Reusse on 2020 Gophs: "a lot of slow guys...Who takes the fault for that, Fleck-o-lytes, after his three full recruiting years"

[Iceland12]

Are you saying that Bleed only posts all these articles for attention? Do you personally know Bleed?

Are you saying that Reusse and Bleed don't want people to look at what they post?

That's a rather novel position.

 

[MplsGopher]

It's what plants crave.

You mean, from the toilet?

 

[MplsGopher]

I think we know why Reusse likes Gopher volleyball.

They win a lot of matches?

 

[alaska]

Reusse is not a very good man. Those close to him will tell you about his way with women, which is not decent at all, and his use of language which is loose and unkind to say the least. He thrives on controversial quotes which gets the likes of GopherHole like supporters upset because we typically hope and want the best for our teams. He plays the villian who talks down to most teams in the area because it creates a buss for him. Its a selfish way to run business. Does it work, sure it does, but then again so does marketing cigarettes' to kids. Doesn't mean that because it works it is quality or even good work.

 

[Torres9]

R u kidding?...I read the chicago sun times and they rip the bears and bulls all the time

Not for the point of ripping though. They all criticize the teams but it’s not pot shots and trolling, while writing fluff pieces about some St Thomas track coach and talking about movies.

you see far far more intelligent takes on fan blogs (daily Norseman and daily gopher for instance) than on anything the Trib or kfan ever puts out.

 

[Biggsohnasty]

pat calling someone else "slow" is hilarious. i bet that man couldn't run a 10.0 40 in his prime, hand time or electronic timed.

Beyond this line of thought - which is fairly common - being next-level childish, the very simple comeback is that it takes one to know one. And Reusse while annoying, is not wrong.

 

[Biggsohnasty]

Which is just a weird point to try to make. Our struggles last year had very little to do with a lack of speed. It was a lack of Winfield in the secondary (Nubin isn't much slower than Winfield) and we had a hard time setting the edge on running plays.

I loved Sam Renner, Winston, Barber, and Williamson but what made them better in 2020 than their replacements wasn't speed (every single one of them is probably slower than their replacement), it was their experience, strength, and toughness. Coughlin, Martin, and Winfield were all pretty fast, but Mafe, Nubin, Rush/Gordon/Aune are pretty similar in terms of only pure speed.

So yeah, we lost a lot on defense last year but I would say speed is probably the one area on defense we didn't - - at least not much.

You can't be serious if you watched this defense during the year and thought speed wasn't an issue. The team routinely looked far slower than opposing offenses.

Struggling to set the edge was a speed problem because LBs and DEs would routinely get outflanked. Safeties and LBs would take bad angles which is a speed issue and while the ability to tackle was annoyingly shoddy, the ability to rally to a ball carrier, which is a speed (and effort) thing, was equally porous.

 

[short ornery norwegian]

On the subject of Twin Cities media - FWIW - got this in the in-box at work today:

Minneapolis, MN (December 30, 2020) Minnesota Score Magazine and Radio announced today the launch of a daily sports talk radio show with hosts Eric Nelson and Wally Langfellow beginning Monday January 4th at 5pm on AM 1440-KYCR in the Twin Cities. “Ten Thousand Takes” will air Monday through Friday from 5pm til 6pm and Saturdays at Noon on AM 1440.

During Vikings' season, the show will feature regular segments with former Vikings' great Chuck Foreman. Former Gopher wide receiver and current entertainment and sports attorney Lee Hutton will also make regular appearances.

Ten Thousand Takes will also be available daily via podcast on Sound Cloud and is also streaming each day on the I-Heart Radio App, at Radio.com and at MinnesotaScore.com. In addition to AM 1440-KYCR, Minnesota Score Radio also airs weekends on KNSI-AM/FM St.Cloud, MN and KWSN-AM/FM Sioux Falls, SD.

 

[Ope3]

Not for the point of ripping though. They all criticize the teams but it’s not pot shots and trolling, while writing fluff pieces about some St Thomas track coach and talking about movies.

you see far far more intelligent takes on fan blogs (daily Norseman and daily gopher for instance) than on anything the Trib or kfan ever puts out.

I know the St Thomas track coach. Heckuva a nice guy.

 

[Bob_Loblaw]

You can't be serious if you watched this defense during the year and thought speed wasn't an issue. The team routinely looked far slower than opposing offenses.

Struggling to set the edge was a speed problem because LBs and DEs would routinely get outflanked. Safeties and LBs would take bad angles which is a speed issue and while the ability to tackle was annoyingly shoddy, the ability to rally to a ball carrier, which is a speed (and effort) thing, was equally porous.

