Avast ye scurvy dogs! Yonder Captain P.J. Fleck be defending his jolly football ship in Minnesota, crying 'baseless' to claims of mistreatment! Arrr!
2023-07-27
Arr, methinks Cap'n P.J. Fleck o' the Minnesota Golden Gophers, he be denyin' the scurrilous accusations thrown by them former players. They be claimin' his ship be a "cult," but Cap'n Fleck be settin' the record straight, swearin' by Davy Jones' locker!
Minnesota Golden Gophers head football coach P.J. Fleck has responded to recent allegations of mistreatment from former players and others, dismissing them as "baseless." Fleck stated that a report from Front Office Sports had been investigated multiple times since 2017 and no evidence of wrongdoing was found. The report included claims from former players that Fleck overlooked positive drug tests and other rules for players who accumulated enough goodwill through a points system called the Fleck Bank. The Fleck Bank tracked community service, visits to the University of Minnesota Medical Center, and study habits. Former players also referred to Fleck's program as a "cult" due to his "Row The Boat" culture. In response, Fleck defended his program and stated that there are testimonials from past, current, and future players supporting the culture. Fleck emphasized that Minnesota has six channels for players to report mistreatment, and the school's athletic director confirmed that no claims had been received regarding the football program. Fleck clarified that the Fleck Bank was an analogy to demonstrate player investment and that no actual currency was involved. He believes the claims against Minnesota stem from a former staffer with a personal vendetta. Given the ongoing Northwestern University hazing scandal, schools are taking these allegations seriously.