Articles: Articles

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 13, 2015

Fri, 13 Feb 2015 06:38:01 +0000

The Division I National Duals begin this weekend and in a year in need of drama their arrival could set the stage for a newsworthy weekend of wrestling.

Nearly 30,000 fans attended the Iowa vs. Minnesota and Iowa vs. Penn State dual meets over the past two weeks, and those numbers lend to the idea that dual meets can pack the house and make press. So why not embrace the dual meets and the potential of the National Duals to provide more of the same?

There is no rational reason to distance wrestling from a dual meet format outside of a reluctance to "risk" the success of the NCAA tournament. But if nearly 30,000 people witnessed a pair of dual meet matches and 20,000 fans visit three 12-hour days of wrestling, aren't we missing an opportunity?

Of course we are.

Time to hit the lights on the idea that NCAA tournament is the only way to generate interest and income in the sport of wrestling. Back the duals and back progress.

To your questions ...

Q: Everyone's ideas still have riding time at one minute. In order to create more action, wouldn't we want to shorten the window of riding time rather than keep it at one minute, but still have a way to reward a wrestler who is working towards nearfall points or the fall?

Instead of having a riding-time clock, have a clock set for 25 seconds. When a wrestler gets a take down and establishes control, the clock starts. The wrestler has 25 seconds to get nearfall points. If after 25 seconds, no nearfall points are established, wrestlers start back in neutral position and the bottom wrestler does not get a point for an escape. If nearfall points are awarded, a new 25-second clock is started for the top wrestler to acquire more nearfall points.

This promotes action from the top wrestler to be working towards a fall. It rewards the bottom wrestler as well for escaping in a 25-second window. It eliminates riding snooze-fest without added nearfall points or pins. The time allowed could be adjusted but I think it would definitely bring up the intensity factor.
-- Justin L.

Foley: The shot clock in international wrestling has been very successful in creating points and driving action. I don't see why your solution wouldn't generate the same type of action on the mat. Even if wrestlers attempted to stall for 25 seconds, the top man would be incentivized to act as well.

The riding time issue should be solved in the next few years, but what should change and what will change are always separated by miles of bureaucracy and the self-interest of those in positions of authority.

Q: Over the last five years, the Big Ten has always brought a "Power 3" to the NCAAs: Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota. Based on the InterMat rankings, only Chris Dardanes (Minnesota, 133) and Dylan Ness (Minnesota, 157) are ranked No. 1. Both guys are far from locks. This year could we see a scenario where none of the Big Ten Power 3 crowns an NCAA champion.

Naturally, all three schools have a decent chance at crowning a champion at almost any weight class. Still, it's a safe bet that Penn State will have no champions, probably a 50/50 that Iowa does not crown a champ, and not out of the realm of possibility that Minnesota doesn't see a champion either.

Is this a commentary on the parity of wrestling? Has a team won the NCAAs without crowning a single champion?
-- Chuck R.

Iowa freshman Brandon Sorensen defeated Penn State's Zack Beitz to improve to 27-2 this season (Photo/Bill Ennis)

Foley: Like you I check the rankings every Tuesday and it never occurred to me that there might not be an NCAA champion from the Power 3. It also never occurred to me to call them the Power 3, but I like that, too.

Parity has everything to do with this type of spread in talent. Sure, Penn State is "down" and Iowa is solid across without having a standout leader, but add in Minnesota's lineup and it seems like less of a coincidence.

I think that one of these schools will have an NCAA champion, if only because Iowa has a nasty habit of putting believers into the finals and Brandon Sorensen strikes me as a true believer. The opportunity will be available to all three schools and should happen, but your point remains in good standing.

Schools like Cornell, Illinois and Northwestern are becoming adept at creating one, two or three NCAA champions in a season. That's not a fluke. That's coaching and institutional support. Drew Pariano has done a phenomenal job collecting and curating talent, so much so that it's possible that Northwestern has two NCAA champions this year (Jason Tsirtsis and Mike McMullan) while Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota are blanked.

Parity is the new normal, which oddly also explains why Iowa's resurgence this year is so comforting -- in a sea of change it's inviting to have a favorite team (or heel) for which to base your cheer section.

As for the never-have's it was the infamous Minnesota team of 2001 that put no wrestlers in the NCAA finals, but placed all 10 wrestlers to win the NCAA championship.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Jason Bryant interviews Matthew Modine (Louden Swain) on the 30th anniversary of Vision Quest

Sometimes I love brutality

Post by DJ Reminise.

Q: You've probably already addressed or thought about addressing this topic, but I was extremely disappointed with the lack of results provided for some of the big international tournaments recently. I know United World Wrestling has done a lot recently to improve the product on the mat, but I am still amazed that in this day and age, we are unable to get any sort of live/semi-live results for a tournament as big as the Yarygin International.

Even in instances where there have been updates to brackets, the interactive brackets provided online have been extremely clunky to navigate. I know this may be a small, nit-picky thing, but it's been extremely aggravating to me, and I'm sure to others as well. If UWW wants the fans to be more engaged, providing better ways to find the results would be a good place to start
-- Gabe S.

Foley: Full disclosure: I am the media and editorial manager for United World Wrestling.

With that out of the way, I know that I can best describe to you the errors you see and how there are things in motion to create some positive change. The old system "Heracles" is being replaced with "Arena."

The system can be adapted to produce results in a much-less clunky manner and will do so soon, but as with anything new it will take some time to implement and to teach to 179 national federations. I know it's tough to ask for patience, but do know that everyone has the same goal.

In the meantime, the United World Wrestling events on the calendar (World, Continental and Grand Prix championships) will largely have streaming, live results and previews/wraps. Some, like the Asian Junior Championships in Myanmar, will be difficult to guarantee Internet connectivity. While that might frustrate fans for a moment, remember that it's important to grow the sport in new locations.

This also goes for this weekend's Granma y Cerro Pelado in Cuba. United World Wrestling adds it to the calendar to ensure that wrestlers will attend, but it doesn't imply that we have a presence at the event.

In the meantime be sure to check out the site as often as possible and hopefully you'll see positive change!

Comment of the Week
By Matt C.

Regarding last week's comments with riding time I think this falls more on the poor officiating rather than the concept. Point being, if the wrestler in the advantage position isn't warned for stalling then nothing changes in tight matches, especially with high-level wrestlers and who's to blame them? I'd do the same thing.

I haven't been more disappointed than I have been this past year, especially with the new out-of-bounds stalling rule, which could work if called according to the creation of this, and my final thought to you regarding the Mike Evans takedown, I personally loved the call due to the rule. There shouldn't be reaction time for the defensive wrestler in sudden victory. Get it done in regulation.

I truly hope our sport takes it to the next level by creating rules that would bring more fans to the sport as I believe it's an exceptional one that teaches life lessons like no other.

Your definitive Big Ten undefeated wrestler entry
By Russ Ruhf (State College, Pa.) and Larry Ruhf (Herndon, Va.)

Ever since the end of last season, when I learned that both Ed Ruth (59-0) and David Taylor (56-0) finished their remarkable wrestling careers without losing to any Big Ten competition, my father Russ and I wondered if any other wrestler had achieved such an amazing feat.

One might think if anyone else could make this boast, it would only take a couple of Internet searches to learn the answer. Much to our surprise, it was a lengthy and painstaking endeavor. In our pursuit, we sent several emails and made phone calls, all of which helped us to narrow the list. Then, and thanks to Ray's article, we learned that Tom Milkovich was the first wrestler to finish his Big Ten career undefeated against all other Big Ten competition. Ray goes on to mention that Ed Ruth also equaled this, " ... seemingly unreachable mark." However, since Tom and Ed, there are others.

