Two wrongs

I had no idea my opinion on this would be so completely opposite to a lot of my office co-workers but, I believe the kid from Oregon got a raw deal.
LeGarrette Blount is the running back for the Ducks who punched a Boise State player after their game last week. The school kicked the senior off the team for the rest of the season. He has no-redshirt year. His college career is over and his professional career (he was projected as possibly a 2nd round pick) is in serious jeopardy.
Actually, I shouldn't say he got a raw deal. Blount, after punching the one kid, lost his mind and started trying to fight everybody, including Boise State's fans. He punched a teammate and just royally made an arse out of himself.
For his post-punch antics, I can see him getting some very stiff punishment, which he deserved.
My problem was with the initial punch. People like throwing around words like "thug" and "hoodlum" when a black athlete does something like this. But, you know what, my outrage is directed at the Boise State kid who started the whole thing.
After the game, Blount, who reportedly had talked trash in the media before the matchup, was simply walking off the field. Oregon had just gotten their butts beat. They were licking their wounds and couldn't get off the field fast enough.
Boise State's team showed class and sportsmanship - except for one dude. This guy runs up to Blount, slaps him in on the shoulder and proceeds to talk trash, rubbing salt into the open wound.
Should Blount have knocked him out? No.
Do I understand why Blount knocked him out? Yes.
Anyone who has ever competed knows, the easiest way to start a fight is to rub it in after a victory. I know. I got into a fight with my best friend in high school after a pickup basketball game that I lost.
No one likes to lose. Most of us can accept defeat, however, until some fool starts mouthing off about it.
Anyway, nothing would've happened had the Boise State player just did what all his teammates were doing. Because he wanted to get in a little extra kick to an opponent who was already down, it nearly started a brawl.
Should Blount be suspended for the entire year? Because of what he did after the punch, I supposed it might be justified.
Should the Boise State kid get off scot-free after what he did? Hades no. In my opinion, he's just as guilty.