http://www.statecollege.com/news/lo...cision-when-it-comes-to-john-donovan,1466129/
But what I do know is that Penn State and more specifically, James Franklin, has a problem. Slowly but surely the glitz and glamour is wearing off. Slowly but surely fans are less and less interested in the allegedly bright future and more interested in seeing things headed that direction. Franklin isn't losing the fan base but he's learning that he can't take them for granted.
. . . . .
James Franklin and John Donovan could have a great grasp on all of these issues and a solution to fix the problem in the coming years. There truly is only so much they can do and maybe right now they're doing all of those things.
But maybe that doesn't matter.
That's the problem with being a CEO, you get the credit for the good and the blame for the bad. Franklin himself sits in an odd place, Penn State fans loved Joe Paterno more than Penn State football and they love Penn State football more than they like James Franklin. It's not his fault, but he has very little goodwill to work with.
Franklin's greatest strength, recruiting, is only appreciated by a niche section of the fan base and largely ignored by the majority. That leaves fans in some cases paying thousands of dollars to come support a team run by a coach they feel is too expensive for a largely "some day down the road" rhetoric that is often hard to grasp. It may not be entirely fair, but perception is reality.
In turn there are two choices that will set the course for the future of the James Franklin era. Who his next quarterback is and what he does with John Donovan.
But what I do know is that Penn State and more specifically, James Franklin, has a problem. Slowly but surely the glitz and glamour is wearing off. Slowly but surely fans are less and less interested in the allegedly bright future and more interested in seeing things headed that direction. Franklin isn't losing the fan base but he's learning that he can't take them for granted.
. . . . .
James Franklin and John Donovan could have a great grasp on all of these issues and a solution to fix the problem in the coming years. There truly is only so much they can do and maybe right now they're doing all of those things.
But maybe that doesn't matter.
That's the problem with being a CEO, you get the credit for the good and the blame for the bad. Franklin himself sits in an odd place, Penn State fans loved Joe Paterno more than Penn State football and they love Penn State football more than they like James Franklin. It's not his fault, but he has very little goodwill to work with.
Franklin's greatest strength, recruiting, is only appreciated by a niche section of the fan base and largely ignored by the majority. That leaves fans in some cases paying thousands of dollars to come support a team run by a coach they feel is too expensive for a largely "some day down the road" rhetoric that is often hard to grasp. It may not be entirely fair, but perception is reality.
In turn there are two choices that will set the course for the future of the James Franklin era. Who his next quarterback is and what he does with John Donovan.
