August 26th, 2019 at 11:39 AM ^
This is shocking head coach behavior at such a reputable football institution
August 26th, 2019 at 12:38 PM ^
Shocking, simply shocking.
August 26th, 2019 at 1:01 PM ^
I will never look at Penn State the same.
August 26th, 2019 at 1:29 PM ^
Just trying to put pieces together here, but this could be why PSU had the most number of players enter the transfer portal for any D1 football program after last season.
I live in PA and people here are still befuddled on why Tommy Stevens transferred out. Trace was essentially playing on one leg against Michigan last season. Stevens was inserted in the second half after getting their ass kicked, threw an inexplicable interception to Watson, and Trace came right back in. That occurrence made me wonder then about how Stevens would handle that situation.
August 26th, 2019 at 2:06 PM ^
This is an excellent point.
August 27th, 2019 at 7:36 AM ^
Personally I’m glad Steven left. That dude was a serious load to bring down when he took off and I thought he was gonna be a pain in our ass for a few years. Outside of that, Franklins a dbag and none of this is surprising.
August 27th, 2019 at 8:29 AM ^
Oh, I’m glad he left as well. PSU coaches and fans were enamored with him the past few years as a backup QB and a gadget player. Phil Steele even said on one podcast that the coaches viewed Trace as option 1A and Stevens as 1B at quarterback for the past two years. That’s what made Stevens transferring out so mystifying. Trace graduates and is ready to pass the torch to Stevens, but Stevens goes “Nah. I’d rather compete for a job at a middling SEC team with my old coordinator.” Very strange.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:39 AM ^
This is the most unethical thing I've ever heard about a Penn State football coach.
Wait... what was that other thing....
August 26th, 2019 at 11:44 AM ^
I’m not condoning this if true, but this happens in college and the pros all the time. Perfect example, Kevin Durant was told by GSW team doctors that his injury couldn’t get any worse by playing then he plays less than 15 minutes and tears his Achilles.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:46 AM ^
Durant himself said that nobody put pressure on him to come back and play. I don't think these two stories are analogous.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
I feel the situation dictated him playing and not his health. The Warriors were desperate being down 3-1 in the series, do you think Durant plays if the Warriors are up 3-1? They were not financially committed to KD after the season and most signs pointed to him leaving...why not roll the dice with him?
August 26th, 2019 at 12:58 PM ^
I understand your skepticism and questioning on this situation. But I don’t think Durant is a good example. It was a different injury the second time around.
August 26th, 2019 at 12:25 PM ^
Kawhi Leonard & San Antonio maybe? I believe he left the team because of a spat with team doctors about a leg injury.
August 26th, 2019 at 4:03 PM ^
Durant also had his OWN people working on the Golden State medical staff.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:45 AM ^
Doctor is suing for $50k because he was pressured to not say anything and violated his right as a whistleblower? i mean, he could still report it..... and he chose not to.
Not sure why the courts would feel he needed to be awarded damages. If anything, the injured players should be the beneficiaries of the lawsuit, not him.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:48 AM ^
"Ousted Doctor".
I think his $50,000 claim (as incredibly modest as it is) is for damages due to his dismissal which he attributes to his unwillingness to do Franklin's bidding in clearing players.
The players could potentially have a separate and much, much larger claim if it was proven he did clear them to play when he shouldnt have and they sustained additional injury. Now that would be one hell of big settlement if proven true.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:57 AM ^
Guys, "$50,000" is just what you need as a placeholder in federal court. It's not what he's seeking.
August 26th, 2019 at 12:12 PM ^
I think the placeholder for federal court might be more than 50k...?
August 26th, 2019 at 1:01 PM ^
It is. This is an oversimplification, but generally, you need to be seeking more than $75,000 to get Federal Court jurisdiction. Also, this case wasn't filed in federal court either way. It is in state court in Pennsylvania.
August 26th, 2019 at 2:35 PM ^
Is 50k the jurisdictional threshold to get into that particular PA court?
August 26th, 2019 at 3:14 PM ^
It's jurisdictional to avoid mandatory arbitration (more than $50,000), which is subject to appeal to court win or lose. The excerpted statue on point says:
42 Pa.C.S.A. § 7361
(a) General rule.--Except as provided in subsection (b), when prescribed by general rule or rule of court such civil matters or issues therein as shall be specified by rule shall first be submitted to and heard by a board of three members of the bar of the court.
(b) Limitations.--No matter shall be referred under subsection (a):
(2) where the amount in controversy, exclusive of interest and costs, exceeds $50,000.
August 26th, 2019 at 4:51 PM ^
Thanks for the info. I hadn't heard of mandatory arbitration for civil matters up to a certain threshold. That's an interesting concept.
August 26th, 2019 at 3:00 PM ^
Maybe they need to get the trial out of Pennsylvania. I heard a basketball celebrity recently was acquitted of rape in his hometown of Flint.
August 26th, 2019 at 12:15 PM ^
We just went through the same thing with the Blackwell lawsuit.
"He is seeking more than $50,000 in damages" is what it says in the link. How that becomes he is only asking for $50,000 is a mystery.
August 26th, 2019 at 1:02 PM ^
It "becomes" $50,000 the same way most incorrect perceptions are formed. The reader (in this case me) is reading something quickly and my brain is editing the words so "he is seeking more than $50,000 in damages" becomes "he is seeking $50,000 in damages."
I mean it's funny. I actually had to go back and re-read it because I was sure you were wrong and I had read it correctly.
