Row The Boat?
So according to this Rovell tweet, P.J. Fleck has shelled out 50K for "Row The Boat". I'm curious what the WMU Broncos think about this...all of that gear is pretty much useless now, right? I suggest a LeBron/Cleveland type apparel burning in the streets. Fire up Broncos
BREAKING: P.J. Fleck & Western Michigan have reached a deal to transfer the "Row The Boat" trademark rights to Fleck. Will cost $50,000.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) February 15, 2017
February 15th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 11:07 AM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 11:36 AM ^
to him for cheaper. It's a slogan he used last year. He should change it yearly and come up with something new. WMU is probably happy to get 50K from him so he can now say it at Minny.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:58 AM ^
This. Who was he bidding against?
Not like WMU needs the money, considering that vaunted war chest they were using to match P5 offers.
February 15th, 2017 at 12:08 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 12:34 PM ^
$50k isn't much, but if I'm Fleck, given the circumstances, I'm telling WMU to go fuck themselves. It's bullshit they charged him a dime.
February 15th, 2017 at 8:24 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 8:24 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 8:33 PM ^
I wouldn't call it bullshit. Fleck convinced the AD to paint RTB over every possible inch of Waldo Stadium, practice facilities, and all over campus. The 50k is to repaint. WMU isn't profitting off of it. Adidas will provide them new uniforms (without oars), but all the hoodies and shit in the bookstore with the mantra will probably have to be sold at a discount.
So Fleck gets his saying, and WMU isn't out a ton of money. It was kind of strange for Fleck to let them trademark it in the first place if it meant so much to him personally.
February 15th, 2017 at 1:14 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 1:48 PM ^
I was going to say...I've been using RTB in the MACtion open threads for at least 3 seasons now.
February 15th, 2017 at 2:38 PM ^
I just went through the MAC open threads and calculated that you owe Mr. Fleck $75,768.91 for using his proprietary phrase.
The $50K value now makes sense. Mr. Yost is covering the costs.
February 15th, 2017 at 3:03 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 4:46 PM ^
Then he should have trademarked it long ago - scores poorly for "visionary".
February 16th, 2017 at 5:20 AM ^
February 16th, 2017 at 9:12 AM ^
at 10k per year in the form of a PJ Fleck scholarship.
They retain the right to use it in merch for this seasons gear though.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:05 AM ^
Should have left it at WMU. It won't sound the same at Minnesota.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:08 AM ^
I forget the background but it had something to do with losing one of his children at a young age. It's his 'Enthusiasm unknown to mankind.' He may not have actually lost the child, but there was some sort of huge hardship he suffered that predicated that phrase. It's his, not WMU's.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:11 AM ^
If you go to a game in Kalamazoo you will hear the story over and over. When it gets close to game time "Row The Boat" is the only audible thing they can say.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:13 AM ^
I get that. Its 100% his creation. But it's not going to have the same effect at Minnesota.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:18 AM ^
He should have made up a new one for Minn. Like "Stroke the Gopher" or something.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:23 AM ^
Already taken.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^
Ha - within 5 minutes!
February 15th, 2017 at 12:00 PM ^
Luxurious gray flow
February 15th, 2017 at 11:26 AM ^
i would go with "Fleck the Beaver"
February 15th, 2017 at 11:28 AM ^
Are gophers less inclined to ride on boats? I mean, are broncos typically a seafaring species? Why will it have less cache at Minnesota? I realize that Michigan has 30 or so more lakes than Minnesota, but they're both known to have water features and consequently, boats. Should Harbaugh not have brought EUTM to Michigan? I fail to see this argument.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:39 AM ^
Dantonio will sell it to them for $500 or 8 hours from a pro bono attorney
February 15th, 2017 at 11:46 AM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
I think he meant cachet. Typo or misspelling is more likely than thinking cache means something else.
February 15th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
I've known plenty of folks who think it's caché, but don't know how to do the é and just spell it with a regular e.
Or maybe that's correct in French. I don't know. Just know that the correct English usage is cachet.
February 15th, 2017 at 12:29 PM ^
This was exactly what happened to me. I learned a thing on the internet today. Solid personal growth for the week. I'm an IT guy/data engineer, so I am fully aware of the 'cash' version of cache. Just thought they were spelled the same minus the accent mark.
February 15th, 2017 at 8:55 PM ^
Caché and cachet are both French words, but the first means "hidden."
February 15th, 2017 at 12:07 PM ^
Cashay, baybee.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:47 AM ^
will fill you in on how broncos are at sea.
February 15th, 2017 at 12:19 PM ^
fill me in on anything she likes.
February 15th, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^
To each their own. That usually isn't my thing, but I suppose I could make an exception for her.
February 15th, 2017 at 1:17 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 12:01 PM ^
It's not that the slogan can't technically work with Gophers. I think RTB is more associated with WMU than it is with Fleck. They had oars on their uniform, for example.
I don't think of EUTM as a rallying cry like RTB. A better comparison would be trying to take "The Team, The Team, The Team" to a different school.
February 15th, 2017 at 12:09 PM ^
Created the slogan to rally the team, and the oars are a product of the slogan.
He created the slogan to cope with the tragedy of his son. EUTM is a perfect comparison. Just keep rowing the boat.
February 15th, 2017 at 8:29 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 12:26 PM ^
Bail the boat?
February 15th, 2017 at 5:24 PM ^
Why? If he sticks at Minnesota for some kind of Barry Alvarez style tenure, it could become their "those who stay" line.
February 15th, 2017 at 8:30 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 12:12 PM ^
For those of you really interested here is an article explaining the background. I teach near Kalamazoo and my wife went to WMU. RTB was infectious and something we may never see again in Kalamazoo.
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-pj-fleck-western-michigan-20161124-…
He lost a son to a heart defect as an infant. With that being said, let him have RTB.
February 15th, 2017 at 1:04 PM ^
is what I read on the ABC/ESPN article. If that's the case, then I'm glad that WMU did the right thing and let him keep it. As silly a phrase as it is and how little it has to do with Gophers, it likely means a great deal to him and by extention will mean a lot to his players.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:17 AM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 11:25 AM ^
They will probably appreciate the new motto.
February 15th, 2017 at 11:43 AM ^
Those lakes are frozen in October.
Besides, "Purify yourself in the waters of Lake Minnetonka" was already used.
February 15th, 2017 at 12:03 PM ^
February 15th, 2017 at 8:39 PM ^