Normally, I respect Deadspin's approach to the sports news of the day, week, whatever. But not today. Not this reckless and ignorant post from Dashiell Bennett, a guy who I don't know personally but also normally respect. But Dash is as wrong as can be here and I surely hope he's not doing it just to be a contrarian. Because that would be stupid.

The title is "Byron Hout Got What He Deserved."

Really? He deserved to get punched in the jaw while he wasn't looking by a thug who talked smack all week long apparently? A thug who then ran away like a little girl. A thug who punched him with his HELMET ON?

I've read a lot about this today, as I'm sure many of you have as well. And the consensus seems to be that Blount was talking during the week about how they owed Boise St. an ass-whipping because Boise beat them last year. And, from what's being cobbled together, it appears that Hout may have gone by and rapped him on the shoulder pad and said, "Nice ass-whipping."

Should Hout have done that? Of course not. Nobody's denying that. He should probably be disciplined, in fact, for inciting this melee. However, he does not "deserve" to be punched in the jaw like that.

What if Blount had broken Hout's jaw? Would he deserve that, too? What an asinine and obnoxious thing to say. God forbid Hout and the Broncos appear "smug" after beating the thug-filled, trash-talking-but-never-have-won-anything Ducks for the second straight year!

Bennett/Deadspin also classified Hout's actions as an "equally egregious display of poor sportsmanship." No, sir. Just... no.

He also says this about the fans at -- remember -- a Boise State home game: "[The] fans should probably have kept their mouths shut too. Blount would have ripped them in half if they didn't have security to protect them."

Wait, so now fans can't yell and scream at a thug who just committed assault on their field? Okay, gotcha. Let me make sure I write down all these rules. Clown.

Oh, and let me ask this... was it also Byron Hout's fault when Blount went after and jacked HIS OWN TEAMMATE in the head?