Fleck to Minny

[Gladeskat]

I guess in this day and age, where technology and modernity has pussified the human race, 50 miles of walking is unthinkable. Keep in mind that the Corps of Discovery, on its odyssey to the Pacific Ocean and back from near present-day St. Louis, often covered 40+ miles in one day (note that they deployed small groups on foot to scout and hunt while the provisions were kept in the mackinac style boats they used for the water portion of the journey). I myself have done many 50 mile trips, sometimes covering up to 20 miles in one day. All you need is time, good footwear and some Red Man chew.

LOL! So our discrepancy in what "near" means is based upon the relative degree of erosion of our 'manliness' by modernity? Look, Meriwether, I've pulled some long treks by canoe, on foot and particularly by bicycle in my day, too, and I still think Kalamazoo isn't "near" the Kankakee River. Maybe I'm just a whiner, though.

Twenty miles? Why not 30? Oh, and Red Man is for tenderfoots who can't handle Copenhagen.

Good heavens we are manly, though! We should do Old Spice ads! Upon reading your first post in this tangent, I actually contemplated for a few moments how neat a trek it would be to canoe from Kankakee to Minneapolis and obviously checked out the rivers around Kalamazoo. But why not the Chicago Portage? It was only the most important route in the Northwest Territory, giving rise to a city significantly larger than Kalamazoo or South Bend. We could catch a Cats game on the way, too.

 

[Hungry Jack]

I turned down Old Spice so Football Phil could claim it as his own.

And yes, 50 miles is a walk in the park when you ditch the Gucci loafers and cashmere pantaloons. God damn Europeans think the most important time afoot is sitting at the cafe reading the Fig.

And Copenhagen is preferred by loutish brutes whose taste buds are calloused over from too much lutefisk.

PJ and his merry Argonauts could certainly descend the St. Joe and take the Chicago portage after traversing the southern shore. But the whole point was to avoid the Great Lakes when the witch comes calling. The 350 mile fetch down Lake Michigan means a northwest blow makes it impossible to exit the harbor channel at St. Joe. 15-20 ft waves head directly into the channel like a hammer.

I once saw a 10 meter sailboat try to exit the channel under full motor power in such conditions. It got ugly real fast. First there was the hideous thump of the keel slamming the bottom of the channel in the trough. Then the hapless craft was pitched sideways and slammed into the channel wall like XWash running into Nate Peterman. Somehow the captain turned her back and she limped and bobbed back into harbor like a beaten dog. Out of pity, I threw him my last pouch of Red Man.

 

[Gladeskat]

Minnesota vs Northwestern:

Academic reputation: NU>>UM
Diversity of academic programs: UM>>NU
Where would I go if I did it all over again: UM...some good aquatic entomologists there

Location/opportunity: NU>>UM...Chicago is three times the city and metro area than Mps/StP. Chicago is a short EL or METRA ride from Evanston.
Location/recreation: UM>>NU...14,000 lakes! Lot's of walleye and crappie! Ice fishing!
Job opportunities: NU>UM
Campus: NU>>UM...On Lake Michigan
Mascot: UM>NU...Goldy is cooler than Willie, and his girlfriend, Sally, is hot! She created a mini-scandal when she opened her bar. Her image was deemed too racy.

Stadium: UM>>NU...I like ancient Ryan Field, but I hear great things about UM's stadium.
Football program: NU>UM...sorry, but you guys haven't won anything in 50 years.
Football coaching: ??? ... PJFleck did a nice job turning around WMU. How will he do at UM? Fitz has had modest success so far, with several 10 win seasons and bowl wins recently.

 

[Gladeskat]

And Copenhagen is preferred by loutish brutes whose taste buds are calloused over from too much lutefisk.

PJ and his merry Argonauts could certainly descend the St. Joe and take the Chicago portage after traversing the southern shore. But the whole point was to avoid the Great Lakes when the witch comes calling. The 350 mile fetch down Lake Michigan means a northwest blow makes it impossible to exit the harbor channel at St. Joe. 15-20 ft waves head directly into the channel like a hammer.

It certainly helps to be a loutish brute to like Copenhagen, but you don't need to eat lutefisk or wear Gucci loafers.

It's smart to avoid large lakes. Canoeing on Lake Champlain can be brutal when the winds blow, too. Undoubtedly the toughest, most exhausting canoe trip I was ever on.

 

[Hungry Jack]

It certainly helps to be a loutish brute to like Copenhagen, but you don't need to eat lutefisk.

Canoeing on Lake Champlain can be brutal when the winds blow, too. Undoubtedly the toughest, most exhausting canoe trip I was ever on.

Did you see the monster, Champ?

 

[NJCat]

Did you see the monster, Champ?

Why don't you guys get a room?

 

[Gladeskat]

Did you see the monster, Champ?

No, but we did go skinny dipping.

 

[Hungry Jack]

No, but we did go skinny dipping.

I will withhold any comments about sea serpents.

 

[willycat]

I agree that Minny is probably aiming for a higher standard now. However, Fleck has had his share of character issues in Kazoo. He may rely on "characters" to make the "boat" float. Time will tell, though.