August 26th, 2019 at 6:05 PM ^
"Now that would be one hell of big settlement if proven true."
Seems like old times!
August 26th, 2019 at 11:54 AM ^
F***ing Harbaugh.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:57 AM ^
Some folk may remember this. Back in May 2013 there was a somewhat similar story (reported by Sports Illustrated).
The gist of that story was that then-PSU coach Bill O'Brien was jeopardizing the health of PSU football players because he replaced the earlier trainer, a guy named Wayne Sebastianelli, with someone else.
The more interesting part of that story is that Sebastianelli can be fairly labeled as a "Paterno Loyalist." 2012 & early 2013 was still during the peak period when there were still a few loud "Paterno Loyalists" hanging around that were driving O'Brien crazy. O'Brien wanted those folk out and when he replaced them - well, some folk didn't take that well. That story was proven to really have no merit and it fizzled quickly (O'Brien was absolutely irate about the story). But there was certainly some "political and castle intrigue" there.
Now, this Lynch guy. When he was replaced this past March - he was replaced by, wait for it, Sebastianelli!
I have no idea about the actual merits of this lawsuit. It may be true, it may not be true. But it sure does seem like there's at least some "political and castle intrigue" involved once again.
August 26th, 2019 at 12:10 PM ^
Your program is a mess man. It enabled the rape of boys to win football games, now it enables the injury of players to win football games. How you can root for this institution to win football games is beyond me. Pick a new team.
August 26th, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
I don't have any idea whether this lawsuit actually has any merit. Shoot, the story broke an hour ago.
Fair enough if that is sufficient time for you to feel confident definitively stating "PSU enables the injury of players to win football games."
As for me, I have no problems saying the emperor has no clothes. I don't think that's been shown quite yet though.
August 26th, 2019 at 1:15 PM ^
I don't think that's been shown quite yet though.
Spoken in true Jopologist style. Everything at Pedo State is "may have or may not have" in your world view.
August 26th, 2019 at 3:22 PM ^
Did you major in JoePa-apology in school?
August 26th, 2019 at 2:07 PM ^
Guess I'll have to switch to MSU to root for a clean program.
August 26th, 2019 at 1:36 PM ^
Sebastianelli gets the job. Is this a portent of Jay's triumphant return?
August 26th, 2019 at 1:40 PM ^
I doubt it, but Jay is likely playing the political game behind the scenes.
That's his primary "skill" these days.
August 26th, 2019 at 1:48 PM ^
The day that institution deposes its football crown prince, the better.
August 26th, 2019 at 2:21 PM ^
Jay is still looking for the real killer, no sleep until there's justice.
August 26th, 2019 at 1:38 PM ^
I have no idea about the actual merits of this lawsuit.
Here's a hint:
Try reading the filing!
https://www.scribd.com/document/423243811/Dr-Scott-Lynch-lawsuit#download&from_embed
The professional ethics of Dr. Lynch's profession, the NCAA, and the BIG all have policy about prioritizing health and safety first. Coaches may not interfere with those decisions. Period. While I'm refraining from going all Nancy Grace and trying this in the court of public opinion, the above is not debatable. See 43a in the filing.
You'll also what to educate yourself with #s 56, 57, 58, and 60. Exhibit 3 shows Dr. Lynch expressing concerns about Frankiln's interference and Dr. Black blowing him off. Again, not in the trial phase yet but not good.
August 26th, 2019 at 3:05 PM ^
I had already seen that --- but thank you.
You like to paint me as a "JoePa apologist' - this thread is not the 1st time you've done that. Fair enough. But you're just not right on that front.
I live in Northwest Denver - just like you! And I'm actually up for meeting up for a game some Saturday to prove the above paragraph.
August 26th, 2019 at 9:13 PM ^
What a terrible comment. The filing is probably the least objective source you can find. It's like telling somebody who doesn't know if communism works to read Karl Marx.
August 26th, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Not good for Franklin or PSU.
August 26th, 2019 at 12:36 PM ^
Why is it not good for Franklin? This is PSU we're talking about
August 26th, 2019 at 12:52 PM ^
Because Franklin was the one (allegedly) pressuring the doctor to clear injured players. That's an extremely bad look
August 26th, 2019 at 2:25 PM ^
What is interesting here is that Dr. Lynch is not just some random orthopaedic surgeon based out of the Penn State Hershey Medical Centre. Lynch is a Penn State alumni (completing his Medical training at Pittsburgh) and was himself a very successful wrestler winning at national championship at 134 lbs. in 1984.
The cult of JoePa and sycophants are going to have a hard time smearing that guy. He appears to have been reasonably successful in his career to date.
https://news.psu.edu/expert/scott-lynch
August 26th, 2019 at 12:00 PM ^
It is time for a statue for Franklin. Do it PSU
August 26th, 2019 at 12:07 PM ^
Just win the damn white out game (sunlight or dusk).
August 26th, 2019 at 12:17 PM ^
How will they construct a statue of Janklin and Paterno BOTH looking the other way?
August 26th, 2019 at 8:48 PM ^
They'll both be looking in the same direction.
August 26th, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
This Story/lawsuit makes McSorley playing at times last year come to mind...
And by that same token, Lewerke playing at times last year.
And even another thought from that token, how Michigan (admirably) in some instances would not clear some players against the player's adamantly expressed wishes.
(I really got a lot out of that one token)
August 26th, 2019 at 12:24 PM ^
This should surprise nobody.