(CBS-DETROIT) – A Republican lawmaker from Ohio is proposing a bill in the House of Representatives that would ban the planting of flags in the middle of the football field at Ohio Stadium.
The proposed legislation is inspired by a brawl that erupted after the Michigan-Ohio State football game on Nov. 30. Shortly afterwards Michigan’s 13-10 winWolverine defensive end Derrick Moore attempted to plant a block “M” flag at midfield at Ohio Stadium. Moore was confronted by several Ohio State players, and the scene escalated after Buckeye ripped the flag from the pole.
As a result, several skirmishes broke out, with players on both sides throwing punches and punches Law enforcement officers used pepper spray during the fight.
State Rep. Josh Williams is sponsoring House Bill 700, also known as the OHIO Sportsmanship Act, and introduced the proposed legislation during a session of the House of Representatives on Tuesday.
The bill states: “No person shall plant a flagpole with a flag attached to it in the center of the football field of the Ohio Stadium of The Ohio State University on the day of a college football game, whether before, during, or after the game.”
The Big Ten fined both universities $100,000 each for the brawl and said the teams’ actions violated the conference’s sportsmanship policy.
“Not only did the actions of both teams violate fundamental elements of sportsmanship such as respect and civility, the nature of the incident also jeopardized the safety of participants and bystanders,” the conference said in a statement.
Those who violate the proposed law would be guilty of a fifth-degree felony.
