All Things Spring Practice 2018 Thread


Please tell me that this is a joke (about being paranoid about people watching our practices).

He made an offhand comment about how now nobody can see them.

I wouldn't read much into it.

Sid always talks about how there were spies watching in the past.

Now I wouldn't doubt that someone WOULD do that .... I just have my doubts that they'd bother with us most of the time :(
 

He made an offhand comment about how now nobody can see them.

I wouldn't read much into it.

Sid always talks about how there were spies watching in the past.

Now I wouldn't doubt that someone WOULD do that .... I just have my doubts that they'd bother with us most of the time :(
It explains Wisconsin's utter domination of us. They got spies...[emoji41]
 

Please tell me that this is a joke (about being paranoid about people watching our practices).
.

Spying happens, ask the former St. Louis Rams about New England. Professional as well as college football is all about getting an edge.
 

It explains Wisconsin's utter domination of us. They got spies...[emoji41]

They have a way better football program. Minnesota should learn from them. Your sense of humor is too infantile.
 



Truth is stranger than fiction. If he truly was not paranoid, why would there only be two open practices? (Are we headed to none?). Why would the media not be allowed to watch practice?
 


BFD, wow some people will find anything to complain about.


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Truth is stranger than fiction. If he truly was not paranoid, why would there only be two open practices? (Are we headed to none?). Why would the media not be allowed to watch practice?

If we start winning, I don't care if he never allows us near the campus.
 

BFD, wow some people will find anything to complain about.


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I enjoy watching open practices, but for the most point agree with you that open/closed isn't a big deal, and it is certainly the coaches choice on whether or not to do it.

With that said, I think folks are entitled to complain about it as his approach for fans and media on this topic is 180-degrees off from what PJ told us all it would be at his opening presser. Another example of "why even say it" if that isn't the intent. I don't even believe he was asked, so why say it?


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If we start winning, I don't care if he never allows us near the campus.

You wouldn’t want to take in a game at TCF? [emoji12]

Where does it stop, “if we start winning”?
Change uni’s and put even more RTB stuff on them
No open practices
No radio interviews
Increase in seat fee and game tickets
Academics drops below min. APR score

I’m all for the GOPHERS having great success, but it doesn’t have to come by having to deal with the above possibilities happening.
PJ’s culture is about doing things the right way, or so he says, but I’m not seeing it with some of the decisions he’s made


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Truth is stranger than fiction. If he truly was not paranoid, why would there only be two open practices? (Are we headed to none?). Why would the media not be allowed to watch practice?
He probably saw 2000 people at the Spring game last year and decided to create more demand by limiting open practices.

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Truth is stranger than fiction. If he truly was not paranoid, why would there only be two open practices? (Are we headed to none?). Why would the media not be allowed to watch practice?

Maybe the media is full of pig and skunk graduates.
 

I've always enjoyed heading down for a Saturday practice far more than the spring games...
 

FWIW, it's a different world today with the internet, social media, and everyone having a high-def camera in their pocket.

And, coaches tending to be control freaks, I can understand why a coach might not want people filming practices or posting info on line about who's at QB and what kind of schemes they're running.
 

BFD, wow some people will find anything to complain about.


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This is the type of unhinged madness around some of the Fleckofiles.

Some people are mildly annoyed that they cannot attend more practices and are not getting more info regarding the team in spring ball, and this is your reaction? I get you, you sense that it could be a less than 100% enthusiastic comment about a decision by PJ, so you are lashing out. No one is ripping on your wife or your mother, hell, no one is even ripping on PJ, they simply mocked the idea that we cannot have open practices.

If you want, you can search the website and see that people liked getting updates from Spring Practice and liked attending open practices before PJ was even a twinkle in your eye.

Generally, I agree, I don't really care. But I can certainly see why the people who enjoyed going to these events would be mildly annoyed.
 

This is the type of unhinged madness around some of the Fleckofiles.

Some people are mildly annoyed that they cannot attend more practices and are not getting more info regarding the team in spring ball, and this is your reaction? I get you, you sense that it could be a less than 100% enthusiastic comment about a decision by PJ, so you are lashing out. No one is ripping on your wife or your mother, hell, no one is even ripping on PJ, they simply mocked the idea that we cannot have open practices.

If you want, you can search the website and see that people liked getting updates from Spring Practice and liked attending open practices before PJ was even a twinkle in your eye.

Generally, I agree, I don't really care. But I can certainly see why the people who enjoyed going to these events would be mildly annoyed.

It's the psychotically annoyed we should worry about. I don't get the "Oh my god the practices are closed" crowd. Makes zero sense to even react to that, and I've been to dozens of practices over the years. So you can't go. So what?

3...2...1...
 

It's the psychotically annoyed we should worry about. I don't get the "Oh my god the practices are closed" crowd. Makes zero sense to even react to that, and I've been to dozens of practices over the years. So you can't go. So what?

