Sports Media Spotlight: Will Penn State coaches take pay cuts in response to the pandemic?
He has not been on the field coaching, but James Franklin has been winning in recent weeks.
During local and national media appearances, the Penn State football coach has relayed personal experiences and shared opinions regarding the coronavirus pandemic and its impact on his family, program and more. He has sounded caring and honest, reasoned and smart.
He’s been similarly strong on racial and societal issues, clearly becoming comfortable as thought leader in that sphere for college football overall.
Not all coaches can handle that role, as displayed by any number of his colleagues across the country. At the same time, Franklin’s growth (it feels worlds away from the birthday parties pitch during his first Penn State news conference in 2014) speaks volumes about him.
Still, many more meaningful interactions with the media remain and those should not be Franklin’s to shoulder.
For example, we’re probably not that far away from the sports media reporting about Penn State athletic administrators and coaches joining counterparts across the country and taking pay cuts as part of a response to the pandemic.
Discussing those will appropriately fall to Sandy Barbour, the university’s vice president for athletics, who hinted at such action earlier this week. It’s fair for her to be the face and voice of those actions mostly because the athletic department’s expenses for coaches and staff have grown so much under her watch the past half-decade.
Still, it should be an easy, positive spin (but for the folks getting less money in their paychecks) when the time comes.
Fans, tickets
Two technological winners have emerged during the pandemic: virtual fans and mobile tickets.
Virtual fans have mostly popped up on soccer coverage, men’s and women’s, on a couple different networks. On those games, the “fans” provide a consistent, somewhat familiar, sound for broadcasts.
It’s forced and silly, but it works. At least a little.
Moments of big excitement and energy are not the same, though — and you can just imagine whoever has the audio job scrambling to find a way to amp up levels or get the right bit of enthusiasm during that big exchange or a goal.
Not as good are the seat coverings in some stadiums designed to look like fans. While big ads draped over empty seats works, and probably helps satisfy advertising partners a bit, the fake-looking fans are worse than the fake-sounding ones.
That said, fake tickets, which were pretty much the accepted means of entry to sporting events on a national and international level before this spring, are destined for more widespread use going forward.
Even though some science points to less reason for concern regarding the transfer of the virus on surfaces, those who want to make the change will play to that fear and the cost savings associated with not printing things (although there’s always a not-as-easy-to-target IT cost) to drive the move to mobile tickets.
So, if you’re not comfortable with that approach you should get comfortable.
College commitment
In perhaps one of the more selfish and unsavory sports-related announcements during the pandemic, members of the College Football Playoff committee told The Athletic in June that they still planned to conduct weekly meetings in person — meaning the 13-member group planned to fly to Dallas to discuss the top college football teams in the nation.
Honestly, they deserve kudos for their commitment to taking mindless risks and enjoying a needless junket.
Really, the supposedly smart people who will determine the top four teams for the eventual playoff cannot see that’s an unwise approach to meeting? And they’re entrusted with picking the four teams?
More to the point, an in-person meeting has been a junket since the inception of the committee. Technology certainly allows folks to discuss and meet remotely. An in-person meeting one a month might be enough.
All those flights, hotel rooms, meals and whatever else? Just something else financed by those participating in the games who never see a tangible benefit of the money they make for others.
It’s a bad look all the way around.
Parsons perspective
Belated discredit to both some media members on the Penn State football beat and standout linebacker Micah Parsons.
During a news conference a few weeks ago, Parsons talked about his excitement at playing in front of a full Beaver Stadium this fall. C’mon, the media members knew at the time there was no way that was possible.
So, when they used that quote afterward, they were either intentionally making him look silly or they were just plain lazy by not offering any context.
At the same time, Parsons just needs to be better — at least conscious about what’s happening on campus an in the world. Sure, his comments could be excused as youthful exuberance, but he’s supposedly a team leader.
Worst case, he should have some “people,” be they university PR types or other advisers, who give him a heads up on things like that.
As it was, it was a shared fail by all involved.
Poor Pocono
NASCAR conducted a historic doubleheader for its Cup Series at Pocono Raceway last weekend, running two points races on consecutive days at the same track for the first time.
The speedway previously hosted two races a year, typically one in June and one in July, but when the sanctioning body trimmed its 2020 schedule, the track became the host of an experiment.
Initially speedway officials were excited, with strong ticket sales early in the year and creative ways they hoped to make one weekend somehow worth two financially.
Then the virus hit, and the only family-owned track on the schedule was left with two races and no fans. From the outside, it seems like a worst case scenario.
Perhaps the only redeeming factor would be that so many other events and tracks are in similar situations.
This season was always going to be an experiment for Pocono Raceway, and possibly an indication of its future and status with the series. With the uncontrollable aspects, it might get another shot at something similar next year.
Tuner tidbits
IndyCar and NASCAR plan a slightly different doubleheader this weekend at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. After the Grand Prix of Indianapolis, an IndyCar race postponed from May, runs on the facility’s road course Saturday, NASCAR’s Cup Series will conduct the Brickyard 400 on Sunday (4 p.m. NBC). It’s the first time since 1959 at Daytona International Speedway that the two series have been at the same facility on the same weekend.
Formula 1 returns to action Sunday (9 a.m. ESPN) as well with a season-opening race, the Austrian Grand Prix. It’s the first of two consecutive races from The Red Bull Ring (next week will be the Styrian Grand Prix), as that series hopes to get back to action in an efficient and safe manner as well — albeit also without fans.
It was not a sports show specifically, but “The Morning Guys” on WRSC-AM with Jeff Byers and Gary Sinderson did sports and much more each weekday on radio — until it was taken off the air this week. It’s a loss for the community overall, and for local news and information. In any market, and especially a smaller market like this, fewer outlets and voices is not a good thing for the community as a whole.
Nationally, do not be surprised if change comes again to ESPN Radio’s morning show. The three current cohosts: Mike Golic, Mike Golic Jr. and Trey Wingo could be replaced with some combination of Keyshawn Johnson, Jalen Rose or David Jacoby, according to several reports. Typically national sports radio shakeups get settled in time for the NFL season. If it does not happen that quickly this time, January 2021 might be another potential starting point for what could be a reshaped lineup on ESPN Radio beyond just mornings.
Without sports, ESPN has a musical event planned Sunday night. It’s a 26-song live album and concert film featuring the Eagles. It was put together from three concerts in September 2018 in Los Angeles. Legendary ESPN talent and longtime Eagles fans Chris Berman will introduce the show at 8 p.m. Sunday.