Reusse: This is not the golden era of Golden Gophers football, despite P.J. Fleck's claim

again - the Fleck quote that is the key to the entire column:

"During the last six years, we have been able to do some amazing things at Minnesota, some of which have not been accomplished in 115 years.''

the name of this forum is the "7 National Titles Football Forum."

So - question: of the "amazing" things that Fleck has done at MN,
are any of them more amazing than 7 National Titles?
Are they more amazing than Big Ten Championships?
Are they more amazing than winning the Rose Bowl?
Are they more amazing than a Heisman Trophy Winner?
Are they more amazing than College Football Hall of Fame Players?

Fleck can promote his program all he wants. that's fine.

All that I ask is that Fleck does not ignore the history and traditions of the University of Minnesota Football program.

there was a Gopher football program before PJ Fleck. There will be a Gopher football program after PJ Fleck.

and that is what Pat Reusse is saying. he just says it with more sarcasm.
 

Pat hates that Fleck is doing well here.
Fleck has had one poor season, one very good season, and several seasons that were roughly equivalent to what Kill and Claeys accomplished. He's done nothing elite yet, though I'm still hopeful. I do think that the offense will be better next year (it has to be) and the defense will still be top-tier, like it was this year.
 

Pat has a point. Coyle, Maturi 2.0, has set the bar so low that a 7-5 season and a trip to the Detroit Toilet Bowl is a huge success. The new BTN TV contract will make all BIG schools super rich. Spend some of it like NE and WI just did! Start by firing Coyle and hire a Barry Alvarez type take no prisoners AD. Then get serious, like WI & NE, and hire a coach with a track record that can legitimately battle for the BIG's West Division's crown. Spend some of the new found wealth to move this program to the top of the heap!!
Wow this is a terrible take.
 

If Pat is frustrated with the raise, his angst and frustration should be with the UM administration, not Fleck.

Stupid take that Fleck "shat the bed". Just plain dumb. It wasn't PJ who fumbled inside the redzone and missed a few crucial FG's. Other than that, you're really knocking it out of the park today
8 wins against bad teams and 4 losses against good teams. 22 drops the ball against Purdue and it gets picked, and at one point had 4 of 7 passes thrown to him picked maybe PJ ought not have rolled him out there in the first place. Some kids just don’t have it and 22 is an example and let’s not even start the discussion about Mo fumbling after 14 carrys that drive. The players are an easy target for the PJ bobos.
 

again - the Fleck quote that is the key to the entire column:

"During the last six years, we have been able to do some amazing things at Minnesota, some of which have not been accomplished in 115 years.''

the name of this forum is the "7 National Titles Football Forum."

So - question: of the "amazing" things that Fleck has done at MN,
are any of them more amazing than 7 National Titles?
Are they more amazing than Big Ten Championships?
Are they more amazing than winning the Rose Bowl?
Are they more amazing than a Heisman Trophy Winner?
Are they more amazing than College Football Hall of Fame Players?

Fleck can promote his program all he wants. that's fine.

All that I ask is that Fleck does not ignore the history and traditions of the University of Minnesota Football program.

there was a Gopher football program before PJ Fleck. There will be a Gopher football program after PJ Fleck.

and that is what Pat Reusse is saying. he just says it with more sarcasm.
Saying we are doing things that haven’t been done in 115 years is not the same thing as saying this is the best it’s been in 115 years.
 



Patrick is correct about part of it. All the reflexive moronic references the the first X game season since... Y... or ever!

Lazy commentary by the TV talking heads. This BS all started for the Gophers back in 2004 after the 2003 Sun Bowl when much was made of the 10 win Mason team, as though those 10 wins meant more than the Bernie B. teams accomplishments.

All the bowl game BS record comments too, considering the Big Ten sent no other teams to a bowl before 1974 or so, other than #1.

I used to hate this but.....

Maybe I still hate this crap, but change is inevitable and comparing things from different eras with a rigid or self righteous slant is not a good aproach.



Pat's all-time greatest Gopher track team featured a guy who ran the mile in 4:03 and a high jumper that cleared 6'3.
 

Reusse lies in his articles. Makes-up quotes.

Sid's stories are actually true. Sid actually knew people and was an insider. Reusse just sits at the bar and makes-up stories.
I hate to say anything good about Pat, but in the interest of accuracy he doesn't sit at the bar while inventing his horseshit. He quit drinking many years ago.
 

