Threats to QB Clifford after loss sad commentary on society

Like Mike Gesicki and Sam Ficken in recent years at Penn State, Sean Clifford couldn’t put up with it any longer. Clifford had seen more than enough vile and despicable remarks directed at him to give up Twitter and other social media.

He knew once he became the starting quarterback for the Nittany Lions that he would receive much more attention, good and bad.

But he didn’t sign up to be the object of death threats, which he got after throwing three interceptions in a 31-26 loss at Minnesota earlier on Nov. 9.

“It’s kind of sad to say,” Clifford said Tuesday, “but you know how fans sometimes get. It gets a little crazy. I was kind of sick and tired of getting death threats and some pretty explicit and pretty tough-to-read messages.”

Clifford wasn’t asking for pity; he was explaining how and why he wanted to eliminate distractions so that he could focus on preparing for the Nittany Lions’ biggest game of the season Saturday at Ohio State.

“It’s just better from a focus standpoint,” he said. “The less you see what people are saying, the better.”

Clifford’s revelation left Penn State coach James Franklin searching for the right words to explain why people would harass a 21-year-old for any reason.

“I don’t know where we are as a society,” Franklin said. “I don’t know if I have an answer for it, but it’s troubling. There’s no doubt about it. It’s concerning for all of us.

“That’s kind of where we are right now. Things get extreme. You hate to see it, but the sad thing (is) it’s a part of our society right now. You see that in a lot of areas.”

In today’s world, it seems that too many people believe that if you don’t agree with them on a particular matter, you must hate them. How terribly sad.

What’s happened to compassion, decency, civility and sensitivity?

Just because a sophomore quarterback has an off game and his team loses for the first time after eight wins, he should expect to be harangued and even threatened? Something’s wrong with that picture.

“You see a lot of things that we’re accepting in our society that we would never have accepted before,” Franklin said. “Parents have to worry about their kids going to school, even elementary schools. It’s just concerning.

“Football is a very, very small piece, but I do think it’s a microcosm of a lot of other issues that show up in our society. Whether you’ve had 14 Budweisers or not, I don’t see why it’s acceptable or OK (to lash out at college athletes).”

Social media is a double-edged sword. It can keep users in touch with their relatives, their friends and the world, but it also allows anonymous cowards to direct toxic remarks, even threats, at anyone of their choosing.

“You’re threatening somebody’s life because of a football game?” Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said

Tuesday after he learned of the threats against Clifford. “People can have no name and no face and say exactly what they want with no accountability. I just don’t understand how our world is that way.

“We wonder why we have a lot of the problems and issues we have. Anybody can say whatever they want to somebody and get away with it. I don’t know how somebody could do that. It’s pretty pathetic.”

Penn State, like many other high-profile football and basketball programs, has thousands of loyal and supportive fans, but it also has a small minority of irrational goofballs who demand that coaches be fired after one loss or demonize a kid for dropping a pass or missing a tackle.

Gesicki, who’s with the Miami Dolphins, received abuse after he dropped several passes in his first two seasons (2014-15) before he set every Penn State record for a tight end. He gave up Twitter and was happier.

Like Clifford, Ficken received death threats after he had a miserable game in a 2012 loss at Virginia. He’s now kicking for the New York Jets.

“That’s how sick our world is,” Fleck said. “I’m sure our players have dealt with that. You deal with that as coaches. You’re in the public light and you’re in sports. People have such a passion for something, and they take it to an extreme level.”

That doesn’t make it right. Imagine how unhappy people must be with themselves to spew such venom at a young man they don’t know.

Penn State, by the way, is 9-1 and ranked ninth in the country after no one expected them to contend for the Big Ten East title. Clifford leads the Big Ten in total offense and has accounted for 27 touchdowns in his first season as the starter, but that’s not good enough for the quacks who abused him.

“It’s kind of cruel for people to do that when we’re trying to put on for the university and make Penn State look good,” tight end Pat Freiermuth said. “It’s not like we’re trying to lose, know what I’m saying? I’m definitely upset when fans do that. It definitely hurts.”

All of us.

To contact Rich Scarcella email him @readingeagle. com. Follow him on Twitter @nittanyrich