Jagger's Friday Mailbag - 10/13/2023

Welcome all on this chilly Friday morning to another edition of the mailbag. Teams are practicing and wrestleoffs are already being announced so the season is creeping up quickly. Today is my brother’s birthday and tomorrow is my other brother’s birthday. And while I know that neither is reading this, I still hope you both have a great day. In a few weeks, my other, other brother has a birthday. I have a lot of brothers. We’re like the Finejaggers over here. And we’re all getting old. But here’s to the three of you and many more birthdays for you all. Just remember, I’ll always be the tallest and best-looking. Now let’s get into this mailbag. 

Which are your favorite UFC Fight Pass wrestling events to be covered this season and why? Kevin Claunch 

I’m not sure I have any at the moment. The truth is that I didn’t get too excited over this whole endeavor because to me it’s just another service I have to subscribe to. For the sake of the sport, I suppose it’s a positive. MMA has a large fan base and with the success of recent wrestlers in the eight-sided circle, it makes sense to capitalize on that by trying to lure in some of that fan base. Streaming services need content. Wrestling has more than enough content to give and this does give a few teams who otherwise never get center stage a chance in the spotlight. And that's a good thing. 

If Carter Starocci goes like he is projected as a 5-time NCAA champ, where do you rank him all time? Jkos11 

Probably the 1B to Cael’s 1A as the best-case scenario. In my mind, you can’t topple the guy who never lost for four straight years unless you do the same thing. But for argument’s sake, let’s break this down a little. 

For Sanderson it’s easy. 159 wins in a row. Carter is on pace for about 110 matches total with an extra year. Advantage: Cael. Both guys took a redshirt so there’s no true freshman factor here. Now if Starocci won the 2021 title as a true freshman with a couple of losses and then ran off four straight, without a loss, I might think differently about this. And what of that shortened season? Did Starocci have an advantage by not having to deal with the grind of the full season? Would it have mattered? Seeing that he’s won two more since, I’ll say it didn’t matter. He was the best guy that year regardless. The bottom line is, the potential five-time NCAA D1 championship quest is a special thing that will likely be the rarest feat ever accomplished if it happens. Factor in the guys he has beaten and would have to beat to get there, it puts him in the conversation as the best ever. I just don’t think I can put him over Cael.

What venues should the NCAA announce the NCAA championships for the next cycle and why is one of them Boardwalk Hall. Aaron Bartlett 

Ha, that would be something. I’ve never actually been to Boardwalk Hall so I’m not sure if it is the best venue. Do they have suites? A couple of our more fancy fans enjoy the suites so they can look down on their minions for three days like Commodus in Gladiator. Lord knows that Atlantic City has plenty of hotels and a large surrounding fanbase so it’s not the worst idea. I just want to sit between the Brands brothers while they aggressively shout “Hit me” at the Blackjack table and slap each other senseless out of instinct. 

Short sample size, but does Jags like the expanded MLB playoff format with the first-round byes? Rhino 

It’s fine. Houston has no problem with it. Atlanta might have a problem with it. They certainly don’t have a problem with winning over 100 games to earn the bye. They just have a problem with winning three more after they earn it. But there is something to be said about sitting around for days while your opponent wins a series and gets to party and gain more confidence. I liken it to a guy losing early then storming through the backside and knocking off higher-ranked guys on the way to a good finish. Alright, maybe it’s not the same but you get my point. 

Am I fooling anybody with this combover? Salty Walkon 

Unless it’s 1984 and you’re a science teacher, just shave those scalp scraps and accept it. 

Will you be attending the UPenn v Rutgers match on January 6th in the Palestra? Asking for a friend. Kevin McGuigan 

Is that friend Matt Valenti? Thoughts and prayers to my fellow Mets fan for what he has to go through right now. I’m sure winning two NCAA titles was tough, but it’s not as tough as dealing with all this Phillies stuff.