Penn State athletic director Sandy Barbour on Thursday encouraged patience with the football program as it emerges from NCAA sanctions, saying she believes coach James Franklin is the long-term answer and that the program continues to reflect the positive values Joe Paterno instilled.Barbour told ESPN that there are factual realities about Penn State in the post-sanctions era make the on-field recovery slower than some expect. She also noted the initial predictions about the penalties Penn State incurred in 2012, which some described as worse than the so-called death penalty.Penn State hasnt had a losing season since the NCAA imposed sanctions, including major scholarship losses, but the Nittany Lions also havent challenged for the Big Ten title since their postseason ban was lifted.Franklin, in his third season at Penn State, is 17-14 and 7-11 in Big Ten play. He signed a six-year contract with Penn State in January 2014.I get theres a frustration with where we are, Barbour said. Id be worried if there wasnt. I want Penn State football to stand for excellence. Always has and always will. To some degree, I want our fans to be impatient, but I also want them to understand factual challenges.Barbour noted the slower recoveries of other programs facing scholarship losses -- Miami, Alabama, USC -- and noted that 77 of Penn States players have freshman or sophomore eligibility. Penn State returned to its full complement of scholarships this season. Strengthening her endorsement of Franklin last week to The Altoona (Pennsylvania) Mirror, Barbour told ESPN, Theres no doubt in my mind that James is going to be our football coach long term.We were so fortunate to have coach Paterno for so long, Barbour added. He helped shape Penn States values for so long. He was a huge part of it. James Franklin is embodying the same values: the academic piece, the social and cultural parts, the community service. The piece thats a little slow to come is the competitive piece.If we were having issues academically or graduation rate-wise or APR or having a lot of student-athletes getting in trouble in community, Id have the same criticisms and I wouldnt be able to defend it because we control those things.Barbour referenced Paternos grand experiment and program motto -- success with honor -- as things that live on today at Penn State. The school has received criticism for publicly acknowledging Paterno, its coach from 1966 until his firing in November 2011 amid the Jerry Sandusky child sex abuse scandal.Penn State on Sept. 17 recognized the 50th anniversary of Paternos first game as coach and honored players from his 1966 team.What Im not challenged by is some of the really, really positive influences of Paterno, the things that hes a huge part of shaping over time Penn States values: a focus on academics, a focus on service, Barbour said. The challenge, given what Penn State has been through, is that at the same time, the Sandusky scandal and the tragedies of the young people who were victims, none of us go disconnected from that.Talking about some of the incredible things coach Paterno did and his legacy here is not mutually exclusive to being concerned about the health and welfare of the children, or being concerned about Jerry Sanduskys victims.Barbour has received mixed responses from Penn State fans since her initial endorsement of Franklin, which she expected.They need to take it as a body of work, she said. Are we showing progress? Where are we at the end of the season in terms of our development in a new offensive scheme? Where are we in the development of a really young defense? Where are we with the development of our student-athletes, the identity of the program.Those are the things our fans need to be looking at. 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LAS VEGAS -- Super middleweight Claressa Shields, the two-time U.S. Olympic gold-medal winner, made her professional debut in action-packed style as she powered to a four-round decision victory against amateur rival Franchon Crews on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.Shields, a 21-year-old from Flint, Michigan, was the best female in amateur boxing and named the most outstanding fighter of the womens tournament at the Rio Games in August. She began her pro career by defeating Crews, a decorated amateur who had lost three times to Shields in the unpaid ranks.Shields beat Crews again in the paid ranks and did so handily, winning 40-36 on all three judges scorecards in a blazing fight. ESPN.com also had Shields winning 40-36. Shields victory took place on the undercard of her idol Andre Wards light heavyweight world title challenge against Sergey Kovalev.It feels so good to have just made my pro debut, Shields said. This is what Ive been training for. Im faster and I hit harder. And Im the better fighter. But Crews brought 100 percent, and I respect her for that. I hope to fight next in January or February.?As soon as the bell rang to begin the fight, Shields and Crews stormed toward each other with all-out aggression in what was a blazing first round.dddddddddddd There were several heated exchanges, and they both landed clean punches. The action did not let up in the second round, but Shields appeared to get the better of Crews, even landing a heavy left hand as the round wound down.Referee Russell Mora twice warned Crews (0-1), 29, of Baltimore, for pushing Shields to the canvas and sneaking in some solid blows.Shields (1-0), who earned $50,000, was going hard for a knockout in the fourth round and rattled Crews, who made $10,000, with several hard punches.Its not what I wanted, but to be called on, last minute, for a fight of this magnitude, I am proud of myself, Crews said. We will fight again in the future.Shields, the most decorated female amateur in history who is also a four-time U.S. national champion and two-time world amateur champion, has not lost since 2012 and finished her amateur career 77-1. ' ' '