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    • Ohio General Assembly Member Introduces Bill To Make Planting Flags At Ohio Stadium A Crime (Video)
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    Ohio General Assembly Member Introduces Bill To Make Planting Flags At Ohio Stadium A Crime (Video)

    Pabio Posted on

    A member of the Ohio General Assembly wants to make planting flags at Ohio Stadium a felony.

    Yes, seriously. Republican Josh Williams of Sylvania Township introduced a bill Tuesday called the “OHIO Sportsmanship Act” that proposes criminal charges for anyone planting a flag at midfield. The bill, of course, comes less than two weeks after a midfield fight following Michigan’s 13-10 victory over the Buckeyes when Michigan players went to plant a flag on the Ohio State logo.

    Below is the text of the bill. The Port Clinton News Herald said Williams could not be reached for comment.

    “No person shall plant a flagpole to which a flag is attached in the center of the football field at Ohio Stadium of the Ohio State University on the day of a college football competition, whether before, during or after the competition.

    “Any person who violates this section is guilty of a felony of the fifth degree.”

    “A violation of this section constitutes a strict liability offense and section 2901.20 of the Revised Code does not apply. »

    The decision to table the bill is nothing short of grandstanding and likely has no chance of passing. It’s easy to score cheap political points through token bills. But that doesn’t change the fact that the easiest way to stop an opposing team from planting its flag at midfield — and this rule applies to any college football team — is to win the game. No one celebrates a defeat by planting a flag.

    Michigan’s attempt wasn’t the first time in recent memory that someone attempted to plant a flag at Ohio Stadium. Baker Mayfield did it after Oklahoma earned a road victory against the Buckeyes. And Texas even did it against Michigan earlier this year following the Longhorns’ 31-12 victory.

    Williams’ bill also came on the same day the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office released body camera footage of three deputies who were in the middle of the fight. There is profanity in the video below.

    One of the deputies pulls out a can of pepper spray and appears to spray it into the air in one of the videos. Police used pepper spray to try to disperse the melee.

    This was Michigan’s fourth straight victory over Ohio State, dating back to 2019 when Ohio State head coach Ryan Day earned his first (and so far only) victory against Michigan. The Wolverines finished the season 7-5 and will face Alabama in the ReliaQuest Bowl while Ohio State (10-2) is the No. 8 seed in the College Football Playoff and will host No. 9 Tennessee in the first round on December 21.

    Pabio
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