Setting the edge is NOT a speed issue. We weren't getting beat in a foot race to edge, our DE, nickelback, and CB were getting demolished at the point of contact. Boye Mafe is one of the fastest DL we've ever had, are you saying it was a speed issue preventing him from setting the edge?

Chris Williamson was also a massive upgrade on the RUN defense because he could take on blocks and make plays on the edge. Again - - not a speed issue.

AWJr - - He was electric out there. What made him special is that he can fly around THROUGH contact and make plays on the edge. Again, Nubin is nowhere near the player that AWJr. was, but it was because he couldn't make the plays THROUGH CONTACT.

As for taking angles and speed? What? No, that's taking bad angles. There are plenty of slow college football players who are really good LBers (and safeties) precisely because they are good at this. Nubin and Howard both struggled last year, but those struggles were much more to do with them going 100 MPH in the wrong direction (or imprecise direction) than it was with them being too slow.

I guess you could argue that speed was a bit of an issue with MSM not being able to clean up all of the problems. That's fair. But he wasn't replacing a speedster (Barber) in that position. I'm not sure Thomas Barber is much faster (if at all) than MSM.

 

[Ope3]

His point seems obvious to me, the defense was slow.

Or simply that the Gophers coming in with expectations of potentially winning the Big 10 West to go along with a #19 pre-season ranking, stunk.

 

[Rickman55]

Beyond this line of thought - which is fairly common - being next-level childish, the very simple comeback is that it takes one to know one. And Reusse while annoying, is not wrong.

Yes he is.

 

[Livingat45north]

People also forget the guy sells papers which is his job.

No he doesn't, he does the opposite. Sports fans don't run out to buy a subscription to the Trib to read a hack like this, they do the opposite. They don't subscribe because of Fat Pat and their other lousy sportswriters. It'd be like a magazine on BBQ Cooking hiring a writer that's vegan that always tells readers how bad it is for you and the environment to eat meat. That wouldn't get BBQ lovers to subscribe, and Fat Pat doesn't get sports fans to subscribe. Having a sports writer that actually writes about sports, with insight and knowledge, and maybe a bit of humor would go a long way towards selling subscriptions. That's not Fat Pat.

 

[Ope3]

No he doesn't, he does the opposite. Sports fans don't run out to buy a subscription to the Trib to read a hack like this, they do the opposite. They don't subscribe because of Fat Pat and their other lousy sportswriters. It'd be like a magazine on BBQ Cooking hiring a writer that's vegan that always tells readers how bad it is for you and the environment to eat meat. That wouldn't get BBQ lovers to subscribe, and Fat Pat doesn't get sports fans to subscribe. Having a sports writer that actually writes about sports, with insight and knowledge, and maybe a bit of humor would go a long way towards selling subscriptions. That's not Fat Pat.

Reusse is the sole reason I subscribe to the Strib.

 

[btowngopher]

I guess we fault the guy who won 11 games last year? Are we supposed to be calling for Fleck’s head?

 

[hungan1]

Reusse is a scavenger extraordinaire. He is a bottom feeder that thrives on Gopher dead matter.

 

[Ope3]

I guess we fault the guy who won 11 games last year? Are we supposed to be calling for Fleck’s head?

No, but fans can be calling for improvement on defense. Plus beat Iowa every once in a while.

 

[LongTimeGopher]

Reusse is the sole reason I subscribe to the Strib.

I don't think you are the norm. I haven't read his column in years. Would be interesting to hear what others say.

 

[HoustonTXGopher]

Patrick is such a breath of fresh air and his love for Gopher football always keeps me optimistic for the future even when our defense is a bit slow.

 

[Thomasthetank]

Setting the edge is NOT a speed issue. We weren't getting beat in a foot race to edge, our DE, nickelback, and CB were getting demolished at the point of contact. Boye Mafe is one of the fastest DL we've ever had, are you saying it was a speed issue preventing him from setting the edge?

Chris Williamson was also a massive upgrade on the RUN defense because he could take on blocks and make plays on the edge. Again - - not a speed issue.

AWJr - - He was electric out there. What made him special is that he can fly around THROUGH contact and make plays on the edge. Again, Nubin is nowhere near the player that AWJr. was, but it was because he couldn't make the plays THROUGH CONTACT.

As for taking angles and speed? What? No, that's taking bad angles. There are plenty of slow college football players who are really good LBers (and safeties) precisely because they are good at this. Nubin and Howard both struggled last year, but those struggles were much more to do with them going 100 MPH in the wrong direction (or imprecise direction) than it was with them being too slow.

