I’ve located some shocking, amateur cellphone video of an Arizona State football player landing a LeGarrette Blount-like punch on a University of Arizona football player after the two teams met last Saturday.
(Video was pulled off Youtube, but animation still shows what happened)
After Alex Zendejas kicked a last-second field goal to give the Wildcats the 20-17 win over the Sun Devils, players from both teams streamed together at midfield, and that’s when it got ugly.
Bear with the cellphone video, it stabilizes around 1:12, when you can clearly see Arizona long snapper Ricky Wolder shove Arizona State linebacker Vontaze Burfict from behind. Burfict then responds by turning around and punching Wolder. The blow had so much force behind it that it also appeared to glance off of kicker Zendejas.
UPDATE (6:43pm PT) : As you can see, the video was pulled off of Youtube but my animated gif above still remains - which still clearly indicates what happened. So nothing has changed.
An ASU assistant coach then jumps in to confront Wolder and Zendejas, followed by an Arizona assistant coach directing the players to get off the field.
The EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE reported on the punch late Saturday night, but ASU coach Dennis Erickson said he didn’t see anything at the time. This video shows exactly what happened.
In the case of Blount’s postgame punch, Boise State player Byron Hout said something to the Oregon running back to incite Blount to swing at him. But Hout was turning away from Blount when the running back clearly sucker-punched him.
In this situation, Wolder and Zendejas can certainly can be cited as instigators. Zendejas was clearly talking trash to Burdict and then Wolder pushed Burdict from behind.
(Wolder (l) shoved Burfict who was also taunted by Zendejas (r))
All of the acts are inexcusable and all players should be punished. Should Burfict receive more punishment? Yes, as his move was by far the most violent, but I wouldn’t classify his punch as being as quite as bad at what Blount did. And unlike Blount’s subsequent outrageous behavior, the crowd was no way involved in this situation.
The Pac-10 has been mum about the violent confrontation, but now that there’s video of what happened, will they take action? Just in case they haven’t seen the tape, I’ve taken the liberty of emailing the video link to the Pac-10 offices.
Here’s who was emailed:
Larry Scott: Commissioner
Jim Muldoon: Associate Commissioner, Communications and Football Administration
Ron Barker: Associate Commissioner, Governance and Enforcement
Duane Lindberg: Associate Commissioner, Electronic Communications
Natalia Ciccone: Assistant Commissioner, Communications
Tammy Newman: Assistant Commissioner, Governance and Enforcement
We’ll see what their response is. Stay tuned.
9:26 pm on November 30th, 2009
Video link is f****d…
9:39 pm on November 30th, 2009
Have seen Burfict play four times this season, million dollar talent, five cent head. Every game he had late hits, personal fouls, unsportsmanlike conducts, etc…
Hope he can turn it around next season.
10:19 pm on November 30th, 2009
Burfict didn’t hit him. Watch the video, he cocks back his fist after #60 of UA cheapshots him, and #60 gets scared and jumps back. Burfict and Zendejas should get no punishment, but #60 should.
10:36 pm on November 30th, 2009
Brooksis dumb: No we know who pulled the video. Thanks for that. Doesn’t matter, clear what happened.
10:44 pm on November 30th, 2009
Burfict ran his mouth all game and was all over those Arizona players. Unfortunately that is all he did, he made no plays and was always out of position which Coach Erickson says nothing about. He is so talented, but his antics are exactly why no one on the team likes him. He shouldn’t have ran his mouth so much if he couldn’t handle taking it. Hopefully he can focus himself and make himself useful to our team next year!
10:49 pm on November 30th, 2009
Get your story straight. “The punch missed.” http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/story/147766
11:03 pm on November 30th, 2009
I listened to the end of the game on XM Radio (ASU announcers and ASU feed) and they clearly described the punches / fight and clearly named Burfict as the prime punch thrower. Try and get the ASU radio audio tape if you can and send that to the Pac Ten. Mike U.
11:30 pm on November 30th, 2009
What is the point of you emailing this to the Pac 10 offices? What is your agenda?
11:36 pm on November 30th, 2009
you guys need to leave these kids alone. what joy do you get out of trying to hurt a kids future? get a life of your own and stop worring about other peoples so much. i was right next to burfict and he didn’t hit him anyway.
10:45 am on December 1st, 2009
wow, a fight following a rivalry game…say it aint so!!!
12:25 pm on December 1st, 2009
STOP FABRICATING WHAT HAPPENED IN THAT VIDEO.
Burfict never threw the punch. He cocked back, but stopped himself. He was so close to Wolder that, had he thrown the punch, it would have easily landed and Wolder would still be in the hospital, recovering from reconstructive surgery on his face & nose. Nobody misses a punch from that close if they throw it.
We all know Burfict is a raw talent (true freshman) that needs to mature. He will. But it is not the place of this blog to send this video to the Pac-10 & explain as “fact” what happened here.
The Pac-10 should (and probably will) throw this video out and do nothing, as they should. I believe in the legal arena, they would call this “not enough evidence to convict.”
1:36 pm on December 1st, 2009
I honestly don’t think he connected. If someone that size connected a punch to the face of Wolder I imagine it would have knocked him down.
4:26 pm on December 1st, 2009
It doen’t matter if the punch landed or not, he still through with intent.
4:53 pm on December 1st, 2009
He didn’t throw the punch? God you Tempe Normal State Women’s Junior College Bulldog Sun Flowers are damn near as blind as Kyle Williams fielding a punt.
Thanks Kyle!
5:04 pm on December 1st, 2009
“In the case of Blount’s postgame punch, Boise State player Byron Hout said something to the Oregon running back to incite Blount to swing at him.”
Um, I think you may be forgetting Hout clearly bang his fist on Blount’s shoulder pad after the trash talking. Why does no one ever mention this?
5:58 pm on December 1st, 2009
Too bad Burfict missed. Oh Well No Rose Bowl for ASU this year and guess what UofA Either. LMAO!!!
12:00 am on December 2nd, 2009
This video shwos dick. You claim its a Blounte like puch … the Boise player taunted him…looks to me more like assualt from the U of A palyer first…. but you aren’t reporting it that way? Why is that? Fuck off you stupid prick with an agenda!
5:22 pm on December 2nd, 2009
Burfict is officially the dirtiest player in the P10. Every fan knows that. Nothing surprising from Dennis the Menace. He did the same crap when he was coach of the barkrats and the U. ASU=new capital of dirty players. It’s no wonder why no one else wanted Burfict! He’s a low class Thug and I hope he gets suspended before some Ray Lewis type incident happens. That junk takes place at ASSu everyday. More power to you Brooks!
7:52 pm on December 2nd, 2009
quack-all i have to say is blount…by the way, did he get reinstated? duck fans = fair weather, uninformed pricks. stay in autzen where you can continue the inbreeding.
1:20 am on November 16th, 2011
It’s no wonder why no one else wanted Burfict! He’s a low class Thug and I hope he gets suspended before some Ray Lewis type incident happens.
1:20 am on November 16th, 2011
Boise State player Byron Hout said something to the Oregon running back to incite Blount to swing at him.
1:21 am on November 16th, 2011
He did the same crap when he was coach of the barkrats and the U. ASU=new capital of dirty players.
1:22 am on November 16th, 2011
The Pac-10 should (and probably will) throw this video out and do nothing, as they should. I believe in the legal arena, they would call this “not enough evidence to convict.
1:22 am on November 16th, 2011
it would have easily landed and Wolder would still be in the hospital, recovering from reconstructive surgery on his face & nose. Nobody misses a punch from that close if they throw it.