Penn State could have avoided odd scene at James Franklin press conference [opinion]

The scene Wednesday night at Holuba Hall was more than odd or strange; it was bizarre.

Penn State football coach James Franklin walked to the microphone after practice, as he usually does, to answer questions from reporters.

First, though, team spokesman Greg Kincaid read a prepared statement that Franklin or anyone else would have no further comment on the case of two former Penn State players, who were charged Tuesday with raping a 17-year-old girl in July.

That’s when things got sideways, when the press conference became something that turned viral.

Jon Sauber of the Centre Daily Times began the first question in a soft tone.

“This is obviously a serious and sensitive subject,” Sauber said, “but we haven’t heard anything from you on this.”

At that, Franklin walked away from the microphone and signaled to Kincaid, who read his statement again.

Franklin returned to the microphone like he was starting the press conference over. Audrey Snyder of The Athletic then asked the second question.

“At what point in the summer were you aware that these guys wouldn’t be on the team?” Snyder asked.

Franklin again walked away from the microphone without uttering a word. And Kincaid repeated that no one at Penn State would comment.

The press conference continued for a couple more minutes before it ended, but the damage had been done.

If Franklin had said he couldn’t comment on an ongoing legal matter and expressed empathy towards sexual assault victims in general, there would be no story.

Instead, because he walked away from the microphone twice, it became a top headline on ESPN.com. The video from the press conference was reposted by national reporters with hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of followers.

The unwanted attention could easily have been avoided.

Whoever came up with the plan for Franklin to handle questions after the criminal charges were filed against Kaveion Keys and Jameial Lyons used terrible judgment.

It made Franklin, someone with a forceful personality and strong leadership skills, appear weak. It was not a good look for the face of the football program and of the university.

Even stranger, Penn State and Franklin seemingly responded to the incident in the proper way and took relatively quick action.

Within 23 days of when the Penn State University Police were notified of the incident, Keys and Lyons were placed on interim suspension. Penn State announced on Aug. 3 that they were no longer enrolled in the university, in effect dismissed.

The university took action more than 2.5 months before charges were filed.

Which made Franklin’s silence and walk-offs Wednesday night even more perplexing. He has yet to say one word about Keys and Lyons, even a “no comment.”

Of course, Sauber and Snyder have received a ton of criticism from Nittany Lions fans just because they were diligent. They were accused of distracting the Penn State team days before its game Saturday night at Wisconsin or seeking clicks on their stories and posts.

That’s nonsense. They would have been neglecting their duty as journalists if they hadn’t asked their questions.

Franklin’s response was peculiar. Whether he decided to handle the questions that way or someone up the Penn State food chain instructed him to do so, it didn’t make sense.

It would have been better if he had read a prepared statement at the outset. Instead, it turned a one-day story into a two-day story, at least.

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