As you probably know, there have been 13 four-time Big Ten champions:

Verne Gagne, Minnesota: 1944 (175), 1947 (HWT), 1948 (191),1949 (HWT)
Arnold Plaza, Purdue: 1947, 1949-50 (121), 1948 (114 1/2)
Joe Scarpello, Iowa: 1947-48-49-50 (175)
Tom Milkovich, MSU: 1970-71 (134), 1972-73 (142)
Mike DeAnna, Iowa: 1977-78-79-81 (167)
Ed Banach, Iowa: 1980-81-82 (177), 1983 (190)
Barry Davis, Iowa: 1981-82, (118), 1983-85 (126)
Duane Goldman, Iowa: 1983-84 (177), 1985-86 (190)
Jim Heffernan, Iowa: 1983-85-86-87 (155)
Mark Ironside, Iowa: 1995-96-97-98 (134)
Kellen Russell, Michigan: 2008-09-11-12 (141)
Ed Ruth, Penn State: 2011-12 (174), 2013-14 (184)
David Taylor, Penn State: 2011 (157), 2012-13-14 (165)

Here's what we have learned:

The following four-time Big Ten champions have lost to Big Ten competition:

Iowa:
Joe Scarpello, Iowa (47-50)
Mike DeAnna ('77-'81)
Barry Davis ('81-'85)
Duane Goldman ('83-'86)
Jim Heffernan ('83-'87) - Russ called Jim, and Jim indicated he tied a Michigan State wrestler and thinks he lost his freshman year to a Big Ten opponent.
Mark Ironside ('95-'98)

Michigan:
Kellen Russell ('08-'12)

Minnesota:
Verne Gagne ('44-'49)

Purdue:
Arnold Plaza ('47-'50)

The following four-time Big Ten champions never lost to Big Ten competition:

Iowa:
Ed Banach ('80-'83), although he did have a tie with Steve Fraser from Michigan.
T.J. Williams ('99-'01), although he was only a three-time champion.

Michigan State:
Tom Milkovich ('70-'73)

Penn State:
Ed Ruth, Penn State ('11-'14)
David Taylor, Penn State ('11-'14)

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 6, 2015

Fri, 06 Feb 2015 08:41:58 +0000

The validity of the flash takedown is back on the minds of college wrestling fans after last week's controversial 174-pound bout in the Iowa vs. Minnesota dual which ended with Mike Evans being awarded a VERY fast two-point takedown in overtime.

The failures of the flash takedown are obvious (and below), but what is hampering the excitement of college wrestling even more than quick two-point takedowns is the ongoing struggle for excitement on the age of riding time.

Meant to increase pinning, the riding-time point (one point is given for a control advantage of 1-plus minutes) was a way to incentivize athletes to be aggressive on the mat and to reward them for attempting to create action. What was well-intentioned has since morphed into is a series of rides: claws, hooks, low-leg, parallel shifting -- all simple stalling tactics used on top for one man to stay "in control" long enough to grab the extra point.

Pinning has become an afterthought.

The riding-time point is not a well-worn tradition of NCAA or American wrestling. The proposition has been in and out of the collegiate rulebook, and high school wrestling doesn't use the clock. So why keep the point?

Part of it has to do with creating fewer tied matches and overtimes. Part of it is tradition. And part of the argument is ... "Well learn how to get out ...!"

The last argument is by far the least attractive and most meat-headed take available. Wrestling is meant to entertain and the remnants we see of mat wrestling are based in a tradition of submission grappling passed down from generations of barnstorming events and professional-like wrestling events. The considerations to remove submissions over the years have come through the desires of parents and bureaucracies to decrease injuries -- there are moves illegal today that were legel as recently as ten years ago. Wrestling doesn't allow submissions and it tries to avoid unwarranted joint manipulation, but it still incentivizes ground control. With only a handful of tools and possible outcomes the wrestling on the mat can take on the appeal of watching time-lapse videos of grass growing.

Taken to a broader plane, the ability to lay on top of someone is no longer all that impressive when you have a world filled with grapplers who can defend and attack from the position better than collegiate athletes. Control from top is just not all that triumphant of an action.

But the main reason for the elimination of riding time is that it kills action. There are too many wrestlers willing to dive to an ankle to hold on for an extra second of action, or go over the top in the side headlock and pray for a transition before five seconds is counted. Even that -- the creation of rules to deal with stalling techniques based in riding time -- is a negative consequence of what is obviously a useless and antiquated rule.

It's time we stopped the madness and free up the wrestlers to, well, wrestle. Taking away the riding-time point adds action to the sport, simplifies the rules for fans and in no significant way alters the appeal of the sport for die-hard fans.

To your questions ...

Q: What was your take on the Mike Evans' takedown on Logan Storley in sudden victory last Friday? My understanding is the rule states that you need complete control for a takedown to be awarded, and it did not look like Evans had complete control. The action should have continued, right?
-- Mike C.

Foley: As written the correct call was made, but as we understand wrestling over the past few decades that was not a takedown.

American wrestling as described above is centered on the idea of "control" while international freestyle and Greco-Roman rules are focused on successful "techniques."

Mike Evans used a double leg in sudden victory to top Logan Storley (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

What this means for the American style is that rules incentivize a wrestler to lay on top of his opponent for four minutes, while in freestyle they are only given a short window to work. Most befuddling, and what is of interest to your question, is that American wrestling rules now award points for takedown maneuvers where almost no control is established.

The NCAA wrestling rules committee has no mission statement for what they wish to achieve on the mat. There is no institutional psychology driving the totality of their decisions outside of corrective measures necessitated by previously ill-conceived rules. That leaves the rulebook overgrown and unfocused with rules meant to patch previous rules, but which only caused more disruption.

The committee needs to have a philosophical discussion about what they do and do not want to achieve. If they want action then a pushout and killing riding time would make a helluva lot of sense. Whereas "flash" takedowns and riding time points do not create action and are in direct contradiction to each other and the ethos of the sport.

If the rules committee is unwilling to make the change to a philosophy fans can understand then maybe it's time to move over to something flashier and faster-paced -- maybe it's time to adopt freestyle rules. Having 400k kids and 70-plus NCAA Division I wrestling programs wrestling freestyle would significantly increase the chances that Americans win multiple gold medals at the Olympics.

The more prudent option would be to move forward with these basic and easy-to-introduce rules.

Q: With such a rich wrestling history, how does the Michigan State athletic administration allow the continued deterioration of the wrestling program under the leadership of Tom Minkel. Michigan State is an afterthought in the Big Ten and it appears to me wrestling is not a priority at MSU.
-- David Dr.

Tom Minkel

Foley: I've been in trouble for saying that coaches should be fired, and I don't know that it feels good for me or him to beat on that drum. That written, Minkel has done an admirable job keeping his position and I'm sure that the institution wouldn't mind creating a position that would allow him and his knowledge of the campus workings to benefit the school in another way.

Every wrestling program needs fresh blood. Programs with successful head coaches like Iowa, Minnesota and Cornell see some turnover in their assistant staffs while other less successful programs need to make wholesale change to their leadership. Minkel has not won much over the past decade and the current environment would lend to the notion that coaches like him are replaced with regularity.

I hope that Minkel gets out soon. There is a danger that he can be better known for what he was unable to achieve at the end of his career rather than what he did achieve as a wrestler and young coach. Legacies matter and I hope that he and Michigan State see that his legacy is no different.

Q: Here's a relatively simple solution for integrating dual meet performance into the NCAA team title: have the team dual tournament count as one additional "weight bracket" for NCAA championship scoring (so now, you'd have the 10 individual weight classes, plus the team bracket). Forget about bonus points, but we could easily include placement points and advancement points. With slots for 32 teams, there are enough points up for grabs that the best teams should want to compete.
-- Ronald M.

Foley: As far as I know this is a wholly original idea! Integrating that will still cause a discussion over how much of the overall title should be impacted, but I like that you're thinking of new ideas.

The dual meet season should matter. The old calendar and structure of the season is only being used today because it was handed down the generations and not enough momentum exists for significant changes. If the discussion over a national dual team championship continues then it's sure to bring up other ideas for change, including the length of the season and even how we score dual meets.

Maybe it's better to count the actual match points and give big numbers for falls? That might change the excitement behind a match, right?

Q: With all the controversy at the end of the Mike Evans-Logan Storley match, attention will be deflected from a more important issue. That match would have been great with a pushout, instead they spent seven minutes standing on the out-of-bounds line. I know you want the pushout added to college wrestling, but how could the powers-that-be watch that match and not want a pushout rule?
-- Tim I.

Foley: The powers that be almost certainly DID NOT watch the match.

Realize that men and women in these positions are not often huge fans of the sport. They may support their school and show up to the conference and NCAA tournament, but almost none of them are sitting at home watching the Big Ten Network and taking notes.

