Good crop of questions today, let's keep the momentum rolling.

How much of a gap do you see between PSU and OK St. or VA Tech? - Wesley

I think it is still significant.  I think Oklahoma State has the momentum and could trend upward to closing it in the next few years.  They have a great staff, the plan looks pretty clear and they seem to have the funding necessary to get there.  VTech is also crushing it and should be near the top for a long time.

How often should a young leader take a walk in the woods?  - Kevin McGuigan

One more time than he did yesterday.

How much influence did you have in developing the women’s program at Wyoming Seminary? Was Fuller referenced in the early days of the program?  - Kevin McGuigan

I've spoken pretty extensively about this in the past and I consider the start of the program more important than the two National Titles we won at Sem on the boys side.  It was a lengthy process and a lot of collaboration with Terry Steiner to get it going.  The guiding principle I used was that programs with a big platform in Men's Wrestling have a RESPONSIBILITY to support Women's wrestling/. I'm glad that it has survived and hope to see it continue to be the standard for prep schools.

Any thoughts on modernist literature as well? - Rhino

I used to teach a class called the Lost Generation, so I'm a fan.  Here are my rankings

1- Joyce

2- Scotty

3- Kafka

4- Eliot/ Pound

5- Hemingway

General discussion on kids who are registered for Super 32 and back out of going. Understand that some kids do sustain injuries, but there are also others who no-show that are not injured. Some had bad preseason showings in other tournaments. Some are committed to schools already. Feels like some kids are worried about their stock going down further (e.g., selectively wrestling). From a college wrestling standpoint, especially high school seniors who are committed, are college coaches able to pull scholarships if your results start sliding?  Follow-up to question #1 - how do you penalize those that selectively wrestle? Do you start removing them from rankings or moving down in the rankings if they do not compete for a certain period of time?- Matty D

My most honest answer is I don't care because I think Super 32 is by far the most overrated event in terms of importance, and I think HS rankings are essentially meaningless.  Both are more important to Moms and Dads than they are to kids and college coaches.  College coaches go because there are so many kids there and it is cheaper than doing a bunch of home visits, but they aren't pulling scholarships based on Super 32 results alone.

The registration process is such that you need to secure your spot early, and a lot can happen between then and the event.  I have no issue with kids choosing not to compete and have advised it in the past.  It is October.  If someone only competes in season, they aren't "selectively wrestling." They are being a normal HS athlete.  I guess I don't really think too much about whether that means what number an old dude should put next to their name on the internet.

A lot of these kids are 14/15 years old and they need time to train and allow their bodies to grow.  Pushing them into competing 13 months a year may be great for the top 2% of kids, but it is harmful for the majority.

Guys, this week's mailbag is brought to you by Gymistry.  Check them out today- they are on the APP Store!

https://www.gymistry.app/

It’s your Bills vs my Raiders this week. Two stalwarts of the old AFL. What are we wagering? - Jags

I feel like lunch at Rutt's Hutt is a good start.  Or maybe a shopping list at the Montvale Wegmans?  Loser foots the bill.

Why does NYMA qualify for Preps thru New England and not NJ/NY - Jaime Mosteller

Good question.  NYMA is in the NEPSAC for all sports and that puts us in New England.  Other NY preps that are in the NEPSAC do the same thing.  There are a lot of weird little quirks like that in the Prep school scene.  Think of all the leagues like Founders League, MAPL, INTERAC, HVAL, etc... that don't necessarily conform to state boundaries.  I'm not sure it will always be this way, but currently NYMA is a NEPSAC school and  there is a lot of history there

With wrestle-off's coming up, what was your philosophy on how they should determine a starter and how much did it factor into the decision? What was the most important factor - Tyler R

I think most coaches put more stock in Opens or other opportunities against other teams, and I would put myself in that camp.  I think there is a place for wrestle-offs and ranking matches, but I consider them just to be a data point.  I also think weight management is an important factor because it helps you determine who you trust to perform at a high level.  I think the best way to put it is you are hoping for one athlete to make it obvious that they are the guy, if not, it's like a matrix of factors including head-to-head.

Did you see Adaugo Nwachukwu's incredible five-point move at U23's? What's the best five-pointer that you've ever seen? - Earl from VA

I did.  That was something.  I think the Blades suplay in Paris was one of the best I can remember.  Also, I remember my current assistant coach. Mike Rogers, getting 5'd in Fargo and the action taking them directly off the stage.  He just walked back up the stairs and went back to wrestling like nothing happened.

Leftovers...

A few weeks back Caprino asked about must see HS/College events and I answered HS.  Here are my college choices

Far and away,  the best atmosphere for a dual every year is Army vs Navy.  Not close.  I am lucky enough to have been on the winning side the last 3 years, 2x at their place.  Great energy and great rivalry.  Also, the highest concentration of past, present and future American heroes and special forces officers you will ever be around in the same place.

Penn State and Rutgers are also very good crowds, but if I had to pick another favorite venue it would be Cornell/ Friedman Center.

Editor's Note: The 2019 Final X event at Rutgers had the best crowd of any of the various Final X venues throughout the years. 

You also, at some point in your career, have to get yourself to the Wilkes Open, the Rose Bowl of wrestling.

Hey guys,

Not much on the mailbag question box today, so making sure I give you some content to digest for the weekend.  Have a good one!

So we were going over some technique last month and it was valuable, but I wound up sharing more of my philosophy of teaching and learning than I did actual detailed technique. I thought I might drop some of that here too. Let’s face it- this will be a long post and some of you won’t read past this paragraph. Those that do - thanks! I hope you agree with some of it. Conversations about teaching and learning are always productive on this page.

I think all wrestling technique should be presented in its simplest form and that wrestlers need to understand the concepts behind the move. We spend an RTC day working two-on-one technique (big surprise, I know). I’ve seen a lot of people teach off a 2 on 1 and picked up a ton of good stuff. But I didn’t really fully UNDERSTAND it until I saw Andy Seras teach it about 10 years ago. He talked about the need for the guy to feel like if he didn’t react, I am going to go behind and score, and that pressure to react needed to be constant. Very astute, because everything from the move stems from that pressure. Everything else (head placement, motion, how to obtain it, offensive attacks, etc… ) builds off of that concept. So that’s how we drilled.

A mistake I have made, and a mistake I see made often is spending too much time early debating the very minute details of technical wrestling. That’s why I have come to favor play wrestling over station-to-station drill. The wrestler needs to understand the big ideas of the move before they are ready to hone in on the details. You have to establish the base/ core and then build out. Here are a couple of analogies I use to drive this point home.

The dad in the backyard throwing a baseball - the ones who are most successful teach their kid to have a catch by standing a few yards away and throwing the ball back and forth. The ones that aren’t do that crazy "stand behind their kid and grab their arm and put the kid through the throwing motion" and correct every single mistake. The reality is if you just give the kid the opportunity to throw the ball, and keep catching it and throwing it back  - they are gonna want to play catch with you. After that love is established, and the concepts are understood, build on it. If you strive for perfection too early in developmental stages,  they are going to hate baseball and wanna play World of Minecraft all day.

My other analogy was as a teacher. The worst thing in the world as an English teacher is seeing kids that hate to write. This typically stems from a lack of confidence that is often reinforced by archaic grading practices. A kid needs to be able to present big ideas first in their writing. There is nothing more discouraging to a student than getting back a paper that had great insight/ ideas/ arguments/ etc…..but still gets a D due to mechanical/ spelling errors. Again- big picture first - then details. You will never teach a kid how to become a better speller if they don’t think you value their ideas. And even if you could, what would you be teaching them?

I suppose I should be afraid here that someone will read this and think that I never break down technique, or address the finer points of the sport. I'm not. I think the product I have put on the mat speaks to that, and anyone who has spent time in the room knows I mix in plenty of correction and details. But none of that happens effectively without conceptual understanding.

Anyway - long winded again, but if you are still reading a) thank you and b) you should probably get a life! So much of learning is innate and instinctive and sometimes coaches need to stay out of the way and allow it to happen. Be a facilitator/ cheerleader/ guide/ presenter more often than you are a corrector. You might like the results you get!

Does it count as a postseason appearance if your MLB team is eliminated before October starts? - Josh Lowe

A resounding no for me on that.  Sorry Cubs fans.  Huge thanks for Jefferson Rojas though.

If the Olympics doubled the number of weight classes to 12 but combined Freestyle and Greco, would this be good for wrestling long term? I think the average fan has a hard time watching and learning the nuances of 3+ styles. I would be in favor of it if UWW and USA wrestling got behind it and I can imagine a version of Freestyle which rewards and creates more situations for Greco wrestlers to succeed. - Former158 

I'd say there is next to zero shot of that happening but it is an interesting idea.  I think the US is one of the few countries that see an issue here and it is because we aren't competitive in Greco.  Strong Greco countries are happy to be known as such, and vice versa for freestyle.  I think UWW doesn't see it as broken.  We do, because of lack of success in one discipline and our fandom is generated from folk, which has many more weight classes.

International fans also follow Worlds pretty passionately on non Olympic years where that might not be the case for US fans

Have you watched RAF: Undiscovered yet? - Coach Herbo

I have not.  It is on my list.  Truth is, I'm a very bad TV watcher.  But I plan to binge it soon

What did Coach learn from Jag bag in prep for season Coach bag? - Hijo

I learned that building a following is challenging.  I have not thought about taking up smoking.  Yet.  But Jags was also authentic in his replies, so I'm trying to replicate that.

What are the pluses and minus for you working with high schoolers now compared to college? - Dave Y

Some of it because I'm back at another prep school, but I do enjoy being more involved in all aspects of the kids' lives and being part of a tight knit community.  Seeing growth is also easier at this age.  Most college kids are "bought in" by virtue of choosing to compete at a DI level and even at a high level at HS, you have to create that.  Honestly, the job is very similar.  I say that knowing that most kids on my team now already know how to wrestle, which is not the case with every HS job.

Not a ton of questions this week, so you are getting some content from me instead.  Hope you enjoy.  Maybe this does answer Hijo's question at the same time.  If not a coach, I'd be a sports journalist.  But let's be honest, no one wants to do that

Newsflash

There won't be a ton of opportunities for your athletes to use the single leg you taught them later in life.

Hopefully none.

But they can and will use some skills you taught them, or modeled for them every day

The foremost of those is emotional regulation.

Here's the truth. Emotional responses in a match are your enemy way more often than they are your friend. We have all watched Rudy, or whatever other Hollywood story you want to plug in where the protagonist gets "fired up" or "wants it more" and that gets them over the hump and helps them reach their goals.

It happens. Occasionally. A moment of inspiration produces the outcome you want. But more often than not, the emotional response you get from SAs is for them to lose their cool and it hurts them. I'll take a well-conditioned, well-trained athlete who is confident in his skill set and ready to execute his plan over one who is going to "bring the intensity" to win almost every match.

Of course, you need intensity. But relying on it too much tells your guys that you really don't believe in the technique and the game plan you are installing. You are signaling to them that it won't work unless you are "bringing the heat." I worry about that messaging.

Back to the main point. Emotional regulation is something you can and should help facilitate in your athletes because they will use it their entire lives. The ability to keep their anger and frustration in check will serve them well in their jobs, in their relationships. The skill it takes to approach a task from a logical standpoint is something they need. Heck, getting out of bed every day when they hang them up without needing a coach yelling in their ear is going to be something they all have to do some day, especially after you overtrain them and ruin their bodies. LOL. JK. Not really.

https://www.rokfin.com/article/15514/Athletes-and-Emotional-Regulation

It is a fine morning in the Empire State and New York's only professional football team is 2-0

Let's get to your questions

Green's bucket list of events, 5 in each category EVERY real fan should attend

High School (state championships, big duals, big tournaments)

College (duals, tournaments) - Joseph Caprino

I'm going to split this in two and hit the HS part this week, in no particular order

5 - New Jersey States in Atlantic City.  Great venue, great wrestling.

4 - Buchanan vs Clovis- this is how you do it.

3 - Ironman Semis- the little gym, the tiny mats, the best kids in the nation.

2 - WNO , but only at Lehigh as it was originally intended.  It has lost its luster

1 - Sem vs Blair, either school.  

Do you think the affiliate teams that left the Big 12 and the ones that stayed are a benefit to both?  

Or does the reduced teams in BIG 12 make them a stronger wrestling conference? - Shea Foster

Not a lot of fluff left in those brackets now.  I see it as similar to the Ivy/ EIWA split.  The margin of error is going to be pretty thin now with the qualification system.  Less spots is always an issue if you have a bad day.  The good news is you have all season to state your case and secure a spot for the conference, which factors heavily into at large.

What should wrestlers focus on this point in preseason, according to Coach - Hijo

Training.  Incorporating new technique into their arsenal.  Lots of quality reps.  Cross-training and keeping hard wrestling miles off their body.

The good old sport v sport combo! If Josh Allen were a college wrestler, who would he be? Same question but for the sun god, Amon-Ra St.Brown - Claunch

After dismantling the Kittycats last night, I'd say Allen looked like Mitch Clark circa 1998.  St. Brown looked good, but he padded his stats in garbage time, so I'd say he looked like a guy that enters the Last Chance Open trying to qualify a spot

Aside from your former employer....what is a college team that's under the radar for the upcoming season? - Josh G

Love this question.  I am keeping my eye on Indiana - I think Angel and crew have been doing a good job there.  Big 10 is brutal, so it is no easy task to push guys through. They have some good kids, though.

Totally different "radar", but excited to see Mercyhurst enter the fray.   We need more stories like Ned Shuck/ Bellarmine and hoping Jimmy and the Lakers will follow that narrative.

Happy Friday to all

Now we got something to work with.....

Will there be home-cooked, fresh meal options in the hospitality suite at EIWAs on March 5-6, 2027?

Will coffee be available throughout the tournament? - Kevin McGuigan

My sources say the hospitality at the EIWA will be the best hospitality room you have ever set foot in.  Remember, everyone is traveling to the food capital of the world.  I can't imagine a better room.  My top pick will be the breakfast sandwiches, for sure.

Given the qualification changes for Olympic weights, do you expect there will be college wrestlers who take off some or part of the 27-28 season to focus on preparing for Olympic Team Trials? This likely only applies to a few athletes. - Jason Mundt

Maybe, but I can't imagine they will take significant time unless they are part of a program with tremendous depth.  It will be tough to justify, especially if the same programs that were trending upward last year continue to make strides.  I think we have seen proof that a guy can wrestle a full folk season and still do damage internationally.

Is Wyoming your favorite to win the Big 12 this year? - Shea Foster

Love the work they are doing in Laradise, but I think the top two are the Cowboys outta Stillwater and Iowa State.  Overall, the Big 12 has become a really strong conference and that has to be attractive to recruits.  It's also the right size- in my opinion- and I like that they added a regular-season champ.

What’s Coach’s coaching record at Who’s Number One? - Jagger

I wish I knew.  I don't keep track.  Off the top of my head, I'd say 4-1. Won a couple at Dapper Dan and Dream Team over the years too, but some Ls as well. Will be fun trying to get athletes back to those events now that I'm back at HS level

What is the appropriate amount of time per week in a tough room to train to reach the peak as a competitor in the great sport of graps? I’ll hang up and listen. - Brandon from NJ

Seasonal.  Right now our guys aren't training all that hard- maybe 8 hours. Wiill add some volume in October and November- maybe 12-15.  Down the stretch - 5 hours

Bills already win division. Patriot have no chance. Coach think Bills win the Super Bowl? - Hijo

So it is written.  Go Bills

Let's get right to it on this fine Friday

What do we do about Greco? - Kevin Claunch 

Asked and answered, my friend.  Enjoy listening to Earl and I this AM.

Where does National Prep rank in the toughest state tournament debate - Jimmy Overhiser

The Champs would win a dual against every state tourney champs, every year.  To win preps, you have to beat the kid from Blair, Sem, Malvern, LHP, etc...  that's really hard.  1-4 the preps are probably the best.  Starts to fall off after that.  There are Prep qualifiers who would get mollywhopped by JV wrestlers from NJ/PA- but those guys go 0-2 at Lehigh.

Ever since Willie's first Class of 2027 Big Board, Melvin Miller has been #1 without much debate. On his last update, Michael Boyle rose to #2. After watching Boyle at U20's, dominating at 97 kg as a 17-year-old....has he closed the gap on Miller? Could he overtake him? Or do you think someone else is worthy of that #1 or #2 spot? - Earl in Virginia

Oh, hey Earl.  Good question.  This is one of the questions that are fun to debate.  Based on current accolades and accomplishments, it's tough to put anyone past Miller on the body of work.  If it was college potential, I might have Boyle on top, but then you have to figure out his weight class and if there are comps at HWT.  My guy to watch here is a completely healthy Gavin Mangano.  He hasn't posted his best results yet, but he is my darkhorse.

Since you seem to be up on women's wrestling more than most. Who are your early picks for the 2028 Olympic Team? - Jen S.

We will have a very good team in 28.  How freaking good is our U23 Team for Vegas?  It's tough to project 2 years out because some young stars are going to grow and we don't know if some of the sports staples will make another run (Helen, Adeline, Sarah, Kayla et.al)

Right now, I'd go with a youth movement of sorts, but if any of the above extend their run, I reserve the right to make changes:

50 - Morgan Turner

53 - Cristelle Rodriguez

57 - Everest Leydecker

62 - Macey Kilty

68 - Kennedy Blades

76 - Amit Elor

Happy Friday, loyal mailbag readers.  A good group of questions to tackle today as I am up watching our boys kick butt overseas.  Here we go…

How should coaches balance progression of the wrestlers on their roster versus leaning into NIL and transferring new student-athletes into a program? - Kevin Claunch

Even when I was at Army, I didn't envy my fellow coaches at schools that had to re-recruit their roster every spring, which is the reality in the NIL/ Arms race era.  I think the strategy has to be to act like a baseball manager in season, and then a GM in the offseason.  Maybe those are eventually two different roles for the big programs moving forward.  You have to develop guys - that doesn't change.  But once the free agency period hits, you have to look at your roster and figure out how to improve it.  Improving it means different methods for different programs, but you get the point.  

What is the best international city you've traveled to for wrestling purposes and why? - Jake N

Budapest- next question.  Lol

I think it is the perfect blend of Western convenience, but old school Eastern Europe as well.  Great food.  Beautiful buildings, tons of history and of course - awesome sauna culture.  And Hungary loves wrestling, particularly Greco.

What’s one question you would ask at the RAF 12 press conference and who would be the person you would ask? - Kevin McGuigan

I have confessed in the past that I am not really into RAF yet.  It is on my list.  But looking at the matchups, I think Bo Nickal or Gable Steveson, if success here, would provide the spark they needed to get back on the Olympic circuit.

