 04, 2005
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Given that it's the one-season anniversary of a Rutgers week when an obscene gesture by a West Virginia receiver garnered widespread attention and criticism, Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez wondered yesterday if similar incidents Saturday involving Virginia Tech star Marcus Vick will get similar play.
Including the one where Vick elbowed a Mountaineers coach.
From ESPN footage, it appears Vick shoved his right elbow into the back of the head of a surprised defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel or defensive backs coach Tony Gibson after Vick was run out of bounds with 4:04 left in the second quarter of Virginia Tech's 34-17 victory at Mountaineer Field.
"I'll probably just reserve comment," Rodriguez said. "We haven't seen the TV replay, just what we can see in the back [of where their video camera focused]. I don't know what the intent was, or if there was any; it might have been an incidental thing. I haven't paid much attention to it, to be honest. We've already moved on to Rutgers."
Speaking of Rutgers, it was Oct. 30 last season when Mountaineers receiver Chris Henry got two unsportsmanlike-conduct penalties and ejected, extending a middle finger while he exited the Rutgers Stadium field. Rodriguez suspended him from the first half of the next game.
Vick, suspended from school last year for two separate run-ins with the law, received verbal abuse from some Mountaineer Field fans Saturday and seemingly gave it back. He brandished a middle finger at fans after running out of bounds with 11:01 left in the third quarter, an act captured on ESPN's broadcast and noted by analyst Chris Spielman.
Near that quarter's end, he punctuated a 23-yard run by tossing a football in the facemask of Mountaineers cornerback Dee McCann, who retaliated, and each got an unsportsmanlike penalty. And then there was the elbowing that Rodriguez referenced.
Asked if it seemed that the reaction to Vick hasn't come close to the post-Rutgers response over Henry, Rodriguez said, "I guess that's for other people to judge. Obviously, we weren't happy with Chris' behavior in the game. I heard about it, and the program heard about it. ...
"It is an intense game, and things happen. Some of the things that happened with Marcus shouldn't happen in football. I'm sure his coaches will talk to him about it. Just like we did with Chris."
Virginia Tech officials said they plan no disciplinary action for their starting quarterback as the No. 3 Hokies play Saturday against Marshall.