As some of you know, I do not hold James Franklin in high regard. What he did at Vanderbilt was alarming. And the fact that he ended up dumping that mess on others and then personally profiting was disgusting.
I'm beginning to think Franklin might be planning another exit that will allow him to fail upward. OSU can help things along by beating PSU again this weekend but there are other factors involved. One is the lawsuit by former PSU team doctor Scott Lynch. Lynch filed a whistleblower lawsuit back in August that alleges Franklin interfered with medical decisions regarding PSU players. Lynch claims he was fired in retaliation for filing complaints about Franklin and for recommending autonomy for the medical staff.
Since filing the suit Lynch has been vilified by Franklin and PSU in a one-sided war of words. Lynch has refused to discuss the details of his concerns publicly since he intends to present them at trial. Meanwhile, PSU has tried to get the suit dismissed on technicalities so that Lynch can't present his evidence.
I've been surprised that this hasn't been a bigger story nationally. But it isn't the first time Franklin has escaped scrutiny. If the national media really dug into the Vanderbilt rape case they would find some troubling details of Franklin's involvement. Franklin's views toward women should also generate some attention (he will only hire assistant coaches with attractive wives, for example). One wonders what the media reaction would be if Urban Meyer had done and said the things Franklin has.
So, some things to watch. Will Hamler play on Saturday? He's just had at least his second concussion in the last 13 months. With the Lynch suit putting PSU under a medical microscope they're going to have to be careful with Hamler. Earlier this season they held out another WR (Shorter) for an extra game after a concussion.
Also to watch: what will Franklin do at the end of this season? He's been feuding a bit with some of the PSU media who dared question some of his decisions against Minnesota. He's also been feuding with the "negative" PSU fans, who will be even louder if OSU wins big. And, of course, there's the danger that Lynch has some compelling evidence in his lawsuit. Franklin might pull the same thing he did at Vandy and leave for a better job before the crap hits the fan. And he would have some PR cover for the move since he can cite Clifford's death threats and the "racist" letter to a PSU player as concerns. Let's see what happens...
I'm beginning to think Franklin might be planning another exit that will allow him to fail upward. OSU can help things along by beating PSU again this weekend but there are other factors involved. One is the lawsuit by former PSU team doctor Scott Lynch. Lynch filed a whistleblower lawsuit back in August that alleges Franklin interfered with medical decisions regarding PSU players. Lynch claims he was fired in retaliation for filing complaints about Franklin and for recommending autonomy for the medical staff.
Since filing the suit Lynch has been vilified by Franklin and PSU in a one-sided war of words. Lynch has refused to discuss the details of his concerns publicly since he intends to present them at trial. Meanwhile, PSU has tried to get the suit dismissed on technicalities so that Lynch can't present his evidence.
I've been surprised that this hasn't been a bigger story nationally. But it isn't the first time Franklin has escaped scrutiny. If the national media really dug into the Vanderbilt rape case they would find some troubling details of Franklin's involvement. Franklin's views toward women should also generate some attention (he will only hire assistant coaches with attractive wives, for example). One wonders what the media reaction would be if Urban Meyer had done and said the things Franklin has.
So, some things to watch. Will Hamler play on Saturday? He's just had at least his second concussion in the last 13 months. With the Lynch suit putting PSU under a medical microscope they're going to have to be careful with Hamler. Earlier this season they held out another WR (Shorter) for an extra game after a concussion.
Also to watch: what will Franklin do at the end of this season? He's been feuding a bit with some of the PSU media who dared question some of his decisions against Minnesota. He's also been feuding with the "negative" PSU fans, who will be even louder if OSU wins big. And, of course, there's the danger that Lynch has some compelling evidence in his lawsuit. Franklin might pull the same thing he did at Vandy and leave for a better job before the crap hits the fan. And he would have some PR cover for the move since he can cite Clifford's death threats and the "racist" letter to a PSU player as concerns. Let's see what happens...
