Back to the beginning of the series.  The first one was a Covid year game vs Minnesota in 2020.

The Jug game is something at always got put to the back burner basically since the conference went to 14.  This is only the 4th matchup since 2015 and Fleck’s only 3rd vs Michigan, including the weird Covid opener.   When the conference expands to a full federation next year, it’s hard to imagine them coming up on the schedule more frequently, which is just unfortunate for all the jugheads like me.  The last meeting was the Covid game, in which future Heisman candidate Joe Milton led us to victory and  future Heisman candidate Blake Corum played in his first game. 

PJ Fleck is somehow the 4th longest tenured coach in the Big Ten.   By all accounts, he is certifiably an eccentric guy.  He can be off putting, his enthusiasm for himself and the game becomes rankling to some of his players and Minnesota’s fanbase when not winning.  I can’t think of any other coach who has the same problems. 

The Western Michigan fanbase loved him when he was there and winning.  One semi contentious exit later and the shenanigans became less cheeky and fun but crueler and more tragic.   In the last three non-covid years at Minnesota, Fleck has won 11, 9 and 9 games with a 3-0 record in bowls.  However, its been empty calorie wins.  He has one ‘program defining win” in 2019 vs 4th ranked Penn State.  Unfortunately, they got “night Kinnicked” the next week*, being the 8th  ranked team.  Being an average program in the Big 10 West, it’s pretty easy to schedule 8-9 wins.

With the slow start this year, Minnesota fans are ready to punt Fleck, even some of them willing to pay the air fare to MSU.  I don’t know if Fleck can raise the ceiling of the Minnesota program especially in the new Big Ten.  The waters are about to get choppy no matter who the coach. The act of jettisoning a head coach with a decent pedigree right before 4 more teams enter the Big Ten all with stable coaching situations.  Besides, sometimes when you keep your peculiar coach who is seemingly doing the bare minimum in the wins department, it all comes together. 

                     Him again

*That game started at 4 Eastern I'm counting it.

Purple Rain

Speaking of eccentric people with sometimes allegedly off putting personality traits, Prince is famously from Minneapolis.   In my opinion he owns the best Super Bowl halftime ever in 2007, that is until they finally give Weird Al his shot.

The fact that Prince and his mix of funk, R&B, jazz, blues, new wave, rock came from Minneapolis is the most perplexing thing to me.  Most musicians are somewhat a function of their environment.  Jay Z is from New York and its thriving hip-hop scene.  The fast,  glitzy glamour bands of LA such as Red Hot Chili Peppers and Guns N Roses.

Prince was the child of musical parents, but seemingly created the ‘Minnesapolis sound” by himself.  Mainly because no one could describe what he was doing.  A singular talent, it didn’t matter where he was from, he was going to change music. 

Ingredients

Chilled Martini glass

2 oz Empress Indigo Gin  or vodka.  Don't have to use the purple gin, Grenadine and Blue curacao will mix to become purple

.5 oz blue Curaçao

.5 oz grenadine

1 oz sprite

Fill your cocktail shaker with the gin or vodka, blue Curacao  and grenadine.  Shake for 30 seconds and then pour into your chilled martini glass.  Then lightly pour in your sprite.  Garnish with a blackberry and lime wheel