These are the administrators with a bevy of employees and responsibilities spread between their home campus and Indianapolis. Don't think for a minute that they break stride when there is a controversial call -- even one that includes the No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the nation.

Q: Jesse Delgado recently returned from an injury. Have you seen him yet? I watched his two matches since coming back and he has looked underwhelming. The eye test tells me he's not sniffing a third NCAA title. He's not getting past Alan Waters and Nahshon Garrett, and it's doubtful he finishes ahead of Joey Dance and Thomas Gilman. How do you see Delgado finishing his college wrestling career?
-- Mike C.

Two-time NCAA champion Jesse Delgado recently returned to Illinois' lineup after being sidelined due to injury for over two months (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: I doubted that Delgado could win last year's finals and he proved me wrong, which makes me NOT want to bet against him in 2015. However, with an injury and the trio of wrestlers you mentioned competing well later in the season, I find it difficult to believe that Delgado -- coming off an injury-shortened season -- has the tools to get it done.

Were you to make the case that Delgado will win his third title it would almost certainly revolve around his mental toughness. I've talked with coaches in the Big Ten who say he's just nails in tough situation after tough situation -- a wrestler with no quit.

Having no skin in the game (yet ... staring at Brian Muir) I'd pull for him to win, if for no other reason than I like the idea of lightweight three-time champions.

Q: What's the story with Mike Evans talking about the rule change regarding no reaction time for takedowns in overtime?
-- Michael, a Hawkeye admitting that it wasn't a takedown unless the rule change is true

Foley: The NCAA Rules Committee chose to implement the "flash" takedown in the rules for 2013-2014. As described above, you weren't the only surprised wrestling fan.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

All about that cake

Swedish-American wrestler looking to become a reality TV star? This might be your lucky day.

To apply for our show you have to go to their website.

Link: Double Leg Ninja Boys are putting up a cool sale for charity

Link: Fiction is more powerful than truth ...

Q: I come into work today and my co-worker, who is not a fan of wrestling and never wrestled, asked if I watched the Iowa-Minnesota dual meet. I said, "Yeah, I did." He replies, "I tried to watch, but it was so boring I changed the channel after the second match. Is wrestling always that way? It's terrible and unwatchable and those are the No. 1 and No. 2-ranked teams." I tried to explain it's an issue, but it's embarrassing to defend the sport and try to encourage people to watch. Needless to say but he won't be watching anymore matches.

NCAA wrestling is doomed if the casual fan not only won't watch, but thinks of wrestling in a negative way. In ten years when a large core of the NCAA wrestling is dead from old age, who will be the next generation of fans?
-- Tim J.

Foley: I don't know. There is part of me that sees my generation getting back into the sport, which is cool, but I don't know if it's sustainable.

There are wrestling fans of all ages, but there is no clear proof that we can retain fans after their days of high school competition. While you and I thought that the matches were somewhat entertaining, your friend (and mine ... had a similar incident) aren't going to support our sport if the action doesn't increase and the confusion gets cut to a minimum.

Storylines and increased mainstream media coverage will help, but unless the sport is easier to consume to casual fans we are never going to make headway in gaining new fans with BTN dual meets.

Q: UFC legend Anderson Silva recently tested positive for steroids, and becomes just another cheater in the dirty sport of MMA. One of my friends wrestled for a top Division I program in the early 2000s and told me that he was never tested for steroids. Do you know if college wrestlers are tested now? If not, don't you think it's reasonable to think there are college wrestlers on steroids?
-- Mike C.

Foley: You are tested if you make the NCAA finals, and most schools will do random screenings in-house to prevent a hot test during competition.

Maybe this is my naïve nature, but in all my years surrounded by the sport I've never heard any rumor that wrestlers are on steroids at the Division I level. Diuretics, marijuana and maybe some pain killers, but that seems to be about all I've seen and heard.

Cutting weight every week and using steroids are not overly compatible.

EXTRA TIME
By Paul L.

Interesting that your boy Jim Harshaw was speaking about Abraham Lincoln in the video included in last week's mailbag. Does Jim know Lincoln was a wrestler?

Also, regarding Henry Ford ... he went bankrupt two or three times.

Link: Was Abraham Lincoln really a wrestler?

Link: Abraham Lincoln was a skilled wrestler and world-class trash talker

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 30, 2015

Fri, 30 Jan 2015 08:52:11 +0000

If you didn't know already, the Iowa Hawkeyes are 2015's best collegiate wrestling team. And for a sport teetering on a massive exodus of fans due to an ever more boring product, the success of a stalwart is a very good thing.

Tom Brands speaks at a press conference following Iowa's defeat to Minnesota last season

Dynasties sell. They make numbers for broadcasters and they reintroduce wayward fans to the power of hero and heel storylines. The Hawkeyes, with their cult-driven personalities and grunt-first mat attitudes, are carrying a season in desperate need of dynamism.

The Hawkeyes will win the NCAA tournament and they'll do so in dominating fashion. While it's always been easy to write critical words about what happens when their passion becomes unbound, it's clear that in 2015 their ambition, talent and work ethic are in sync. (If Iowa does face a tough test, it'll happen tonight against the Minnesota Gophers.)

Like the Yankees, Cowboys, Penguins and Tiger Woods the success of wrestling's dynasty will help the sport grow in America, but we all know the real gift is that Hawkeye success means more press conferences with Tom Brands.

That's always good for business.

To your questions ...

Q: Could the Grand Prix you propose be pulled off? I'm an entrepreneur and always cooking up ideas and have often wondered about this being I'm a lifelong wrestling fan. In this case figured too risky and not worth the effort -- on my part. But as a fan, if it was available, would be awesome! Would the top names be allowed to participate? You'd have to have more than one weight class per event to make it a go and long enough for the paying fan.
-- Paul E.

Foley: I don't think you need more than one weight class and I think you can prune it down to only eight wrestlers. Not only would the paying public show up to a shorter event, they would likely do so in HIGHER numbers than you would see at a tournament.

Good grief wrestling tournaments are difficult to follow and make for exceptionally long days. Imagine only eight wrestlers divided into groups of four with each wrestler facing three opponents. Instead of hoping that your two favorite wrestlers meet up in the finals of the Ivan Yarygin tournament, you are guaranteed to see them compete. And still there is an advancement aspect to the competition that is different from that of a promotional show.

I'm pretty webbed-in to what goes on and I know there is nothing that stands in the way of this being an independently-run event. The only issue might become if you could get it on the calendar. However, I think any successful run Grand Prix could potentially end up in the re-imagined schedule for post-2016.

Starting with what you know would work, it's easy to see how this could potentially make a lot of money. But more important is that the athletes receive financial compensation and the fans see that matchups they want. The media also gets the type of story and event that is easy to cover.

I say rock and roll.

MUTLIMEDIA HALFTIME

My boy Jim Harshaw tells the truth about failure and wrestling.

WooHoo for jiu-jitsu

Post by Alliance Jiu-Jitsu MN.

Why wouldn't this work?

Post by Caio Terra BJJ.

Q: What do you think of Deflategate? Who you got in the Super Bowl? Will wrestling ever have this type of event?
-- Bryan L.

Foley: There are wars all over the globe, hunger, starvation and deprivation affecting billions of lives. The consumption of sports was never meant to replace the distressing headlines from around the world, but in being presented to the public as part of the news was meant to provide readers a respite from carnage, a place where heroes could emerge and heels be squandered.

In 2D and in print the sportswriter was able to build for audiences and readers a sense of the struggle and the scene as much as they provided the content of the action.

Today sport journalism is a world consumed with low-calorie, highly caffeinated opinions about stories that lack real journalistic questions to answer. The journalism of the sporting world is being replaced by realty television raunchiness.

Is this the way of things? Is the discussion of a hyper-minor cheating scandal outweighing the obvious and larger issues?

In the mind of the paid-for partner media entities of the NFL the answer is, "Yes." There is no incentive to report further on head trauma or discuss the relative merits of putting financially at risk cities in limbo so that rich individual owners don't have to pay for new stadiums. Instead of covering the rabid consumerism infused into the day and how it might affect our cultural values, or at least reflect them, we instead have thought pieces on HOW TO TALK TO YOUR KIDS ABOUT THE PATRIOTS CHEATING SCANDAL.

