Blue White Illustrated

play. It was a purposeful misinterpreta- tion that, to be completely fair, the pow- ers that be within the program could have and should have anticipated. Even I, a self-professed genuinely ge- nial guy, happy to live my life appreciat- ing the best of the world and what other people have to offer, free from obvious cynicism and irony, did a double-take upon first skimming past the image ear- lier in the day. The feeling of "this will end badly for everyone" became a men- tal note that, sure enough, turned into reality before the sun had set. A local ESPN reporter commented first. "I mean, I get what PSU's going for here… but I feel like it could've been worded better than 'NO TALENT RE- QUIRED' " he tweeted. It was an innocu- ous comment, albeit a little snarky, but 30 minutes later, the reporter posted that the situation had devolved: "Well, JF deleted the tweet in question – and ap- parently blocked me for pointing it out." On a street corner, the entire ordeal might have ended there. But on the In- ternet, the Wild West of miscommuni- cation and out-of-proportion grudges, the very whiff of controversy is catnip for the masses. An often-snarky re- porter and the head coach of a major collegiate football program, locked in a one-sided public dispute. And when the masses get access to a dispute made public, the unremarkable is made viral. By the time two other local reporters weighed in on the subject, seizing on the opportunity to publicize with glee their own banishment from Franklin's Twitter feed, a story had been born. The common thread among all parties involved? Youth, and a susceptibility to getting caught up in all of the pitfalls that arise from the faceless interactions so common to our new world. Having been involved in foolhardy Internet con- frontation myself previously, I couldn't help but feel a quiet embarrassment that is likely to guide my avoidance of similar situations henceforth. Something-out-of-nothing has start- ed to feel like the norm, though. Just a week before that dustup, Penn State fans were treated to a truly modern form of rabble-rousing courtesy of Robert Klemko at MMQB.com. Buried deep within his extended report sizing up the NFL Draft's top quarterback prospects, an item regarding former Nittany Lion quarterback Christian Hackenberg drew loads of attention. It was, predictably, not of the favorable variety. Briefly, the note reported that two anonymous NFL personnel sources claimed Hackenberg had "said all the wrong things in interviews when asked to explain his declining sophomore and junior numbers." He had reportedly "shifted blame to coach James Franklin," and the two evaluators said it reflected poorly on Hackenberg. Because the world of NFL Draft re- porting is so murky, the credibility of the sources was impossible to ascertain. But the report's premise rang hollow to many who are familiar with Hackenberg. Through two years of obvious struggles and high pressure, he kept his cool and refused to point fingers at anyone. His unwillingness to throw his coaches un- der the bus makes it hard to believe that he would do so now. It would be a com- plete departure from the diplomacy he exhibited throughout his Penn State ca- reer. My own experience covering Hacken- berg makes me very skeptical, at best, of MMQB's report. But it's symptomatic of a media culture that has changed over the years. The MMQB story was picked up quickly by social media, and its popular- ity reignited familiar arguments about Hackenberg's merits and weaknesses. Further muddying the waters, NBC's ProFootballTalk.com featured an aggre- gate report headlined "NFL teams not liking what they hear from Christian Hackenberg." That neither Hackenberg nor Franklin has commented on the story clarifies the new reality we've collectively entered. In an environment in which the conversa- tion itself has taken precedence over its content, the participation of the in- volved parties is no longer even neces- sary to drive a story. Maybe I'm getting old, but we can do better. Even the kids. ■ 111 E. Beaver Ave s State College, PA 16801 www.The-Phyrst.com 814.234.4406 137 Elmwood St. s State College, PA 16801 www.HappyValleyBeer.com Wood-fire Grill 12 Beers on Tap 200 Year Old Barn 821 Cricklewood Dr. s Toftrees, State College www.AmericanAleHouse.net 814.237.9701 s Piano Bar s Sommelier 814.238.1406 814.234.7700 s 1611 Atherton St. s State College 814.941.7788 s Plank Rd. Exit s Altoona www.ChampsSportsGrill.net s Best Game Bar s Large Groups Welcome c lc e W We s p u o r G e g r a L s a e B m a st G e B s S n S h 1 A 1 6 1 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 me co r a l l C S r G s rt o p S s p m a h C . www s t i x . E d k R n a l P s 8 8 7 7 1. 4 9 . 4 1 8 S s . t n S o t r e h t 1 A 1 6 1 s 0 0 7 7 4. 3 2 4. 1 8 t e n . l l i r na o o t l A e g e l l o C e at t S

• Cover