Guys, we did it. After five-plus years of #deathtothesinglet and #killthesinglet there has been a major action by an institution to implement fan and wrestler-friendly outfits. No more 14-year-old pre-pubescent kids forced to take center mat in a shiny piece of ill-fitting spandex, but plenty of financial opportunities for schools and wrestlers. There is finally a uniform available which wrestling fans and family members can also wear during their workouts, or around the house doing chores. This is an expansion of the wrestling brand and a massive opportunity for a new expansion of the sport.
There is a lot that might be tied in with the change, but undoubtedly this will bolster the number of participants in youth wrestling, create additional revenue and bring our sport into the 21st century. While many programs have already transitioned, this high-level direction will give the clearance to many more whose wrestlers undoubtedly want these uniforms as an option.
After last month's announcement by the NCAA to recommend the removal of headgear, I'm starting to think sanity has seeped into the drinking water of our sport's highest levels. Now, if we can only get rid of these new-fangled "wrestling helmets" our sport will be a safe place for our children to compete.
To your questions …
Pat Downey placed fifth at the U.S. Open at 86 kilograms (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Q: Pat Downey defeated Gabe Dean on his way to fifth place at 86 kilograms at the U.S. Open. Thoughts on his performance? Did he silence his critics? Do you think he will return to Division I wrestling? If so, where? Did the door close at Iowa State?
-- Mike C.
Foley: No. His critics were still loud.
Kudos to Pat for winning his match against Dean. I sense it was an important moment of validation for his time spent on Twitter.
He will not be returning to Iowa State, but there is always a market for a one-and-done face on campus. The only issue would be transfer eligibility, and likely a Twitter-based stipulation.
Q: Word is J'den Cox is wrestling at the World Team Trials. If David Taylor beats him, don't they have to go to an overseas tournament and compete, and whoever places higher wins the spot?
-- Frank C.
Foley: The rules regarding the top spot in the USA have changed in recent years. I don't believe that David Taylor and J'den Cox would have to travel before the World Championships. If Taylor makes it to the finals and wins the best-of-three series he will be the World Team member.
Q: What was your biggest takeaway from the U.S. Open?
-- Mike C.
Foley: That David Taylor is not to be trifled with this season. My goodness. There are almost always challenges along the way, but whatever issues Taylor faced in getting up to weight have been resolved. He's strong, fast and lean. The style he's created for himself seems to be transitioned to the freestyle rules, which is to say he's limiting over-wrestling or over-scrambling and optimizing his output.
The real test will come against J'den Cox at the World Team Trials. Will Taylor be able manage a high stakes match against a somewhat familiar opponent? Though he's excelled in almost every respect, that is one area he's consistently fell short. I'm betting he can get the job done in June.
Q: Why is Kyle Dake allowed to stall with constant one/two hands being put on the mat while in his "stalling neutral" stance?
-- Mr. Juice
Foley: I agree that there are certain matches in the United States where Dake is given incredible leeway to place his hands on the mat and not engage with his opponent. I think that the finals match of the U.S. Open was called closer-to-fair and the referee put Dake on the clock twice.
There is a big difference between the way freestyle and folkstyle are called, and it's a difference that not many Americans can grasp right away. The freestyle model is about rewarding aggression and penalizing defensive gestures and posturing. Hold a wrist, lock tight to an elbow, pull down on a tight front headlock but don't progress and the international referee will immediately step in. Action is incentivized, which is part of the reason you see such action-packed matches. In the United States the sport is based a lot more on control, which tends to allow these defense postures. For many fans (and referees) seeing Dake on an international mat hasn't meant a change of perception. They see the stance as acceptable even as it is clearly meant to limit action.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
New highlight films being produced by United World Wrestling which recap finals action for fans. Labor intensive, but this should help promote top-level athletes and deliver a consumable news wrap for those who like to watch, rather than read!
Q: When are the UWW weight classes going to change? When will the announcement be coming?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Following the end-of-the-year meetings this September at the World Championships in Paris. Ten weight classes, but the review of the two-day system will follow the testing at the Cadet World Championships in Greece.
Q: Mason Manville won a U.S. Open Greco-Roman title at 75 kilograms. It seems like he has a bright future in the sport. I'm a little flustered that he's still planning on wrestling in college, which will hinder his Greco-Roman development. Obviously, it's his life and it's not our place to judge his decisions. But why do Americans put so much emphasis on NCAA wrestling?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Greco-Roman won't pay for college and in the long run the investment he makes in his education will take him further than a career as a Greco-Roman athlete. No matter if he wins two Olympic gold medals or zeros out after a ten-year career the finances behind a college education demand that you take the free money. Think of it this way: Someone is willing to pay him $250,000 for his high school wrestling accomplishments. If he wins the Olympics he makes … wait for it … $250,000.
Q: David Habat seems to be progressing well and won a bronze medal at the European Championships for Slovenia. Thoughts on his progression?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Solid wrestler who performed up to his ability. Not more, not less. His medal performance at the European Championships is a great harbinger of his potential come the 2017 World Championships in Paris.
I will mention that a few wrestling heads here in Serbia mentioned how much they enjoyed his wrestling style. There is often some jabbering about top wrestlers, but it's rare to hear these compliments for bronze-medal finishers.
COMMENT OF THE WEEK
By Paul E.
Here is where I am with Jordan Burroughs: I'm a New Jersey native and longtime JB fan and follower since his high school and college days and was all in on him until leading up to Rio I had a hunch that he was not in a good place. The morning he walked out onto the arena floor for his first match I could see it on his face -- he was not good. I told my wife I don't think he is going to win today
The endorsements, appearances, declaring that he wanted to surpass John Smith (biggest mistake), all of it took its toll (I think) unbeknownst to most in his circle and he cracked under the pressure. He knew he had to win gold because he declared he wanted to surpass Smith. You'll never hear Snyder say this.
It's similar to Tiger Woods (who also declared he wanted to surpass the best -- Jack Nicklaus' 18 majors). Tiger Woods' major edge for the longest time was his mindset. It's amazing how it just crumbled after his sordid 'hobby' became international news that one fateful morning in November many years ago. He hasn't and will never be the same. It's an amazing story in psychology on how he went 180 overnight. Same for JB so far. Well, being humiliated by international news (for many years now) doesn't help.
Similar to JB, listen to him talk now. Post-match with Dake still talking about the tough road back from Rio, talks like a defeated man, 180 from the way he used to talk. There's no way he lost that much of his physical gifts in one tournament. He lost his mental toughness and needs to get it back ASAP before June. It was one match -- get over it. All the best lose a big match at some point.
Recommended Comments
There are no comments to display.
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now