We in the wrestling community always talk of validation by television and the need for the increased sales surrounding the sport. What we discuss with less frequency and ferocity are the consequences of selling up. What would it mean for wrestling to reach a platform 1/100 the size of the Super Bowl? Would we all be happier?

Having watched the MMA media not give a Buffalo nickel about Jon Jones' cocaine use and the football media attack the idea of under-inflated footballs, I can now predict the end of modern civilization. We have peaked. We are on the downslope of achievement and falling fast.

Wrestling doesn't need nor want the Super Bowl's disingenuous culture-culling swill. We are pure through sport and our intention should be to stay that way as much as possible. More money and notoriety seem like outcomes worth acquiring, but aren't when the consequences are the total loss of identity and the loss of reputation, the money loses appeal.

We've reached the saturation point of bullshit in the media's depiction of sports. Entertainment is not meant for the fans alone, it's a hybrid, a careful shell game where the puppeteers hide from the paying viewers the sausage-making to ensure profitable outcomes. The media is supposed to sit back with cynicism and pick apart the bloviating and entitled shrimps that preen on-stage for the sake of dollar bills. Today, they are more like the magician's assistant than a cynic in the crowd.

The real journos are gone and we only have left as few limp attempts at figuring out who mildly deflated balls used in a few football plays.

Wrestling should remain outside of the fray and be content with growing our sport for our fans, and not for a general public that desires the lowest common denominator -- a public that wants high ropes and cage matches instead of passion and athleticism.

Oh, and it's not a "World Championship" if nobody else plays your game.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 23, 2015

Fri, 23 Jan 2015 08:33:16 +0000

United World Wrestling opted this week to change the sport of wrestling.

After four decades of the same presentation of wrestling, the federation chose a massive overhaul of mat colors and uniforms for referees and wrestlers.

The impact of the decision can't be overstated. The original mats, the bright yellow and red that are ubiquitous to wrestling rooms around the globe, were chosen for a different age. All the way back in 1972 ABC asked the federation to adopt the mat color to better coincide with -- get this -- the color of the broadcaster's jackets for the Munich Games. The motivation in using bright yellow was to help penetrate the black and white television still widely in use and provide some color-pop for television sets who were in the first phases of Technicolor.

The new mats -- blue and orange in the theme of the federation's new style -- are not made darker to suit any broadcaster's jacket. In an attempt to provide an improved, more subtle viewing experience, the mats have been darkened to allow the colors of the athletes uniforms to be highlighted. There is less need to impress ABC and more need to impress online audiences.

Gone are the standard red and blue of the international singlet. The new colors will be a representation of the flag, national animal, or whatever else is chosen by the member federations. Designs, meant to appeal to audiences and allow a quicker recognition of wrestlers from a distance, will be a massive boon to the sport's televised appeal. Against the darkened backdrop the uniforms will look in-place -- whereas set against curb yellow the viewing experience would be akin to watching the Wizard of Oz on acid.

Wrestlers aren't the only ones to change their uniforms, referees will no longer dress like a traveling band of gypsies. The suit and yellow ties have been replaced with trousers and a polo shirt. The change will allow the referees more flexibility to get closer to the action and take the viewer's attention away from their wedding attire and back where it belongs: the wrestlers.

And finally ... the death of the singlet. The favorite baton by which to whip the sport of wrestling has been eliminated. The distraction is gone and in its place an opportunity to increase youth participation and the revenue of teams who can market to those who want to "dress like the team." There will be different uniforms for all three styles, with women likely to keep an outfit more similar to the standard fare. Meanwhile Greco-Roman and freestyle will see drastic improvement, with much less exposed spandex and almost certainly some type of shorts. The uniform designs are still being tested, revised and reviewed.

The sports community demanded that wrestling make modernizations to the sport, and it has responded. At its core the sport will remain the same, the truths about what it takes to succeed on the mat are unchanged by what the competitors are wearing. Wrestling is wrestling no matter the surface, no mind the color scheme, so why not make it better?

To be clear, the singlet, like a bad first job, was not a mistake but a learning experience. In its time and place a single piece of shiny lycra was the solution, but after five decades of being battered by its bad publicity it's time to bury it for good. In America, lycra has come to define wrestling, but that wasn't always the case and a return to something more "modest" isn't without precedent. Also worth noting is that countries around the world have wrestled for centuries and never once have they worn a singlet.

The change has arrived and though it wasn't as fast as some wanted and will feel unnatural to others, it's the next step in a long process of wrestling to reach more people around the globe. Wrestling is changing, and that's good for business.

To your questions ...

Q: Is Joey McKenna taking some sort of Olympic redshirt this year?
-- @Robbybobbi

Foley: No. He just hasn't enrolled in school. From what I understand he can take a year, or maybe two, to start his collegiate career, and he seems to be taking his time. Olympic redshirts can only be taken in Olympic years.

Joey McKenna won a Junior World silver (Photo/T.R. Foley)

Though much of the USA and the world has focused on the meteoric rise of Aaron Pico, McKenna matched his output at last year's Junior World Championships, earning a runner-up finish. Since then he's also placed third at Midlands and is signed up to compete at Medved -- who for those who don't know -- is one of the toughest tournaments of the year.

McKenna has the chance to be a world-caliber wrestler and it'll be interesting to see if he makes his way to Stanford or stays closer to home to continue training at Lehigh. I've never been that talented at a physical thing so it's difficult to know which option is best. I'd imagine the best decision would be the one that feels most natural today, as he committed to Stanford 18 months ago -- well before his recent spat of success.

Q: I'm interested in your thoughts on what is going to happen with wrestling as a result of the full cost of attendance now being granted for Power 5 conference schools. I work in athletics development at a major Division I university. We hit our goal this year of just over $15 million raised. Our increased cost for full cost of attendance in 2015 will be $700,000 and in 2016 by over $1.2 million (or approximately what it costs to run the wrestling program).

There's no doubt that programs will be dropped by Power 5 schools -- wrestling, swimming, baseball, track ... you name it. I could foresee a situation where the Power 5 conferences will be whittled down to a handful of sports (a dozen teams or so). This is, of course, terrible news for wrestling and all Olympic sports.

However, I wonder if it may turn into good news. I could foresee a scenario where Power 5 schools are basically semi-pro football and basketball with some women's sports thrown in to comply with Title IX. Then, the remaining conferences, not being able to offer the full cost of attendance stipend, being closer to the true essence of college athletics -- offering scholarships but not having the semi-professional funding that we have in the Power 5 today. Being more similar to a enrollment driven schools, I could see mid-majors adding Olympic sports with some scholarship but not fully funded, knowing that kids want the opportunity to compete in college.

Interesting article here.
-- John H.

Foley: You paint an apocalyptic scene. I don't know what the implosion of college athletics will look like, but I'm hoping for less "The Road" and more a triumphant phoenix rising from the ashes. I'd even settle for a scene reminiscent of "Mad Max."

The paid athletes won't extend past the top sports, and like you mentioned there will need to be an offset on the women's side. That could mean contraction, but don't count out the creative bookkeeping of America's top colleges and universities. There is value in an academic scholarship, and with the skyrocketing cost of tuition that number is very high. Don't be surprised if that is no longer counted as a benefit, but as a dollar amount, a payment made to an employee.

In-kind donations like clothing and other benefits like a training table, physical therapy, weight room, tutors and other items will all be listed as a cost to the athlete. When tallying up that variety of services many scholarships are well in excess of $50,000 per year, an amount sure to satisfy the requirement of pay-to-play.

For the outsiders, the big-time players of NCAA football and basketball, other considerations will need to be made, but those can also be offset by donations and individual sponsorship. Imagine if Johnny Manziel could sign autographs drunk at 4 a.m.? Kid would've been making $80k in cash and kill the argument about proper compensation.

The line from fixed budgets to an open marketplace for the purchase and retention of talent, will not be straight. The process will be slow and complicated, but none of it will be adjusted at the insistence of a few hundred thousand wrestlers.