I'd also ask Kennedy Blades if she still trips and falls walking around on a daily basis.

What’s your favorite breakfast cereal to put on a hot dog? - Jagger

I had to bleach my eyes after looking at that Shane Sparks photo on Twitter.  Folks- if you want to have a good weekend, do NOT put breakfast cereal on your hot dogs.  It may be the ONLY thing worse than putting ketchup on one.  Please comply.

I love hot dogs! This is a Slider Dog and OMG is this fantastic! Fruit Loops, Mac & Cheese and bacon. Spectacular!!! Sooooo good!!! @CleGuardians pic.twitter.com/9ws6DsxDyh

— Shane Sparks (@ShaneSparksBTN) August 20, 2026

Happy Friday, Lads and Lassies

Only a couple of days till u20s for the wrestling faithful.  I think we will see a really strong performance across all disciplines for the red, white, and blue.  I'm fired up to watch.

Give me your Mount Rushmore of wrestlers who had the best careers that are not talked about enough - Joe Caprino

Hmmm.  This one might meander a bit.  I went with college guys, but there are a ton of other ways I could've answered it.

A personal connection for the first one- JP O'Connor- 3x AA and NCAA Champ at Harvard.  The weights he was fighting in include some all-time greats.  And he graduated from Harvard.  Not a lot of people talk about it.  In fact- a NY content creator just ranked him like the 13th best wrestle in NY since 2000

Greg Jones HAS to be on this list.  3 titles, only 4 losses, I think.  No one ever brings him up.

I'm throwing Mitch Clark in here as well.  His dominance for 1 year might never be matched.

The last one goes to Lee Kemp.  If you don't know how good he was, you should.  Look it up

First time, long time, with the rise of home school programs being attached to clubs which are becoming pipelines for high schools and some clubs now pipelines for colleges and affordability on the rise, is this good or bad for the sport? I'll hang up and listen. - Brandon from NJ

I have concerns.  I've dealt with the aftermath of some of these programs as a coach at Sem and a college coach/ recruiter.  I think they can be done well, but I also think the education piece gets ignored or minimized in the majority of them.  Doing two worksheets and then getting on the treadmill in plastics is not homeschooling.  And if you don't think that's happening, you are naive.  One of my biggest challenges as an educator and coach is getting kids who don't have the baseline skills when they get to HS because they have been chasing rankings and trophies.  I see the same thing in the classroom.  I think there is some potential there, but I'd really have to know who is doing the education piece, what their credentials are, what the curriculum looks like, etc.. before making an individual situational judgment.

What are your thoughts on David Taylor's press conference quotes about leaving dates open for Penn State? Is it posturing because teams often leave open dates? When do you think they'll dual next? - Joe D

I'm not privy to the "beef" details, if they actually exist, but promoting a dual like this is good for the sport; I hope it happens.  Do I think DT was "posturing?"  No.  I think he genuinely wants to wrestle the best schedule he possibly can.  I hope this match happens sooner rather than later.

If coach controls the world team selection process, how does coach design process? - Hijo

This is a great question!

Probably won't create a ton of fans here, but for Senior level I would do as much as I could to preserve the training cycle necessary for our best. Most proven international performers to win world medals, not domestic wrestle-offs.  That's likely the antithesis of the American folkstyle constructs.  I do like returning medalists sitting until a Final X type situation.  I also don't mind determining the team early so that preparation can be focused on the World Championships.  So March/April team selection is ideal for me.  There are reasons that we don't do that, and I understand them, but that would be ideal for me.

I hope your weekend is filled with noble pursuits.  I'm gearing up for some minor league baseball and trying to squeeze the last bit of summer in before reopening school on the 24th.

Enjoy

Happy Friday Gang Green.  Thanks for reading.

Loving my new job at New York Military and was able to secure a couple of recruits this week.  I always love the online vitriol that comes with it because it reminds me that some people should have their social media taken away.  Today we had a guy accusing us of "poaching" kids.  Checked his profile and he is an ardent free speech/ capitalist/ patriot.  I didn't have the heart to ask him why he hated capitalism so much and why he wanted to force families to remain in their socialist government-run boundary schools.  Didn't figure you can have productive conversations with snowflakes like that.

Any-hoo, into your questions

Can you recommend me a book? - Rudis Rowley

My go to recommendation is always Meditations/ Aureilias.  A great fiction choice, which isn't really related to wrestling, is Peace Like a River by Leif Enger.  You should check it out.

What do you think of the new ruling that would let Levi Haines and Jesse Mendez have another year of eligibility? - Rob J

Not a fan.  Not because it is those two guys, or anyone in particular.  I think we need boundaries because we all agree we don't love what college athletics have become.  Any carve-outs or waivers just create more carve-outs or waivers.  We need less litigation and more focus on making athletics an extension of the true purpose of college- to educate kids.

Army vs Navy is obviously a big rivalry in wrestling. Why don't they dual Air Force? - Eric L

We've tried, but logistics are tough.  I think Air Force/ Army is happening this year.  New coaches in two of the academies may stimulate interest.  

Side note - I'm a believer that Army/ Navy dual should borrow from football and move to a neutral site.  I think it would be a huge draw and that would be good for the rivalry and the sport.  

Will Coach move on to coach the Mets - Hijo

I will entertain proposals.  It might seem odd, but I'm excited about watching the last bit of the Mets season.  They aren't going to the playoffs, but it is fun as a fan to watch young player development and favorites perform.  I think college wrestling needs a bit of that too.  Fan for fan's sake, not outcome-only-driven fandom

Have a great weekend kids!

Good morning, gangstas.  If you weren't up watching U17 today- what are you doing?  Our girls are crushing it and the boys are off to a great start as I write this.  And shoutout to the much-maligned Greco program for having a great event.

Let's answer some questions!

What are your thoughts on the future of NCAA Wrestling and USA Freestyle/Greco Wrestling in terms of spectator, participant, and investor interest? - Kevin McGuigan

NCAA wrestling is seemingly well positioned in all those areas if you use the NCAA tourney as a metric.  It gets better and better every year.  The Penn State mega dynasty is compelling, but the new wave of momentum in Stillwater is exactly what the sport needs from a storyline standpoint.  I think the biggest concern at the NCAA level is whether we lose teams that can't write the checks that the Iowa/ Iowa State/ Michigan and other P4 schools can, and whether there is enough organic interest in "other" teams to have a fan base large enough to keep the sport relevant outside of 15 programs.

UWW wise- I think we are in a transition in the USA.  This level is about star power and individuals and we have been in the golden age for both - with JB, Dake, Adeline, Helen, Kyle Snyder, Sarah, etc for a long time.  As these faces of the sport reach retirement age, who has that draw?  Who can produce the results but also be someone that draws in fans amongst our younger stars?  I think stakeholders will look to brand smart stars like Bo Bassett and Kennedy Blades to keep carrying the torch.

There always seems to be one surprise Olympian. Who is your early pick for 2028? - Jagger

This one vexed me, because it is accurate.  And there is a long time between now and then.  I'm gonna pick two people.  They are obviously already very good, but making the team in 2028 still seems unlikely.  Jayden James and Aaron Seidel.

What is the Real America freestyle match Coach most wants to see - Hijo

Hmm.  I hope they eventually put more women's matches on the card, so I'm gonna go with a young phenom Taina Fernandez vs age group world champ Jasmine Robinson.

What are your thoughts on Wyoming Seminary and Blair Academy's new girls head coaches? - Riley L.

So awesome to have enough interest in the sport to have a question like this.  It's come a long way since we started the program at Sem 10 years ago.

Mia (Macaluso) is going to do great.  Kudos to Blair for adding a female coach- more girls will look at Blair now- and they are already doing pretty well.  Mia has a strong track record at ESU and I can't wait to be on the other side of the Macaluso sister civil wars for years to come.

Steve (Mytych) inherits the top program in the nation 10 years running and the coffers are filled with talent.  Who would have dreamed 10 years ago that a HS girls job would be an attractive option for a long time DI men's assistant?  There is a deep, accomplished roster in Kingston, but we have learned since Erin Vandiver's departure that coaching at Sem is a different animal, and longevity and success there has nothing to do with xs and os.  Steve knows the institution, as it is his second stint there, so it looks to be a good setup.

Awesome to see girls wrestling growing at the Prep level

Great set of questions this week and I'm excited to answer them.  

I feel like there are a lot more open coaching roles at this point in the offseason than there usually is. Do you think an unintended consequence of RTC's and events like RAF are getting in the way of getting into coaching or am I crazy? - Claunch

The short answer is yes.  More opportunities in other places have made college assistant and even head coaching roles less appealing and harder to fill.  There are dozens of wrestling people who are competing in RTCs, RAF or running their own clubs that would all be coaching at the college level right now, if it were 20 years ago.  

There is also less willingness to accept a college coaching salary.  I've noticed that a lot recently.  Even though the market doesn't really support it, kids want to make 6-figure salaries at 23/24 years old in wrestling.  Some can do it in the open club market, but a lot of those wind up failing.  But the college assistant job at 55k is not as appetizing as it used to be.

Were kids tougher back in your day? - Joe Caprino

No.  Not at all.  

The biggest difference is that over-parenting is on a steady incline.  Witness the Daddy Academies that pop up everywhere and the insane parent behavior matside.  Homeschool also falls into this milieu.

Parents are less willing to let their kids struggle.

What's your favorite minor/major league baseball promotion? What kind of those promotions should wrestling adopt? - Earl

Well, it ain't Harry Potter or Star Wars Nights!  Nerds

I love a good fireworks show at a minor league game.  Or kids running the bases after.

I think we should incorporate a mom vs mom match in the middle of HS and Youth duals.  People would watch that.  Losers have to stop posting for a year.  Or give up drinking wine.

Also would be funny to pull the loudest guy out of the crowd and give him a rules quiz.  Like give him prizes for rules questions he gets right.  Might not give away much

Willie and Justin Basch mentioned on their show this week that recruiting news has been much slower than normal at this time of year. Is this because of the new recruiting rules or because most of the top 2027 kids have already committed? When do you think it picks up? - Alex T.

The whole landscape has really changed.  I do think most '27s have found a home, but I also think with no contact with '28s this fall, you will see a concerted effort from some staffs to "flip" them.  So you will see a lot of that in the coming months.  A lot of coaches have had to spend a few months re- recruiting their entire roster due to the transfer portal, so it follows that there is less HS recruiting.  It will take a while to adjust to the new ebbs and flows if you are a recruiting fan.  I've heard there is a lot of HS recruiting news to follow though

Great time of year to be a wrestling fan with a lot of age group Pan Ams and Worlds going on.  Enjoy watching the next generation of stars!

What do you make of the situation with the U23 team and USAW potentially choosing the team at certain weights? What’s the best way this should work out? - John P. 

I'll admit I didn't pay as close attention to this.  I assumed that the same procedures that USAW has used in the past were being used again.  So perhaps there was a better way to publicize this, but it is also possible I could have done more research.

I think USAW has done a nice job encouraging our best young guys to seek international opportunities and partner with college programs.  You don't want that to go backwards.  I think they are also in a place now that choosing the guy they think has the best shot to win in Vegas is the right move.  It is a tough position to be in, but it is a position we as members of the organization are trusting them with.

You can't change it now, but moving forward I think you almost have to have some type of wrestle-off/ trials in place.  It doesn't have to be the u23 tourney, but there should be a sense of earning the spot
 

What are the must have foods for your July 4th cookout. Anything out of the ordinary?  - PK

Easiest question of the day.  Hot dogs.  No ketchup.

Everything else is negotiable

Do you like 4th of July fireworks only on the 4th or a different day if the holiday doesn’t fall on the weekend? - Brian C. 

Never really thought about it.  I'm not a huge fireworks guy- I actually think they are most enjoyable after a baseball game- Go Binghamton Rumbleponies.  For the 4th, the biggest celebrations should be on the correct date.  If that's inconvenient for some people, so be it.

What do you make of all of the recent AJ Ferrari news. Did it bother you seeing some of your peers trying to continue to give him chances? - Anon

Yes. 

The only thing I'm surprised about these days is that people are surprised by news like this.

I've given chances to kids before and gotten burned, so no one is perfect.  We are always in a delicate position and the wrestling community is known as a forgiving one.  But forgiveness and grace can't be tied to results.  They have to be tied to growth.

I think we are ultimately a microcosm of society, and in today's world we all walk a thin line between wanting to believe in the best in people and recognizing phony behavior.  The line gets blurred a lot and everyone's decisions can have a deleterious impact on the people around them.  It can be tough sledding.

Morning, Gang Green.  Awesome questions this week.  Let's get into them

Biggest lesson learned for Coach at Final X? - Hijo

Well, my friend, I think I learned that there is a place for the youth in this sport, but the vet isn't done yet. A great blended team headed out to represent us.  Who isn't stoked that Kyle, Helen, Snyder, Spencer, James Green and Zain are putting on the Red, White, and Blue again?  Star power drives headlines, and having athletes who hang around gives people a strong rooting interest.  Let's hope wrestling fans never take athletes like these for granted.

At the same time, having an infusion of young blood is great for the team and the sport.  So keeping an eye on Turner, Blaze, Everest, et.al is gonna be fun.  Throw a potential Bassett Senior debut in there and it promises to be must-see TV

With the 5 for 5 ruling coming down should the transfer portal re-open? - John R.

I get the reasoning here, but I'd say no.  I think there was enough talk about this that athletes could have anticipated it.  In my opinion, the rules are so athlete-friendly right now, that we don't need another window of chaos at this point.  It will have to self-correct next year.

This is a good change for the NCAA and although it doesn't address every issue, it does solve some of the things that fans hated the most.

Did you enjoy the Wrestling World Cup? Should we bring it back or does it need to be changed - TB

I love wrestling, but it never really captured even the most ardent wrestling supporter, did it?  I'm not sure why.  I wonder if the market is saturated for both the fan and the athlete.  People are going to always prioritize making teams, and I guess the WC doesn't work for those priorities.

Maybe a dual championship for World Teams has a place somewhere, but I don't know if the viewing public would support it.

Your thoughts on Pat Santoro stepping down, competing against him in the EIWA, and Brad Dillon taking over? - Earl S. in VA

I mean, the consummate professional, right?  Just a classy guy.  Keeping an institution like Lehigh near the top is way harder than people think and Pat did it with aplomb. He had to navigate a lot of really challenging scenarios there, especially the last few years- and you rarely saw Lehigh in the "complaint section" of your social media/ mat forum/ piss and moan places.  His teams were always a strong combo of talented, because they are great recruiters, and prepared, because he is a great coach.

I'm thrilled for Brad.  He is probably still mad at me because Macch is now at West Point, but I know he will get over it.  They have built an incredible community there and I know Brad has been patient about head coach opportunities.  It is absolutely his time to shine, and I wish him well.

Happy Friday to all.  

No one asked, but I do wish to use this platform for good.  Another story this week about kids getting ripped off by a dual team organizer.  This is an issue.  It happened to families I'm involved with last year at Elite 8.  Our community is generally trusting and forgiving.  The guy who stole money from those families is already back assembling dual teams. Lots of money gets exchanged and sometimes the guys in charge wouldn't even qualify for a used car loan, and we are handing them thousands of dollars.  Do your research.  If someone is getting their wages garnished, they probably shouldn't be handling this task.  If they are asking for cash, or a check to them personally, it is probably a bad idea.

On to your questions...

What upset does coach feel is most likely at Final X - Hijo

Exciting weekend for the sport.  I struggle to see the difference at this level in a lot of these bouts.  If LL beats Spencer again, is that an upset?  Probably.  But I can see it happening.  Is Dake over Zahid an upset?  On paper, at this point.  

Give me Dakey Duck for old time's sake!

What upset made you most upset - Jags

Royals over Mets a few years back.

Wrestling wise, it isn't something I get into a great deal of thought about.  As a fan, upsets are fun, that's why rankings matter so much, or so I am told.  As a coach, I don't think you think of yourself as the underdog.

That being said- I think last year Navy was the clear favorite in our dual and we wrestled really well and won for the third straight year.  On the other side of the coin, two years ago at Bucknell, I thought we went in prepared and favored and Wirns and Smitty kicked our asses.  Didn't feel good about that for weeks.

Why is NYUSAW so bad now Haphazard junior duals team on the boys side. No cadet team. The girls 14U, cadet, and junior teams are half forfeits. Can you explain why the talent is not on the teams and why there are half lineups? S. Carolina and Texas have better lineups than NY - Spartan Grappling

I'm close to this one.  It matters to me.  Aside from my stint at Sem, I have been volunteering with NYUSAW since 1991- with a lot of trips to Fargo and other places in there.

In terms of duals, the length of the school year and NYS Regents is an obstacle.  For sure.  

So is cost.  With so many other events on the calendar, a kid has options.  He can pay to jump on a Daddy Academy Dual team at NHSCA.  USAW actually has rules.  Parents don't love that.

I worked hard to overcome some of those obstacles and put together a decent team for Junior Duals last year.  It was the first time we had gone since the Jim Sutton era- when NY did pretty well,  I felt like there was some good momentum there, but the decision makers at NYUSAW decided to go in another direction this year, so I won't be coaching.

I hope they do well.

What’s your opinion about all of these Final X matches that have delays? Do we need to revisit the process? - James T.

I don't think we do.  Final X is a good thing.  Delaying the wrestle off isn't new- I remember DC wrestling Dean Morrison in Fargo in 2003 for the spot.  It happens.  You want the guys to be as healthy as possible.  Honestly, my biggest critique of Final X would be that it is too long, so a few fewer bouts might make it more digestible for the in-person crowd.  I think you just deal with injuries and delays like we always have.

Enjoy the matches!

Good morning Bagets.  That's French.  Hope you guys are getting ready for Final X!  Some great matches on tap soon.  Let's roll right into your questions.  Bagets...Roll, I gotta go get some carbs right now....

Back in the day, Americans would always refer to international weight classes in pounds. Like John Smith wrestled at "136 and a half" instead of 62 kg. At some point, this country finally started calling the weight class by its metric name. When did this shift happen and why? - Oldest & Greatest

Never really thought about it.  It certainly must be due to the growth of international coverage.  It sounds a lot better when we use the kilo for sure.  I know many Americans have an aversion to the metric system, but from a simplicity standpoint, 50 kilos sounds cleaner than 110 pounds, especially when there’s a fraction involved.  One thing I know for sure.  Americans like a 2kg allowance more than a 2lber, especially when someone teaches them math

Favorite city to visit on road for coach? - Hijo

Internationally- Budapest.  Very well kept secret for a lot of Americans.  Enough English is spoken if you need that, but you also don't ever feel like you are in an American section of a Euro city.  I'm a fan of Eastern Europe overall.

