As a community, we can do better. Stop the booing | Opinion

Like any member of our community, the emotions of the past few days, specifically relating to the firing of Penn State head coach James Franklin, have been hard to process. One minute, I understand the firing; the other, I don’t. As much as I respected, and still do respect, Coach Franklin as a person, I stood in the freezing rain, and the snow, and all types of other weather over this past decade wondering why we simply could not beat top teams. I question the Drew Allar experiment altogether, even though I know Drew is supremely talented. I will forever reflect on the Coach Franklin era as nothing short of complex — moments of triumph followed by monumental periods of frustration.

Nevertheless, there is one aspect of this difficult period that should be, must be, said: The way many people in our community chose to express those feelings — through booing, shouting profanity and making crude gestures — was simply wrong. We should all be ashamed of ourselves for what has occurred at recent football games. As much as I will remember Coach Franklin, I will also remember the broadcast of his final coaching moments, panning quickly away from multiple fans as they screamed and yelled and engaged in obscene gestures. It’s painful to even have to say this, but that behavior does not reflect who we are, or who we should want to be.

I understand the frustration. We all do. Penn State football isn’t just a pastime here — it’s a tradition, a unifying ritual, a part of our identity. We invest our hopes, our Saturdays, and a good deal of our hearts into it. But passion doesn’t excuse poor conduct. When fans booed Coach Franklin as he left the field, when people shouted curses or threw up middle fingers — that wasn’t passion. That was disrespect.

And it wasn’t just disrespectful to Franklin. It was disrespectful to the players who looked to the stands for support, to the families who brought their kids to the game, and to the generations of Penn Staters who have worked hard to build a community that prides itself on decency.

We can hold coaches accountable for performance. We can demand better results and hope for a stronger future. But we can do that without losing our basic sense of class and composure. Booing and vulgar gestures don’t make a statement; they make a stain.

For a community that prides itself on “We Are,” this should be a moment of reflection. What does that phrase really mean if we can’t model grace in disappointment? If we can’t part ways with a coach, even one we’ve grown tired of, with at least a measure of respect? Coach Franklin’s time at Penn State will be remembered for both highs and lows, but he represented our university and our community for 11 years, recruited and mentored countless young student-athletes, and carried the weight of one of college football’s most scrutinized jobs. Whatever anyone thinks of his record, he deserved to leave without being booed and cursed at by members of our community.

As we look ahead to a new chapter — a new coach, a new start, a new chance to define what this program stands for — let’s decide to do better. Let’s be the kind of fans that future coaches want to lead, the kind of supporters that players are proud to play for, and the kind of neighbors who make “Happy Valley” live up to its name.

We don’t have to agree on everything. We don’t have to suppress criticism or hide frustration. But we can and should act like respectable adults — and like Penn Staters. So the next time the game doesn’t go our way, the next time a coach calls a play we dislike, or the next time emotions run hot, let’s remember that how we act in those moments says more about us than any scoreboard ever could.

We can be loud, we can be proud, and we can still be kind. As we open a new chapter in our community’s history book, I hope we prove that point.

David Gaines is an avid Penn State fan and a longtime member of the Centre County community.