The wrestling community has a nasty habit of not adapting to change, and should the athletes in basketball and football start cashing checks, it would be to our advantage to not complain. What had complaining ever earned the community. Title IX has been proven a loser cause in 2015, while Division I enrollment-based schools has been proven a winner. Even the Save Olympic Wrestling movement didn't succeed simply because we moaned loudly, but because we made changes.

What might those changes need to be? I think wrestling needs to look at a model outside of the college system. We see in countries around the world that there can be a robust model at the club level. Will that support the 250k youth wrestlers in America? Unclear, but with creative leadership it might.

Wrestling has its own media outlets and speaks to itself. Most wrestling programs are earning as much money from yearly donations as they are taking money from the school's they represent. Maybe not every school, but there are more than a few that can make that claim. Could wrestling convert those fans to adjoining Club programs?

Life outside the NCAA might be more interesting. There would be less red tape and more opportunity to change the rules when necessary, as opposed to when the NCAA deems it appropriate. Maybe wrestling in America could adopt freestyle rules and better help prepare young wrestlers for the Russian and Iranian opponents they face on the international scene?

If we accept that the sporting world is going to change, then we can be more capable of delivering a clear response. We'll need leadership and we'll need to absorb some losses, but wrestling -- the sport, the lifestyle you and I and so many others enjoy -- is not at threat. You can't eliminate something that exists in the blood of every human on the planet. You can erase the sport of curling from memory, because sliding a rock across ice isn't part of human nature, but you can never eliminate the desire to wrestle, or the role it has played in history.

We are better off than 90 percent of the at-risk sports. If wrestling can put aside its indignation at being deemed "at-risk" we could avoid the way of the Dodo and recognize that sure as the world spins the people on it will change their minds. So should we.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Marcelo Garcia is likely the greatest grappler to have ever walked the planet. He also, by chance, is one of the planet's nicest. This month he promoted three brown belts to black, but before he did the ADCC and world champion took time to tell his class that it takes more than brawn and grit to become a black belt. It also takes generosity and kindness. The first ten minutes are the most interesting.

Special congratulations to my best friend and college wrestling teammate Will Durkee who yesterday received his black belt from monster human being and jiu-jitsu royalty Roberto "Cyborg" Abreu. Durkee introduced me to jiu-jitsu and is one the biggest wrestling heads I know. I'm sure he'll be an excellent role model for lower belts and will continue to find success in competition.

Best Move of the Year!

Post by United World Wrestling.

Q: I was wondering what your thoughts are on having dual meets held concurrently with other sporting events. I keep score at the University of Nebraska. For the second year, we held a both a dual meet and a gymnastics meet at the same time, on the same floor. We've come to label it as Tumble N Rumble. I think some other schools have done this too. We've also held high school duals before our duals too to draw in crowds and highlight the sport of wrestling. This year we also held two high school duals before the Rumble N Tumble, featuring some good schools, Grand Island and Omaha Skutt of Nebraska, and Blue Springs and Staley of Missouri. I think this has helped grow interest in both sports. I'm curious what your thoughts are and if you have experienced these types of events.
-- Jared H.

Foley: That's a very interesting idea -- a little bit of creative marketing has never ever hurt wrestling or gymnastics.

I like gymnastics and consider it a cousin sport to wrestling, demanding a power to strength to body awareness combination not seen in basketball, football or ... curling.

Though I haven't heard of this partnership until now, by mentioning this idea I'm sure more schools will look at creating this type of interaction. With what success is unclear, but in finding new fans the sport of wrestling can help grow on its recent success in the media.

Best of luck!

Q: Has anybody ever tried to have a pro wrestling tournament? Make it golf-style results, top X amount of finishers in each weight class get guaranteed money. It seems to me that when companies pick certain wrestlers to wrestle for money or try to create leagues, they come off as too manufactured. Everybody likes a tournament where the underdog can pull upsets and the winner is the actual best of that weight class. If sports like running, sailing, golf, spelling bees, etc. can get air time and sponsors, wrestling should be able to get them easily, in my somewhat unbiased opinion. Start off small and over time increase the money as popularity grows and so will the wrestlers and sponsors. This seems like a more stable platform for pro wrestling than coming up with semi-arbitrary dual meets. Your takedown tournaments would work in this format as well.
-- Tom V.

Foley: I have the solution: The Weight Class Grand Prix System.

You invite the top, most marketable wrestlers in the world for a one-day weight class grand prix. Two groups of five with the top finishers in the group going for a cash prize. Sponsorships, livestreaming and media coverage would be easier than ever to access as the model has already proven effective in other sports, including the Copa Podio in jiu-jitsu.

For example, the USA could host the 74 kilos Grand Prix in New Jersey. Get a well-outfitted 4k seat arena with VIP areas, beer sales and some good in-arena effects. Invite Burroughs, Dake, Howe and Taylor who are all guys from the region, throw in Tsargush (Russian from Brighton Beach) and any Iranian you choose (as we've seen, they travel very well). Now make the prize to win $100k and you will have a media frenzy.

There would need to be 18 Grand Prix event and some of these would need to be doubled up within a country, but by spreading the wealth and making the event about one weight class, it's likely that the talent will concentrate for the experience, attention and cash.

Interesting Comment of the Week!
By Jacob R.

I am not sure if this is something you have ever experienced, but on countless occasions while catching a cab or Uber to the airport, train station, or wherever, I have had the most interesting discussions about international wrestling with my drivers. If the dude is from Iran, it comes as no surprise that he will have great knowledge of who the best wrestlers are from that country as well as who the top guys are from the U.S. This is likewise the case for drivers from Mongolia, Turkey, and Russia. I can't wait to meet someone from Senegal! As a fan of international wrestling it is always a pleasure to talk with folks from other parts of the world and get their take on things.

Follow-Up on Last Week's Big Ten Question:

Paul Diefenbach of Okemos, Michigan:

Of the 14 who won Big 10 titles every year, three were confirmed as unbeaten, five were found to have losses, and six could not be determined.

Here is some info on two of the six:

Jim Heffernan lost to Jude Skove of Ohio State in February 1985.

Ed Banach was probably unbeaten. His sophomore- senior losses in 1981-84 were to Mark Schultz of Oklahoma (2), Mike Mann of Iowa State (3), and Colin Kilrain of Lehigh. His last freshman loss was to Rick Worel of Cal Poly. I can't find the other two losses, but both occurred before Christmas 1980 and therefore were not Big Ten duals.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 16, 2015

Fri, 16 Jan 2015 07:32:55 +0000

Jake Herbert came to Switzerland this week to take part in a meeting of the United World Wrestling athlete commission. Jake, who was elevated to the position at the 2013 World Championships, was an active member of the discussion regarding the future of Olympic wrestling.

Jake Herbert came to Switzerland to take part in a meeting of the United World Wrestling athlete commission

But in spending time together I also got a fuller explanation of his youth coaching system and saw up close how much he believes in its efficacy.

For a quick recap, Jake has helped create a youth coaching method that is based on building the physical IQ of young wrestlers while also providing their basic wrestling maneuvers. Competition, while important, is not always borne out in matches, but in wrestling-like games. Jake tracks the progress of his wrestlers and guarantees physical improvements. The plan is develop the body and mind, create an emotional attachment to wrestling, and then develop high-level techniques and training methods once the wrestler has gotten older.

Jake's ideas, when explained in more detail, are the best I've ever heard for the development of youth wrestlers. Yes Jake is my friend, but there is no doubt in my mind that what he is doing will help individual programs, but also help create happier and healthier youth wrestlers.

If you're a youth wrestling coach please take the time to check out his program and send him an email (jake.herbert1@gmail.com). His ideas warrant a good listen, and in my opinion, immediate adoption.

To your questions ...

Q: I saw USA Wrestling just announced the winter tours for the men's freestyle team. What are your thoughts on the amount of trips are guys are taking over seas? For example I saw that David Taylor is only competing at the Yasar Dogu in Turkey and Jordan Burroughs is only making one trip, and Ed Ruth is not on the schedule to make any trips.

Can we expect success at this level while only getting in a limited number of matches?
-- Scott M.

Foley: I took a long look at the schedule and was impressed with a few things. First, the Americans are bringing a full lineup to the Ivan Yarygin tournament in Russia, and following it up on only a few days rest with the Paris Grand Prix. Those are tough back-to-back tourneys, with the former being named "The toughest tournament in the world.”

