On Martin Luther King, Jr.’s birthday, most people want to quote all the famous things he said and did. They should. However, on his birthday, we also need to remember why he was famous. We need to remember the things he and thousands of other Black people went through that propelled MLK into the spotlight. We want to skip over the fact Black people were jailed, beat, bitten by dogs, and even spit on for nonviolently protesting for their rights guaranteed by the laws of the United States. Those things especially the racial epithets and spitting are triggers for most People of Color especially Black folk.
Flash forward to November 30th, 2024, an OSU fan leans over the railing at the Ohio Stadium and spits on Michigan football players as they entered the field of play. A journalist immediately calls out the fan, who possibly could be a student, and requests the fan be arrested. Media attention garners other fans of college football to post on social media that the fan should be banned for life.
But since that weekend, there has been nothing but crickets mentioned about this fan. Interesting and quite ironic. There was a strange post on TikTok by @CFBonFox. But no explanation if this fan was punished or even counseled on his behavior. Just crickets.
When a Yankees fan tried to make Mookie Betts drop a caught ball to help his team, the Yankees banned the fan from the World Series Game 5 even though he already had tickets for it. Then a week ago, the Philadelphia Eagles banned a fan for life for this tirade:
Now, the MLB has banned the Yankees fan who had the incident with Mookie Betts indefinitely from attending any baseball games. Traeshon Holden, for Oregon Ducks, was ejected from the game when he spit on OSU Davison Igbinosun in October. So, why the silence on the OSU fan?
That unnamed fan does not by any means reflect on the the OSU players on the field. However, it does speak volumes about the University itself. Spitting can be considered as assault with a deadly weapon in some jurisdiction if the assailant has a communicable disease. In Ohio, spitting on the sidewalk, church, etc. (O.R.C. § 2329.04) is a misdemeanor although rarely enforced. However, battery could be a consideration for the incident possibly.
While I am not sure legal action is the most appropriate action, I do believe some action should be taken. Otherwise, it is like the University is given a stamp of approval on this fan’s behavior which is a very slippery slope. Cultural training, anger management, something should have or be done. Does this fan, this kid, get away with one of the most disgusting and disrespectful one human being can do to another?