USA- I like Fargo.  I know people won't agree, but it is a cool little town.  I think I've had some great coaching memories there, so it might not be completely rational, but heading there is always something I look forward to.  Great people and great place.

Aaron Pico is back on RAF this weekend. How would he have done if he focused on wrestling? - Joe D

Hard to argue with his results when he was wrestling.  So with that alone, you have to think he would have had great success.  I can't imagine he would have gotten worse and the things that have plagued him in his fight career, namely the chin, aren't really factors in wrestling.  I'd say if he had stayed healthy, he would have been a world medalist.  It's conjecture, but he was really, really good.

After the comeback in the NBA finals, what is your list of best wrestling comebacks? - Bill S

The convo has to start with the Rohn/ Lambrecht match, right?  I mean that's the gold standard.  I still can't believe it happened.  Another one was Damion Hahn scoring late against Trenge.  I think 11 seconds left.

Most recently, SeaBass beating Ochir has to be up there.  His knee was down!  Bronze medal.  I think he was trailing in every match on his run.  You know it was the right call when the Mongolian coaches did not disrobe.

Is this garbage Mets season just a sacrifice for a Knicks title - Jagger

Oh Jags!  It's a long season.  We just need Grimace to show up again.  The Knicks run has been a storybook though.  I can't think of a team that has created more excitement in the Big Apple in recent memory.  The OG tip in is up there with the Mookie grounder.  What are your top 5 NY sports moments?

Happy Friday GangGreen

Thanks for all the awesome mailbag feedback.

I'm sure a lot of you saw on social media that my new gig at NYMA is taking off.  I'm excited to be in that role and trying to replicate what was done at Sem a few years back.  Our kids graduate Saturday, but watch our socials all summer as I go about finding ways to provide a unique, high-level private school experience with world-class wrestling to young men and women across the nation.

Do we think the elite state of high school wrestling can continue? Or is it just the byproduct of the top 1% being generational? Or is the age wrestlers are in their “prime” decreased as well? - RudisRowley

I think HS wrestling will continue to evolve.  Kids have more access to clubs, RTC, and resources.  I think the logical product of that is HS kids are performing at levels that we haven't seen before.  The by-product of that is a lot of miles on your body- so you may see athletes leaving competition earlier.  I don't really have an opinion on whether that is good or bad, but there won't be a lot of Kyle Dake's moving forward.

I also think HS kids will seek out routes besides your traditional public school more and more.  I think that is a mixed bag as well.  Some destinations are equipped to educate kids, as they have been doing since the 1800s.  Other models are in their infancy and may or may not work.  We are no different than any other sport- a percentage of kids and parents will sacrifice education in lieu of three practices a day.  It will be interesting to see what happens next.

How coach keep guys fresh with demands of Army for a full season - Hijo

Sometimes we did, sometimes we didn't.

When I was at West Point, we worked hard to be sure our guys weren't banged up going into EIWA.  Both Kevin Ward and Troy Nickerson are cognizant of this.  Troy had our guys go live way less than most coaches.  KW was big on giving guys more days completely off the mat.  As an assistant, my job was to execute on both those philosophies.  I think one thing that is overhyped is how busy guys are at academies.  Every year, they put the daily schedule of the Cadet up in a graphic during the Army/ Navy football game.  Everyone who works at one knows it is complete BS.  Army wrestlers have down time and plenty of opportunity to engage in recovery.  Shoutout to Spencer Sallee- the best athletic trainer in the biz!  He works hard to keep the Army guys healthy

I saw you respond to Willie's tweet about RAF stats. Which stats or metrics would you like to see or be able to measure in wrestling? Aside from pins, techs etc  - Tony S

Think of your favorite sport and think of the numbers you associate with it.  20 game winner.  50 goals.  Triple doubles.  1000 yards.

We don't have anything like that.  WrestleStat tries but fans don't really buy in.  I think some standardization of schedule would be cool.  There should be strong recognition at the NCAA level of season leaders in wins, pins, etc..We should make a bigger deal out of it.  Maybe it will become a way to qualify for NCAA’s?

RAF kinda has carte blanche to do stuff like this.  I'm intrigued to see if they lean into it

Why do hot dogs come in a pack of 10 but hot dog buns come in a pack of 8? - Jimmy Overhiser

A guy is educated at Wyoming Seminary and Cornell and he can't figure this out?  Hot dogs, in general, are sold by weight like most meats.  Generally speaking - 10 dogs is a pound.  

Note - That doesn't mean eat 10 dogs if you are a 1lb under.  Unless you are a heavyweight.  

Buns were produced on standard baking trays, which usually come in 4s.  So eight is a multiple of 4, but 10 isn't.

I feel like my job of educating Overhiser should have ended when he became a grown man and a DI Head Coach, but I guess I'm a teacher for life.

Morning kiddos.  Another good crop of questions for a Friday as we prep for Super 23s

What is the future for the smaller D1 wrestling programs? Clearly won’t be able to compete with schools that are getting millions from donors and throwing bags at wrestlers. What does 3 million do for a school like Pitt? - Logan Ausman

Not a great time to be a little guy.  I was talking about this the other day and wondering if an American, or a Bloom or an Edinboro is even possible.  There is no question we will see more programs dropped, or neutered financially ala Campbell soon.

Yes, 3 million for a school is awesome, but the numbers the big dawgs are playing with are astronomical.  Does 3 million get you more scholarships?  Yes - but is that the solution?  It is part of it for sure.  I think it likely positions a program to survive and move up a few spots, but It isn't going to have a lasting impact when you compare it to some of the other war chests being assembled.  It is always an arms race, but never more so.

How are you enjoying your recent career transition? - Rachel Gallardo

Hey there, kiddo.  It has been a whirlwind.  Going from West Point graduation last week, to NYMA next week - still feel like I have my feet in both worlds a little bit.  Things will settle down this summer and I'll have a chance to prep for next year.  Excited to be in the classroom teaching one class next year.   A lot of good things on the horizon.

Which RAF 09 matches are you looking forward to and do you like the old wrestlers/MMA guys competing? Frank D

Lil' secret here - I have never watched RAF.  Not for any particular reason other than over-saturation of wrestling on my end.  I hope that doesn't get me fired.  I do follow the results, though.  I don't mind the novelty matches and personalities - if the metrics show it is putting more eyes on the sport, awesome.  Seeing Steveson back on the mat is appealing. It makes you wonder what is next.  And Bajrang/ Lovett?  That's a lot to think about, too

Who inspire coach become coach? - Hijo

My man, great question.

I've had a lot of great mentors, maybe too many to mention, but I would never have gotten into coaching if it weren't for Joe Rotundo.  That's our guy Tony Rotundo's dad!  He ran a club in my area in the 80s before clubs were really a thing.  I had an awesome HS coach, but Joe had a perspective that I had never seen or heard from any of the coaches I had been around growing up playing every sport imaginable, as 80s kids were wont to do.  I would describe it as Jedi- like.  He was taking kids overseas and wrestling a ton of freestyle and it was just eye opening for me.  I also got to work with the younger kids a lot and that really helped me develop as a coach when I was in HS.  A lot of people added to my style and approach as I grew in the field, but that is really where it started

Grab a couple glizzys and a pop guys, it is one of the best weekends of the year in Geneva.  Super 23s and U20 WTT.  Have a good one

What's up, gangstas?  Plenty of great questions to answer, so let's get right into it

What’s an aspect of folkstyle that you prefer as compared to freestyle and vice versa? - Dylan (Rhino) Ryan

That's a really tough one, Rhino.  I guess I would say the ability to earn additional points while holding an opponent on their back.  For sure, I have been frustrated in matches before when an athlete hits a big, dominant move and holds them on their back for a long time, and the score is only two.  We used to have a hold-down point.  

Where do you feel the biggest benefits of NIL, RTC’s, and RAF have helped student athletes and post grad athletes and what are some of the fears or biggest negatives that have happened to this point and moving forward?  - Kevin Claunch

Hey, I think it is awesome that a kid can go out and make money now, especially when he is using his own image to do camps, clinics, sell gear, etc...There is a pathway for income, a variety of pathways that actually never existed before.  So years of work can be rewarded.  

My biggest fear is tougher, because I have a lot.  We have always had a competitive imbalance at the NCAA level - all sports do.  But this has exacerbated that.  Bigger than that, though, is my worry with younger athletes is that no one is preparing them to have these massive paydays and the money is getting burned through like the Washington Nationals bullpen.  It isn't an issue for some kids, but I know some situations where a kid spent $75k in two weeks, no degree, in the portal again, and is racking up surgeries.  We gotta find a way to do better.

Excluding Mike Macch at Army. What is the best fit for a coaching hire so far this year? - Mike B

Clearly, it is Scott Green at New York Military Academy.

A bunch of new faces in new AND familiar places, but my eyes are on two.  Hayden Hidlay back  in Raleigh and Anthony Ashnault in Rut-gahs.  Both are giving off Prodigal Son vibes.  It's a neat dynamic as they should hit the ground running in programs they are very familiar with.  I imagine there will be high expectations for both, as neither are rookie coaches anymore.   I'm a big fan of both kids, so I'm gonna be watching.

I saw Shane Sparks talk about this on Twitter. When was the first NCAA Tournament you went to in person and what were some of the highlights? - Albert M.

The crazy truth is, I never went to NCAAs until I coached in it. I was a crazy coach when I was younger, so I was at a FS/GR tourney in Syracuse that weekend every year, or finding other places for my athletes to wrestle. So, my first year at Binghamton was in St Louis. I think we had one kid and he won a match. My lasting impression of the weekend was how bad it sucked to be sitting in the coaching corral watching other people's kids wrestle and that I never wanted to do that again. That being said, I had some club kids from my previous gig do pretty well that weekend, so it wasn't a total loss

Explain Paris/ Trumble for me. I have never experienced anything like that- JCover

You could give me 100 mailbags and I couldn't do it. I just think they got it wrong, period. I've actually seen kids wrestle their way into "strangulation" a few times- there is a Greco guy on the circuit right now who does it on purpose when things get tight so he passes himself out. I don't think that was the case here. Trumble had a tight, legal hold. There were options available for Mason and he chose to keep wrestling and trying to score points. The result should have stood.

I'm also surprised that Paris was allowed to continue after the fact. Probably a bad look to bring a guy back from unconsciousness matside and get him going again. I know it was probably ok, but I hope that doesn't become a thing. If they thought it was "strangulation" and the kid is out, have a protest procedure and wrestle it later.

All in all, a bit of a goat rodeo and a shame to see.

Special shout out on the MB this week to all my guys graduating from West Point and commissioning into the US Army as 2LTs. Congrats guys.

Have a great weekend!

What's up, my little cherubs?  Great WTT action this weekend to enjoy with the Da BAG

Don't forget to check out the pod, send my questions and buy wrestling cards from our sponsor

Being a prominent coach at both the High School and College level is nothing short of amazing.

What have you seen during your time that wrestlers need to do more of? What have you seen that they need to steer clear of? - Ronald Tucker

Well, it has been an amazing run for sure.

In general, wrestlers at all levels need more consistency and more level-headed support from the adults in their lives.  They need help making decisions that are beneficial to their entire person, and fewer that are exclusively wrestling decisions.  They need a system that they buy into

They need fewer emotional decisions.  Less club jumping.  Less manipulation from adults.  Probably fewer technique gurus.  

So they moved the national duals date. Not sure why. Also, it interferes with enough of the program’s finals schedules to prevent them from participating. Also near other big tournaments. Why can’t wrestling get out of its own way to have this be a fun event? - Claunch

Until this becomes a sanctioned event, the committee that runs it is free to test the market.  I don't think there are enough weekends in the year to do everything that everyone wants, so there will always be conflicts.  The market will decide.  I think so few schools actually care about academics, so I'm sure that wasn't on anyone's radar.  If our key decision makers continue to be wrestling coaches, we are going to get wrestling coach-type decisions.

How would you feel about the NCAA Wrestling Tournament evolving into a multi-week postseason format similar to college football playoffs and March Madness (Basketball). Early rounds are hosted on campus sites mimicking dual environments and the national finals become more of a culminating championship event? Do you think that would elevate wrestling's visibility and fan engagement or does it take away from the current tournament?  - Coachs_Journal

I'm a big advocate of duals matters, but one thing that is clear from the wrestling community is that we must maintain our current championship.  So anything that disrupts or devalues that is going to be met with resistance.  I like the idea of promoting big in season duals, but I'm not sure people understand how niche wrestling is.  I don't know if any comparisons to basketball carry any weight.

Since you're from NY, what's the secret to KD's success as a club coach? Had PJ Duke on the world team last year and Jayden James might be headed there this year? - Josh R

Honestly, this is the easiest one of the bunch.  Kids love wrestling for KD, and KD loves coaching his kids.  It is that simple.  You get the most out of kids who trust that you have their back.

What happened to the All-Academy Championships and why can't we bring it back? - Bloodround

I don't know what happened to it, but I don't see it coming back.  With the way the qualifying system is structured, it would be malpractice for the DI teams to send their starters to get a bunch of matches that don't count.  Maybe that's bad, but it is reality.  Could the event go down without the DI starters?  Maybe.  But I refer back to the "only so many weekends in the year" argument.  What do you cut to bring it back?  I dunno

Me vs the low single, who ya got? - Jags

I don't know what this is, but if it is Twitter, NY Mets or hotdog related- no one is beating Jags.

Good morning Lads and Lassies.  On the road today for my kids' college graduation and going to eat a pork tenderloin this weekend in a town called Gnaw Bone, Indiana.  Life is good.  Drop your food recs local to Bloomington

With it being freestyle season, please name some of your favorite all-time freestyle matches.

Also, from a coaching perspective, what is the most difficult piece helping a kid transition from folkstyle to freestyle?  - Kevin Claunch

With the current rule set, freestyle is a much easier transition than it used to be.  Obviously, you have to modify some of the funk and ankle diving.  I had a U15 kid give up points in a tight bout in Vegas, trying to create folk scrambles. That's the biggest one.

A lot of my favorites are ones I saw in person.  Man, the Worlds in Budapest had 4 GREAT matches.  I re-watch them regularly

Snyder/ Sadulaev

J'den/ Karimimachiani

Dake/ Gadzhimagomedov

Adeline over Wiebe

Great event!

Others?

Helen over Yoshida

Burroughs/ Tsargush series

Would you consider the three-point takedown a success? Any other scoring changes that could/should be made? Should stalling be adjusted where you can't stall out with a 3-1 lead late? - Greco-Roman Bravo Young

I do think it is a success.  To me, clarifying what a takedown is and having officials award it more quickly would be the first thing I would change.  I know there is a group of people who love riding time and love seeing guys' knees twisted in scrambles that would resist, but legislating those out of folk would improve the product.  Add a push out rule and the stalling would take care of itself

With Willie's Big Board being released yesterday....What is your Big Board for New York high schoolers that you've witnessed? Maybe a top 5? - David J

I feel like this post is going to reach LIMarty, wherever he is, and he is going to make a comeback.  LIMarty vs Willie on the next RAF card?

HS accomplishments only, since the 1980s, when I first started tracking, without thinking about it too much

5- JP O'Connor

4- PJ Duke

3- Adam Mariano

2- Jesse Jantzen

1- Troy Nickerson

What are your thoughts on Stanford retaining three wrestlers from the portal? Do you think the portal has a different “feel” this year? Robbie Wendell

It is great to see those guys going back and finishing what they started.  It is good for wrestling and good for them.  I don't know if the portal has a different feel, but it is here to stay.  Kids want to get paid.  I accept it, but don't love it.

The biggest lie ever told is that college athletes at the highest level are students first.  It is starting to trickle into our sport, too.  A lot of teams are majoring in eligibility and online grad certificates.  Man, I saw ads for middle school home school programs for wrestling clubs  with the tagline something akin to getting their schoolwork out of the way, so it doesn't interfere with wrestling training.  

We are where we are.  The portal just shines a light on it

Would you ever consider interlocking fingers as friends or renting a private boat with Jagger? - Dylan Ryan

I don't know how you and Vrabs do it in New England, but in NY/ NJ, male friends meet for frankfurters or pizza and talk about the Mets.  Let's be honest, between Kraft, Billy B, Vrabel, Udoka, even going back to Wade Boggs and Zeke Mowatt, you Beantowners have been getting in trouble due to your Patriot Missiles.  Must be the chow-dah.

Hey Guys and Happy Friday.  Great questions this week so let's get right to it...

But first- a word from our sponsor.  Buy wrestling cards

https://www.ebay.com/usr/americanvintagewrestlingcards

With the recent news of NCAA potentially expanding the men's and women's basketball tournament to include more teams, would wrestling expanding the 33-man bracket be an overall positive or negative for the sport? - Austin Sommer

This won't be popular, but going beyond 33 would be an EXTREME negative for our sport.  The brackets should be 24.  We already have a huge percentage of our participants at the National Tournament.  Trust me, when I was a DI coach, I was grateful for the bids and would do everything I could to get our guys there, but the event would run better if it were a little smaller.  You'd have to tweak the qualification process to get it right, but the event should be smaller

Help me understand Bo Bassett. I feel like pace, energy, and conditioning have always been essential to wrestling. How has he seemingly taken it to another level past where others have gone, and what other underrated aspects of his approach do you see that don't get enough credit? - Kevin Claunch

Honestly- nothing this kid does surprises me anymore.  If I woke up tomorrow and read that he bumped up to HWT and teched everyone, I wouldn't skip a beat.  His work ethic and pace are the things everyone sees, and he wrestles really, really hard.  But his ability to make technical adjustments doesn't get talked about enough.  

It's been 30 years since the last weight class change in college. Is it time to change again? What's the point in changing anyway? Should they add a weight class or two? - Greco-Roman Bravo Young

I do think it is time to change things up.  I would make 125 a tourney-only weight class and start at 133 for duals.  I like 9 matches for a dual.  I would also add 220 for tourneys.  9 weights for duals, 11 for individual events.  And before you get mad at me for eliminating opportunities for fun-sized athletes, ask them if they would rather make weight 6 times or 14 times a year.

Where do you think Brent Metcalf will have the biggest impact on Iowa State in his first few years as HC? Which school do you think will begin to add women's wrestling teams and make big moves like this next year? - Kevin Finnerty

This was my favorite news of the offseason.  Kudos to Kevin Dresser for having some vision.