I guess you could argue that speed was a bit of an issue with MSM not being able to clean up all of the problems. That's fair. But he wasn't replacing a speedster (Barber) in that position. I'm not sure Thomas Barber is much faster (if at all) than MSM.

I agree with many of you guys here regarding speed vs technique. Reusse is absolutely wrong about speed.

However, I feel like the defense isnt that far away from being a decent squad. I dont feel like it's a talent issue or even identifying talent.

I honestly feel it's a repetition issue. Remember we had no spring ball, a limited fall practice and no non conference games. This defense was replacing a large chunk of snaps at key positions that: 1. Had played a large majority of snaps 2. Didnt get injured often. (Barber, Coughlin, Awjr,etc)

I look at MSM. He was a bit lost in the beginning of the year. However part of that is ge was trying to cover up too many other blown assignments from inexperienced players (DEs, true frosh LBs etc) by the end of the season I feel like he was fairly solid and was reading his keys much better and playing "faster"

I am really bullish on the MN 2021 defense and team overall. Lots of experience and talent coming back.

 

[Block M]

Not a big Reusse fan but kinda glad he said it. Our defense was seriously devoid of athleticism and playmakers and four years in, this is on the lead recruiter.

 

[RememberMurray]

Is "Fleck-o-lytes" a play on acolytes?

If so, Patrick may be giving his audience too much credit. It's over their heads.

 

[West Fargo Gopher Fan]

This is normally where I post about how low the ratings are for Pats radio show. Unfortunately I cant because he doesn't even have a show anymore

 

[Jordekorn]

I grew up in Minny and moved to Chicago after college. I am continually surprised how fucking awful the sports media is in Minny. In Chicago there are two dedicated sports radio stations and they don’t spend all day talking shit about the local teams.

In Minny the only sports radio station starts the day with fart jokes, goes to a Vikings radio guy, then to two morons who think people care what they think about world affairs, then to video gaming chat. The other stations just have fat old guys talking like their at a lions club. For a major sports market it’s very odd.

Like the sentiment of the post overall, but seriously, minny?

 

[btowngopher]

No, but fans can be calling for improvement on defense. Plus beat Iowa every once in a while.

Yeah pretty sure zero fans were content with the defense this year or the results vs Iowa, does anyone really need to be told that?

 

[Ope3]

This is normally where I post about how low the ratings are for Pats radio show. Unfortunately I cant because he doesn't even have a show anymore

Yet there is an audience somewhere, he co-hosts 2 weekly podcasts and a another during the baseball season, plus is a regularly scheduled guest on 2 others.

Most 75 year olds don't even have half that many podcasts.

 

[Iceland12]

Yet there is an audience somewhere, he co-hosts 2 weekly podcasts and a another during the baseball season, plus is a regularly scheduled guest on 2 others.

Most 75 year olds don't even have half that many podcasts.

Podcasts? If anybody's heard of you not exactly tough to come by. Here you only need a couple of bucks from Washburn-McReavy or a lawyer to get one. Or get on more.

Speaking of which, here Senior Citizens are all over Sports. It's kind of a Minnesota thing.

Joe Schmidt? 62(?). Mark Rosen? 68. Joe Soucheray? Two ages out there 69 or 71. Charley Walters? 73. Sid? Worked until he died. At 100.

Better question would be if he's doing so well and still can generate an audience, why is he so fixated on Goherhole?Not exactly CNN, Fox, ABC or the New York Times. He refers to it often.

How would I know?

Yeah, I read Reusse.

 

[Ope3]

Yeah pretty sure zero fans were content with the defense this year or the results vs Iowa, does anyone really need to be told that?

Does anyone need to be told anything in any sports columns/opinion pieces? Same for any message board?

 

[PMWinSTP]

Reusse trolls the Gopher fans.

Gopher fans lose their minds.

Reusse wins.

Lather, rinse, repeat.

BTW - strip away the sarcasm, and the point is - Gophers defense did not play well this year, especially at the start of the season. He's not wrong about that. and the writer who "hates the Gophers" tweeted today that Gopher Volleyball is "the best show in town."

It's amazing. Pavlov's conditioning experiment in full bloom on GH.

 

[btowngopher]

Does anyone need to be told anything in any sports columns/opinion pieces? Same for any message board?

If they want interesting information that isn’t widely known, the stuff columnist are typically paid to provide. “Team bad, blame coach” over and over doesn’t really provide any information and isn’t even interesting to read in any way.