Next, I was taken with the sheer number of athletes scheduled to travel. As you may know, travel is an enormous expense and to send that many to tournaments around the globe takes serious financial commitments. Not to be overlooked is the commitment being made by the coaching staffs that are lugging their butts to these far off destinations as well.

I do wish that some of our stars would take in another tournament or two this winter, but there are likely justifications for their absences. Guys have personal lives, prior coaching commitments or would rather just prepare in their rooms. Compared to last season, I actually think this is a heavier schedule and one that will pay benefits to the athletes and USA program.

I will be at the Ivan Yarygin tournament to cover the event and will be sure to provide updates through the United World Wrestling site and the Twitter machine.

Q: I was wondering about the total number of college wrestling scholarships available. From the website.

72 NCAA DI teams, each with max 9.9 scholarships = 713 potential scholarships
58 NCAA DII teams, each with max 9 scholarships = 522 potential scholarships
40 NAIA teams, each with max 8 scholarships = 320 potential scholarships

38 NJCAAA teams, each with max 16 scholarships = 608 potential scholarships

The grand total is 2,163 potential scholarships. We all know that many schools don't offer their full allotment of allowable scholarships (e.g., the six Ivies). My question to you is, how many of these 2,163 potential scholarship do you think actually exist today?

Just wondering, because I see (expensive) youth clubs sell themselves on the potential for college scholarships, and, given that the website above showed 272,149 high school (boy) wrestlers in 2013, there don't seem to be too many of these scholarship to go around (even accounting for the fact that a fully-funded Division I team would have its 9.9 scholarships split across many wrestlers).
-- Ron G.

Foley: You make the excellent point that there might be some shallow promises being made at some of the top-level schools. Sure, your kid can earn a college scholarship, but rarely will it be a full ride and less often it will equal the sum total of dollars plunged into his or her career.

I would have no way to know how many of these programs are fully funded and how much money is behind each scholarship. For example, a state school might have 9.9 in-state scholarships, but that isn't equal to the same raw dollar amount needed to provide for out-of-state tuition.

However, it's assumable that not every program is fully funded and that raw dollars out there is not enough to support every elite wrestler. What that means to the wrestlers and their families should begin with a consideration of WHY parents are pouring money into an elite school. Is the money meant to support the passion of a young athlete, or is it meant to boost the bragging rights of dad? My guess is the latter.

Talent is excellent, hard work necessary and coaching helpful, but the amount needed for each individual wrestler to be successful is different. Often the only person who knows the right formula are parents whose interests are bound to the child's happiness and not to their current and potential financial burden.

Multimedia Halftime

United World Wrestling Super 8 event launched this week and IOC president Thomas Bach attended. The mot powerful man in international sports spent an hour with the wrestlers ... and even got on the mats. That's an incredibly positive sign for wrestling.

Q: I feel that until all college mats are of uniform size, all college mats have a warning track (zone) and all college matches have more than one pair of eyes, the pushout rule should not be implemented.
-- Jefferson T.

Foley: The current rules state that mats need to be between 38-42 feet in diameter. Make that rule a flat 40 or 42 and I think we have our first solution.

As for a warning track, that's not necessary. The only reason for the zone in freestyle and Greco-Roman are based in rules, not in giving wrestlers a special recognition of where there are on the mat. Most know the edge no matter the situation, how else do you think they play it so well now?

Video review is already part of the process.

Voila! Problem solved!

Q: Why has finding results this season been so difficult? Specifically making me all hot and bothered is the lack of results for the Virginia Duals. I can't find results for the Division I matches anywhere! Do I need to just go to each university's website just to find this stuff out?
-- Nick B.

Foley: I'm certain that the readers will tell you where they access results. For now, I'm staying out of the results argument.

Pushout Thought of the Week
By Chris T.

I had a couple of thoughts about the pushout rule in college. Part of me is all for it as edge wrestling (and no action) drives me nuts. Having said that, there are enough times where a pushout occurs through no fault of the defensive wrestler. Way too many times a guy is trying to get out from bottom and the top guy pushes him out rather than give up an escape. I don't think that type of desperate activity should be rewarded with a point.

I did come up with an idea. Rather that awarding a pushout point, keep an out-of-bounds counter and use it as a tie breaker. I can see multiple benefits from this ...

1. Cheap points don't get awarded simply for bullying a guy to the edge without using any particular offensive moves. However, your count goes up for inducing an out-of-bounds call.

2. Cheap points don't get awarded by a top wrestler pushing out a bottom wrestler trying to escape. Increment the bottom guy's counter for inducing an out-of-bounds call.

3. Wrestlers choosing to live on the edge have accountability. Their opponents count goes up.

At the end of a match, a point is awarded to the wrestler who has the most pushouts. Maybe even multiple points if there is a large differential in pushouts.

By implementing this, the pushout becomes part of the wrestling match. At that point, you can implement it in overtime. If a match is tied, there is one overtime period (with no time limit). First person to score (takedown or pushout) wins. Simple application and easy to understand by the fan base. No massively long, drawn-out overtimes, rideouts, etc. Additionally it brings an international element into folkstyle which is never a bad thing for those wrestlers who pursue international wrestling.

I think by implementing this type of rule, one could easily argue that riding time can go by the wayside as it isn't needed. That could allow for officials to starting calling stalls on top guys who are hell bent on riding with no intent to score.

Wrestling Community Research Question of the Week
By Larry R.

There have been 13 four-time Big Ten champions:
Verne Gagne, Minnesota - 1944 (175), 1947 (HWT), 1948 (191),1949 (HWT)
Arnold Plaza, Purdue - 1947, 1949-50 (121), 1948 (114 1/2)
Joe Scarpello, Iowa - 1947-48-49-50 (175)
Tom Milkovich, MSU - 1970-71 (134), 1972-73 (142)
Mike DeAnna, Iowa - 1977-78-79-81 (167)
Ed Banach, Iowa - 1980-81-82 (177), 1983 (190)
Barry Davis, Iowa - 1981-82, (118), 1983-85 (126)
Duane Goldman, Iowa - 1983-84 (177), 1985-86 (190)
Jim Heffernan, Iowa - 1983-85-86-87 (155)
Mark Ironside, Iowa - 1995-96-97-98 (134)
Kellen Russell, Michigan - 2008-09-11-12 (141)
Ed Ruth, Penn State - 2011-12 (174), 2013-14 (184)
David Taylor, Penn State - 2011 (157), 2012-13-14 (165)

Haven't been able to determine if these wrestlers lost to Big Ten competition:

Iowa:
Joe Scarpello ('47-'50)
Ed Banach ('80-'83)
Jim Heffernan ('83-'87)

Michigan State:
Tom Milkovich ('70-'73)

Minnesota:
Verne Gagne ('44-'49)

Purdue:
Arnold Plaza ('47-'50)

Have determined these wrestlers lost to Big Ten competition:

Iowa:
Mike DeAnna ('77-'81)
Barry Davis ('81-'85)
Duane Goldman ('83-'86)
Mark Ironside ('95-'98)

Michigan:
Kellen Russell

Have determined that these wrestlers never lost to Big Ten competition:

Ed Ruth, Penn State - 2011-12 (174), 2013-14 (184)
David Taylor, Penn State - 2011 (157), 2012-13-14 (165)
Although only a three-time BIG champion, T.J. Williams, Iowa - 1999 (149), 2000-01 (157)

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 9, 2015

Fri, 09 Jan 2015 08:40:09 +0000

Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier faced off Saturday night for the light heavyweight title of the world. While most wrestling fans on social media were pulling for Cormier, it was Jones who won the fight, even taking down the two-time Olympic wrestler on three occasions.

That Cormier lost was a disappointment to many wrestling fans, but the class with which he handled the setback and the deluge of personal attacks by Jones exemplified the wrestler's class. Cormier showed fans the means to improve not through blustery proclamations, but in the honest, eye-piercing and resolute determination of a wrestler. Cormier showed the sporting world that character can trump accomplishment.

Daniel Cormier at the United 4 Wrestling event in 2013(Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

That was an important character to own this week when it was reported that Jones had tested positive for cocaine in the month leading up to his title fight. Again, despite having an opening to take advantage of Jones' misfortune, Cormier responded with an earnest and well-described wish for his recovery. In the torrent of news about Jones and the cocaine abuse (not to mention VERY suspicious testosterone levels) it was Cormier that received the spotlight -- and for deserving reasons.

