Can someone explain the thank you card?

[Kiber]

+1000 to everything you said. When I saw the cards being held up I thought it was a thank you to the families that showed up and liked that idea. Then I saw the rest...really bad form. I will make no excuses for it I like Franklin but this was a serious mistake on his part. He needs to fix it and end it.

And IMO, the alarming thing is that this most likely got "approval" from a few levels within the team. I've been around teams & organizations for many years and from my experiences, usually something like this gets the "approval" as OK and gets 'green lighted', from a couple levels.
>1st the defensive players as a group thought of the idea and agreed to do the 'greeting card" (strike #1, the players should have known better, they are athletes & hopefully sportsman),

>2nd the defensive leaders most likely informed the defensive coaches of their idea and the defensive coaches either simply allowed it or even worse supported it as a good idea - strike #2,

>3rd the defensive coaches most likely informed Franklin of what the defensive players wanted to do after each turnover and Franklin either simply allowed it or even worse supported it as a good idea - strike #3

A few years back Terrell Owens scored a TD, pulled a sharpie out of his sock and autographed a football. In that scenario, there is a good chance the 49er coaches had no idea what he was going to do and they were probably as shocked as everyone else........... I do not see any way possible the PSU Coaches were unaware of poster-sized Greeting Cards.

 

[BBrown]

And IMO, the alarming thing is that this most likely got "approval" from a few levels within the team. I've been around teams & organizations for many years and from my experiences, usually something like this gets the "approval" as OK and gets 'green lighted', from a couple levels.
>1st the defensive players as a group thought of the idea and agreed to do the 'greeting card" (strike #1, the players should have known better, they are athletes & hopefully sportsman),

>2nd the defensive leaders most likely informed the defensive coaches of their idea and the defensive coaches either simply allowed it or even worse supported it as a good idea - strike #2,

>3rd the defensive coaches most likely informed Franklin of what the defensive players wanted to do after each turnover and Franklin either simply allowed it or even worse supported it as a good idea - strike #3

A few years back Terrell Owens scored a TD, pulled a sharpie out of his sock and autographed a football. In that scenario, there is a good chance the 49er coaches had no idea what he was going to do and they were probably as shocked as everyone else........... I do not see any way possible the PSU Coaches were unaware of poster-sized Greeting Cards.

Not only that, and I don't want to make this look like a Joe thing (because its not) but didn't sandy make the hockey team take a small patch off their uniform? So WTF.

 

[Kiber]

Here is an email I sent to Franklin and Pry yesterday. I understand that they don't actually monitor their own email inboxes as that is done by an administrative assistant. Maybe it will get passed on to them, maybe it won't. Maybe I will receive a canned response from the admin person, maybe I won't. We'll see.

Coach Franklin and Coach Pry,

I am of a different generation than you and your players, so I recognize that my viewpoint might be skewed by the differences in our ages and backgrounds. I enjoy almost everything you have done with Penn State football since your arrival and congratulate you on your past and hopefully, future success. You and your players (usually) represent themselves, the university, and the community with class.

However, you have allowed a new "tradition" that doesn't meet the standards of sportsmanship that PSU should be demonstrating. That is the "thank you" card you have allowed to be included on your sideline following a turnover. I fully support players celebrating among themselves following a great play, no matter what side of the ball is involved.

Yet, this "thank you" card goes beyond player celebration. Instead, it appears to be mocking or taunting the opponent. Perhaps you and your team don't see it in that manner, but trust me, most of the TV viewing audience does.

We all have heard the term "karma". Well, karma bit you and your team in the butt on Saturday when the Indiana staff outcoached your staff and their players ate your lunch in the last 2 minutes of play, including overtime. Frankly, your team looks like idiots celebrating with that (taunting) gimmick while the scoreboard says Indiana 17, Penn State 7. So, maybe it is time to come up with some other type of sideline celebration for your players.

On a personal note to Coach Franklin, I recognize how difficult these past few months have been separated from your family. I wish you the best of luck in navigating this difficult time with that situation and look forward to the day (soon) when this entire country can put this virus behind us and allow us to enjoy family, friends, and 100,000+ Beaver Stadium crowds.

Mr. PSUFBFAN

Perfect. My only change would have been to also copy Sandy Barbour. As the AD, this all falls under her supervision.

 

[Kiber]

Not only that, and I don't want to make this look like a Joe thing (because its not) but didn't sandy make the hockey team take a small patch off their uniform? So WTF.

Funny, I just replied to another post that Sandy should be copied on all of this stuff because this all falls under her supervision.

 

[psualt]

Here is an email I sent to Franklin and Pry yesterday. I understand that they don't actually monitor their own email inboxes as that is done by an administrative assistant. Maybe it will get passed on to them, maybe it won't. Maybe I will receive a canned response from the admin person, maybe I won't. We'll see.

Coach Franklin and Coach Pry,

I am of a different generation than you and your players, so I recognize that my viewpoint might be skewed by the differences in our ages and backgrounds. I enjoy almost everything you have done with Penn State football since your arrival and congratulate you on your past and hopefully, future success. You and your players (usually) represent themselves, the university, and the community with class.

However, you have allowed a new "tradition" that doesn't meet the standards of sportsmanship that PSU should be demonstrating. That is the "thank you" card you have allowed to be included on your sideline following a turnover. I fully support players celebrating among themselves following a great play, no matter what side of the ball is involved.

Yet, this "thank you" card goes beyond player celebration. Instead, it appears to be mocking or taunting the opponent. Perhaps you and your team don't see it in that manner, but trust me, most of the TV viewing audience does.

We all have heard the term "karma". Well, karma bit you and your team in the butt on Saturday when the Indiana staff outcoached your staff and their players ate your lunch in the last 2 minutes of play, including overtime. Frankly, your team looks like idiots celebrating with that (taunting) gimmick while the scoreboard says Indiana 17, Penn State 7. So, maybe it is time to come up with some other type of sideline celebration for your players.

On a personal note to Coach Franklin, I recognize how difficult these past few months have been separated from your family. I wish you the best of luck in navigating this difficult time with that situation and look forward to the day (soon) when this entire country can put this virus behind us and allow us to enjoy family, friends, and 100,000+ Beaver Stadium crowds.

Mr. PSUFBFAN

Very nice response.

I personally do not have a problem with the turnover chains etc because they are just having fun amongst themselves and not causing harm. If it was me I wouldn't want any of that stuff but overall it is harmless. I missed the thank you card as I was watching on my phone.