Penn State Football: Franklin Radio Show Brings No Surprises As Season Unofficially Begins

Just a few ticks past 6:00 PM on a Thursday evening James Franklin sat almost entirely alone in the back left corner of the room as fans continued to file in for his first radio show of the year.

As they made their way to bar stools and tables scattered around the restaurant a few stopped for photos, a few for autographs and a smile. The rest just looked at their menus and made small talk. All the while Franklin sipped on some ice water through a straw in a glass garnished with a single lemon.

By the time it was finally his turn to take the stage the room was as full as it was going to get, a few dozen fans, some of the most dedicated to be found in State College were ready to hear Penn State’s third year head coach speak.

‘Don’t listen to the naysayers, I think you’re doing a great job.’ One fan said to Franklin before asking a question.

‘What naysayers?’ Franklin quipped, a smile across his face as he played to the crowd.

In truth things will only get harder from here and Franklin knows it. A half hour or so of questions were the garden variety, the state of the offensive line, the value of scholarships, a few specific questions about players on the roster. Nothing that Franklin hasn’t spent the past several months answering before, nothing that really makes the room tense as some unhappy fan lets Franklin in on some untold secret to the game of football.

In terms of news nothing worth a headline came out of the short question and answer period, just anticipation. The same storylines have been hashed over and over, time and time again, there is nothing left to do but play.

And oh, there is that game against Pitt. Something one fan reminded Franklin of as the show ended and he exited the room.

‘Take care of Kent State first,’ Franklin said. ‘Take care of Kent State.’

And so it begins.