Earlier today PORTLAND OREGONIAN columnist John Canzano reported that LeGarrette Blount once accidentally punched former Oregon head football coach Mike Bellotti in the face during a practice scuffle.
Though acknowledging a practice “scuffle” involving Blount, Bellotti today denied that he was struck by Blount during the altercation. Bellotti to ESPN Radio’s Scott Van Pelt (audio):
LeGarrette Blount never hit me, not accidentally nor on purpose …. I do remember where I had to break up a scuffle during practice … LeGarrette was an offensive player and there were a couple defensive players and I stepped between them. … LeGarrette Blount never struck me.
After Bellotti’s denial, I contacted Canzano for a response. Canzano replied with this statement via email:
I stand by the reporting in the column. I now have four sources who were present who tell me the incident went beyond simple pushing and shoving and that Bellotti was accidentally struck in the fray as he stepped in to break it up. The larger, and more important, point of the column related to coaches who were eager to cover for LeGarrette all along. So I guess I’m not totally surprised that Bellotti wants to half-way characterize the incident.
The Oregonian has also publicly stood behind Canzano’s reporting on the subject.
As has my own source on the subject.
I was informed today by a source inside the Oregon football program that after Bellotti was struck by Blount during the Canzano-cited closed practice incident, “he (Bellotti) had a welt on his face and everyone was talking about it afterwards.”
I can’t blame Bellotti for trying to protect Blount in this circumstance, but he certainly seems to be in the minority in his version of what happened during the “scuffle” involving Blount at a closed Oregon football practice two years ago.
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3:13 pm on August 20th, 2010
@Chase, as a tried a true Duck fan, you should probably come to grips with the fact that LGB hit Mike Bellotti.
What I can’t figure out, is why I should care. We knew Blount was a punk thug, does him accidently slugging Mike Bellotti make him more of a punk thug? No, it confirms what we already knew about LGB.
I am having a hard time figuring out why I should care about this. He hit his coach on accident during a scrum at practice when things got heated.
Why again should I care?
3:19 pm on August 20th, 2010
As a tried and true duck fan, I can honestly say John Canzano is just out to make a name for himself. He’s slimy and along the lines of Skip Bayliss (sp?).
Please don’t use him as a source. It makes me like you less.
3:22 pm on August 20th, 2010
Knowing that he punched that DB Bellotti makes me actually like the guy a little bit…..
3:28 pm on August 20th, 2010
Are these the same anonymous sources that told Clownzano that Masoli was out for the whole season with a knee injury that lasted all of one week?
Bellotti and Clownzano have LONG standing feud so without actual facts, and no an anonymous source for something that happened two years ago isn’t a fact, I’m hard pressed to believe this.
None of the other reporters there said anything at the time.
4:17 pm on August 20th, 2010
I wouldn’t put credit to anything Canzano says. I was going to attend an event at Blitz til I heard it is benefiting the Bald Face Truth (Canzano’s radio program.) I can’t listen to the guy…you are right, @Chase, he’s a lot like Skip Bayless.
4:34 pm on August 20th, 2010
There are coaches who believe “What happens in house, stays in house”. In this TMZ tabloid find a story where there isn’t one era, more of these incidents will come out. I am sure, except for Peyton Manning and Tony Dungy, that there are plenty of player-coach little incidents in every sport at college and pro level that gets handled in house.
4:55 pm on August 20th, 2010
This Blount guy sounds like he needs to be in Super Punch Out.
6:13 pm on August 20th, 2010
Blount never punches anyone who isn’t white…coincident maybe butr maybe not.
4:40 am on September 30th, 2011
After Bellotti’s denial, I contacted Canzano for a response. Canzano replied with this statement via email