Just maybe Fleck is being given a bit to many accolades. Yes, he turned a 1-11 WMU program into a winner but remember that was in the MAC. Also that 1-11 was his first season in Kalamazoo and he had inherited a .500 team from the previous regime. In other words the cupboard was not entirely bare.

 

[NJCat]

Just maybe Fleck is being given a bit to many accolades. Yes, he turned a 1-11 WMU program into a winner but remember that was in the MAC. Also that 1-11 was his first season in Kalamazoo and he had inherited a .500 team from the previous regime. In other words the cupboard was not entirely bare.

Well, he did beat 2 Big 10 teams on the road last season....

 

[NUCat320]

Minnesota vs Northwestern:

Academic reputation: NU>>UM
Diversity of academic programs: UM>>NU
Where would I go if I did it all over again: UM...some good aquatic entomologists there

Location/opportunity: NU>>UM...Chicago is three times the city and metro area than Mps/StP. Chicago is a short EL or METRA ride from Evanston.
Location/recreation: UM>>NU...14,000 lakes! Lot's of walleye and crappie! Ice fishing!
Job opportunities: NU>UM
Campus: NU>>UM...On Lake Michigan
Mascot: UM>NU...Goldy is cooler than Willie, and his girlfriend, Sally, is hot! She created a mini-scandal when she opened her bar. Her image was deemed too racy.

Stadium: UM>>NU...I like ancient Ryan Field, but I hear great things about UM's stadium.
Football program: NU>UM...sorry, but you guys haven't won anything in 50 years.
Football coaching: ??? ... PJFleck did a nice job turning around WMU. How will he do at UM? Fitz has had modest success so far, with several 10 win seasons and bowl wins recently.

Minesoooooowta accent <<<< Chic-ahhhhgo accent

 

[Gladeskat]

Fleck picks up 4 more verbals (3 flips from WMU) and drops a JUCO player who had verbaled to Minny under Claeys. Cropping verbals this late is not cool.

http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/08/gophers-flip-another-verbal-commitment-from-western-michigan/

 

[Hungry Jack]

Fleck picks up 4 more verbals (3 flips from WMU) and drops a JUCO player who had verbaled to Minny under Claeys. Cropping verbals this late is not cool.

http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/08/gophers-flip-another-verbal-commitment-from-western-michigan/

That JUCO player's tweet sounds about as sad as it gets. I get the feeling of getting screwed, but best to hold your head high in public.

 

[iskaboo]

That JUCO player's tweet sounds about as sad as it gets. I get the feeling of getting screwed, but best to hold your head high in public.

I don't blame him. I don't have much respect for coaches who do not stand by commitments to 19- or 20-year old kids, no matter who made them.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Fleck picks up 4 more verbals (3 flips from WMU) and drops a JUCO player who had verbaled to Minny under Claeys. Cropping verbals this late is not cool.

http://www.twincities.com/2017/01/08/gophers-flip-another-verbal-commitment-from-western-michigan/

He now has dumped 4 of Claeys commits. Didn't look like they had many if any other P5 offers.

Up to 9 flips of WMU pledges with a few more rumored. Minny will easily have the best class in the MAC. Waiting for snarky comment on how those MAC classes beat NU and Lovie last year!

 

[Deeringfish]

He now has dumped 4 of Claeys commits. Didn't look like they had many if any other P5 offers.

Up to 9 flips of WMU pledges with a few more rumored. Minny will easily have the best class in the MAC. Waiting for snarky comment on how those MAC classes beat NU and Lovie last year!

Yet another reason kids should be allowed to sign a letter of intent early. It is a big multimillion dollar business boys and girls, the little guy will always get screwed while the guy with power and leverage wins, unless you are a law about it.

 

[Hungry Jack]

He now has dumped 4 of Claeys commits. Didn't look like they had many if any other P5 offers.

Up to 9 flips of WMU pledges with a few more rumored. Minny will easily have the best class in the MAC. Waiting for snarky comment on how those MAC classes beat NU and Lovie last year!

I count 10 commits since 1/6/17 on 247. I assume those are all WMU flips. 4 decommits during the same period.

 

[FloridAlum]

I count 10 commits since 1/6/17 on 247. I assume those are all WMU flips. 4 decommits during the same period.

I believe there is one commit from a running back who did not come from Western Michigan, and the rest are flips.running back is named Ibrahim.

 

[AhliBobwa]

Actually the RB is ranked #36 at his position in the country and has commitable offers from Iowa, Kentucky, and a couple other power 5 schools I'm forgetting.

 

[GlideCat]

So about this boat...Does the boat stay in Kalamazoo? Does it come to Minneapolis with him? Does Fleck row it across Lake Michigan in the middle of Winter and then carry it the rest of the way to Minneapolis as a motivational tactic for his players?

Whose boat is it- Western Michigan's or PJ's? What happens with the damn boat?

Update on the boat below:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/p-j-fl...w-the-boat-phrase-to-minnesota-001307701.html

Really slow news day.

 

[Purple Pile Driver]

Update on the boat below:

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/p-j-fl...w-the-boat-phrase-to-minnesota-001307701.html

Really slow news day.

I hope WMU takes the paddle that rows his boat, and whacks him on the ass with it!