Jagger's Friday Mailbag - 5/24/2024

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.