News of a bill punishing anyone for planting a flag in the center of Ohio State University’s football stadium has gone viral, with posts from sports commentators, politicians and comedians poking fun at the proposal. But the bill’s Republican sponsor says it’s not just sour grapes from Ohio State’s loss to Michigan, which led to a midfield fight among players.
The O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act would make planting a flag in the center of the field at Ohio Stadium a felony. House Bill 700 is sponsored by Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Twp.), who said the brawl following the attempted flag-planting by University of Michigan players after the victory over Ohio State last month troubled him.
Police used pepper spray to disperse the crowd. Both schools’ teams were fined $100,000 for that fight by the Big Ten Conference.
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“This bill was intended to send a shot across the bow to the NCAA and to the Big Ten," Williams said. "The $100,000 fine was insulting when a university just spent $10 million to secure a freshman quarterback.”
Williams said there’s a risk of violence with this kind of unsportsmanlike behavior, and it sets a bad example for students and fans. He said he wants the bill to send a message.
“If you don't want these bills to start percolating out of the state legislatures and each one of the 50 states, how about you step up and put a uniform policy that says, look, before, during or after a game you shall not engage in this type of unsportsmanlike conduct that can risk violence,” Williams said.
"We have the greatest rivalry in sports," Williams added. "Let's preserve that and our institutional integrity, and look at the NCAA and Big Ten to step up and do their job."
But with the two-year session ending next week, the bill likely won’t even get a hearing.
