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.
So you eliminate any chance of a comeback, in order to help the only party who could benefit from a comeback. Got it.
The correct response would have been to ban the 4 defensive players for the remainder of the season. Or, if that was the last game of the season, and they were seniors, to make them or their parents pay for the QB’s medical bills.
HS baseball has a mercy rule. Usually after 5 (regulation 7) innings if a team is getting blown out, it’s over. At that level, if it doesn’t soothe egos, at least it’s less stress on pitcher’s arms.
I would have banned them for life from any hope of NCAA participation.
Thugs are nothing more than mini gangs who act without thinking about reprisals.....
Seems like a good time for the winning coach to give his usual bench sitters a chance to play. If you’re going to win anyway, why not put your worst guys in and let them play out the remaining time. It certainly doesn’t need a law.
A couple weeks back when the Detroit Tigers were losing badly, Brad Ausmus put short stop Danny Worth on the mound to avoid wasting the bullpen. They still lost but Worth struck out two batters.
Yeah we played with a 10 run rule in little league. No need for a law.
Can we just skip the games and hand out trophies to all?
Youth and HS hockey league refs have been known to run out the clock while positioning between the players.
“Oooops, game over!”
Defeatism...the new lexicon of the “do-gooder”liberal left! What ever happened to the immortal words of the late Sen. John Blutarski who said;
Bluto: What? Over? Did you say “over”? Nothing is over until we decide it is! Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no!
Otter: [to Boon] Germans?
Boon: Forget it, he’s rolling.
Bluto: And it ain’t over now. ‘Cause when the goin’ gets tough...
[thinks hard of something to say]
Bluto: The tough get goin’! Who’s with me? Let’s go!
Toughen up America!
You mean kind of like they do with income? With those who don't work sharing the fruits of the labor of those who do. ("income inequality" horrors)
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
What? I have seen games where 2 touchdowns and 2 point PATs have been scored in 19 seconds. Penn State did it years ago against an opponent in a downpour. When the hell are these arsehole politicians going to sit down and STFU?
So do the fans get refunds as well, for the reduced game time?
And....I was in a game where this happened. I was right O tackle. When the defender(s) launched themselves over the line to hit my QB, I picked up the nearest one and threw him back over the offensive line. I got tossed but my teammates never forgot it.
When my daughter played fast pitch softball they had what was called the mercy rule, if I recall it was if one team was X number of runs over the other in the fourth inning the game was over. Now my grandson plays flag football in the Friday Nights Light league, and at least for the kindergartners, once a team is X points up they have to start their plays an extra five yards back from the line of scrimmage. I guess I can see some adjustments for young children, but it is getting out of hand, especially at the High School level. Kids do need to learn that there is a difference between winning and losing.
Missouri has a “mercy rule” for high school games. Once a team has a 35 point lead, game is in 2nd half, the clock does not stop except after scores. Called the turbo-clock by fans, it doesn’t stop for penalties, out of bounds, 1st downs, or incomplete passes. Either coach can stop it with a time out.
And give a team trophy for the loosing team just for showing up.
How utterly humiliating for the losing team. I guess the winning team could just fumble the ball into the opposing end zone for a touchback for the other team.
I understand the concept, as some coaches roll-up the score to incredible numbers. However, this rule then smacks of ensuring some poor child is not traumatized, which is nonsense. Welcome to the real world.
Nice to know that Michigan’s in such good shape that its biggest issue is high school football games.
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