After Michigan’s 13-10 win over Ohio State, Wolverines’ players attempted to plant a flag at Ohio Stadium. That prompted a fracas between the two teams that led to police deploying pepper spray that even hit media members. In the wake of that postgame brawl, you knew there were going to be some strong reactions.
Sure enough, college football pundits had their fair share of strong comments and ideas on how to prevent travesties such as planting your school’s flag in another school’s stadium.
But no one had a stronger, and some would say sadder, reaction than Ohio State Rep. Josh Williams (R-Sylvania Township), who proposed legislation that would make it a felony to plant a flag at the center of Ohio Stadium.
Williams introduced the O.H.I.O. Sportsmanship Act, which would “prohibit planting a flagpole and flag in the center of the Ohio Stadium football field on the day of a college football game.” Violating the proposed law would result in a felony of the fifth degree.
Obviously, this was less a realistic attempt to create a law and more a piece of red meat for angry Buckeyes fans, but the fact that Williams took the time to do it didn’t sit well with everyone. That includes ESPN’s Elle Duncan, who singled Williams and his bill out on Thursday.
Elle Duncan calls Ohio Rep. Josh Williams’ move to make flag planting at Ohio Stadium a felony “The Softest thing I saw today.” pic.twitter.com/4fR3UUf36Z
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) December 13, 2024
“My esteemed colleague, Scott Van Pelt, has a segment on his show called ‘The Best Thing I Saw Today.’ Motion to nominate a new one for taking the L called ‘The Softest Thing I Saw Today.’ And it’s clearly this,” said Duncan, mentioning Williams’ bill. “Representative Josh Williams, what are we actually doing here? I mean, besides trying to curry some favor with your constituents by virtue signaling about integrity, of course.
“First of all, this is unnecessary because you can’t actually plant a flag at Ohio Stadium. You know, it’s turf. Secondly, this is asinine. You want to actually try to police sportsmanship as if that’s the job of a lawmaker? You know whose job it actually is? The coach’s job. Like when [Steve Sarkisian] refused to let his Texas team plant their flag at Kyle Field after they beat their biggest rival.
“Also, you’re trying to tell me that sticking a pole in some grass more more dangerous and harmful than, I don’t know, jumping from the stands and field-storming or pulling down a 700-pound goalpost onto a crowd of students. Yeah. No.
“Listen, the deal is that these young men are gladiators, and they risk great injury every single time they step onto a field and we sit back and cheer it on. But now we need the law to teach them emotional control in victory and defeat? It’s stupid. I’m sorry. It is. The real crime? Losing to your rival at home as a 24-point favorite, which now that I think about it, in law terms means Ohio State was just pleading no contest.”
[ESPN]
