Sitting on the stage in front of an empty auditorium just an hour outside of Pittsburgh, James Franklin talked to the media about the changes that come with moving from Nashville to State College.
For a man who spends the majority of his time at work Franklin admits that the transition is much bigger for his family and his staff than it is for him. It might be a little colder and it might not be sunny nearly as often as it is in Nashville, but football is still just football and Franklin spends most of his time around it.
“I would say there is an adjustment,” Franklin said prior to his latest stop on Penn State’s coaches caravan tour. “I would say there is probably more of an adjustment for my staff than there is for me. Like I said, I can’t wait until I get my house and set my basement up because that’s where I’m going to live.”
While Franklin loves his family and his two daughters, it’s safe to say he’s going to enjoy plenty of alone time once he moves in.
“I’m going to be living in the office, on the football field, probably in the airport, and in my basement.” Franklin said of his four unofficial homes. “That’s where my existence will be.”
Now you may think Franklin is speaking of an office at his house where he can scribble up plays late at night or have a few drinks over a film session before going to bed.
But Franklin’s need for a basement room resembles the hopes and dreams of men across America.
A man cave.
Urban Dictionary describes a man cave as
“A room, space, corner or area of a dwelling that is specifically reserved for a male person to be in a solitary condition, away from the rest of the household in order to work, play, involve himself in certain hobbies, activities without interruption. This area is usually decorated by the male that uses it without interference from any female influence.”
“So you set up an office in your basement basically?” A reporter asked Franklin.
“No, no, no no. I mean, can I have some time off?” Franklin said smiling. “I mean a basement with a pool table and a big screen TV and where the staff can come over and have fun there. Where friends can come over and family can come over. Just have my man cave and have my space.”
“I had a man cave in Nashville,” Franklin said reflecting. “But they didn’t really have basements in Nashville, so I kind of had a bonus room. But the man cave quickly became “girl cave” and the ladies took over. So that’s part of this whole agreement, that, that’s the one area that I will have in the house. So no, that will be kind of my place to unwind and be a normal human being.”
And the sign that Franklin’s man cave will be a real man cave?
“Maybe I’ll watch football,” Franklin said. “And question calls of other coaches and what they’re doing, which everybody loves to do.”
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