I'd love nothing more than to see Cormier win the UFC light heavyweight title, but in a sports world rotten with flawed figures immune to admitting defeat, I'd rather have a one-loss Cormier as a role model to young wrestlers than I would the most recent version of champion Jones.

To your questions ...

Q: Thoughts on the new law in California for football regarding full contact in practice?
-- Tony R.

Foley: No brainer.

Football is dying. Nothing can save the sport from the PR disaster caused by the admission that hits to the head causes trauma, including the scary-as-hell CTE. The sport is withering away on the brain stem and we have front row seats to the disaster.

The NFL's "Heads Up" movement won't do much to change the NFL's future because mothers -- now given the heart-wrenching details of the consequences of slapping skulls together for years on end -- won't allow their sons to play the sport. As time passes the numbers of participants will plummet and so will the numbers of fans and ad revenue. Add in the increased medical costs assumed by the NFL and massive bills for litigations and settlements at ALL levels and you have a sport with no more than 30 years left of commercial viability.

If you want to see contact, grow masculinity and see skill, support rugby sevens.

Q: Just wondering, as an example, I see Ohio State did not compete in the Midlands or Southern Scuffle. If Logan Stieber or some of his teammates wanted to compete as open, would their coach be upset with them? For a wrestler not to compete from December 14 to January 4, won't he/she get rusty? I think university wrestlers don't have enough matches to begin with, 32 matches a year, compared to 50 of a high school kid! All that practice for 32 matches a year is a lot of fluff -- all that practice is really working for Taylor Massa
-- Paul L.

Foley: Let's turn that theory on its head. Do you think that 50 matches is too much for a high school student?

The difference is the quality of competition and how much time it takes to prepare and recover from events. Most wrestlers in high school can finish a weekend tournament because many of their matches aren't difficult. In college almost no match is "easy" and almost all cause some sort of minor soreness or pain. When our top athletes reach the international level that number of matches drops to 15-20 a year.

I'd argue that wrestling should have a single semester season which runs at least four weeks shorter, and which would have fewer matches. That would mean better matches once they are competed and allow for the sport to optimize fan involvement. We don't want to suffer from an over-saturation, a la the UFC, but we also want our athletes to remain sharp.

Taylor Massa is a stud!

Q: I saw that Brent Metcalf is wrestling Aaron Pico at Agon, and Jason Welch is wrestling DSJ
-- Andrew L.

Foley: Agon has risen from the ashes and put together one hell of a show. The freestyle rules seem to attract the best guys in the world (shocker, I know) and that means Agon is able to better promote their presentation.

I'll definitely be watching this one, as I suspect will many fans of international wrestling.

Q: Back when I competed in the Midlands there were a lot of post-grads competing. Late 80's-90's. Since the Scuffle has taken away a lot of the top college teams, why doesn't the Midlands award any post-college wrestler $500 if they win a title and $250 for a finals appearance? Can they do this? If so, what are your thoughts?
-- Joe P.

Foley: I doubt they'd be allowed to hand out prize money at an NCAA event, even if only to post-grads. The problem with Midlands and post-grads is that the style isn't freestyle, there is an excellent chance of getting hurt and (as you stated) they don't earn money for participation.

The other issue is that there are enough post-grad wrestling opportunities now between expanded budgets at the club and national level, that many wrestlers don't need the extra matches in order to stay sharp -- they can travel overseas.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

In Focus: Bubba J

Cormier after the loss

Link: Wrestling Diplomacy

Q: So my original devil's advocate question was going to be "Why NOT add a pushout point to college wrestling?" Then it dawned on me that edge wrestling does not happen on its own -- somebody is teaching it. From junior high on up, former wrestlers turned coaches are the ones that have taught today's wrestlers how to wrestle at the edge of the circle. It was more comfortable for them and it is safer for their teams. Can we break that cycle? Is there ANY support from the coaching ranks to add a pushout rule to collegiate wrestling?
-- Brad B.

A follow-up statement/question ...

Q: After watching the tOSU/Iowa dual this past weekend, I'm finally on board with you that the pushout rule is something to be considered in college wrestling. About half of those matches had almost zero action from the neutral position and included a lot of backing out and edge wrestling. This trend toward inaction is finally starting to get to me as a wrestling fan. The sport is a tough enough sell when it's exciting but if we are going to be subjected to 2-1 matches decided by riding time for 5 out of 10 dual matchups, then even as a hardcore wrestling fan I'd rather spend my entertainment dollars elsewhere. Is there any consideration from the powers that be to make rule changes forcing some offensive action? Pushout or otherwise? (Disclaimer: this is not meant to disparage wrestlers like Stieber, Jordan, and Sorensen who actually put on a show.)
-- Pat S.

Foley: Very interesting and valid point about what wrestlers are being taught in the room. Teams have styles and those styles are being promoted by the coach.

The support for a pushout rules is growing among fans and (I think) college coaches. Almost every wrestling fan wants the same outcome -- for wrestling to have more scoring and to create exciting matches. Right now the lack of an out-of-bounds line is resulting in too much scrambling on the edge and not enough technical action. There is blatant stalling that is not being credited with points for opponents. Too much of the sport has become gamesmanship, and that means less action. Less action means fewer viewers.

It's always a terrible idea to predict the actions of the NCAA Competition Committee, but I suspect we will see a pushout added to next year's rules. The rules might not be exactly like the one seen at the international level, but the success of that rule in creating action has become too incredible for the NCAA to ignore.

Q: What did you think about the fact that the Big Ten Network broadcasted all the matches for the Midlands on the Internet for free vs. Flo's coverage which had to be paid for? The Southern Scuffle unfortunately was available only on Flo's premium service as well. They very well could do the same for conference tournaments and the NCAA tournament, but ESPN3 will more likely also broadcast them for free. I can understand certain things being only available to premium members, but why not broadcast the wrestling to all when other sites already do it for free? You think they might do that someday? Maybe when they reach critical mass and can afford to do so?
-- Frank C.

Foley: Well, all three charge for their online video use, and that I don't think will ever move over to a free platform. That BTN didn't this time is because the event was being broadcast and is a part of many people's cable package. However, know that in having a cable package you pay for that channel every month.

ESPN charges one of the highest monthly rates to cable companies, and just last week announced plans to run their entire selection through an app for $20/month.

I don't know Flo's financials, but I'm 99 percent sure that they will never stop charging for video content as it provides them a massive annual revenue stream.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 2, 2015

Fri, 02 Jan 2015 08:08:28 +0000

Happy New Year!

The mailbag this week is straddling the Southern Scuffle, so making prognostications of the event is both disingenuous and meaningless. However, the Midlands Championship did end earlier this week and with nationwide coverage on BTN, the tournament left many fans feeling underwhelmed by NCAA wrestling.

Not often does the wrestling community reach consensus, but the shocking lack of offense in the Midlands finals seemed to generate a lot of similar critiques. Very few takedowns and a dearth of stalling calls and what felt like hours of edge-wrestling left fans frustrated for action.

While the event suffered from a lack of action the wrestling community took to social media and batted around the same ideas regarding pushout rules and increased stall calls. We know from watching international wrestling that a strictly enforced out-of-bounds rules results in more scoring. We've seen over the years that a pushout often penalizes defensive wrestlers, increases technical actions and draws in fans. The rule would also speed up matches, which can seem to average more than 12 minutes from first whistle to final handshake.

When will the NCAA listen to reason?

The hope is that the rules committee does something before the falloff in viewership becomes appreciable. As someone close to international wrestling I recognize the importance of making subtle shifts in the rules. Tweaking of rules prevents gamesmanship that often comes from a few years of coaches mulling over how best to limit risk while maximizing wins. Changing the rules -- in this case changing the out-of-bounds -- should create a waterfall of action in the center of the mat.

NCAA wrestling has a multitude of other issues, including proper dual meet scoring, administration of overtime and adaptation of fan-friendly uniforms. However, nothing is as quickly solved, or has as high a return, as the creation of a rule that doesn't allow wrestlers to flee the action and wrestle on the edge. A rule that should increase scoring techniques more than 30 percent in the first year.

