Michigan State University hosted #7 ranked Penn State University on Saturday. With no time on the clock, MSU kicked a field goal to defeat the Nitany Lions, 17-14. Following the tough loss, members of the Penn State hung their heads and began to walk off the field. Head coach James Franklin sprinted toward these players, directing them to get back on the field to shake hands with members of the opposing team.
During the post-game press conference, Coach Franklin told the media that he would not allow his players to walk off the field without shaking hands and congratulating the winning team. He reiterated an important life lesson, “We are going to win with class and lose with class.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kXyHA9G-rqo
Joe’s Perspective: Ten days ago, I thought Penn State was the best team in the country. They were undefeated and on the fast-track to the Big 10 Championship. However, they were on the receiving end of two tough losses. It must have been tough. I would have felt awful too. However, Coach Franklin understands that sports is about more than wins and loses. He views himself as a teacher of important life lessons. Because of his actions, I view Coach Franklin as a leader and a positive role model. I am quite sure that these athletes will never forget this lesson.
Your Turn: It’s difficult when you endure heart breaking losses in dramatic situations. Everybody gets that. My question is, are you able to lose with class and congratulate the players who just handed you the heart-breaking loss?
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Yes I am able to lose with class and congratulate the players who won, because they deserve it after they fought harder than us we just didn’t fight as hard as them.
I honestly belive that I am able to loss with class. Its no fun to lose but if you respect the sport you should respect the person that just beat you. Competition is all about winning and losing. I have said good job to people after they have beat me because i feel like its just respectful.
Yes, I am able to lose with class and congratulate those that hand me the loss. I’ve lost most of my matches and if I’ve learned one thing from losing it’s that I have to stay positive. Negativity only makes it worse. Whenever I lose I come up with as many positive things as I can to say to myself, and I found that it really does help keep my head up and motivate me. Positivity not only helps me lose with class, but it helps me become a better teammate and just a better person overall.
Yes. I believe I can lose with class and still congratulate the other team because they deserve it if they won. We have to respect the game win or lose. Also if I didn’t shake hands it could look bad on the me, team and program
Yes I am able to lose with class. When you lose it may not be fun in all but at the end of the day you need to respect the sport and show positivity to other people as well as your coaches.
Yea you can lose with class and shake their hands after the lose because it shows your character and you can learn a lesson.
Yes, we are able to lose with class. Last year my highschool team lost in district semi and after the game we were all mad because we lost but we still went and shook their hands after the game and then let our feelings out after congratulating them
Yes, because I feel that the other team out there heart into the game and both teams really wanted to win but they wanted it more so i would give them that.
Yes I can lose with class. If it was a heartbreaking defeat that proves that the other team just played better and we didn’t make ourselves lose.
Yes I am able to lose with class if we gave it our all and the other team was just better than us it just means we didn’t have the better game that day
Yes, if they beat me fair and square why shouldn’t I ! I need to be a man and shake hands with the other team!
Yes, I am able to win with class and lose with class. I always have been because, I know that my opponent worked as hard as me or even harder. I give them their credit at the end of the match no matter who won; I shake their hand and tell them “Good Job”. Then shake their coaches hand.
Yes im able to lose with class and congradulate the players who handed me the heartbreaking loss. After a lose you just have to stay positive even though is a heartbreaking lost but you have to prepare your self right for your other game but never think negative because it will mess you up.
It’s giving moral respect to the other player’s and when u step out of the filed or the matt room or any sport you gotta give good body language
Its only right to shake hands and give credit to the other team . Have good class and be a good sport whether you whip or get whouped .
When I lose, I lose with class. I respect my opponent because he had the same intentions as me. And at the end of the day I learned a lesson and I need to go back to training to get better. And beat him next time.
You should always show you respect to someone that beats you and have class because people can take it the wrong way a look at you diffrent because you dont show reapect.
Yes, I think that I can lose with class. I think that the important part of losing with class is that it shows that as a person you acknowledge that sports don’t only provide you with wins or losses but with opportunities to learn from failure.
Yes I am
Yes I would be able to loose with class because you shouldn’t act like a baby you should stay strong so you don’t make yourself look like a bigger looser and just deal with the loose and move on.
It might be hard to sometimes realize that another is superior to you, but it should always be your first priority to be polite, and congratulate someone that wins, even if you lost. Yes, I can lose with class.
Yes, I can say I can lose with class. It shows you have respect for the opposite team and the game.
