Broncofan1
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- Jan 7, 2017
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Hello Gopher fans, and congratulations. Welcome to the first season of your historic turn from a middling Big10 football program with no national following to speak of, to a Big10 contender with national ranking and respect.
Make no mistake, that is the path you are now on.
It won't be easy. Fleck's style is overwhelming, his energy is unmatched, and his positively forward thinking approach can be off-putting.
Expect alumni players to take offense when Fleck says things like "always looking forward to what we can be, not what we once were". He will implement 'new' traditions. He will scare alumni old-timers who don't like change. He will make the campus community of faculty and staff roll their eyes when he talks of national championships and dynasty.
But, it works. He will first get his locker room on board 100%. Expect current players to leave - his style will rub some the wrong way. Don't worry about it. He's very much like a cult leader in that his players will do anything for him. He will win recruitment. Some are saying he can't recruit with Urban and Harbaugh. Watch him.
Know this: for all his bluster and energy and salesmanship, it is all genuine. He isn't making it up. Recruits eat it up. Plus, he is an ESPN darling, which will also help.
Next will be your student body. They are thirsty for national exposure and exciting football. They will LOVE PJ Fleck.
Be patient if you lose more games next year. Changing to his culture may require a step back. Think of it like drawing a bow/arrow. You may pull back before going forward, but hang on when you do.
I don't know than I can put into words what he did for WMU and the Kalamazoo community. Fleck is a human tornado who changed our culture from a polite little city with a modest approach to the world, to a polite little city with goals on becoming much greater. He turned a usually-good-but-never-great football program into a dominant force in our conference and a feared opponent out of conference. He sends players to the NFL. He put us on the national stage. He brought ESPN to our campus. He took us to a New Year's 6 Bowl.
He left us better than he found us.
Remember that when he leaves you for a Michigan or Notre Dame sometime down the road. He's a midwestern guy, with family in Illinois and Michigan, so I expect he will only leave you for one of the huge midwest positions. But, he will leave you better than he found you.
Have a blast, and good luck!
Broncofan1
PS...and yes, I'm very upset that he is poaching all of our recruits this year. It's part of the game, I know, but it is going to hurt our program moving forward.
Make no mistake, that is the path you are now on.
It won't be easy. Fleck's style is overwhelming, his energy is unmatched, and his positively forward thinking approach can be off-putting.
Expect alumni players to take offense when Fleck says things like "always looking forward to what we can be, not what we once were". He will implement 'new' traditions. He will scare alumni old-timers who don't like change. He will make the campus community of faculty and staff roll their eyes when he talks of national championships and dynasty.
But, it works. He will first get his locker room on board 100%. Expect current players to leave - his style will rub some the wrong way. Don't worry about it. He's very much like a cult leader in that his players will do anything for him. He will win recruitment. Some are saying he can't recruit with Urban and Harbaugh. Watch him.
Know this: for all his bluster and energy and salesmanship, it is all genuine. He isn't making it up. Recruits eat it up. Plus, he is an ESPN darling, which will also help.
Next will be your student body. They are thirsty for national exposure and exciting football. They will LOVE PJ Fleck.
Be patient if you lose more games next year. Changing to his culture may require a step back. Think of it like drawing a bow/arrow. You may pull back before going forward, but hang on when you do.
I don't know than I can put into words what he did for WMU and the Kalamazoo community. Fleck is a human tornado who changed our culture from a polite little city with a modest approach to the world, to a polite little city with goals on becoming much greater. He turned a usually-good-but-never-great football program into a dominant force in our conference and a feared opponent out of conference. He sends players to the NFL. He put us on the national stage. He brought ESPN to our campus. He took us to a New Year's 6 Bowl.
He left us better than he found us.
Remember that when he leaves you for a Michigan or Notre Dame sometime down the road. He's a midwestern guy, with family in Illinois and Michigan, so I expect he will only leave you for one of the huge midwest positions. But, he will leave you better than he found you.
Have a blast, and good luck!
Broncofan1
PS...and yes, I'm very upset that he is poaching all of our recruits this year. It's part of the game, I know, but it is going to hurt our program moving forward.