Metcalf has already answered that question, no?  Bringing in Ayala is a statement add.  It just screams of "we are here and we aren't going anywhere."  I expect similar splashes in HS recruiting and portal adds to follow.

I hope this opens the door for more big-time schools to add Women's teams.  Oklahoma State seems to be the most logical, as they have a thriving club.  I feel like DT sees it, as well!

Which of the Final X matches that we know right now are you looking forward to most and why? - John S

My first thought is Trent Hidlay and Mike Macch.  A great backstory, and both have promotable personalities.  I feel like USAW should be all over this, creating the storylines during the run-up to the event.

From a pure wrestling standpoint, who doesn't want to see Dake/ Valencia?  Dake has looked great lately, but Zahid seems to rise the occasion.  Bottom line, if I have to go to New Jersey, at least I get to see good wrestling.

Keep em coming guys!!!

Pretty light load for questions this week.  Would love to keep this mostly wrestling, so hope to hear more from you guys moving forward

In Vegas right now for the US Open.  This is such a good event from a competitor standpoint.  Not so much from a fan standpoint, but that's kinda the nature of mass tourneys.  I did get the opportunity to coach some u15 last night and it reminded me that it has been a while since working with this age group.  Vegas is kinda that first bridge between the Tulsa/ Super Youth tourneys and the USAW system.  Lots of comedy on the back mats last night, but lots of good wrestling too.

Since the Mets are now mathematically eliminated from the playoffs (thanks to the Cubs), what activities will you partake in this summer? - Joe Caprino

Math must not be a strong suit for Cubs fans.  Here's some math for ya.  108.  That's the number of years between Cubs’  last two World Series wins. 

I fully expect the Mets to compete for a playoff spot.  Like wrestling, you can have a rough first month of the season and still find your way to the NCAA tourney, or even on the podium.  It's the nature of having a season that is more like a marathon than a sprint.

We see duals in barns and outside but should we see more duals on boat? Army verse Navy out on a boat - Hijo de JL Vice

Army recently wrestled an event on a ship two years back in South Carolina and that event continues to this day.  It is sponsored by The Citadel.  There were some weather logistics the year we went, but I love the idea of unique sites.

When I was at West Point, we were very interested in moving the Army/Navy dual to a neutral site ala the football game.  America's Match deserves that level of spotlight.  Both parties could not agree.  It is an awesome event at both home venues with a good crowd.  It was a lot of fun winning the last two times in Annapolis and establishing  Army as the premier service academy in terms of wrestling, with eight wins in the last 12 Navy duals.  It's an event to keep your eye on if you are college wrestling fan

Who’s 4th on this Mt. Rushmore? Shamrock WC, Wegmans, Stewart’s - Joe Warren

Stewarts doesn't belong there.  And I'm not sure about the others.  

But in the interest of keeping it wrestling, I think Shamrock belongs in the top four clubs of all time, especially in the tight window it existed in.  Some pretty good guys coming though those doors.  Multiple NCAA Champs, a Super Bowl Champ and perhaps the greatest UFC fighter ever.  Perhaps we can turn the tables and ask Wrestling Twitter who the Club Mt Rushmore are?  The Edge?  Young Guns?  Overtime?  Let's hear it. and please, show your work!

Last night I inducted my brother into our high school wrestling Hall of Fame. Do you think there is a Hall of Fame that I will ever get into?

Jagger belongs in the Mets fan HOF.  His dedication to the cause is unquestioned, and his indomitable will is easy to see.  It ain't the best team to be a fan of, unless you are a fan of them.

Keep those wrestling questions coming my little cherubs.  And tell me about the Mt Rushmore of Clubs!!

Hey there youngsters.

So yes, yes it is true.  I am taking over for Jagger on the Friday mailbag.  Seems like I'm forever chasing greatness.  

I can only hope to build the rapport with the audience that the Pride of North Jersey had.  I think rapport is French, so I also believe that makes me bilingual.  Which you need if you've ever been in North Jersey. 

I think it will be a little bit light, a little bit serious and hopefully a whole lotta entertaining.  Fun.  We are allowed to have that.

Oh yeah, I got a sponsor.  Check out my guy over at American Vintage Wrestling Cards on Ebay.  Wrestling cards are cool!

Here we go...

With NIL and the transfer portal changing everything in college wrestling does the regular season even matter anymore or is it all just a tune up for NCAA's @RudisRowley

I think it matters.  I think it needs to matter more.  One thing we have seen in terms of seeding and even NCAA at large bids is that the regular season is heavily weighted.  So guys need to be solid all year long to put themselves in position to reach their goals at the end.  That's by design and I think it is a good thing.  The Paycom duals are a good thing, but they are kinda the NBA equivalent of the in-season NBA Cup.  Which was won by the NY Knickerbockers, btw... Big duals are drawing big crowds.  So I think there is still some room for regular season drama and meaning.

Who is the best Connellsville wrestler of all time @jkos11

Great query.  Awesome PA program and not many better than Coach Swink.  I will go with Ashtin Primus.  2xer if I recall correctly.  Pretty sure he wrestled in Dapper Dan when I was coaching one of my NY athletes in that event.  Coached some great bouts against him over the years.

How would you balance NIL and transfer portal rules to have a greater impact than this current structure? Seems to be a combo of money chasing and situation running, and a disproportionate number of athletes seem to be one of these two places every year.  Kevin Claunch

I dunno.  I'm intrigued by the 5 for 5 proposal.  With next to no waivers.  It seems like it restores what the original intention of NCAA sports to some extent.  Clearly the toothpaste is out of the tube and we aren't going back to what it "used to be" and you little miscreants are NOT going to get off my lawn.  And I think, if you are online at all, the portal generates interest in wrestling fans.  But maybe the age-based proposal will help a little.  Maybe a one time transfer?  But I doubt that stuff holds up when challenged in court. 

Tulsa (home of the B12 tourney) is also the home of QT. If the Big Ten move to one city, what gas station HQ city will it be? @PetersburgKing

I don't know what a QT is, but I assume it is vastly inferior to a Sheetz, or even a Wawa.  I also don't know where places are headquartered, but I would say there are Royal Farms near Maryland, so that would be an option because of the outstanding fried chicken.  Or Iowa City because of Casey's breakfast pizza.  

Happy Friday to all the people who were lame enough to read this entire post.  I hope you find time this weekend to celebrate Iowa State adding a Women's Team.  Next week is Vegas week, we will see you all in Sin City.

Well, here we are.

Through 15 weeks of Fantasy Wrestling, hopefully you find yourself in the playoff bracket only two more weeks away from winning the League.

A reminder of some important rules:

• Wrestlers entered at a weight must compete at that weight or else their results will not be counted. Wrestlers in the “Floater” spots can compete at ANY weight and accumulate Fantasy points.
• A wrestler will LOCK on your roster at 11 am ET on the day of their first competition for the week. (refer to the SHP’s Week Preview)
• Only results against D1 competition (starters, backups, and redshirts) will count towards Fantasy Points. 
• Check your league settings to know how many add/drops are permitted per week. 

Have a question, concern, suggestions, or just want to chat about Fantasy Wrestling? Hit us up on Twitter or head over to the InterMat Forums where we have a Fantasy Wrestling dedicated Forum page!
 

Wrestlers I Like This Week

Wrestler (School)- competition for the week [Proj Score]*
 

125:

Richie Figueroa (ASU) - Vs Cornell, Vs Oklahoma  [+7]

Stevo Poulin (UNCO) - @ Utah Valley, @ Wyoming  [+7]

Ethan Grimminger (DUKE) - Vs Stanford  [+6]

Vincent Robinson (NCST) - Vs Stanford  [+6]

Matt Ramos (PUR)- Vs Maryland  [+5]

Diego Sotelo (HARV) - Vs Columbia  [+4]

Dean Peterson (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+4]

Charlie Farmer (ARMY) - Vs Navy  [+3]

Carson Wagner (BING) - @ Buffalo  [+3]

Blake West (NIU) - @ Cal Poly  [+3]

Eddie Ventresca (VT) - Vs Pittsburgh  [+3]

Nicolar Rivera (WISC) - @ Northwestern  [+3]
 

133:

Dominick Serrano (UNCO) - @ Utah Valley, @ Wyoming  [+8]

Drake Ayala (IOWA) - @ Minnesota, vs Northwestern  [+7]

Evan Frost (ISU) - @ South Dakota State, @ Northern Iowa  [+6]

Micha Roes (BING) - @ Buffalo  [+5]

Jacob Joyce (BRWN) - Vs Columbia  [+5]

Nasir Bailey (LR) - @ Cal Poly, @ CSU Bakersfield, Vs North Dakota State  [+5]*

Ethan Berginc (ARMY) - Vs Navy  [+4]

Colton Camacho (EDIN) - Vs Rider  [+4]

Ethan Oakley (UNC) - Vs Virginia  [+4]

Zan Fugitt (WISC) - @ Northwestern  [+4]

Lucas Byrd (ILL) - Vs Penn State  [+3]

Braxton Brown (MARY) - @ Purdue  [+3]

Dylan Shawver (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+3]

Connor McGonagle (VT) - Vs Pittsburgh  [+3]
 

141:

Andrew Alirez (UNCO) - @ Utah Valley, @ Wyoming  [+8]

Tyson Sherlock (DAV) - Vs VMI, @ Appalachian State  [+6]

Jordan Soriano (DREX) - @ LIU, @ Hofstra  [+6]

Sergio Lemley (MICH) - @ Michigan State  [+5]

Brock Hardy (NEB) - Vs Indiana  [+5]

Joey Olivieri (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+5]

Joshua Koderhandt (NAVY) - @ Army  [+4]

Dylan Chappell (BUCK) - @ American  [+4]

Joshua Saunders (COR) - @ Arizona State  [+4]

Jacob Byra (NIU) - @ Cal Poly  [+4]

Mosha Schwartz (OU) - @ Arizona State  [+4]

Shannon Hanna (CAMP) - @ The Citadel  [+3]

Sam Latona (VT) - Vs Pittsburgh  [+3]

149:

Kyle Parco (IOWA) - @ Minnesota, vs Northwestern  [+7]

Sammy Alvarez (RID) - @ Edinboro, @ Clarion  [+7]

Gabe Willochell (WYO) - @ Air FOrce, Vs Northern Colorado  [+7]

Kai Owen (COL) - @ Harvard, @ Brown  [+6]

Paniro Johnson (ISU) - @ South Dakota State, @ Northern Iowa  [+6]

Kaden Cassidy (GMU) - Vs American  [+5]

Ridge Lovett (NEB) - Vs Indiana  [+5]

Dylan Gilcher (MICH) - @ Michigan State  [+4]

Lachlan McNeil (UNC) - Vs Virginia  [+4]

Caleb Henson (VT) - Vs Pittsburgh  [+4]

Trae McDaniel (ARMY) - Vs Navy  [+3]

Ivan Garcia (BING) - @ Buffalo  [+3]

Aiden Davis (BUCK) - @ American  [+3]

Kal Miller (MARY) - @ Purdue  [+3]

Andrew Clark (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+3]
 

157:

Matt Bianchi (LR) - @ Cal Poly, @ CSU Bakersfield, Vs North Dakota State  [+11]

Vince Zerban (UNCO) - @ Utah Valley, @ Wyoming  [+7]

Colton Washleski (RID) - @ Edinboro, @ Clarion  [+7]

Meyer Shapiro (COR) - @ Arizona State  [+5]

Chase Saldate (MICH) - @ Michigan State  [+5]

Antrell Taylor (NEB) - Vs Indiana  [+5]

Will Miller (APP) - Vs Davidson  [+4]

Kaleb Burgess (BUFF) - Vs Binghamton  [+4]

Conner Harer (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+4]

Noah Castillo (CHAT) - Vs Gardner-Webb  [+3]

DJ McGee (GMU) - Vs American  [+3]

Ryder Downey (UNI) - Vs Iowa State  [+3]
 

165:

Mitchell Mesenbrink (PSU) - @ Ohio State, @ Illinois  [+10]

Enrique Munguia (RID) - @ Edinboro, @ Clarion  [+8]

Cesar Alvan (COL) - @ Harvard, @ Brown  [+7]

Michael Caliendo (IOWA) - @ Minnesota, vs Northwestern  [+6]

Nick Hamilton (UVA) - @ North Carolina, Vs American  [+6]

Beau Mantanona (MICH) - @ Michigan State  [+5]

Evan Maag (GMU) - Vs American  [+4]

Stoney Buell (PUR) - Vs Maryland  [+4]

Anthony White (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+4]

Terrell Barraclough (UVU) - Vs Northern Colorado  [+4]

Lucas Uliano (APP)- Vs Davidson  [+3]

Noah Mulvaney (BUCK) - @ American  [+3]

Jack Thomsen (UNI) - Vs Iowa State  [+3]
 

174:

Jasiah Queen (DREX) - @ LIU, @ Hofstra  [+8]

Patrick Kennedy (IOWA) - @ Minnesota, vs Northwestern  [+7]

Levi Haines (PSU) - @ Ohio State, @ Illinois  [+7]

Issac Dean (RID) - @ Edinboro, @ Clarion  [+7]

Jack McGill (COL) - @ Harvard, @ Brown  [+6]

Riley Davis (WYO) - @ Air Force, Vs Northern Colorado  [+6]

Sergio Desiante (CHAT) - Vs Gardner-Webb  [+4]

Simon Ruiz (COR) - @ Arizona State [+4]

 Lenny Pinto (NEB) - Vs Indiana  [+4]

Garrett Thompson (OHIO) - @ SIU-Edwardsville  [+4]

Gaven Sax (OU) - @ Arizona State  [+4]

Mark Takara (UVU) - Vs Northern Colorado  [+4]

Lucas Condon (WISC) - @ Northwestern  [+4]

Brevin Cassella (BING) - @ Buffalo  [+3]

Danny Wask (NAVY) - @ Army  [+3]

Joshua Ogunsanya (UNC) - Vs Virginia  [+3]

Jackson Turley (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+3]

Lennox Wolak (VT) - Vs Pittsburgh  [+3]
 

184:

Braxton Lewis (VMI) - @ Davidson, Vs The Citadel  [+9]

Carter Starocci (PSU) - @ Ohio State, @ Illinois  [+8]

Nick Fine (COL) - @ Harvard, @ Brown  [+6]

Jaxon Smith (MARY) - @ Purdue  [+5]

Kamdyn Munro (CHAT) - Vs Gardner-Webb  [+4]

Chris Foca (COR) - @ Arizona State [+4]

Dylan Fishback (NCST) - Vs Stanford  [+4]

Parker Keckeisen (UNI) - Vs Iowa State  [+4]

Deanthony Parker (OU) - @ Arizona State  [+4]

Silas Allred (NEB) - Vs Indiana  [+3]

Gavin Kane (UNC) - Vs Virginia  [+3]

Jeremy Olszko (OHIO) - @ SIU-Edwardsville  [+3]

Shane Caragena-Walsh (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+3]

197:

Stephen Buchanan (IOWA) - @ Minnesota, vs Northwestern  [+7]

Josh Barr (PSU) - @ Ohio State, @ Illinois  [+7]

Joe Curtis (COL) - @ Harvard, @ Brown  [+6]

Joey Novak (WYO) - @ Air Force, Vs Northern Colorado  [+6]

Carson Floyd (APP) - Vs Davidson [+5]

Stephen Little (LR) - @ Cal Poly, @ CSU Bakersfield, Vs North Dakota State  [+5]*

Dillon Bechtold (BUCK) - @ American  [+4]

Mikey Dellagatta (COR) - @ Arizona State [+4]

Jacob Cardenas (MICH) - @ Michigan State  [+4]

Wyatt Voelker (UNI) - Vs Iowa State  [+4]

Bradley Hill (OU) - @ Arizona State  [+4]

Mac Stout (PITT) - @ Virginia Tech  [+3]

John Poznanski (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+3]
 

285:

Cohlton Schultz (ASU) - Vs Cornell, Vs Oklahoma   [+8]

Trevor Tinker (CP) - Vs Northern Illinois, Vs Little Rock  [+8]

Greg Kerkvliet (PSU) - @ Ohio State, @ Illinois  [+7]

Issac Trumble (NCST) - Vs Stanford  [+5]

Stephan Monchery (APP) - Vs Davidson [+4]

Lucas Stoddard (ARMY) - Vs Navy  [+4]

Cory Day (BING) - @ Buffalo  [+4]

Josh Heindselman (MICH) - @ Michigan State  [+4]

Gable Steveson (MINN) - Vs Iowa  [+4]

Seth Nevills (MARY) - @ Purdue  [+4]

Jordan Greer (OHIO) - @ SIU-Edwardsville  [+4]

Yaraslau Slavikouski (RUT) - Vs Michigan State  [+4]

Lance Runyon (UNI) - Vs Iowa State  [+3]

Just like Gable Steveson, we have returned from hiatus to bring you another edition of the mailbag as the young season starts to heat up. And judging by some of the early upsets it should be an interesting season. As always, InterMat has you covered with the streaming guide and loads of other great content from contributors with whom I’m honored to share a space as I do whatever it is I do. So let’s get to whatever that is! 

Who’s the next New Jersey high school product to win a college National championship? Clay Sauertieg 

Shayne Van Ness is clearly the frontrunner with Jacob Cardenas next in line. Lorenzo Norman is a nice little dark horse pick but, as of now, 174 looks like a two-man race. And if none of these guys can do it, then you have to look to Anthony Knox who could possibly get there as soon as next season, but I do foresee a grayshirt in his future. None of it will matter when Dean Peterson shocks the world this year. 

Who would be in your NBA starting 5 for wrestling (active or retired)? 2) What NBA coach (active or retired) do you think would be the best wrestling coach? 3) What wrestler(s) would you want in your pickup game at the Y? Old Dirty Baffert 

You’re going to make me flex my basketball muscles which I assure you are not good. We’ll keep it mostly active since I can’t remember anything beyond a day or two anymore. At center, I’m putting big Greg Dan Kerkvliet from Penn State and his long limbs in there. Then I’m giving Yianni a day in court at point guard and seeing how his vision and smarts adapt to the position. Then, I’m pairing up David Carr to complete my backcourt. Next, I’m putting Shane Griffith at small forward. The man feels no pressure and is cool as a cucumber out there. This is who I want to have the ball in the last seconds of a game. Now I need some size and toughness at power forward so give me Ben Kueter and let's see what happens. If I’m picking one coach to run a wrestling program it’s Pat Riley. Nobody is better at building a team, coaching a team, and getting the most out of his guys. If I’m picking one wrestler to play a pickup game with it won’t be Kyle Snyder as he might be a bit too aggressive out there and I don’t need to be concussed. 

