Posted on 06/13/2014 9:46:07 AM PDT by MichCapCon
A Democratic state representative wants to send a sportsmanship message to high school athletes and has authored a bill that would end some football games early.
State Rep. Robert Kosowski, D-Westland, introduced House Bill 5605 last week, which would prohibit a public school from participating in an interscholastic football game unless the Michigan High School Athletic Association creates a rule to end games if one team has a lead of 17 points or more with a minute or less remaining.
Rep. Kosowski Rep. Kosowski said the law would allow the game to be ended or the team with the ball to snap it without the opposing team encroaching after the snap. He said the bill was inspired by a 2011 high school playoff game that led to assault charges against four players for hitting and injuring a quarterback in the final moments of a game when he took a knee.
Rep. Kosowski said the parents of P.J. Guse asked if he could do something about that incident. Guse was the quarterback who took a knee as his Westland Lutheran High School team was beating Star International Academy 47-6. According to news reports, the referees had warned the players on Star International Academy that Guse was going to take a knee to run out the clock. But the four players still broke the line and hit Guse, which resulted in a concussion. The four players were charged with assault and battery. A judge dismissed the case, but called the actions by the four players deplorable.
Rep. Kosowski, who played college football at Adrian College, said he didn't think government should take a role in how high school football games should be played, but felt compelled to do something when approached by the parents of the injured player.
"This is more for awareness," Rep. Kosowski said. "It starts the conversation."
He said he knew the Michigan High School Athletic Association wouldn't like his bill.
"I don't want to write rules for them," Rep. Kosowski said. "I am trying to make them aware that this is an issue that needs to be looked at." He said he wasn't aware of any other incidents in the last minute of blowout games.
Ann Arbor had an incident in 2012 that led to a post-game brawl and a coach being fired after unsportsmanlike conduct and allegations of one team trying to run up the score in the final minute of the game.
The Michigan High School Athletic Association has rules in place that call for a "running clock" during a football game when a lead is 35 points or more in the second half. When a running clock is in play, time is not stopped for plays that go out of bounds, first downs or other instances that normally require the clock to be stopped temporarily.
"We already have provisions in the rules for a number of sports, which either result in a running clock or the termination of play when a certain point margin differential has been reached, and they have served us well," said John Johnson, spokesman for the MHSAA. "I'm sure we'll have some follow up on this recently introduced bill."
The bill has been referred to the House Education Committee.
The democrat philosophy. A law to restrict and regulate every human activity. Anything not mandatory is prohibited.
Is a remake of Heidi planned?
That game was closer with a minute remaining.
How does he know?
Did he ask them?
Or does he just resent the fact that they control something which he thinks the government should control at the state level?
allegations of one team trying to run up the score in the final minute of the game.
O HEAVENS NOOOO!
These liberals want to remove competition from society and put everyone on foodstamps and welfare.
If one gets your rear-end kicked in football, maybe they should realize this is the real world
Sort of like saying, well the person has cancer, so just give up... No use in trying... Never mind all the people that survive cancer...
Really? Do we need a law for that?
PART TIME LEGISLATURE!!!!!!!
Dumb asses just gotta legislate when they’re there every day.
Are you kidding me ?
Third string players should be up in arms!
Why is THE STATE getting involved in this???
I like it when politicians set out to mess up sports as they have so many other areas of our lives.
This is something that needs to be legislated??? If this is all the Michigan legislature has to worry about, it should be disbanded and the Capitol rented out for flea-market stalls.
So ONE incident creates the necessity for another law.
Madness.
.
Let's start THIS conversation.
Do away with more laws.
Fine any lawmaker that proposes a new one.
Or trade them for some hostage somewhere held in the world. But get these stupid idiots wanting to start conversations away from my life.
Granted, any "law" on this matter is nothing a legislature should be involved with and overreaching, but even if someone were convinced such a law was appropriate, this specific example is just stupid. I don't know of a single, dedicated football player who wouldn't think they could score 17 points in the last minute with a couple of big plays, a turnover and a few breaks. I've seen it happen. To just end the game would infuriate these players with the idea they were robbed of the chance to make a last minute comeback. At the very least they could score 7 or 10 points and make it a relatively good game rather than being embarassed with the tag that they sucked so bad they had to be put out of their misery.
The Heidi Bowl. Ah for the days when the Raiders weren’t fielding HS players.
http://www.raiders.com/news/article-1/Heidi-Bowl/97e7c348-3673-4d68-9a23-c5c7937c6e81
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