Turns out P.J. Fleck does eat difficult conversations for breakfast — or lunch or dinner

[BleedGopher]

per Greder:

Minnesota sports either lean into P.J. Fleck quirks or roll their eyes, and nothing the Gophers football coach has ever said was more polarizing than these six words uttered during his introductory news conference in January 2017.

“I eat difficult conversations for breakfast.”

One Minnesota fan edited an cereal advertisement for General Mills’ Cheerios to a new brand called “Difficult Conversations.” And Fleck’s unfortunate sentence structure that day conjured images of Adam Sandler’s character in “Happy Gilmore” confronting Shooter McGavin on his bizarre breakfast choices.

“I know I get a lot of razz and digs about what I said in my press conference,” Fleck reflected this month. “…. You all remember that one? The all-time one-liner by me. That is the only one I’ll ever want to take back.”

Fleck’s wife, Heather, asked him soon afterward: “You actually said that?”

He did, and since then, Fleck has proven capable of having those tough talks, regardless of the meal associated with that time of day.

Fleck had to tell Tanner Morgan he was going to be the backup quarterback in 2018, and midway through that season fired defensive coordinator Robb Smith. Both helped create a breakthrough year in 2019, especially the coach’s ability to keep Morgan motivated for the day he took over for injured Zack Annexstad.

Turns out P.J. Fleck does eat difficult conversations for breakfast — or lunch or dinner

MINNEAPOLIS — Minnesota sports either lean into P.J. Fleck quirks or roll their eyes, and nothing the Gophers football coach has ever said was more polarizing than these six words uttered during his introductory news conference in January 2017.

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Go Gophers!!

 

[A_Slab_of_Bacon]

That was a great line.


PJ has a great gift.

 

[MGGopher]

You rang?

 

[Spoofin]

That was a great line.

Gotta say it was. Likely my favorite

 

[PitinoFan]

Following Panagos leaving....wow...


“It made our jobs 100 times harder for that weekend,” Fleck added later.

Joyner’s head was spinning when Fleck called him into his corner office for a long talk about the coaching news that Saturday. Fleck said Friday that hiring a new defensive line coach could take until the national coaches convention in mid-January.

“I was like, ‘Is this a joke?’” Joyner recalled. “But Coach Fleck was honest with me. ‘We don’t want to put you in a predicament where you sign here expecting (Panagos) to be here.’”

Joyner said other aspects of the visit overrode the “shocker” of seeing the Panagos leave in the middle of the recruiting process. “I just had a blast when I went over there,” he said. “I loved the energy that Coach Fleck brought. It was amazing to go there.”

But Joyner didn’t commit straight away. He talked with Tieri, who suggested Joyner wait until the February signing period to let the frantic nature of the recruiting process calm down. Panagos, for instance, wanted Joyner to follow him to Rutgers.

“There were three times when (Joyner) said, ‘I’m not. I’m going to wait until February,’” Fleck said. “Then he came back. Then it was February and then it was back. Then it was, ‘I’m not coming at all’ and then it was back.”
For the next two days, Fleck tried to have easy conversations with Joyner. Nearly 20 times a day, Fleck or Rossi telephoned Joyner — Fleck insisting on FaceTime connections. They talked about all sorts of stuff, from where Joyner was born to his love for football and other aspects of life.

“That was great for our relationship, getting to know each other,” Joyner said. “We literally talked about everything.”

Joyner ended up officially de-committing from Boston College on Tuesday night and was announced by Minnesota as a signee early Wednesday morning.

Despite losing their D-Line coach, the Gophers also were able to flip Jalen Logan-Redding, a Columbia, Mo., defensive end who had been committed to his hometown Missouri Tigers. He, too, was on a visit to Minneapolis when Panagos left and had a conversation with Fleck.

 

[#2Gopher]

Following Panagos leaving....wow...


“It made our jobs 100 times harder for that weekend,” Fleck added later.

Joyner’s head was spinning when Fleck called him into his corner office for a long talk about the coaching news that Saturday. Fleck said Friday that hiring a new defensive line coach could take until the national coaches convention in mid-January.

“I was like, ‘Is this a joke?’” Joyner recalled. “But Coach Fleck was honest with me. ‘We don’t want to put you in a predicament where you sign here expecting (Panagos) to be here.’”

Joyner said other aspects of the visit overrode the “shocker” of seeing the Panagos leave in the middle of the recruiting process. “I just had a blast when I went over there,” he said. “I loved the energy that Coach Fleck brought. It was amazing to go there.”

But Joyner didn’t commit straight away. He talked with Tieri, who suggested Joyner wait until the February signing period to let the frantic nature of the recruiting process calm down. Panagos, for instance, wanted Joyner to follow him to Rutgers.

“There were three times when (Joyner) said, ‘I’m not. I’m going to wait until February,’” Fleck said. “Then he came back. Then it was February and then it was back. Then it was, ‘I’m not coming at all’ and then it was back.”
For the next two days, Fleck tried to have easy conversations with Joyner. Nearly 20 times a day, Fleck or Rossi telephoned Joyner — Fleck insisting on FaceTime connections. They talked about all sorts of stuff, from where Joyner was born to his love for football and other aspects of life.

“That was great for our relationship, getting to know each other,” Joyner said. “We literally talked about everything.”

Joyner ended up officially de-committing from Boston College on Tuesday night and was announced by Minnesota as a signee early Wednesday morning.