Pat has a point. Coyle, Maturi 2.0, has set the bar so low that a 7-5 season and a trip to the Detroit Toilet Bowl is a huge success. The new BTN TV contract will make all BIG schools super rich. Spend some of it like NE and WI just did! Start by firing Coyle and hire a Barry Alvarez type take no prisoners AD. Then get serious, like WI & NE, and hire a coach with a track record that can legitimately battle for the BIG's West Division's crown. Spend some of the new found wealth to move this program to the top of the heap!!
Totally incorrect. But your dislike shines through well.
 




I agree with Uncle Pat on this one. The 115 year reference is all about self promotion. I like PJ overall, but he would have more credibility if he would honor and acknowledge the Rose Bowl teams from the 60s. He runs a clean program that we can be proud of and can still claim he is doing things not done in 50 years, although a win against Iowa sure would be nice. It should be the main motivator to build the program and get to the Rose Bowl again, which you don’t even have to win the B10 to achieve any longer with the CFB playoff. If he ever gets to Pasadena, everyone would be in the boat and ready to build the statue.
Highlighting the program’s recent accomplishments is self promotion? A big part of his job is marketing Minnesota.
 

Pat has a point. Coyle, Maturi 2.0, has set the bar so low that a 7-5 season and a trip to the Detroit Toilet Bowl is a huge success. The new BTN TV contract will make all BIG schools super rich. Spend some of it like NE and WI just did! Start by firing Coyle and hire a Barry Alvarez type take no prisoners AD. Then get serious, like WI & NE, and hire a coach with a track record that can legitimately battle for the BIG's West Division's crown. Spend some of the new found wealth to move this program to the top of the heap!!
We’ve legitimately battled for the West several times already. I don’t even know how to respond to the 7-5 comment because it doesn’t apply to this program right now.
 

again - the Fleck quote that is the key to the entire column:

"During the last six years, we have been able to do some amazing things at Minnesota, some of which have not been accomplished in 115 years.''

the name of this forum is the "7 National Titles Football Forum."

So - question: of the "amazing" things that Fleck has done at MN,
are any of them more amazing than 7 National Titles?
Are they more amazing than Big Ten Championships?
Are they more amazing than winning the Rose Bowl?
Are they more amazing than a Heisman Trophy Winner?
Are they more amazing than College Football Hall of Fame Players?

Fleck can promote his program all he wants. that's fine.

All that I ask is that Fleck does not ignore the history and traditions of the University of Minnesota Football program.

there was a Gopher football program before PJ Fleck. There will be a Gopher football program after PJ Fleck.

and that is what Pat Reusse is saying. he just says it with more sarcasm. PJ’s brought more former players back to the U than any other coach in recent memory
again - the Fleck quote that is the key to the entire column:

"During the last six years, we have been able to do some amazing things at Minnesota, some of which have not been accomplished in 115 years.''

the name of this forum is the "7 National Titles Football Forum."

So - question: of the "amazing" things that Fleck has done at MN,
are any of them more amazing than 7 National Titles?
Are they more amazing than Big Ten Championships?
Are they more amazing than winning the Rose Bowl?
Are they more amazing than a Heisman Trophy Winner?
Are they more amazing than College Football Hall of Fame Players?

Fleck can promote his program all he wants. that's fine.

All that I ask is that Fleck does not ignore the history and traditions of the University of Minnesota Football program.

there was a Gopher football program before PJ Fleck. There will be a Gopher football program after PJ Fleck.

and that is what Pat Reusse is saying. he just says it with more sarcasm.
Feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, but hasn’t PJ brought more former players back to the U than any other recent coach?
 




again - the Fleck quote that is the key to the entire column:

"During the last six years, we have been able to do some amazing things at Minnesota, some of which have not been accomplished in 115 years.''

the name of this forum is the "7 National Titles Football Forum."

So - question: of the "amazing" things that Fleck has done at MN,
are any of them more amazing than 7 National Titles?
Are they more amazing than Big Ten Championships?
Are they more amazing than winning the Rose Bowl?
Are they more amazing than a Heisman Trophy Winner?
Are they more amazing than College Football Hall of Fame Players?

Fleck can promote his program all he wants. that's fine.

All that I ask is that Fleck does not ignore the history and traditions of the University of Minnesota Football program.

there was a Gopher football program before PJ Fleck. There will be a Gopher football program after PJ Fleck.

and that is what Pat Reusse is saying. he just says it with more sarcasm.

Oh pu lease. Can you feign more righteous indignation?
 


The interesting and, to me, meaningful comparison between eras would be the Gophers pre-60s to them since 70. From seven national titles, a couple of Rose Bowl trips, and a regular contender for the Big 10 title to a lower - to - middle third conference team rarely in the top 25.
 

