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James Franklin says he is ‘good’ with how fan confrontation played out after loss to Ohio State
By Paul Harvey
Published:
James Franklin broke one of the cardinal sins for any head coach or player on a sports team after Saturday’s loss to Ohio State. That would be clapping back at disgruntled fans of your own team, something Franklin did when he engaged a Penn State fan while exiting the field.
No matter what was said, it’s an action that never looks great to the public eye. Nevertheless, Franklin said at his weekly press conference that he is “really good” with how the entire interaction played out.
Franklin claimed the fan was screaming “at me and my daughter” from a couple feet away. However, he also acknowledged that comes with the territory.
“The interaction (with the fan)? Yeah, I’m really good with that,” said Franklin about how the incident played out. “Someone screaming at me and my daughter within a couple feet as we’re walking off the field, and I’m good with that. That comes with the territory.”
As for the actual interaction, Franklin claimed he simply asked the individual for his name. The fan backed away and didn’t answer, but Franklin said he simply wanted the individual to “own it.”
“I asked the young man what his name was. To me, it’s like posting something. If you’re going to post something, post it with your picture and your name and own what you post. And if you’re going to say something, own it,” Franklin said. “I just asked the gentleman what his name was. He started stuttering, backed up, and didn’t say his name. Critiques and opinions come, that’s part of the territory, I get it.”
Paul Harvey lives in Atlanta and covers SEC football.