What’s your typical match day snack setup? Rachel Gallardo 

Been going hard on the Oreo cookies lately for maximum nutrition. We get these snack packages now so it doesn’t look as bad as opposed to crushing two full rows as soon as a new package is open.

On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about Matt Valenti’s return to coaching in the Palestra this weekend? Kevin McGuigan 

Probably like a 12. The two-time champ and I have a lot in common as we both hail from North Jersey and love the Mets. He’s basically me with talent, intelligence, and morals. And now we both return to wrestling on the same weekend as I help you through your morning business and he coaches a wrestling team. But seriously, I think Matt will do a great job and we’ve already seen some results as (and I can’t believe I’m typing this phrase) the Quakers raised some hell at the Journeymen Collegiate Classic last weekend.

Welcome all to the third anniversary of the Jagger mailbag which is two years and 11 months longer than I thought I’d last. So here’s to me for keeping you regular on Friday mornings. And here’s to you for keeping me on my toes in this little thing we call wrestling and for allowing me into your bathrooms every week, but not in a freaky way. It’s truly an honor. Let’s get to it! The hunt for the All-Jagger team starts next week! 

Are Taylor and JB examples of going out on top if they get gold? Or do you see them trying to run it back if they fall short? Also, are you attending the Jersey Jostle? I mean, Jagger Jostle? Nick Kosko 

It certainly is for David Taylor if he takes home gold and conquers Sadulaev to do it. I do believe the Magic Man has said “This is it” for him as he begins his college coaching career. I know it hasn’t been discussed much but he’s taken over the reins at Oklahoma State. And I know David has caught a small bit of heat in some pockets for coming back to compete right after getting the gig, but I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. The timing of all this works out where I’m sure he hasn’t been off the mat at all or taken some three-year layoff where he’s suddenly interrupting his whole schedule with some far-fetched dream of another medal. DT has arguably been the best in the world for the last five years and just ran into the buzzsaw that is Aaron Brooks at trials. He can win another one. 

I don't think this is it for Burroughs. Nor should it be unless a similar situation to DT arises and he takes a top college job. As the late, great Toby Keith once said, he ain’t as good as he once was, but he’s as good once, as he ever was. If that makes any sense. The bottom line is that JB may not be the old JB, but he was so good that even down a notch or two is still better than most guys. Now he can hang out at 79kg for a few years and take his chances in 2028 if he feels so inclined. Maybe he drops back down to 74kg or maybe he goes up to 86kg. I don’t know, I'm not trying to think of 2028 at all since I’ll be fifty years old by then. It pains me to even type that. 

I don’t know about the Jostle yet since that’s a long day when you factor in the three hours of driving and four hours of duals over the course of an entire Saturday. But I admit it's a fantastic use of alliteration. 

How did you make out in your fantasy wrestling draft last night? What are your expectations for this year’s squad? Dan Seifring

You were there and saw who I drafted so you probably have a better idea of how I did than I do. The league is tricky because you can do nothing all year then have a good March and finish right out the top if you have the right horses. The MatScout himself pulled that off last year with a top-three finish after limping through the regular season. I’ll never rack up those regular season wins by playing matchups or taking advantage of random open tournaments like some of you do. But I do like my top five. Figs is the returning champ, Ragusin has high-placing potential, Orine was a nice piece to trade for to shore up my 141, Echemendia is a candidate to make another leap, and Shapiro might just win it at 157. Things get a little tricky until the end where Mr. Fast Twitch and Ben Kueter anchor the lineup. I also have preseason darling Troy Spratley and Bouzakis floating around and both have loads of potential. Hopefully, I can compete this year before tanking next year in the Tank for Bo campaign. Then I dominate the second half of the decade.

Gonna go on record and say Rutgers is a real player for Bo Bassett. Tell us why it makes sense, Jagger. Willie Saylor 

This drew a good amount of attention in the social media land and rightfully so. Making the claim that one of the top high school recruits in a generation may possibly bypass the bluebloods of the sport and take his talents to New Jersey is certainly newsworthy. But it’s also based in reality. Sure, most people assume Bo will just end up at Penn State because, well, many top recruits go to Penn State. But why have this marathon song and dance if you’re going to end up where everyone thinks you will end up? I truly believe the Bassett family is looking at this with a completely open mind to find the best fit, or deal, for their son. 

So why can’t it be Rutgers? This is the type of recruit that potentially changes the entire landscape of your program. If he is giving you a chance then you make the best of that chance and go for it. Unleash the best recruiting pitch you have in your arsenal. And they have. Assistant coach and PA native Steve Mytych was first on the scene when the clock struck midnight. They want him and believe they can get him. 

Let's face it. Bo likes the attention. And he handles it just fine. He seems to thrive on it. Does that mean he’s going to go unnoticed at one of the powerhouse schools? Of course not. But coming to a school like Rutgers gives you a chance to form your own path and build your own legacy. And if they decide to travel to your home visit in a Brinks truck, well that’s fine, too. It doesn’t hurt that Rutgers already has Mason Gibson in the fold to help butter the bread a bit. These guys are a close-knit group and may want to stay together. 

Rutgers is a program on the rise that has hit the Pennsylvania recruiting trail hard over the last few years. They have a rabid fanbase that packs the arena every time out. They have a brand new facility. They have Jagger Night. They’re a short drive from the media capital of the world. They wrestle in the top conference. Sure, you can go to Penn State or Ohio State or Iowa. That’s easy. But going somewhere else to try and beat those guys? That’s the stuff legends are made of. So while I still think it’s a long shot, it’s a legit shot. And sometimes all you need is a shot. 

Nick here, longtime reader, friend of the program. What's one preseason wrestling story we are seemingly overlooking now that we're in October? I'll hang up and listen. Nick Kosko 

Good question. I’ll have to think about that. Perhaps the return of Sammy Sasso? The guy is just over a year removed from getting shot in the stomach and not even being able to walk afterward. I’ll admit I thought his career was over. But like with most things, I was wrong. The former Nazareth star is back in the fold for the Buckeyes and up at 165. I’m not sure what more I can really say here. He nearly lost his life and he’s back a year later. Truly remarkable stuff and I wish him the best. Nothing would make me happier than to see Sammy and his patented backpack run out for one more NCAA final. 

Does the timing of WNO take the shine off any potential Super 32 matchups for you or more excited for the potential immediate rematches? Rhino 

I like it. I like the way the fall preseason works out. There’s no real National high school circuit, so this time of year provides the best competition for the top kids before they all compete in their respective high school seasons. As great as WNO is, it’s an all-star event for kids who may not have even had a legit match in months. Maybe you’re a bit rusty. Maybe your weight isn’t quite right yet. Maybe you’re better after wrestling all day as opposed to one match. Maybe you and your opponent weren’t even the top guys and now you have your shot at the top guy. I also like that we get some good folkstyle primers before the college season hits. Once we get to November it’s just overloaded with open tournaments and random duals. October is the perfect time for the future of the sport to get their own spotlight. In other words, no shine is taken off anything. 

It seems the high school to college recruiting forecasts and announcements get earlier and earlier every year. When should I start paying attention? Burger King of Kings 

You don’t stop paying attention. You don’t even sleep. Just drink coffee and refresh message boards until your head explodes. 

When will the "Phillies fans save Trea Turner's 2023 season" documentary come out? Do we need to have a watch party? Earl Smith 

Too soon. This column has a loyal Philadelphia fanbase and we do not want to anger them at this time. Look, it was nice that a fanbase as salty and mean as the Philly faithful gave their star shortstop a bunch of juice boxes to get him going. It was cute. I hope they saved some for Jalen Hurts.

I'm exhausted from a whirlwind week of nonstop sports so let's get right into it. First, my Mets won on Sunday to set themselves up for a playoff push. Then my Raiders even pulled a win, followed by my New York Liberty furthering their push for that first WNBA title. Even my guy Bo Bassett got his Who’s Number One revenge. Then my Mets win in dramatic fashion in Atlanta to secure their spot and head back to Milwaukee followed by another Liberty win to put the Aces on the verge of elimination. Even my fantasy team ran it to 4-0 after I took a year off from that just to come back and take McCaffrey with the first pick. Just so much winning that I’m not used to having and quite frankly, I don’t know how to handle it! And I don’t care! Alright, to the questions! 

What will take the place of the famous “Polar Burger” when Pete Alonso is working at McDonald’s next year? Aaron Bartlett 

This didn't age well at all but I’m glad you brought it up. I’ve said it all year and Lady Jags can confirm it. When you absolutely, positively, need Pete Alonso the most, he’s always there for you. There’s times when you think you need him the most and he’s not there, but that’s because it wasn’t actually when you needed him the most. But facing elimination in the ninth as the go-ahead run against one of the best closers in the world is one of those times and he showed up like he always does. What a moment. What a series. We’re on to Philadelphia. 

What are the most stacked weight classes this coming season? Push Wrestling 

I don’t know if it’s the most stacked but I love 133 right now. Crookham and Bailey both announced their presence with authority last season. Lucas Byrd returns from a year off. Evan Frost returns with a podium placement under his belt while being sandwiched in the rankings by the Dylans of Ragusin and Shawver who were both Big Ten finalists last season. An NCAA finalist even makes an appearance as Drake Ayala moves up from 125. Kai Orine is dangerous out there and one of the more fun guys to watch. Even Braeden Davis takes his Big Ten title at 125 and jumps into the mix. Somewhere out there is Nic Bouzakis as he looks to put it all together. A weight that has been top-heavy with Daton Fix, Arujau, and RBY the last few years is suddenly loaded with talent and could be the most unpredictable class this season. 

Keeping with the recent loss of a GOAT, what was your first baseball card? Mine was Rose, and I can still smell that gum. Eric “Fergie Jenkins” Asselin

Not sure I remember my first but it’s likely from the ‘85 Topps collection as those were the first cards I physically remember. You guys in the Great White North probably had the O-Pee-Chee brand of the set. And yeah, I chewed a lot of that toxic gum along with ingesting every other toxic thing from the 80’s, like water out of a hose. It’s a miracle we’re all still alive. 

Is there a PA vs NJ rivalry? Do you want to make one? Burger King of Kings 

Not really, but perhaps we need one. In wrestling it’s a little tough because they are the best state and about five times our size. So trying to take them on is a bit silly, but fun when we get a win over them. I live in the northeast corner so our rivalry is usually with stuffy New York people who think they’re better than us for no reason at all. As they continue to cross the bridge to shop at our malls and clog up our highways with their moronic driving. F New York. F Pennsylvania. F Mobb Deep. And most importantly, F Bad Boy as a staff, record label, and crew. 

Who is the Shohei Ohtani of college wrestling? Who is your favorite Mets player of all time not named Daniel Vogelbach? Why are the Mets going to choke tonight? Joe Caprino 

You got something to say? Didn’t think so. I don’t have an overall player, but as a kid it was Strawberry, then it was Piazza followed by Wright and deGrom. Historically, it’s now Keith Hernandez as he was the captain of the last team to win a ring for us. Ask me again at the end of the month and the answer might change. There is nobody in any sport that compares to Ohtani. He's the greatest player of any particular sport that I’ve ever seen. And that includes Daniel Vogelbach.

And we’re back for another edition of the weekly mailbag as we close out the month of September and begin the unofficial start of the wrestling season with Flo’s annual Who’s Number One event this weekend. Nary a weekend will go without an event for roughly the next seven months. Throw in the baseball playoffs, WNBA playoffs (Go Liberty), and all the football, and divorce season is in full effect. But before you lawyer up, take a seat and enjoy whatever we are talking about today. 

Any worry, considering the Matthew Sluka story, about NIL deals gone wrong leading to wrestlers holding out in the future? Rhino 

Not really. At least not yet. For those unaware, UNLV quarterback Matthew Sluka has left school over not being paid a sum of money that was promised by an assistant coach. And there’s your problem. You had a handshake deal from a glorified used car salesman. What did you expect would happen? It’s just another glitch in the NIL system that unfortunately doesn’t get corrected until it rears its ugly head. 

So can it happen in wrestling? I suppose it can but not exactly in this same scenario. Sluka is a fifth-year senior with the benefit of an available redshirt that he can still apply after four games into any season. In wrestling, only true freshmen can do that. So I doubt anyone would give up a year of eligibility and leave a team in the middle of a season because a random assistant said he would get X amount of money without any paperwork or knowledge of it from the head coach or institution. I’m sure other scenarios will happen as far as false promises are concerned, but in wrestling everyone will just enter the portal every year like free agents until someone wins four titles for four different schools. Or as we call it, Nick Suriano’s dream. 

Jags, what college freshmen do you have your eye on to carry the Jersey Tough torch this year? Salty Walkon 

That’s a very good question and one I should have an answer to. And I do. 

Simon Ruiz - The two-time state champ from Delbarton never finished lower than third at the NJ States and looks to make some noise at Cornell after coming off a gap year.

Mikey Dellagatta - Basically the same thing as Ruiz but with one state title and a lowest finish of fourth at NJ States. The St. Joe's product is also coming off a gap year. Needless to say, Cornell has a thing for North Jersey private schools. 

Lorenzo Norman - The former Blair wrestler had an uneven redshirt year coupled with a few good wins at the CKLV. But make no mistake, The kid’s got the goods. I look forward to seeing a lot more of him now that Stanford is in the ACC. 

Jimmy Mullen - The Virginia Tech big man is fully committed to wrestling right now and probably permanently after Rutgers beat the Hokies last week on the gridiron. Heavyweights beware. 

Thoughts on licensing Jagger Night to WWE for SummerSlam in NJ? What are bids starting at? Tsabolov Brands 

Eh, Jagger Night would’ve been cooler as an ECW thing. Mid 90’s`, jean shorts, Pantera, indoor smoking. Now that is a Jagger Night! But I assure you the bidding is open for anyone who wants to pony up. By the way, any fee also comes with a mandatory donation of the same price, plus a twenty-dollar service charge. 

Talk to you all next week when we have a little more clarity on who really is number one. Because two is not a winner and three nobody remembers.

I don’t know how it happened but this turned into a very Jersey-flavored mailbag so if you’re not down with the Garden State, I suggest you stop reading now. We already got your click and you can’t have it back so the advertisers are happy. And if you hate New Jersey, you likely quit reading this column long ago. I don’t really know how you would hate New Jersey since we produce some of the greatest people from Bruce (Springsteen or Baumgartner take your pick) to Burroughs to Brandon from New Jersey himself. Just a loaded field of stars. So, let’s get into it! 

Thursday marks the one-year anniversary of Joe Dubuque’s promotion to head coach. How are the vibes out of Princeton? Salty Walkon, Jersey Guy 

I do believe the vibes are good as Joe Dubuque enters his second year at the helm. Now with Jersey GOAT Anthony Ashnault in the fold, Coach Dubuque looks to do with Marc-Anthony McGowan what he did for Patrick Glory which is to turn him into a monster right off the bat. It seems like forever since we’ve seen MAM on the mat, but once upon a time, he was at the top or near the top of all the rankings. You have to assume that if he’s healthy, and with the coaching of lightweight experts Dubuque, Ashnault, and Cody Brewer, the sky's the limit for the former Blair product. I feel like it’s been a minute since a Blair guy really tore up the college scene until TJ Stewart had his run last year. McGowan is a good bet to continue that this year. 

When will Goodale make Jagger the honorary Captain on the annual Jagger Night? Aaron Bartlett, Jersey Guy 

You would think it has to happen soon. But I don’t need all that and 95% of the crowd would be quite confused. I’d rather get into one of those sumo suits and do whatever they do with that at intermission. Me and Mineo just bouncing into each other until someone is knocked out of the circle. Nothing would please me more. In reality, I’m quite shy in public and around crowds so not sure any of this is a good idea. 

Will Cornell win every weight class at the first-ever Ivy Wrestling tourney? Was it smart for the IVY Schools to break from the historic EIWA Conference and their tourney? Mike Abromitis, Jersey Guy 

I’d say they have the favorite at a good eight weights but there are a lot of fresh faces in the lineups and coaching staffs in the Ivy League, so I wouldn’t bet on it. I just hope everyone wears a sweater around their neck during intros. I think it’s fine that they split into their own conference, but I guess we will see what impact it has come allocation season. I just wish Yale and Dartmouth would get in on the action and field some teams.

Not a question…just want to let you know that one of these will arrive in your mailbox soon. Kevin McGuigan, Philly Guy 

You got my address. A medium will do and I will wear it with pride. 

What program is your favorite to root for when it comes to NJ guys who have defected from staying in the Garden State and why is it the Hokies? Will Jagger make a celebrity (loosely applied here) appearance in Blacksburg for Jersey Tech vs Rutgahs? Ethan Aguigui, Guam Guy 

I can't be a Hokie guy, because I’m a Wolfpack guy. Just because they don’t have a Hidlay anymore doesn’t mean I’m bailing on my boys. Gotta be loyal to the soil even though I’ve never seen the soil in Raleigh. You had JerseyHokie to unify the two states then you ran him out of town. I admit I would like to make it to Blacksburg and get a little revenge for last year but it is still very much up in the air. You still have cigarettes for two dollars a pack down there? Can the state made for lovers handle such a hater? Find out these answers and more during the 2024-2025 college wrestling season! And stop stealing our guys!

And we’re back for another edition of the Friday mailbag and the first of September. College football is in full swing, the NFL just kicked off last night with some teams that nobody cares about, baseball is down to the last few weeks with the Mets making things interesting, and Junior Worlds presently going on. What a time to be alive. Or what a time to be dead if you hate sports. And if you do, why are you reading this? But since you are, let’s get to it! 

What’s the best/most hype/most intimidating high school dual meet entrance style and song? AC/DC, Metallica, Welcome to the Jungle? Running the circle? Just walking to the edge? We ran out to “Fantasy” by Aldo Nova and I still get hyped when I hear it. Coach Sganga 

Mother 

Tell your children not to walk my way 

Tell your children not to hear my words 

What they mean 

What they say 

Mother 

Mother 

Can you keep them in the dark for life? 

Can you hide them from the waiting world? 

Oh mother 

Crank that in your gym and see how confident the other team feels. Plus, you’re literally telling the other team's moms that you are about to hurt their children. Or pick something that doesn’t predate the Berlin Wall falling down, but they just don’t make good jock rock like they used to. My other option is that god-awful Steal My Sunshine by Len and hope the other team just leaves on account of bloody ears. 

The public is betting on Iowa, the big money is on State...so who you got? Burger King of Kings 

Is this true? Do you actually have a read on the public and the big money? Is the big money coming from all the new Hawkeye wrestlers? Why is your rivalry game so early? Does Iowahave any offense yet? And why am I asking the questions? Give me State and the under and sleep like a baby. 