Yea you have to, treat them like you would want to if you won whatever you’re playing.
yes, i am able to lose with class because having a good game is something to be proud of not just winning or losing. there are always time you will lose but you never really lose until you don’t show class or respect
yes. I can congratulate them because they put in the work, they tried their hardest and deserved the win. I would want to be congratulated as well. I can lose with class because its a learning experience.
Yes i am able to lose with class. It doesnt matter if i lose or win, it matters that i tried my best and put forth 110% effort. if the opposing team wins, then they tried even harder, and with that comes respect for them wanting it more than me.
Although very difficult, I can lose with class. It takes humility to congratulate and genuinely be happy for opponents who you have just lost to, but they fought harder and deserve the same respect that you would want to be shown if you won.
I am able to lose with class because when I play a tennis match no matter what I shake my opponents hand because that is what my coach has taught me to do.
I think what the coach did says a lot about what type of man he is and how he wants his players to be.
Although its difficult, it is important to be able to win and lose with class and congratulate those who win and keep a positive spirit to those who lose because people are always watching you and it best to set a good example than not.
yes, i can say i can lose with class because you put up just as much a fight as them and its always going to come down to one team. but losing with class and congratulating them just means that you have respect for them and class.
Yes because I have to realize that if the rolls were reversed I would expect the other person to act the same way and I would be very disappointed if they didn’t. I have to remember that they probably work just as hard if not harder and they deserve winning. Now when I know the person, for example they are a teammate, and I know they don’t put in the work and hardly show up for practice it is much harder for me to lose with class because I know they don’t deserve it. I try not to be mean to them bad mouth them to other people though because they are still a person and don’t deserve that type of treatment.
I feel you should always congratulate the opposite team. No matter what you lose or what that game or meet or anything, means to you, never walk without congratulating them.
Yes I am able to congratulate the other wrestler for beating me even if it was a tough match. It’s always nice to congratulate the other wrestler for him/her trying their hardest during the match.
Yes I am able to able to congratulate the other team for winning because I know that we all tried our hardest but we as the other team just weren’t able to get those few extra points to win. Also I think if you tell the other team that they did a great job then that shows them just nice and supportive of a team you are to them and it then doesn’t matter who wins or looses.
As heartbreaking as it is to suddenly lose, I agree that it is important to still have good sportsmanship. It was good that Coach James Franklin reminded his team of that and made them congratulate the other team because he is right that there is more to sports than winning and losing.
Yes, I am definitely able to lose with class. Yes winning is fun, and is the goal, but to me, playing a sport is much more than winning. It is a lesson and something that’s makes me stronger. Although winning can be hard, I always try to find the best of the situation.
Yes, I am able to lose with class and congratulate those that hand me the loss. I’ve lost most of my matches and if I’ve learned one thing from losing it’s that I have to stay positive. Negativity only makes it worse. Whenever I lose I come up with as many positive things as I can to say to myself, and I found that it really does help keep my head up and motivate me. Positivity not only helps me lose with class, but it helps me become a better teammate and just a better person overall.
Yes I believe you can lose the class today show that you have good sportsmanship and people will always remember you as a good teammate and good leader
Yes I am able to win and lose with class because the way you present yourself is important and I want people to assume my self character is acceptable and so people think of me as a good person.
It’s always hard to lose a tough game, but in life, there will be times when you thought you were going to receive something and didn’t. You have to learn to accept those losses and still be humble enough to congratulate the winning team.
Losing woth class and winning with class is basically how your attitude and body language is presented on the floor. I think if you don’t lose then you won’t have a drive to win, so with that said having a tough loss should be a way for you to strive for a better win.
Yes, I can lose with class, even with a tough loss, you have to congratulate the other team when the simply outwork your team and play better and forget that you didn’t play well for that moment.
Yes, I am able to lose and congratulate the player who we lost to. They deserve respect and they also deserved the win. The other team had outplayed us and worked harder than us. Losing is not fun for anyone. In a game there is always on winner and one loser.
Yes, I am able to lose and congratulate the players and team of whom we lost to. But whenever the time comes around that your season is going great and all of a sudden a loss comes across your path never put your head down and pout about it because no matter what the scoreboard says, as long as you play your heart out and give it your all you’ll become better with yourself at understanding the fact that not every person or every team wins all the time and that sometimes you make those tiny little mistakes that cause you to lose, but as long as you keep your head up, stay positive, and fix the kinks and knots out you’ll be able to win next game.