A member of the Ohio General Assembly wants to criminalize flag planting at Ohio Stadium.
Yes, seriously. Republican Josh Williams of Sylvania Township introduced a bill Tuesday titled the “OHIO Sportsmanship Act,” which would propose misdemeanor charges for anyone who plants a flag at center field. The bill, of course, comes less than two weeks after a midfield brawl following Michigan’s 13-10 win over the Buckeyes, when Michigan players went to plant a flag near Ohio State’s logo.
Below you will find the text of the bill. The Port Clinton News Herald said Williams could not be reached for comment.
“No person shall plant a flagpole with a flag attached to it in the center of the football field of Ohio State University’s Ohio Stadium on the day of a college football game, whether before, during or after the game.”
“Anyone who violates this section is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fifth degree.”
“A violation of this section is a violation of strict liability and section 2901.20 of the Revised Code shall not apply.”
The move to introduce the bill is nothing short of grand and unlikely to pass. Cheap political points from symbolic bills are easy to gain. But it doesn’t change the fact that the easiest way to prevent an opponent from planting their flag in midfield – and this rule applies to every team in college football – is to win the game. No one celebrates with a flag plant after a loss.
Michigan’s attempt was not the first time in recent history that someone attempted to plant a flag at Ohio Stadium. Baker Mayfield famously did this after Oklahoma earned a victory over the Buckeyes. And Texas even did it against Michigan earlier this year after the Longhorns’ 31-12 win.
Williams’ bill also came the same day the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office released bodycam footage of three deputies caught in the middle of the fight. The video below contains profanity.
WARNING: VIDEO CONTAINS PROFESSION
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has released bodycam footage of the post-game scuffle between Ohio State and Michigan. pic.twitter.com/RHKaSBZyat— 13 Action News (@13abc) December 10, 2024
One of the officers pulls out a can of pepper spray and appears to spray it into the air in one of the videos. Police used pepper spray when they tried to break up the fight.
The win was Michigan’s fourth consecutive victory over Ohio State dating back to 2019, when Ohio State head coach Ryan Day earned his first (and so far only) victory over Michigan. The Wolverines finished the season 7-5 and will play Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl, while Ohio State (10-2) is the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff and hosts No. 9 Tennessee in the first round on Dec. 21 .