How/when does Ferrari’s season end? Natty? Podium? Jail? Let’s Go Exploring 

Jail seems like a stretch, but I have to assume he at least stays out of trouble for the season. Technically, it was only a car accident that halted him last time followed by a three-year break for a variety of reasons. Regardless of what did happen or didn’t happen, he’s back now and obviously a major title contender at 197. But remember, he’s yet to actually wrestle for a full season as 2021 was a short season and 2022 was cut short for him. Is he the same guy after three long years off? Will he get the proper competition being out in a very small conference? Will CSUB hit all the big tournaments for the best competition? Does Starocci or Keckeisen go up to 197? Nobody knows these answers, but the AJ Ferrari return is likely the biggest storyline of the upcoming season. 

The Citadel football recently beat Charleston Southern in the inaugural Low Country Boil Bowl where the winner receives a trophy that is then filled with boiled seafood. What are some food-related rivalry trophies that wrestling could implement to take things to the next level? Richard Mann 

As someone who can’t stand the sight or smell of seafood, that sounds extremely unappealing. But wrestlers are constantly dieting so I’m not sure a trophy filled with the local cuisine is the best idea. What even is the local cuisine of some of these places? Gas station hot dogs for Bedlam? The Hardees Cup for North Carolina and North Carolina State? A pasta bowl for Rutgers and Princeton? Scrapple for the winners of the Keystone Classic? Do I have to keep going or can I move on with my day? 

I think I’ll just move on with my day. Hopefully, these questions get better as the season approaches or I’ ’ll be bagging groceries. Shoot, they don’t even have bags anymore so that turn of phrase doesn’t even apply anymore. Either way, enjoy week one of the NFL season. I’m about to smoke the Mat Scout in fantasy football.

Welcome back boys and girls to what is essentially the last Summer mailbag before we roll into pumpkin spice mailbags, spooky mailbags, gobbler bags, and all the rest. As we enter the final holiday weekend of the Summer trilogy, we inch closer to preseason wrestling with All-Star events, some World Championships still to go, and of course, the college season which rules all. So have that final barbecue before you break out the sweatshirts and flannels, and enjoy a little mailbag before your favorite football team disappoints you. 

What are your thoughts on New Jersey’s Chad Walsh settling down in Philly with the Drexel Dragons? Kevin McGuigan 

Just another in a long line of Jersey guys getting poached by Philadelphia to save wrestling. Valenti and the entire RTC at Penn, Jamison at Ursinus. Correnti is already at Drexel along with player-coach Mickey O’Malley. Luckily, we have plenty of talent to go around. Just pay me back by taking a couple of games from Atlanta this weekend. 

Do you think recruits begin to look at places like Iowa and Michigan differently now that NIL rentals appear to be larger components of their year-to-year lineups? Rhino 

I imagine it plays a role in the future and likely already has. Whether you’re a star recruit or a walk-on, the idea is that you’re supposed to get a fair shot at competing for a spot in the lineup. But can that really be true if your team is bringing in guys on five-figure or maybe even six-figure deals? Do wealthy boosters now control the teams? A school Like Iowa has always had a reputation where kids wanted to wrestle for them so badly, that they would rather sit for three years and start one, than start for multiple years somewhere else because it’s Iowa. I’m not sure that exists anymore. But also, I’ve never walked the streets of Iowa City, so I really don’t know what goes on over there. And I get that the point is to win and these teams are doing everything they can to topple the beast that is Penn State (who also brought in multiple stars in recent years) and aren’t doing anything illegal since there are no rules anymore, but you have to feel for the guys getting pushed out. The good news is that the guys get to leave without consequence and do get to find a spot where they can attempt to fulfill their goals and maybe bring a little parity and balance to the sport. 

I’m not sure anyone really knows what the future holds in this pay-for-play landscape of college sports, but it has been exacerbated by the extended eligibility of the athletes as most are grad transfers, who are cashing in the last few years of eligibility. I just don’t want to see kids at lower-level schools find success early then jump to free agency and join one of the blue blood's year-after-year. It simply isn’t good for the sport. 

Do you think that Crazy Joey Votto will be inducted into the Hall of Fame? Eric “Gagne” Asselin

I just don’t know. It seems like he spent more time taking on his own teammates in the mafia than just trying to be a good earner. Oh, you said Votto I thought you said Crazy Joe Gallo. Yeah, I think he gets in. Baseball Reference has him as a borderline guy, but I don’t see any voters holding a grudge and keeping him out. 

Any truth to the rumors that @nottomnotterry is being offered a stack of money to do the Friday mailbag blog? 

Any truth that Jagger has now applied to WIN Magazine because he's getting recruited over? Inquiring minds want to know. Burger King of Kings 

Son, when the day comes that I’m not writing this mailbag, it probably means my days of covering the sport in a journalistic fashion are over. I’ll make sophomoric jokes on the Twitter/X for as long as I can. But I’m not that hot of a commodity I can assure you of that. And it’s not a blog, as I’m not a 25-year-old hipster and this isn’t 2007. But it would be a lot cooler if it was.

Is this the end of the Golden Age of American wrestling, or just the end of phase one? Patrick 

It’s more like this is the end of phase three. And phase four will not slow down at all. We’ll have an entire new cast of characters in phase four and they are as legit as it gets. Phase one kicked off in 2012 when Jordan Burroughs brought home gold from London and then dominated the next cycle with a whole bunch of world titles. But a new hero emerged during the wee hours of the night in Rio and Kyle Snyder emerged as the top dog in the second half of the decade. But as Kyle struggles with the supervillain that is Sadulaev, David Taylor starts to stake his claim as the best in the world before putting an exclamation point on his run with Tokyo gold and kickstarting phase three as the new face of American wrestling. 

And now we head into phase four with no clear leader but with an abundance of talent. It would not surprise me at all if 2028 had six new members of the team heading into LA. 

There is no way to know what will happen with Spencer Lee in the next four years and he will be pushing 30 by then. Zain wasn’t even going to compete this year so he’s likely gone. Which by the way, if this is it for the Zain Train, it’s a shame that it ends this way with an injury but thank you for all the years of great wrestling that you gave us. You were ferocious on the mat and all class off the mat, maybe our guy comes back for one more year and gets a proper sendoff. 

Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me at all if Kyle Dake comes back and finishes the story, but for now, I can see him taking some time off. Aaron Brooks is the best candidate to be a top dog now as he moves up a weight before possibly trying to usurp Snyder for the spot he’s owned for a decade now. At heavyweight, I’m calling it now that Gable Steveson will be back in 2028 to reclaim world dominance. So who will be the new players in the next four years? 

Aside from the insane amount of depth we have already at the senior level, go check out the current U20 team and tell me if we’re in trouble. Just a loaded bunch. 

I'm headed to the shore this weekend and want to sound Jagger-sharp when discussing Sebastian Rivera. What made the difference in bringing the medal back to Jersey? Salty Walkon 

The difference is he lives his life. He enjoys every minute of what he does and the moment is never too big for him. Not everybody can party all night at Jenks, then be in Paris a few weeks later and take home hardware. New Jersey wrestlers have a long history of Olympic success and our guy Seabass is keeping that tradition alive. Plus, I bought his shirt and I’m wearing it right now. 

What is one thing I can't forget to pack for DC? Dysen Gould

Clean shower shoes. Crash Davis can explain it to you in Bull Durham. You can leave the Skenes jersey home since I don’t think you’ll need it this October. 

When Va Tech wrestles Rutgers this season, who will the Hokies send out at 285 to face returning All-American Yara Slavikouski, returning starter Hunter Catka, or Jersey Boy Jimmy Mullen? Mike Abromitis 

You have to assume Mullen is ready to win the starting job as he’s a prized recruit who has given up football, for the time being, to concentrate strictly on wrestling. But the dual is early in the season and we can’t even be sure Yara will be there. Being a sixth-year guy with a bit of an injury history, the Rutgers big man could be on a bit of a pitch count early in the season. But you’re gonna see Mullen everywhere.

Before we get going here, I just want to say a few words on the recent scuttlebutt with the media coverage of the Bo Bassett recruiting countdown. Allow me to preface this by admitting that the whole thing is ridiculous. I don’t need weekly updates to know he’s turning down schools that he was never going to commit to anyway and a part of me does find it somewhat disrespectful to the smaller schools, who have to be the butt of a joke when they make the cut list. But maybe that’s just me and others don’t see it that way. I know Gardner-Webb had some fun with it and that’s fine. 

If anything, it brings some good exposure to your school. So why does every media outlet big and small feel the need to cover it ad nauseam? Well, because it’s news whether we like it or not. He’s the top high school prospect in the country right now and possibly the next generational talent. 

There’s also not much else going on right now and if not for the Olympics next week there really wouldn't be anything going on. People need to produce daily content whether it be IM, Flo, or anyone else out there. Twenty years ago, you could get away with an article a day or simply updating your site every few days. Most folks barely went on the internet for more than an hour a day and we didn’t have everything at our literal fingertips. Those days are long gone. Sites need clicks. Clicks mean page views. Page views bring in advertising and advertising brings in money. It wasn't my idea. If I had it my way the League of Shadows would burn this world to the ground and we’d start over with a clean slate. 

I’m not here to kick you off my lawn or anything and I understand where both sides are coming from. The overexposure and reporting on every move will ruffle many a feather and already has if you read the comments on social media and message boards. Face it, people are going to complain. That’s why the internet was invented. 

If this was the same thing with a young star of a more popular sport then you might not look at it the same way, but wrestling is different with a much smaller circle, so we all feel just a little closer to the action. You’ll drive yourself nuts getting worked up over every little silly piece of content and you can’t stop it anyway so don’t bother. Or do bother and feed off your own rage. It feels good sometimes. 

The fact is that the athletes control everything now and don’t need classic media to promote them when they can just promote themselves. And if you don’t like it then be prepared to lose access because that’s just the way things are. It’s no surprise that the forthcoming Who’s Number One event is being held in Bishop McCort’s backyard where Flo has never held an event before. Are they catering to a school that should have multiple entries in the event? Probably. Is it a good idea to have it there so they sell a lot of tickets and have a good crowd to cheer on the hometown kids? Absolutely. It’s easy to make an argument on both sides of this and the best thing is to just deal with it, ignore it, or have some fun with it. There are bigger problems in the world right now. Like how Big Chocolate is slowly shrinking the size of our candy bars and thinking we won’t notice. But that’s a rant for another time. 

We have questions to get to and that’s why you’re here. Well, it’s just the one question actually and it comes from one half of the dynamic Rutgers broadcasting team, Nick Kosko, and since we’re Kosko guys, let’s see what he has on his mind.

It's the dog days of summer, so let me throw an alternate universe at you ... Wrestling in the Winter Olympics instead. Yes, some college guys would cause overlap, but it is interesting that a winter sport is a Summer sport every 4 years. Thoughts? Anyway, gotta prepare for year ten on the mic. Bye. 

Year ten! You’re just a kid! It’s funny you bring this up since I was recently thinking about how it does seem to be out of season in regards to the other sports at their respective games. Most sports at The Games do reflect the season they are in. You’re not going to play water polo in winter and you're not going to speed skate on ice in Summer. You could but it just doesn’t make any sense. Wrestling could go either way, but I prefer it in Summer. We have enough going on in February where we don’t need this thrown into the mix. Why it’s in this season, I do not know, but it likely goes back to not wanting to interfere with the college season. Or perhaps they wrestled outdoors a hundred years ago. I'm not old enough to remember that far back. 

Maybe Jason Bryant knows the answer. Speaking of JB, my Mets are about to mollywhop his Angels this weekend so it’s a good thing he’s out of town and time zones. Now I’m veering off topic so that means it’s time to wrap this up and move on with my day. Enjoy the weekend all, next week we crown champions and they better all be from America. Sixteen gold medals or we riot.

How about that Fargo? I watched every single match while sucking down wings, so it was like I was there. You won’t read that in Jason Bryant’s Fargo Almanac. But you can read a hot mailbag to go with the hot weather currently melting the country. 

Who under Coach Taylor will take the biggest leap for the Cowboys in year one? The Low Single 

It seems like an impossible question to answer because we simply don’t know much about David Taylor the coach. Though the meteoric rise of his club in Pennsylvania is a good barometer that he knows what he’s doing. I’m actually most interested in the two big transfers. Cam Amine and Dean Hamiti are two of the most veteran of veterans with a handful of podium appearances between them but never really seemed like a finals threat. With both having a year left to go all out, do they find that next level in new surroundings and a fresh start? Being right at the weights of DT’s wheelhouse certainly has to help. This also begs the question of whether Thomas Gilman turns Troy Spratley into a monster as his first protege. 

NCAA Football ‘25 came out this week. If there was a college wrestling game, who would you want to be the cover athlete? Along with that, what team would you pick in dynasty mode? And what weight would you wrestle on the road to glory? The Kid Smoke Drip Costanza 

If the game were coming out this year then you have to put Carter Starocci on the cover. There’s no other choice in my opinion. Then I’m creating myself and going to Army West Point. Remember in Punch-Out when Little Mac is training by running along the river while Doc rides the bike? We will have that montage but it’s me running behind Scott Green on the way to Wegmans. Then I go full Dake and win four different weight classes for America’s Team. 

Why would someone block someone (until the end of September) from your Intermat forum with no warning or notice of why it happened? I was told to take it to the zoo, which I did. Doesn’t make sense when it’s going to cost you a yearly premium subscription. Just wondering. Jim H (Cinnabon?) 

Is it my forum? I barely even go on there. I’m sorry this happened to you but I don’t believe you need a subscription to use the forum. Just like this mailbag. Which is a good thing since I doubt I’m moving the needle on subscriptions. Either way, I’ll make sure to wake you up when September ends.

Fargo gives out "stop signs". What other signs need to be given out? Burger King of Kings 

Yield signs so they can learn what it looks like and what it means. I don’t know how many times I’m driving and some dude just blasts into the road without a care in the world while I have to slam on the breaks. Not to mention the constant running of red lights lately. It’s just anarchy out there. 

How many of the moves in the Fargo highlight clips shared on Twitter would work on you? I know that none of them would work on me. Oldest and Greatest 

All of them? I’m basically a statue now. I wouldn't even know what hit me before I'm getting gut-wrenched all over the place. But you talk a good game - I think you should enter the Farrell this year and see what happens. 

Why would you have a lefty throw your pitches in the home run derby? Even if he was throwing dots (he wasn’t) it is a huge disadvantage. Baby Duff 

I’ll admit I didn’t watch the derby or game the next day, so I have no idea who you are referring to here. What’s your problem with lefties? I’m a lefty. You saying you can’t hit my curveball? 

How do you think Scott Legacy is doing at Vermont State Castleton and building that program? It’s less than 10 years old and already a D3 contender. Real Lance 

Scott Legacy formerly of Mount Anthony Union? He certainly has them pointed in the right direction. Gavin Bradley returns and looks to improve on last year’s seventh-place finish. You’ve got James Rodriguez coming back at 142 looking to make the podium for the third time after just missing it last year. The guy already has 122 wins and could hit the 160 mark this year. You just don’t see those kinds of numbers anymore. Sampson Wilkins comes back as a threat to win the whole thing while rocking the coolest name in all of wrestling. And we can’t forget about former Bergen Catholic star Nate Camiscoli out there at 157 for a little Jersey grit. I have a feeling Coach will end up leaving quite the “legacy” when he’s done.

Welcome back all to another Friday opening of the fake mail. Oddly, I have to send an actual piece of mail complete with a stamp this very morning which is very strange for 2024. But that’s neither here nor there. It’s nowhere. It’s the height of summer and I’ve never felt this strong so let's get into it. 

Is the wrestling community over-promoting women's wrestling? Are most wrestling fans interested in men's freestyle wrestling and shouldn't that be the focus of coverage? Women have near zero participation in football and yet the NFL is wildly popular. Don Graven 

I didn’t really know what to make of this question at first. I had never heard of Don Graven. I’ve never heard of anyone named Graven. Not even in Game Of Thrones. Is it legit? Is it a troll question to mess with me? Should I deny Don Graven a happy Friday morning poop because he didn’t make the mailbag? 

Perhaps it’s best to appease Mr. Draven and answer the best I can. To put it bluntly, you don’t have to read it. And I don’t get why it bothers you. I admit I’m not as big a fan of WFS as I am MFS, but I’m also not as big a fan of MFS as I am college wrestling. We all have our preferences, but there is more than enough media and time to cover it all. Whether it’s InterMat, Flo, or Vecchiomania, everyone wants to cover the biggest event in our sport and all the athletes deserve the spotlight. Amit Elor is doing incredible things right now and even if you don’t follow the women’s circuit, she’s earned your attention come next month. I’m not going to even try to understand how the NFL plays into this. 

How do I go on with UWW_Creative gone? Where do we go from here? Rage Against The Pusheen 

The permanent Twitter ban of the man who creates the storylines has affected us all. But don’t sleep on this new creative committee. The new bookers came out with a bang and split up Penn State into NWO Hollywood and NWO Wolfpac to set up a long-term feud that could last a decade or more. The weekly vignettes where AJ Ferrari tells us he visited Northern Colorado seem to hint at his return in a few months and Bo Bassett is coming out every Wednesday and sending teams home like it’s The Bachelor. Then just a few weeks from Paris, they booked the entire Russian team to stay home! I have to think they have a huge angle brewing for The Games. If UWW Creative was Jim Cornette, then this new guy in charge is Vince Russo.

ISU has bathrobes. Oklahoma State has cowboy hats. What does Rutgers need to add to their warm-ups? I vote top unbuttoned shirts & gold chains on comically thick chest hair.  Burger King of Kings 

I like where you’re going with this but it’s a little too comical. This isn’t Baseketball (that’s not a typo I’m talking about the movie), where every team is based on their home culture. But what if it was? We don’t want to look ridiculous out there but we do want to represent our state’s culture. I’m all for warming up in blue jeans and tank tops at least once a year. Screw it, make Rutgers-Princeton an entire Bruce Springsteen look-alike contest. 

Could Cohlton Schultz eat 200 boneless wings for America? Baby Duff 

I don’t see why he’d want to. Or how it benefits America. Unless the idea is to eliminate as many boneless wings as he can so the rest of us don't have to suffer them. As we near lantern fly season in the northeast, I see a comparison. Nobody wants them, we don’t know where they came from (China), and nobody has a clue how to get rid of them. We wish they would both fly away and neither possesses bones. Maybe Cohlton does need to step up and thin the herd. I’ll handle the lantern flies. 