3...2...1...

Where does that crowd exist on this thread?

You're saying it makes zero sense for someone to comment on things that they don't really like? There is no outrage, so don't pretend that people are unhinged on this, they mildly commented. That's the extent of it.

So you're stance is that it makes zero sense for a person to even mildly comment on missing out on something they used to like/would enjoy? Are you insane?

"Darn, if the Gophers won that game we would have gone to the Rose Bowl." - - Highwayman "So we aren't going, so what?"

"Darn, I kind of like night games, I like them more than the 11AM games." Highwayman "It's an 11AM game, so what?"

Yep, that's a logical stance.
 

The paranoia is all pretty ridiculous IMO. Are the Vikings concerned about spies at training camp? Why do numerous college coaches including Chip Kelly at UCLA hold open spring practice? Yes, it’s smart and wise to shut things down leading up to actual games, and changing up signals and/or devising an effective signal system that can’t be easily deciphered. Historically some coaches did away with printed play books, etc or limited schematics in other ways to cut down on Benedict Arnolds. Former coaches would be quizzed by their former staff’s opponents.

I’m sure opposing staff tape cutters picked up on certain tendencies last year when some fans here could see what was coming with alarming frequency.

Teams have years of Ciarrocca/Fleck offensive tape. Unless teams are stealing signals (perfectly ok) they know there will be some RPO, certain receiver patterns the staff goes to frequently, variants of zone running, some pinning and pulling, etc. Opposing staff will have broken down the Fleck tendencies by down and distance, personnel groups. Teams have routinely crashed the run vs the Gophers as we didn’t have athletic receivers or QBs that were good at progressions, or delivering the ball accurately and because we ran 65+ percent of the time in largely predictable patterns of walrus ball. Going forward let’s hope an influx of talent at WR and TE and QB, better protections, and better implementation of the RPO and zone read attack help to open things up.
 

Where does that crowd exist on this thread?

You're saying it makes zero sense for someone to comment on things that they don't really like? There is no outrage, so don't pretend that people are unhinged on this, they mildly commented. That's the extent of it.

So you're stance is that it makes zero sense for a person to even mildly comment on missing out on something they used to like/would enjoy? Are you insane?

"Darn, if the Gophers won that game we would have gone to the Rose Bowl." - - Highwayman "So we aren't going, so what?"

"Darn, I kind of like night games, I like them more than the 11AM games." Highwayman "It's an 11AM game, so what?"

Yep, that's a logical stance.

HWY has already stated he’s never criticized anything said or done by a coach or administrator at the U and he’s very proud of that fact. It’s a cross he’s chosen to carry. It’s like a religion. Once that’s understood his viewpoint makes more sense.
 

Remember Wakey leaks from the end of the 2016 season? That might be a reason.

Kill believed that fans energized the players in practice. It is possible that Fleck believes that having fans there puts undue pressure on the players. Or he may believe that fans may alter how and how hard the players practice.

I don't know, and neither does anyone here. I do like going to open practices with my boys. They play and like watching the position groups work and pick up tips.

But at the end of the day, if the spring game is the only opportunity I get to see the team before fall, I'll just have to live with that, and believe that Fleck is doing everything he believes is correct to best prepare the team for the upcoming season.
 

This is the type of unhinged madness around some of the Fleckofiles.

Some people are mildly annoyed that they cannot attend more practices and are not getting more info regarding the team in spring ball, and this is your reaction? I get you, you sense that it could be a less than 100% enthusiastic comment about a decision by PJ, so you are lashing out. No one is ripping on your wife or your mother, hell, no one is even ripping on PJ, they simply mocked the idea that we cannot have open practices.

If you want, you can search the website and see that people liked getting updates from Spring Practice and liked attending open practices before PJ was even a twinkle in your eye.

Generally, I agree, I don't really care. But I can certainly see why the people who enjoyed going to these events would be mildly annoyed.
Way to jump on that bob. Your tireless work scouring the board to combat any post like this is much appreciated.
 



It is weird that we have no news from spring practice, especially as the key player, QB, is wide open - after years of controversial quarterbacking. Also, the deadline for extended payments for season tickets has been put off to April 15, which may suggest season tickets are not going as well as they hoped.
 

Read/view Daniel House's latest thread, "A Bierman Symphony".

At least we're not hearing how many players are injured like last season when the Gophers could barely scrape up enough healthy OL for Spring practices.
 


I would humbly suggest that there is a happy medium somewhere out there between total disclosure and media blackout.

I don't expect a play-by-play recap and analysis of every spring training workout.

But, at least some general observations would be nice: i.e. Player A looked good in this drill. Player B made a nice catch. Player C made an interception in a 7-on-7 drill.

Give the fans something to chew over.

This is a program that needs to generate more enthusiasm and sell more tickets. Putting the program under the Cone of Silence will not accomplish either of those goals.
 




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