The 2022 Midlands Finals (photo courtesy of Sam Janicki; SJanickiPhoto.com)Welcome everyone to the first mailbag of 2023! I hope you all had a safe and fun holiday, but it’s dual meet season which means the forfeit season is likely over with for now. Speaking of forfeits, you may have asked a thing or two about said situation. Great. It certainly hasn’t been discussed enough so let’s get into it.
Why are folks talking about the Soldier Salute and Iowa sending their full team and complaining about having multiple placers against a field where all teams didn’t send starters, but not the same complaint about Oklahoma State with three placers in some brackets at the Southern Scuffle? Billie Sims
I’ll just go ahead and address the elephant in the room. Iowa didn’t belong at the Soldier Salute. I get it. It’s wrestling. Everyone is taught to be tough and take on all challenges. The Salute is a wonderful idea, but having the number two team in the country there is a serious detriment to all the teams being saluted. It’s just the truth. I want to see some military schools face each other in
the finals. Not Hawkeye wrestle-offs. And another thing Iowa, if you’re going to do that, please get one alternate singlet even if it’s just for these events. All your 149 guys look similar.
Would you rather MFF out of a match or have to do 2:2:2 with the national champion at your weight? Jkos11
That would depend on why I’m booked to wrestle the guy in the first place. Is this an unsanctioned grudge match? Do I have to go six minutes regardless of the score? I feel like I’d spend a good four minutes and 45 seconds just being fully pinned. Maybe I’ll just take the forfeit.
Should winning certain in-season tournaments give a seeding boost that’s similar to UWW ranking series events? Dr. Rhino
I feel like it’s almost the only way to keep the competition at tournaments on the level. I say we add the Last Chance Open to CKLV, Midlands, and Scuffle as the big four seeding tournaments and hold it in February. Therefore, every team has a chance to send various wrestlers to any of the big four for qualifying purposes. If you want to go nuts, make dual matches non-qualifiers and see how many guys miss potential big matches with the dual in balance. Probably a lot fewer than the forfeits we’re getting in tournaments right now. Do I expect any actual change to resolve this forfeit issue? I don’t. The powers that be are not about to change the entire system of college wrestling because Seton Hall Pirate isn’t getting his full slate of wrestlebacks.
What would the trophy/prize be for champions of the inaugural Jagger Jersey Jamboree Open in the 2024 season? Fantasy College Wrestling
Oh, the Triple J? The winners all receive a dozen bagels from George’s Hot Bagels in Fair Lawn, NJ. Best bagel place in the world. They take debit cards now!
Should a medical forfeit equate to a loss? Eric “The Hitman” Asselin
No, because I think there are legit injuries out there and it’s not fair to tag a loss on a wrestler for preventing further damage. Sure, it would lead to fewer forfeits, but you’re also putting legit hurt kids in a position that they shouldn’t have to be in. I realize some oldheads want them to tough it out, but I tend to care more about a kid’s health than who officially placed fifth at Midlands.
What physical ailment would cause you to MFF out of a match? I assume it would be a lot since you may be the toughest person on Twitter. Austin Sommer
The one where I’m forced to go six minutes with the national champ at my weight.
Did you buy tickets to the 2023 EIWA Championships yet? Kevin McGuigan
Go to one conference tournament when I have so many screens at home to watch them all? That’s crazy talk. I will say that Philly 2025 is looking particularly appealing. Maybe see Carter Starocci win his fifth title in his home state.
Who’s the head coach of the Buffalo Bills? Nicholas Strub
I do believe it’s former wrestler Sean McDermott. A true leader of men.
On that note, I think I’ll take my leave. Talk to you all next week.
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