Can the Mets release Pete Alonso since the Cubs keep signing all the guys they release? Indiana Mat 

So that’s why you’ve plummeted in the standings. But you have a big series this weekend against the hated Cards and Daniel Vogelbach is currently a free agent. He’s pals with Alonso so we could have a LeBron/Bronny situation here where it’s a package deal.

Welcome all to the start of the summer mailbag season. This is where we put in the work that pays off in the winter season and maybe wins us an award or at least gives me a chance to nominate myself for something. My man Burger King of Kings got me out of a tight spot last week when the questions were light and he just had an anniversary so we shall lead off with his wackiness today. 

As "Iowa's No. 1 Official Hater ", I'm having a hard time cheering for Spencer. He seems genuinely nice & I was sick when he lost going for 4...but how do I get more excited for him? 

You get to see one of the most talented wrestlers in American history attempt to reach the pinnacle of the sport. And that goes for all the wrestlers in this golden age and that goes for men and women. Most of us have never seen Dan Gable compete. Many are too young to have seen John Smith during his run. Half the youth population is named Cael, but they've never actually seen him wrestle. We are now privileged to see greatness everywhere at all weights. 20 years from now when this group are the living legends of the sport, do you really want to say you weren’t rooting for them in Paris? 

I see you’re a blue-collar guy. Which trade? I’m an insulator in Local 12 NYC. What trade has the most ex-wrestlers? When can we get Jagger U? A trade school with a wrestling team. Not sure why we don’t see any of those. I’ll hang up and listen. Coach Sganga 

I’m blue collar but I’d rather not be at this point in my life. It was fun when I was in my 20’s but sitting here in the AC and writing this stuff seems a lot more enjoyable at this stage in life. Another day of drilling holes in stone while it hits triple digits out there has me really rethinking my life choices. And you’re right. We need more wrestlers in trades. Not to sound too cliche, but wrestlers do know how to put the work in, but I can’t blame them for deciding to try and be a YouTube star instead. One day we will all be watching our favorite influencers do dumb stuff on the internet while our pipes are bursting and our roofs are leaking but who cares. It’s all about that brand. 

Editor's Note: If any high school wrestlers are interested in a trade school with a wrestling team, check out the Apprentice School in Newport News, Virginia

Christian Carroll to Iowa State: Boom or Doom? Celtic Rhino 

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Let me tell you something, my first year of following the college scene was the year Iowa State hired Kevin Dresser and watching this team grow

through the years into a powerhouse has been one of my favorite things to see. KD was also the first coach to follow me after I made some joke about him years ago, so the Cyclones will always have a special place in my heart. He just makes things more entertaining and he’s one heck of a coach. 

Who does Pritzlaff bring in as assistants at Columbia? Are the rumors true that you were offered a position? Austin Sommer 

I was offered the head gig, but declined because I’m committed to bringing you this mailbag every week. I’m not sure we see any staff changes yet. This wasn’t a cleaning house situation and Coach Pritzlaff may rely on the familiarity of the staff on hand. But 

here's a fun fact: between 1995 and 2006, New Jersey had at least one state champion who is now an Ivy League coach except for the years of ‘98 and ‘99. Now, if we can start a program at Yale and lure Damion Hahn, that problem would be solved. 

I had to pivot on shirts that I create and sell to raise money for various charities. What are your thoughts on a shirt featuring this pic with the caption “Matt Returns”? Kevin McGuigan 

I must have it. If it weren’t for Valenti, my brother might have made it out of the old super region and qualified for states way back in 2001, but I hold no grudges. A Jersey Italian cheering for the Mets and coaching in Philly. That’s what we call having grit. 

Should Baby Gronk try out for wrestling? Will it be “good for the sport?” Clips 

Would be great for the sport. I say it all the time. What this sport needs is a ten-year-old kid with a crazy dad just rizzing and grizzing and fizzing all over the place. But seriously, soon enough some dad will call his kind Baby Yianni and say he’s the best preschool wrestler in the world. 

The White Sox have a (slim) chance to break the '62 Mets record for losses in a season... Do you want to see the record fall? Salty Walkon 

I don’t, but not because it’s a Mets record for futility. For those unaware, the 1962 New York Metropolitans christened their inaugural season with a record of 40-120-1. Yes, there were

ties and I don’t know why. But that team wasn’t expected to be good as they were an expansion team made up of washed up former stars and castoffs from the rest of the league. Deemed the lovable losers, they actually took pride in being that team and laughed along with it. Winning a World Series seven years later certainly made it easier to laugh at. 

But this White Sox team isn't that and we live in a different era. There’s nothing lovable about a professional franchise in big-money sports possibly being the worst team of all time. People will lose jobs over it. Players will face a ton more scrutiny than the ‘62 Mets did now that we’re all constantly frothing at the mouth to destroy someone on social media. And you’re right, there’s a slim chance it happens and let’s hope it doesn’t. The ‘62 Mets were always fine with being that team and those who are still with us are still fine with it. The ‘24 White Sox just doesn’t have the same charm to it when you want to discuss the worst franchises that ever existed. Would be nice if we could get at least one tie game again.

Good morning everyone and welcome back to another edition of the mailbag as we head into the summer season and all that goes with it. What exactly goes with it? Beats me. But I’m required to put words down and you’re required to read them, so that’s what we are doing here. I won’t even waste any more time so let's open some mail and see what you had to say! 

The season is full of ups and downs, but the offseason can have some slow news days. How do you keep yourself from getting stagnant? How do you stay locked in? Doc Rhino 

You can’t get complacent out there. Go to WrestleStat and peruse some lineups. My man Dan has a finger on the pulse and another finger on Instagram for all those transfer announcements from guys you’ve never heard of and he’s constantly updating rosters for you. The IM gang is breaking into the video world and putting up some nice interviews to keep you tuned into what’s going around the country. Holmes and the conference guys are still doing their thing to keep you sharp. Our mystery man at Fantasy Championship Wrestling is locked into all the breaking news from CLAW, so you can see who Billy Baldwin might draft, while he ignores my challenges. Richard Mann is still out there letting you know what former wrestlers are fighting so you don’t miss Austin O’Connor slamming a dude’s head into the canvas. Wrestling has no offseason anymore and if you just flop on the couch and look away you’ll get left in the dust. Do you think I want to be writing all this on June 14? Of course not. But if you want Scott Green to mention you in his year-end roundup, You have to be able to put in the work during the summer. 

Will this (Christian Carroll) swing the CyHawk dual ISU’s way? Redacted 

It’s way too early to tell but as of now, I don’t think so. Iowa had a bit of a down year in 2024 by Iowa standards but I do believe they will be very good next season. So since it’s mid-June and there is nothing else going on, we shall take a gander at both teams and see what’s cooking. Drake Ayala is a title contender for his remaining two years. Next topic. At 133, State found a live one in Evan Frost and he should be too much to handle for the redshirt frosh, Kale Peterson. Cullan Schriever moves up to 141 for Iowa and it appears that the other Frost brother, Jacob, will be the guy for the Cyclones. You have to take the Hawkeye veteran as he finally gets a chance to start for a full season in what should be his final year of eligibility. 

Now is where things start to get interesting. Anthony Echemendia appears to have called 911 on his career just in time and resuscitated it to grab a fifth-place finish last March. He moves up to 149 just in time for Iowa to bring in that weight’s fifth-place finisher in Kyle Parco. For now, I’m giving the edge to Parco but it’s really a tossup in my book. 

In a sentence I never thought I’d write, we see the returns of two guys off of gambling suspensions in Cobe Siebrecht and Paniro Johnson. I like Cobe but my money is on Paniro right now. For those keeping count, I have it 9-7 Iowa State at the break but the second half is where Iowa starts to flex their muscle. Michael Caliendo is a finals contender in the new-look 165 class and while Connor Euton and Manny Rojas look to have some promise, I have to go Iowa here possibly with bonus points. Whatever combo of Arnold and Brands we get at the next two weights I still feel is too strong for State to overcome. And now we get to CC2. Who I assume is going 197, thus pushing fellow transfer Evan Bockman to 184. 

Even if Carroll comes as advertised, he still has to deal with Zach “The Clincher” Glazier in yet another clinching situation as I have it 17-9 Iowa at the moment. For argument’s sake, I’ll give CC2 the win and set up last year’s breakout star of the regular season in Yonger Bastida with a chance to possibly win the dual if he can pin…Ben Kueter. Yeesh. A tough enough task if Ben walked onto the mat straight out of football practice but now, even if it’s for one year, we are getting a fully-realized Ben Kueter and it will be a massive difference maker for Iowa throughout the year. Final score Iowa 20 Iowa State 12. Sorry Cyclone Nation and I’m on your side in this rivalry, so take solace in the fact that I don’t know what the heck I’m talking about, and hopefully very wrong as usual. 

And now to the Burger King of Kings portion of the show. My most loyal reader gets his own section now. 

Aside from talking about wrestling, what hobbies do you do? 

None, and I should get some. But entertaining you folks is a full-time job so it's a hobby enough for me. I also enjoy knitting, watching my baseball team lose, and watching my WNBA team win. Go Liberty! The current best player on Earth, Breanna Stewart, has the Libs rolling right now as she attempts to break the Jagger curse and get me a title. It will happen. 

Should high schools move to shorter time post weigh-ins? 

Matside scales for all levels if you ask me. Would be enormous drama.

What is a Met & why are they a mascot of NYC?

If you must know, Met is short for Metropolitan which is what we call New York City and the surrounding area. The colors blue and orange represent the two teams they replaced in the Dodgers and Giants who both moved west in 1958 and were never heard from again. It’s a stupid name for a stupid team who plays a stupid sport. A man with four balls cannot walk. 

Have you ever found a wrestling celeb using a chat-bot? because I have.

Is it Billy Baldwin? 

Who is the scariest assistant coach you've ever seen (in person) and why is it Frank Molinaro? 

I have not been in the same room as Frank Molinaro or many other coaches for that matter. I did go see Iowa wrestle Princeton a few years ago so Terry Brands wins by default. 

We need more young people in the trades. What is a good trade for former wrestlers to get into? 

Welding. Metal will always need to be bonded to other metal and you have to have some grit to do the job. It’s the perfect job for former wrestlers. Tough people who are able to work in tough conditions. Or you can just start a YouTube page and see how that goes. Work sucks and you’ll likely make more money being a fool on the internet because this world is a ridiculous place now. 

And with that, it’s a wrap for this week. Have a good weekend, all! If I didn’t get to your question, there’s always next week.

As we hit the outer edges of Spring and edge into Summer, I admit I’ve checked out a bit when it comes to the wrestling world. Which probably isn't a good thing when I’m supposed to be writing about the sport on a weekly basis. Quite frankly, I don’t know how the pros can keep coming up with content to produce on a daily basis. But that’s why they win awards and I’m up early on a Friday trying to think of something you might enjoy reading while on the edge of your toilet bowl. Much like the movie Edge of Tomorrow, I‘m just trying to reset the day after every Mets loss until they can string a few wins together and we can move on. This bullpen has me living on the edge, that’s for sure. I’ve just about run out of ways to work the word “edge” into this article so perhaps it’s time to move on to the questions and bang out the edgiest column in this sport of ours. 

How do I deal with the boredom until wrestling starts again? Rage Against the Pusheen 

Do what I did and start watching the WNBA. Some of the games are just wild. And no, I don’t give a you-know-what about Caitlin Clark. I’m all New York Liberty. My Libs are on a five-game heater and have the real greatest college player ever in Breanna Stewart. I will break the Jagger jinx of all my sports teams being terrible or I will take this team down with me. 

But there is still some wrestling out there so don’t go all Budd Dwyer just yet. Last week, we had the U20 and U23 trials and we’re only about a month away from Fargo. Usually, we are gearing up for Final X right now so it does seem to be a bit more of a lull with the Olympic Teams already set. There’s also a good handful of international events coming up and I’m sure we will have some alliterative Summer tournaments here and there if you’re really jonesing for some action. Right now your best bet is to hole up in the air conditioner and catch up on some TV as some good shows are actually coming back in the next few weeks. 

HotD comes back on HBO next week if you’re still into the whole Game of Thrones thing. The Bear comes back soon if comedies that aren’t actually comedies are your thing. If comedies that ARE actually comedies are your thing, I suggest knocking out the first two seasons of Shoresy on Hulu. Season three starts in two weeks which gives you plenty of time to watch all twelve episodes at least twice. It’s edgy Canadian humor at its best. Also, you live in San Francisco. Just go sit on the dock of the bay until the Olympics start. Watch the tide roll away. There’s also Trent Hidlay against Yazdani in a few hours, so that’s pretty cool. 

Jags, who will be the next head coach hired? Not assistants, not volunteers. Who will take these NY-centric jobs? I feel like an HC opportunity should garner more interest than it feels like there’s been. We need your insight. Who would AD Jagger hire? Kevin Claunch 

Your guess is as good as mine. Probably better. I admit it would behoove these schools to maybe hire a head man considering the next recruiting cycle is about to start. If I’m Hofstra, I’m thinking outside the box and kicking the tires on Vito Arujau’s dad. Take a chance.  If I’m Columbia, I’m promoting from within and going with Joe Nord. Or both schools can choose from some of the other thousand candidates out there. 

What would you do if you saw CLAW coming through your neighborhood? Richard Mann 

Let me tell you something, brother. You know you’re interested to see what CLAW is all about. And I’m interested in wiping the floor with celebrity GM Billy Baldwin as the leader of my own team. But perhaps my profile isn’t famous enough to run a team. Perhaps the brother of Biodome star Stephen Baldwin is blackballing me from the league. Whatever the conspiracy is, this league needs Jagger. You know it and I know it. 

What's the best snack for summer? What will be the breakout song of the Summer? Burger King of Kings 

Ice cream, of course. As a Burger King guy, you should be partial to the Hershey Sundae Pie if that still exists. Summer song you say? I have been out of the loop on new music for over a decade now so you're asking the wrong guy. Do you know that I’ve never heard a Drake song? I mean, I’m sure I have, but I just don’t know that it’s him. Back in my prime, the Summer song usually came from the Summer hit movie and I feel we’ve lost that dynamic somewhere along the way. That’s sad. If I had my druthers, and I still don’t know what that means, the Summer song would be Far Behind by Candlebox. Thirty years running now and those opening chords still take me back to 1994. A glorious time. A simpler and more innocent time. Except for that whole OJ thing. 

Well, I’ve just about hit the edge of my deadline and it’s time to go to my other job. Have a good weekend, all. And thanks for reading!

May 24 Fury Pro Grappling 10* (UFC Fight Pass)

Luke Fernandez (Elizabethtown) vs. Eryk Anders

Pat Sabatini (Rider) vs. Andrew Kochel

Andre Petroski (UNC/Bloomsburg/Kutztown) vs. Alex Myers

Max Livingston (Drexel) vs. Nick Toscano

Aidan Burke (Mercyhurst) vs. Nick Dingler

Nieko Malone (Rider) vs. Nick DiGiacomo (Rowan)

Nicholas Mancini (Millersville) vs. Cameron Scalio (Kutztown)

Parker Kropman (Binghamton/Drexel) vs. Tyler Carroll

*Grappling event

May 24 Tuff-N-Uff 137 (UFC Fight Pass)

Justin Jaynes (Olivet) vs. Tsogookhuu Amarsanaa

May 25 Anthony Pettis FC 11 “Fight Fiesta” (UFC Fight Pass)

Garrett Carlson (UW-LaCrosse) vs. Danny Morales

Mason Lind (Lakeland) vs. Shane Jackman

May 25 Urijah Faber’s A1 Combat 21 (UFC Fight Pass)

Urijah Faber (UC Davis) vs. Jeff Glover*

Chris Mecate (Old Dominion) vs. Jaleon Reid

Martine Sandoval (Wartburg) vs. Chris Paez

Nick Fishback (UW-Parkside) vs. Josh Dim

Brian Benevidez (Northwest College) vs. Cyrus Povoor

*Grappling match

June 1 UFC 302 (ESPN Pay Per View)

Alexander Romanov (World University bronze) vs. Jailton Almeida

June 6 Fury FC 91 (UFC Fight Pass)

Freddie Rodriguez (SIU-E) vs. Paris Moran*

Austin O’Connor (North Carolina) Camden Fontenot

June 7 LFA 185 (UFC Fight Pass)

Richie Lewis (Rutgers) vs. Kagan Gennrich (Wisconsin)

June 8 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+)

Punahele Soriano (Wartburg) vs. Miguel Baeza

Cody Stamann (Grand Valley State) vs. Taylor Lapilus

Julian Marquez (Missouri Valley) vs. Zachary Reese

John Castaneda (Minnesota State Mankato) vs. Daniel Marco

June 13 PFL 4 2024 (ESPN+)

Tyrell Fortune (Grand Canyon) vs. Daniel James

June 15 UFC Fight Night (ESPN+)

Alex Perez (West Hills) vs. Tatsuro Taira

June 21 PFL 5 2024 (ESPN+)

Josh Silveira (Arizona State) vs. Rob Wilkinson

Alex Polizzi (Northwestern) vs. Antonio Carlos Junior

June 22 UFC on ABC 6 (ABC/ESPN+)

Khamzat Chimaev (Swedish national champion) vs. Robert Whittaker (Australian national champion)

Kelvin Gastelum (North Idaho) vs. Daniel Rodriguez

June 28 PFL 6 2024 (ESPN+)

Logan Storley (Minnesota) vs. Laureano Staropoli

Brennan Ward (Johnson & Wales) vs. Magomed Umalatov

Bubba Jenkins (Penn State/Arizona State) vs. Gabriel Braga

Jordan Oliver (Oklahoma State) vs. Isaiah Hokit (Drexel/Fresno State)

June 29 UFC 303 (ESPN PPV)

Michael Chandler (Missouri) vs. Conor McGregor

Last night, a ruling came down that essentially means colleges can now fully pay their athletes. Sure, we can go through all the same tropes associated with it. Good for the athletes gotta get that bag. Or, college sports are no longer college sports. We’ve heard it all. Either way, you look at it, the game has changed. And I’m not sure it will be beneficial for wrestling. But it’s the first holiday weekend of Summer, so let’s not worry about that now. 

What is a match-up you'd like to see at a Beat the Streets-type event? Jeremy Eusterwiemann 

I tell ya, and it won’t happen any time soon because of logical reasons, But Spencer Lee against Vito Arujau is kind of the next big supermatch that would put butts in seats. It likely will never happen as Vito may be done with 57 kg and you don’t exactly see Spencer showing up at all-star events. We will get to see Andrew Alirez and Jesse Mendez mix it up at the next Beat the Streets and that is excellent booking. 