Despite losing their D-Line coach, the Gophers also were able to flip Jalen Logan-Redding, a Columbia, Mo., defensive end who had been committed to his hometown Missouri Tigers. He, too, was on a visit to Minneapolis when Panagos left and had a conversation with Fleck.

This says volumes about Fleck.

 

[hungan1]

We did say we wanted a coach who can recruit... Now, I wonder if his magic will work on instate future recruits. We are talking about kids who grew up not identifying with the Gophers - lost generations. Things are going to change. Now, all the things that PJ Fleck does like camps for young kids will pay dividends six to eight years from now. We will have generations of kids growing up identifying with the Gophers. PJ will flip the perceptions about the Gophers.

 

[highwayman]

Instate recruits leave Minnesota for all kinds of reasons, most being the same reasons Minnesota can bring in kids from other states.

Its about fit. I’m not worried about losing a few instate guys. It happens for reasons usually not in Fleck’s control.

 

[hungan1]

You can at least convince the fence post sitters that staying home is a good thing. You couldn't stop Matt Birk from going to Harvard or JC Hassenauer Alabama. They were dead set on going out of state no matter what. But, maybe they could have convinced Frank Ragnow to stay home.

 

[alchemy2u]

Instate recruits leave Minnesota for all kinds of reasons, most being the same reasons Minnesota can bring in kids from other states.

Its about fit. I’m not worried about losing a few instate guys. It happens for reasons usually not in Fleck’s control.

I agree in general, but it is about “perceived fit“. PJ spends a considerable amount of time on dispelling the defeatist attitude that many local players and fans have about the U. They don’t think the U can compete at a big time level and that if a player is real good they should go to some other school. It happens in all the major sports at the U (possible exceptions maybe in wrestling and hockey). It becomes a chicken or the egg scenario, where winning brings players and players brings winning.

 

[Go Gophs]

This MFer is a godsend. Never before have we had someone like this around the U. I am excited to see next season's recruiting class. Then if we have success again next year, watch out Big Ten.
As far as losing kids from in-state? This isn't basketball, Minnesota doesn't produce much for high end recruits in football. Let him continue to get these southern kids up here.

 

[hungan1]

The most difficult conversation for Mark Coyle - keep PJ happy.

 

[4four4]

This MFer is a godsend. Never before have we had someone like this around the U. I am excited to see next season's recruiting class. Then if we have success again next year, watch out Big Ten.
As far as losing kids from in-state? This isn't basketball, Minnesota doesn't produce much for high end recruits in football. Let him continue to get these southern kids up here.

Minnesota has three major sports. I have found if you are from Minnesota the game of hockey is your best route to play as a pro athlete. Last year the NHL drafted 13 Minnesota kids and I'm guessing one maybe two players will make it to the show.

 

[Word]

Minnesota has three major sports. I have found if you are from Minnesota the game of hockey is your best route to play as a pro athlete. Last year the NHL drafted 13 Minnesota kids and I'm guessing one maybe two players will make it to the show.

Currently 43 Minnesotan's active on NHL rosters. I will bet more than 2 of those draft picks get at least a cup of coffee in the NHL.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

We did say we wanted a coach who can recruit... Now, I wonder if his magic will work on instate future recruits. We are talking about kids who grew up not identifying with the Gophers - lost generations. Things are going to change. Now, all the things that PJ Fleck does like camps for young kids will pay dividends six to eight years from now. We will have generations of kids growing up identifying with the Gophers. PJ will flip the perceptions about the Gophers.

At the recruiting social he made comments about "we have to fit them but they also have to fit us" several times when talking about in state recruits. I have a feeling Johnson specifically did not fit them by the way he said it...

 

[Spoofin]

At the recruiting social he made comments about "we have to fit them but they also have to fit us" several times when talking about in state recruits. I have a feeling Johnson specifically did not fit them by the way he said it...

So you are saying we cooled on Johnson?

 

[4four4]

Currently 43 Minnesotan's active on NHL rosters. I will bet more than 2 of those draft picks get at least a cup of coffee in the NHL.

Agreed. I was showing a worst case scenario.

 

[Lakeville Goldy]

So you are saying we cooled on Johnson?

I might have read too much into it, especially related to Johnson specifically. Obviously I don't know what the real story is behind the scenes. But he really emphasized the "they have to fit us" whenever he talked about wanting to get all the in state recruits. Maybe it wasn't Johnson but one of the others who went elsewhere. Being there though, how he said it, it was easy to read between the lines that there was a player(s) that they didn't feel fit the culture.

 

[OldBob53]

"I eat difficult conversations for breakfast". Obviously he didn't mean that literally. He was simply saying that he's had numerous difficult conversations. No problem if you ask me.

 

[Spoofin]

I might have read too much into it, especially related to Johnson specifically. Obviously I don't know what the real story is behind the scenes. But he really emphasized the "they have to fit us" whenever he talked about wanting to get all the in state recruits. Maybe it wasn't Johnson but one of the others who went elsewhere. Being there though, how he said it, it was easy to read between the lines that there was a player(s) that they didn't feel fit the culture.

I went to PJ's first signing day social and he said something about Royal Silver that was easy to interpret if you were there, how he said it, reading between the lines, that they were going to red-shirt him. They did. So, I get what you are saying that if you are there you can pick up on certain things with PJ that a transcript wouldn't show. Thanks for the insight.