Officials plan to crack down on orange-throwing at Big 12 Championship

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Despite no Missouri law specifically preventing the throwing of objects onto the field during a game, officials at this weekend's Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City don't

Wednesday, November 29th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ Despite no Missouri law specifically preventing the throwing of objects onto the field during a game, officials at this weekend's Big 12 Championship game in Kansas City don't plan to take the potential for orange-throwing lightly.

Arrowhead Stadium security manager Gene Barr said fans will face arrest for disorderly conduct if they are caught throwing anything onto the field at Saturday's game between Oklahoma and Kansas State.

Barr said the ordinance that will outlaw orange-throwing at this weekend's game is the same one that prevents people from running onto the playing surface of the stadium before, during or after the game.

He said violators of the city's disorderly conduct law face a fine of up to $500 and 180 days in jail.

But an Oklahoma law against throwing objects at public events hasn't done much to stem a stream of citrus at the end of many OU football games this season.

The gesture is meant to symbolize OU fans' hopes for an Orange Bowl berth and has become a late-game staple at several Sooner victories.

The Oklahoma law threatens a misdemeanor charge and up to a $100 fine, but has not done much to stop the fruit from flying in in-state OU wins over Nebraska, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.

At last Saturday's bedlam football game, veteran OSU announcer Larry Reece invoked a reminder of the law to try to dissuade the throwing of oranges near the end of Oklahoma's 12-7 win over the Cowboys.

It didn't work.

All season long Oklahoma fans have been asked not to throw objects onto the field, being told that doing so could result in an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for the Sooners or was a violation of a university rule.

While none of those warnings have been very successful, Barr said the issue of orange-throwing could be a serious one.

``We don't want people getting hurt,'' Barr said.