Come on Dave! Be fair. It's his first post. He got the Toilet Bowl and Maturi cliches in early. Managed to wait and get NE & WI and his hero Barry Alvarez's name until the middle of the post. Though missed Barry's dalliance with a coed and Nebraska needing to fire two guys because of misconduct before they hired Matt Ruhle.

What a remarkable example of self-restraint.
Fair point...I retract my statement ;)
 

again - the Fleck quote that is the key to the entire column:

"During the last six years, we have been able to do some amazing things at Minnesota, some of which have not been accomplished in 115 years.''

the name of this forum is the "7 National Titles Football Forum."

So - question: of the "amazing" things that Fleck has done at MN,
are any of them more amazing than 7 National Titles?
Are they more amazing than Big Ten Championships?
Are they more amazing than winning the Rose Bowl?
Are they more amazing than a Heisman Trophy Winner?
Are they more amazing than College Football Hall of Fame Players?

Fleck can promote his program all he wants. that's fine.

All that I ask is that Fleck does not ignore the history and traditions of the University of Minnesota Football program.

there was a Gopher football program before PJ Fleck. There will be a Gopher football program after PJ Fleck.

and that is what Pat Reusse is saying. he just says it with more sarcasm.

Yeah I doubt the great grandkids of Bernie Bierman care...

For the majority of Gophers fans, that stuff doesn't register. My dad was 13 in 1960 so he actually remembers the Gophers winning a title and he has no issue with what Fleck said...he must be disrespecting the history of the Gophers too then.
 

8 wins against bad teams and 4 losses against good teams. 22 drops the ball against Purdue and it gets picked, and at one point had 4 of 7 passes thrown to him picked maybe PJ ought not have rolled him out there in the first place. Some kids just don’t have it and 22 is an example and let’s not even start the discussion about Mo fumbling after 14 carrys that drive. The players are an easy target for the PJ bobos.
I have literally never seen you say anything good in a post about any player. There is no way you are a Gopher fan...and your use of "bobo" tells me you spend too much time listening to Barreiro.
 


How many “firsts” did we have this year? IALTO
 


It is well deserved.
Again what in the article was factually inaccurate other than pointing out that things being applauded for now were impossible before.

That is why comparing seasons or records or whatever is impossible when you go beyond say 10-15 years. The game being played today is not even the same sport as it was 20 years ago.
 

I have literally never seen you say anything good in a post about any player. There is no way you are a Gopher fan...and your use of "bobo" tells me you spend too much time listening to Barreiro.
Not true. I despise that PJ plays and shoves down our throat “his guys” like 55 and 2. I give that a very hard time plus 22 who was a disaster. Gave 77 mild grief but I don’t think you could find other swipes at players.
 



Fleck has had one poor season, one very good season, and several seasons that were roughly equivalent to what Kill and Claeys accomplished. He's done nothing elite yet, though I'm still hopeful. I do think that the offense will be better next year (it has to be) and the defense will still be top-tier, like it was this year.
Said the exact same thing last year.
 

Not true. I despise that PJ plays and shoves down our throat “his guys” like 55 and 2. I give that a very hard time plus 22 who was a disaster. Gave 77 mild grief but I don’t think you could find other swipes at players.
Anyone that thinks a coach who's paid to win games, is not playing what he considers the players giving the best chance to win, I don't know to say. You can disagree with his choices, but you lose credibility with the other statement.
 

I've been meaning to write this for some time, and no, I have no personal connection to Uncle Pat.

I just don't understand why everyone on this forum gets up in arms and defensive over anything Reusse writes. This latest column was reviewing facts and stating an opinion that many hold as well. Besides, Getting riled up only plays into his troll job on the entire GH community.

I believe Reusse to be an old-school Gophers football fan who wants the program to do well, just dial back some of the over the top BS factor. He liked "Country Jer's" BS, and was coming around to PJ (see his pre-Michigan St column). It's the "best since" references that triggered this latest column.


As I said previously, I like PJ and think he runs a good program that we can be proud of. Is he perfect, no. Until he beats Iowa, I'll hold it against him.

PJ does need to be careful about what he says. Any reference to doing things not done in 115 years is always going to draw scrutiny, especially when the past includes National Champs, B10 champs and Rose Bowl appearances. Comparing era's is always going to be a challenge, but his reference to doing things first in 115 yrs fairly opened himself up for criticism.

I also believe that these type of over the top comments also feed the beast (i.e. Vikings worshippers) of those who will never embrace Gophers football as legitimate in this town. RTB is supposed to be about keeping focus on what you are doing and where you are going. Why bring up the past?
 




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