Who is interviewing for the Columbia job? Push Wrestling 

Your guess is as good as mine. We really haven’t heard a thing on the Columbia or Hofstra front as far as hiring a coach. I mean, I’ll take either job if nobody else wants to do it. I’m sure we will hear some rumblings soon. But it is a bit worrisome when a head coach leaves to be an assistant. Like they know something we don’t know. 

Is it true that Flo offered you a 250k NIL deal to perform Jaggerblasts exclusively for Flo? Rhino 

Oh, it’s true, it’s damn true. And let me state for the record that it's absolutely not true. I don’t want to get slapped with a libel suit over here. 

Biggest beef: 

1) The inner dialogue of "anyone but Iowa, go LensCrafters!" fans watching Spencer Lee vs rooting for US gold at 57 

2) Vecchiomania vs The World 

3) PSU fans who were present for the creation of the sport of wrestling in 2011 vs Traitor David Taylor. Thicccolas

I honestly have no idea what most of this means. It certainly will be weird for a few fanbases if Spencer faces a Micic or a Roman Bravo-Young. Personally, I'm thrilled about it. Not that I dislike him in any way, but some of Spencer’s biggest college rivals are Rivera, Glory, and Suriano and I’m usually on the side of the Jersey guy. Now I get to just go full fanboy on the biggest stage. 

Can you let the Virginia people know that they can only claim either Devin Carter or TJ Stewart, not both? Carter was in NJ until HS , Stewart in Virginia until HS then wrestled 4 yrs in NJ , yet these 6 state championships having Jabronis claim both. Also, who does Jagger pick? Jimmy McNulty’s Bar Tab 

I don’t know, it kind of seems like they can claim both as neither wrestled in the NJSIAA. I’ll take Stewart since he was smart enough to get as far away from Earl Smith as possible and come north. 

Any chance Levi Haines takes a RS and follows Taylor? The Inside Trip 

Nah. I think he just knocks out his last two years with no redshirt before gearing up for a run at 74 kg in 2028 where he might be the favorite. In fact, I don’t see any of the current guys leaving Penn State for Stillwater. At least not their top stars. Nobody wants to be the first to make that bold move. 

Speaking of movements, yours is probably done. Enjoy the holiday weekend, everyone. Be safe as always.

Before we get going here I just want to send my condolences to the South Plainfield wrestling family for the loss of one of their own as former standout Corey Stasenko tragically passed away on Monday. Corey was perhaps most known in wrestling circles for being part of the four state finalists in 2013 for the Tigers after famously dropping from 145 to 126 to combat the ever-growing Anthony Ashnault, Scott DelVecchio, and Troy Heilmann. I know my limits as a writer so I won’t try to put into words how big of a loss this is for South Plainfield, Rutgers, and the New Jersey wrestling community as a whole, but rest in peace, Corey. You will never be forgotten. 

Now to this week’s mailbag. (Taylor’s version) 

Does David Taylor win a team title within the next 5 years? Mason 

I hate to make a prediction that he will just because it’s so tough to do and Penn State is so ridiculously strong right now that I’m not sure he can be done in his first recruiting cycle. But the hype train is so hot right now that it does seem like it would be a bust if he didn’t. The thing about team titles in wrestling is that they usually come in bunches or at least pairs. I'll give Taylor six years, but predict he rattles off a good four of five in a short span. Of course, with college free agency and a billionaire booster who clearly wants to win now, that could change very quickly. 

Odds Taylor takes second in his first year at the reins? Also, what is the average placement for a top 10 program in the first year after a new coach hire? Cael, Brands, Oklahoma State, etc. JD Money 

Ohio State is the second-best team next year in my book. But I suppose it could happen for the reasons mentioned above. So let’s take Cael, Gable, and John Smith, arguably the three most successful overall contributors to the sport and see how they did to start their coaching careers. All three also started their head coaching careers 15 to 16 years apart with Cael beginning at Iowa State. Naturally, Taylor now starts his own coaching career 15 years after he and Cael kicked off a dynasty at Penn State. Dan Gable took over in 1976 and immediately won his first of 15 titles. But Iowa was also the defending champs if that means anything to you. Smith took over in 1991, but I do believe it was under tumultuous circumstances, so I’ll give him the next year as his first real year and they finished second before winning his first in 1994. We all know what Coach Sanderson has done but this is running long and I’m not sure what my point is. The bottom line is that all three won titles within their first four years of being a head coach and if DT truly is the next chosen one then the clock is already ticking. 

How many licks does it take to get to the center of the tootsie pop? Ronald Johnson

As children, we were always told three but that’s a bunch of malarkey. Three licks and break your teeth if you listen to that advice. 

Nudes in bio. Erica 

Oops, don’t think that was a question. 

Is David Taylor letting you on staff? Madison Hollenbeck 

Taylor wouldn’t let me in his fantasy football league let alone his coaching staff. And I better not catch him watching games on his phone during Sunday duals. 

What are your thoughts on previous coaching experience in college? And why is it overrated? Lucky Pearle 

Well considering I just mentioned three guys who had immediate success while in their 20’s with very little coaching experience, I guess you could say it's overrated a bit. 

How much does Stillwater being accessible by Turnpike impact David Taylor's chances to recruit Jersey kids? Dynasty Defined 

Oklahoma State does have a bit of history in New Jersey with Espo and Mocco and a Skove or two in the 80’s, so I don’t count it out. I did hear that David was setting up a club here so he clearly has an interest already. But don’t think I’m not flipping birds at him if I see his horse on the New Jersey Turnpike. Go recruit one of the other three states you claim as home. 

Coaching hot stove is fire - any predictions for all those openings including assistants? Also, what is the next Boom? PBR 

As you read earlier when you sat down on the toilet to read all of this, I don’t like making predictions. I’m also no expert in the coaching carousel, but I do know that any coach who gets hired for any job is a great fit. That’s all you ever hear. It’s always a great hire. You never hear someone say this hire sucks. Except that one time when I got hired to do this thing.

What is the next Goodale boom? I’ll go against my mantra of no predictions and say Cam Amine to Rutgers. 

And that’s going to do it for the David Taylor edition of the mailbag. Apologies to Burger King of Kings and the rest as we ran out of time this week. I will try to get to your questions at a later time when I’m sure news will be much slower. Enjoy Mother’s Day weekend as the moms are the backbone of this sport and you wouldn’t even exist without them.

“And May is one damned fine month to be working outdoors” 

That’s what Red says in Shawshank Redemption while he and the boys secure the roof job and he couldn’t be more correct. Unfortunately, it’s not a great month for wrestling competitions. Well, except for that thing going on in Turkey next week which might have some important ramifications going forward. And that’s fine. We don’t need to be wrestling right now. We have baseball and horse racing. Basketball and hockey playoffs. Communions and proms for some. We have lawns to mow and grills to fire up. We have garages that need cleaning and roofs that need tarring. Eh, who am I fooling here? I’ll fire up five screens tomorrow and drink lemonade in the air conditioning if you give me a tournament with an alliterative name. Sunshine is overrated. So is Shawshank Redemption. Just kidding, don’t cancel me. Let’s move on to the questions so you can get to all those things I just mentioned. 

You can't choose the Senior level. What is your favorite age group to watch after that? The Jerm 

I guess I have to go with what is formerly called Juniors over the division formerly known as Cadets. I enjoy the mix of upperclassmen high school guys mixing it up with first and second-year college guys. We just had Aden Valencia face Sergio Lemley, who recently beat Real Woods, who once faced Luke Pletcher, who faced Jimmy Gulibon. That’s Valencia to Gulibon in like four moves. All thanks to the U20 US Open. Pletcher also faced Colton McCrystal, who wrestled Logan Stieber at least once. We could go on and on but someone is asking about Kyle Schwarber who is teammates with JT Realmuto who wrestled in fifth grade I think. 

I have two questions…Do you think Kyle Schwarber will have more or less than 100 runs this season? How many RBIs do you think he’ll have? Kevin McGuigan. 

I was hoping someone would ask me about the Schwarbs. I predict the big man will have a triple hundo this year. Over 100 runs and runs batted in with a batting average somewhere between .190 and .196 - with probably a good 45 bombs. 

Speaking of Schwarbs and bombs, the great Earl B. Smith once went to a Nats game and purchased a shirt that said Schwarb Bombs on it just to watch him get hurt that night. By the time Schwarber was healthy, he was leading off for Boston before signing with the Phillies. I hear he’s saving it for “Bozo Shirt-A-Day in June.” 

Editor’s Note: I bought the overpriced Schwarber shirt in the team store only to watch him injure his hamstring and never play for the Nationals again. A horrific rainstorm canceled the game in the fourth inning. My wife told me to run ahead of her to get a seat at a local restaurant as the entire stadium was leaving at once. After sitting down, I realized I didn’t have my wallet - neither did my wife. It must have fallen out of the bottom pocket of my cargo shorts as I was sprinting. I snuck back into the stadium, and looked around our seats to no avail. I was directed to customer service where my wallet was waiting. Someone had turned it in. All of the cash and cards were left intact (though soaked). The Schwarber shirt has very weird karma - I’m not sure why I still have it, though I’d gladly give it to a Phillies fan and let them take their chances with it.  

You’re stranded on an island for 11 days. Which d1 coach, head, or assistant, would you want to be stranded with? Madison Hollenbeck

Likely someone from the John Smith coaching tree. They seem to enjoy the whole “Country Boy Can Survive” gimmick. Or maybe Scott Green. We can bring a radio and die together listening to the Mets. 

Favorite pick of the first round and why was it Drake Maye? Mark Rhino 

Obviously, it was Drake Maye! Have I heard of him before last week? Not at all. But we all want New England to get a franchise quarterback who can play for 25 years and win about nine titles. Little baby Rhino gets cranky when he doesn’t get his Super Bowl titles. We can’t have this. 

What is your strategy for wrestling shirt a day in May? Mickadelphia 

Just to get dressed before I leave the house in the morning. It’s a simple and effective strategy.

Before we get going here I just want to send my regards to the great John Smith who retired yesterday after 33 seasons at the helm of Oklahoma State. I’ll leave the more sentimental stuff to the professionals, but it truly is the end of an era. It was a weird Thursday as OJ Simpson died yesterday. Both had a wild 1994 as Coach Smith won his first title as head coach and OJ had that whole thing with the car chase. Perhaps it’s best we just move on to the questions. 

Is this JB’s last stand? Or will he rise up and cash in his money in the bank briefcase and go to France? Brandon from NJ 

Certainly, you have to think that this is the last hurrah for Jordan Burroughs, but I’m not so sure that’s true. I reckon he’s factoring in a few different outcomes towards his decision to leave his shoes on the mat. Let’s say he makes the team and gets on that plane to France. If flies back with gold then he’s probably shoeless. That’s obviously the ideal way to go out. Even a loss in Paris likely seals the deal on the magnificent career of one Jordan Burroughs. But what if he doesn’t make the team? Does it all end a week from now in Pennsylvania? Why can’t he try for another title at 79kg later in the year? No, I don't believe Jordan will be trying to make the Olympic team in 2028. Even for JB, that’s a tall task for a 40-year-old man. You can’t tell me he’s not still a top-two contender for that spot. It all plays out the same way whether you make the team, win a title, or lose at trials. I predict that one way or another this isn’t the last weekend that we see Jordan Burroughs on the mat. 

What do you predict will be the three biggest "WOAH!" moments at this year's trials? Thicccolas 

I’ll break this down into three different categories of “Whoa” based on excitement and surprise. 

80’s heartthrob Keanu Reeves classic “Whoa” 

A subtle whoa that lets the viewer know he’s taken aback by what he just saw. It doesn’t blow him away because he’s too cool for that. But he is stunned. This will be my reaction if Pat Downey shows up and beats a few guys. 

90’s heartthrob Joey Lawrence “Woah!” 

You can’t believe what you’re seeing. Just overloading your brain. Confused, even. You won’t believe this is really happening. Basically any moment of wrestling during the first few rounds. The sheer level of talent in these brackets is too much for one to handle over the

course of two days. You could do a weight a weekend for the next couple of months and I’d be fine with it. 

Hip-hop heartthrobs The Beastie Boys “Sabotage Whoa” 

The biggest whoa you can get. The kind you scream loudly for an eternity because your brain just broke. Like seeing one of the high school kids come out on top at 57kg. I know these kids are beyond their years in talent but Nick Suriano is here. Daton Fix is in the bracket. Thomas Gilman and all his accolades. Spencer friggin’ Lee! Some dude named Vito doesn’t even have to show up until the semifinals. Get through all these guys and I’ll simply bend the knee. 

Who were you most impressed by at the Last Chance Open and are you ready for #WrestlingShirtADayinMay? Jim Dutrow 

Well, the easy answer is Jax Forrest winning the damn thing. But hats off to David McFadden for fighting back like he did. The Virginia Tech product via New Jersey got hit with the Jagger Curse by breaking his ankle a mere few weeks after I met him. Proving once again you should never meet your heroes. Especially when that hero is a chain-smoking middle-aged man who’s only there because he inexplicably named a night after himself like a fool. But seriously, go listen to his interview after the tournament. It’s worth a watch. 

May you say? Brother, my birthday is in May and they really seem to be coming up a lot faster than they used to. So even though I get closer to death with every shirt, I’m still fired up about it. 

Should we rebrand the last chance qualifier as the money in the bank tournament? Rhino 

Oh, no doubt. But there’s a caveat to this. If you win the MITB Open, you can’t enter trials. You have a three-month window to cash in your briefcase on the winner and take the spot. You see Kyle Dake resting in a field backside directly facing the sun? Drag Angel Rivera with you and try to roll him up for a fall. Is that David Taylor lying on the beach and way too enthralled in a fantasy football magazine? Lock in a leg lace and go for it. But you have to choose to take your chances with that or the classic way of winning the tournament. It can’t be both.

If you do not qualify for the Olympic team mailbag, will you abscond to Team Italy? Burger King of Kings 

Man, the last thing I need to do in August is Olympic-level mailbagging. That’s vacation time. 

Who are the top five wrestling follows on Rokfin? The original Mark Hall who wrestled at Buffalo 

I don’t really have an answer for you. My advice is to support Coach Scott Green. A Jagger Guy of the highest order. And probably the best man for the job at your alma mater. And likely the best man at many a wedding.

It is awards season and here at the mailbag we’re no different. The third annual All-Jagger team is here! What does it take to make the team? Beats me. I’ve stated multiple times that there is no criteria other than you’re somebody I enjoyed watching. So, without further ado, let’s get to it! 

125-Richard Figueroa 

I try not to put the actual champs on the list but the Figs win was special for me. Not only was he my first champ in our fantasy league, but the win helped my team go from last place a year ago to finishing in the money. Win Jagger money and you easily make the list. It’s likely the top criteria. 

133-Dylan Shawver 

Dylan lost his spot in the lineup last year. Then he got injured. He could have left Rutgers. He stayed. He moved up a weight. He got better. He won a Big Ten title. He got on the podium at Nationals. Dylan Shawver is everything that is good about college athletics. He made a commitment and he’s honoring it. Just don’t leave now and make me look like a fool. 

141-Brock Hardy 

What else can I really say here? The guy literally showed his ass to the whole country then came back to take third. As a fellow displayer of ass, I have to respect it. 

149-Quinn Kinner 

It’s been a journey for Big Q that's for sure. From North Carolina State to Ohio State then back to his home state and Rider, the former Kingsway star got himself onto the podium in his last chance. We’ll always remember 2020 when you went both 133 and 157. Seriously, who wrestles Brady Berge and Micky Phillippi in the same year? A Jagger Guy, that’s who. 

157-Peyton Robb 

This is the second AJ award for the Cornhusker. The first was for placing sixth on what we would later learn was a nasty infection that nearly cost him his leg. This time it’s for coming back after all that and placing seventh. A year ago we were just hoping Peyton would make it out of surgery unscathed so it’s an honor to once again put his name in this space. 

165-David Carr 

It seems impossible to not like David Carr. It also seems impossible to not like Keegan O’Toole. Their rivalry of great matches and great sportsmanship is the kind of stuff that marks this sport great. Let’s face it, most of us assumed KOT had the upper hand at this point after two

dominating wins. But that did not deter the Cyclone as he once again got the upper hand in their semifinal rematch before finishing the task against a tornado in Mitchell Mesenbrink to bookend his career in fashion with his second title. It was a pleasure to watch this guy compete for the last five years and lead Iowa State back to relevancy. 

174-Shane Griffith 

We all know the impact Shane has had on the sport as he nonchalantly placed four times, won a title, and saved a program. This is more about motivating Jackson Turley to come back for one more year so he can fill this spot in 2025. 

184-TJ Stewart 

It was a slow start for the redshirt freshman as he took a few early season losses and was out of the lineup for the first two months of the season. Then the Blair product turned it on during the second half and captured his first ACC title. Not satisfied, the young Hokie then went and placed seventh in Kansas City and now sets his sights on being the third VT wrestler to be a National champ after the great Mekhi Lewis and Caleb “The Hitman” Henson. Small potatoes compared to being named All-Jagger if you ask me but it’s good to still have goals. 

197-Trent Hidlay 

Yes, I’m going to write about Hoagie some more because I’m free to do what I want here and it’s my last chance to praise one of my favorite college wrestlers. Shockingly, this is Trent’s first appearance on the team, but not the first Hidlay, as Hayden made it back in 2022. If I ever do a football version and need a power running back then I assure you that big brother Heath will also get the honor. And not only is Trent a member, but he’s also my captain. 

HWT-Yaraslau Slavikouski 

Oof, this didn’t age well. I get it. The guy has a Harvard degree and a year of eligibility left. I can’t blame him for cashing in on that AA performance. But the pizza anywhere else in the country isn’t as good and you know that. 

All-Jagger coaches edition 

Cael Sanderson 

Tony Robie 

Sean Bormet 

Am I seeing triple with these three?

All-Jagger announcer edition 

Nick Kosko 

Rock Harrison 

Rhino 

Just give me this three-man booth in the NCAA finals and my man Mason Beckman won’t take so much heat. 

All-Jagger mailbag edition 

Burger King of Kings 

Salty Walkon 

Thicccolas 

I seriously want to thank you guys for being loyal readers and always keeping me on my toes with great questions. Without you guys to ask the important stuff, I have no reason to be here. And that goes for everyone who reads this whether on the toilet or elsewhere. I never thought in a million years I’d get an opportunity like this or at least not fail completely at it but three seasons have gone by now so something must be working. Thanks again to everyone out there for making this possible. Sometimes I just don’t have the energy for it, but knowing I get to come into your bathrooms in the morning keeps me motivated. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to use mine.