Gable Steveson (left) and Greg Kerkvliet in the 2022 NCAA semifinals"Heavyweights in wrestling are like kickers in the NFL. Where they're playing the same sport, but it's a completely different skillset"
This quote by the great Yianni D was tweeted out by the aptly named "The Quoter" and it started a bit of a firestorm in the Twitterverse. What exactly does it mean? Was the idea correct, but the positional analogy just wrong? Did I just say positional analogy? Yes and yes. I get the point of it all.
It's the same sport but the athletes have to do two completely different things. A big man simply can't wrestle like a lightweight. But kicker just isn't the correct position to use. I'm not sure you can compare a kicker to any other position in sports. It's just such a unique quirk in a sport filled with the biggest, fastest, and strongest athletes the country has produced. Somehow a guy with the ability to kick a ball straight for fifty yards fits into the equation. And many times with the most pressure on them.
In that sense, I get it that they both come up with the final result on the line more than any of their teammates. But that's not what we're discussing here. I'll agree that you can compare the two sports here. Wrestlers coming in all shapes and sizes means they have to train and tailor their skills to their strengths. Evan Wick and Chance Marstellar competed at the same weight. But their shapes meant they had to wrestle different styles. It's just the way it is. Just like Derrick Henry and Darren Sproles are both running backs with completely different styles. The thing is that they both still have to go out there and achieve the same goal which is to move the football. A heavyweight still has to go out there and beat his opponent just like his little buddy at 125.
The biggest and smallest guys on every team are always best friends. Everyone knows this. So what's the correct analogy? I would guess it's something like wide receiver to lineman. Two positions that are out there at the same time, working towards the same goal, but doing two different things to get there while using their strength and speed to the styles that suit them. Until we decide a dual meet with seeing which coach can kick the challenge brick the furthest, (imagine coaches hiring assistants based on their foam brick kicking skills) let's leave the kickers out of it. Now, let's get to the mailbag before I ramble on even further.
U amped? Pelikan Head
Pretty fired up, dog.
How will you be preparing for the Matscouts league draft, which is one week away from today? Dan Seifring
Is that next week? Oh lord. How am I supposed to win a league where two guys in the league provide the content for all my research? Here's some advice for you fantasy players out there. If you're in a league with Dan Seifring or Tony DiMarco and they offer you a trade, don't take it. It's a scam. They know more than you. Personally, I'm holding out for October of 2026 and drafting Bo Bassett first overall. I should be able to get my team firmly in last place by then and I'm sure Daton Fix will have some eligibility left.
If you could face any real wrestler in a fake match who would it be? Richard Mann
I'd love to work a match with Chris Foca. Back when I strapped on the headgear, my best offense was always counters and reversals until I finally got the guy on his back or lost by something like 16-11. Every time. Never failed. Foca also loves to roll around into pinning positions. I think the two of us can really put on a show by just hitting headlocks where you
reach back, sitting out of cradles and turning them into cradles, flippy sh*t as they say in the industry. Just seven minutes of furious reversals and backpoints until I finally lose by the score of 27-18. Then we shake hands and I hit him with a stunner before celebrating with beers for an hour. DTA. Don't trust anybody. Jagger 7:12 says I just whooped your ass!
Who is your biggest dark horse this year? YaBoyBready
I think I answered this awhile back, but I have no idea who I picked, so I'll pick a new guy. Vince Cornella of Cornell. Imagine being named Cornella and then going to Cornell. It's crazy. I can't wrap my head around it. Fresh off a U20 World fifth place finish, the Corndog enters a wide open weight with the advantage of training with the aforementioned Yianni D, who only won it twice already at 141. Buy stock in Vince Cornella.
Why is Spencer Lee the third most handsome Irishman you know? Fred Bear
Is he Irish? I know he's French on his mother's side. I assume you're the most handsome of all who came from Ireland, but I've never seen your face. I do remember you flexing on a guy from Twitter so hard that he fully deleted his profile. That's power that I do not possess.
That's it for this week my friends. The season is right around the corner and I'm sure we will have more to talk about other than kickers and handsome Irish guys. Also, this mailbag goes great with pumpkin spice.
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