Ohio lawmaker proposes flag-planting ban at Ohio Stadium after Michigan-Ohio State fight

(CBS DETROIT)A Republican congressman from Ohio is putting forward a bill in the state’s House that would forbid flag-planting in the middle of Ohio Stadium’s football field.

The controversy that erupted after the Michigan-Ohio State football game on November 30 served as the impetus for the proposed law. Derrick Moore, a Wolverine defensive end, tried to plant a block “M” flag at midfield at Ohio Stadium shortly after Michigan’s 13–10 victory. A number of Ohio State players confronted Moore, and after Buckeye ripped the flag from its pole, the situation became more heated.

As a result, there were multiple clashes, with law enforcement using pepper spray and players on both sides hurling fists.

The O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act, or House Bill 700, is being sponsored by State Representative Josh Williams, who presented the bill during a Tuesday House session.

The legislation states, “No person shall plant a flagpole with a flag attached to it 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.”

The Big Ten said that the teams’ conduct were against the conference’s sportsmanship rules and fined both universities $100,000 each for the altercation.

“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 stated in a statement.

A fifth-degree felony would be imposed on anyone caught in violation of the proposed statute.

Joe Buczek works for CBS Detroit as the manager of digital content and promotion. The Leader and the Kalkaskian, the Oakland Press, the Morning Sun, the Grand Traverse Insider, and WWTV were among his prior employers.

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