P.J. Fleck has some of Minnesota fired up

CHAMPAIGN, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach P.J. Fleck of the Western Michigan Broncos celebrates after the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. Western Michigan defeated Illinois 34-10. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
CHAMPAIGN, IL - SEPTEMBER 17: Head coach P.J. Fleck of the Western Michigan Broncos celebrates after the game against the Illinois Fighting Illini at Memorial Stadium on September 17, 2016 in Champaign, Illinois. Western Michigan defeated Illinois 34-10. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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P.J. Fleck has me all sorts of excited for Minnesota Golden Gophers football.

The Minnesota sporting public and Minnesota Golden Gophers athletics have an interesting relationship. Just when fans are about to fully immerse themselves in a Gophers bandwagon, something goes horribly wrong and the bandwagon comes to a screeching halt. Some people might think P.J. Fleck is screeching, but whatever he is selling, I am buying.

I watched all four episodes of ‘Being P.J. Fleck’ which has debuted on ESPNU this month with reruns on Big Ten Network. The series put together a nice background understanding of Fleck and what he sees for the future of the Minnesota Golden Gophers football team. With every episode, I felt myself more and more wanting to run through a wall for Coach Fleck.

Even through the television, the energy is somehow palpable. It’s hard to not be energized when simply hearing Fleck speak. His passion for football and for the people he is connecting with is amazing.

It is understandable how some might not like the way that Fleck goes about things. Fleck is not a typical coach and that scares people. The scariest thing is change and change is what Fleck currently represents at the University of Minnesota.

On the final episode of ‘Being P.J. Fleck’, Fleck called Minnesota a ‘sleeping giant’. Fleck believes that someone just needs to wake the sleeping beast, a school that has won seven national championships. Who better than Fleck to wake the University’s football team and rock the state to its core?

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Why not Minnesota? One of the largest and best institutions in the country in a major metropolitan city is a prime spot to be. I say that as someone who willingly left the University of Minnesota, because it wasn’t for me. City life isn’t for me and it might be for you. P.J. Fleck is for me and he might not be for you.

We’ll all find out more about how in we all are on Fleck in a week when the team opens the season up against Buffalo. While the interest level might not be as high as some expected, there has to be a curiosity level reaching from International Falls to Albert Lea and from Woodbury to Montevideo.

Can the Gophers win a national championship someday? I don’t know. What I can tell you is this: I’ve never thought about Gopher football as much as I have this offseason. That’s a good start.

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