Wrestling is a beautiful sport that deserves more attention, but with the current set of rules the sport those in charge of leading it haven't earned the viewership.

Q: How many NCAA finals matches have had two future Olympic/World gold medalists? I can only think of Mark Schultz vs. Ed Banach. What about two future Olympians?
-- Sean M.

Foley: Yeah, I scanned my brain and the Internet and this feels about right. I'd think that there are some from the late 60s who might've hopped into the mix, but I'm battling through a New Year's hangover and lost inspiration in trying to prove you, and my instinct, wrong.

Future Olympians will require more attitude than I can muster.

On a related note: sweet mother did Mark Schultz spin out of control this week on social media. The author of the book Foxcatcher and the inspiration behind the Bennet Miller directed film, took to Twitter to lampoon IN ALL CAPS the work of the director. Apparently the two are not on close speaking terms and Mark carries anger about the way in which the story was portrayed to audiences.

Take a read for yourself ...

Screaming on social media is almost never a good look and even worse when your product is on the shelves. But at the heart of the issue, I think, is the fragility of being portrayed on the big screen by someone you barely know and on their terms.

Q: Maybe an individual state by state breakdown of toughest tournaments in state. Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc.?
-- Zach S.

Foley: We've done this dance a few times, but it's always worth a stab.

1. Pennsylvania
2. Ohio
3. New Jersey
4. Illinois
5. California

Multimedia Halftime

A reminder that somewhere in the Caucuses right now Abdulrashid Sadulaev is hitting a fireman's carry.

DC vs. Jones is a must-watch UFC event. But after the event I'm leaving MMA to the WWE crossover fans. Dana White and the Fertitta bros. are losing money for a reason, and it's not for a lack of available worldwide fight talent (Ahem, Ben Askren).

But for the night, this will be must-watch TV ... #BreakBones

Q: One of the great things about wrestling is that so many good wrestlers are also excellent students who go on to have successful careers in many different fields. Not long ago I read that two recent All Americans, Eric Tannenbaum and Kyle Ott, are both doing their medical residencies now. It would be great if you could shine a spotlight on a few other recent, high-level college wrestlers who've been successful off the mat. Information such as this should serve as an inspiration for our middle and high school wrestlers.
-- Stan S.

Foley: Thanks for bringing to light the recent accomplishments of former Big Ten wrestlers Tannenbaum and Ott.

Oddly, I think that wrestlers tend to encounter many of their successful counterparts during alumni events. At Virginia we were fortunate to have alums who spanned industries and were often among the best in their chosen professions. I remember meeting a few and it clicking that not only was wrestling going to be over one day and that "real life," whatever that might be, would be starting at the sunset of those days. My relationship with wrestling has become a touch more protracted than I originally believed, but I've watched with pride as all my friends have moved on to successful and fulfilling careers.

Maybe we can start to spotlight more former athletes in the media. Conduct follow-ups, video some interactions. One thing that does occur is that the only former wrestlers we tend to see in our media web are those that coach. Since they aren't far removed, but likewise are also not active, the former wrestlers we see aren't (in our eyes) diverse, though often that's not the case.

Thanks for the submission. Interesting note to consider.

Q: The Midlands finals showed what is wrong with college wrestling. It puts you to sleep. How many overtime or no takedown in first period matches were there? BORING! Is that what wrestling wants to promote so people want to watch?
-- Tim J.

Foley: Per the opening, I'm in agreement.

Jack Dechow won a Midlands title at 184 pounds

Northwestern and the BTN did a fantastic job of presenting the event. (I think Tim Johnson and Jim Gibbons do good work.) However, the wrestling was fairly abysmal in terms of action.

Until he pancaked Lorenzo Thomas of Penn in the 184-pound finals, Old Dominion's Jack Dechow had moved backwards and out of bounds FIVE TIMES in 20 seconds, with another minute or so remaining. The pancake really only came after Thomas had to continue pressing for points, only to be lulled into a sloppy over-under from his knees.

Dechow deserved to win the match, is an aggressive wrestler, and I think a candidate to be the NCAA champion. He's coached by a go-getter, all-the-time guy in Steve Martin, and yet even he is on ice skates late in the match.

Something has to give.

Poem of the Week
By Ken B.

'Twas two nights before Christmas, in the Thompson Street Gym, the wrestlers weren't scared, they all felt prepared.

New Beat The Streets singlets, strapped over shoulders with care. Anticipation of victory hung in the air.

The wrestlers were jogging, stretching, and warming up in pairs, visions of doubles practiced with care.

Two new PSAL teams, and two veteran refs, all had just shaken hands, slapped teammates on backs.

When all of a sudden, the ref blew his whistle, people sprang to their feet to cheer on friends as they wrestle.

Center of the mat, instructed the official.

Stay in your stance, head up, move forward and grapple.

The sweat on the brow, oh how it glistened. The coach shouted sprawl, the wrestler she listened.

On the side of the mat teammates suddenly appeared, a small one, a big one, a stick through a pear.

A coach with a tie, a coach in a sweater, lessons to teach to make these NYC kids life's winners.

Some got pinned, and some did the pinning, but the wise coach knew it wasn't just about winning.

Coach whistled, coach clapped, coach turned bright red, then coach cupped his hands and he said, 'now move, now sprawl, now take a shot. On the whistle you stand, on the whistle head up, on the whistle keep moving, keep moving don't stop!'

Match after match, not a single wrestler did stall. Congrats boys and girls, we're proud of you all ...

Great effort tonight by several of our new PSAL developmental teams, and thank you to our donors for making it possible.

If you'd like to make a donation to Beat The Streets go to: BTSNY.org > Donate

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 19, 2014

Fri, 19 Dec 2014 08:40:40 +0000

Sony this week bowed to North Korean threats and canceled the release of "The Interview." The Pope brokered a deal between Cuba and the United States, which will lead to the first normalized relations between the two countries in 50 years. The UFC was both sued by former fighters and hired a fake wrestler with no MMA experience to their promotion.

As if all this wasn't enough, New York state outlawed fracking, which is the main cause supported by actor Mark Ruffalo, the man who plays Dave Schultz in Foxcatcher.

And yet the biggest surprise of the last week was none of the above.

Henry Cejudo made weight, won his UFC debut and then said something nice about the sport of wrestling!

While I'm not sold that he can be a top contender in the UFC, I was impressed with his ability to strike and balance that with good conditioning. There is at least a chance that he's been reading some of his criticism and has decided to rededicate himself to greatness.

I'm not sure there is a wholesale change of character and I'm still hyper-skeptical about his career projections, but a note of congratulations are in order for Henry who proved to be game on this walk into the octagon.

Note: There will be no mailbag next week. Go spend time with your family.

Q: Is the NCAA championship the highest attended wrestling tournament in the world?
-- Tom B.

Foley: I've always found attendance records to be somewhat flawed. The three-day NCAA wrestling event accumulates the total tickets sales for each session and at the end comes up with an attendance number usually around 100k people. Does that mean 100k people came to the event? No. It normally means 15-20k people showed up six times.

There are at least three other large tournaments that come to mind with audiences as big, or bigger than that of the NCAAs. The Mongolian national Naadam tournament is held in a stadium that holds 25k people and is usually filled. In Senegal traditional wrestling matches average well more than 50k people. The Kirkpinar oil wrestling festival in Edirne also hosts 15-20k people per event.

There is a lot of fluctuation and though not the largest, I do think the NCAA tournament is among the top five events in terms of attendance.

Q: Well, so much for Gabe Dean running the table. Looked pretty human in losing twice at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational. Brett Pfarr had him beat too except for an inexplicable non-call by the ref. Do you take your crow salted or not?
-- Eugene L.

Cornell All-American Gabe Dean fell in the semifinals of the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational to Oregon State's Taylor Meeks (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Pardon me, good sir, but I never claimed that our young grappler's talent was otherworldly. In fact, I do remember that I predicted a few losses and at best a two-time NCAA champion.

I'm a believer in Dean's ability, but I think we are looking at a two-time NCAA champion with one or two more losses. Not exactly modest expectations, but also not quite to the level of Ruth.

You may be right, however, that the hype surrounding Dean's sophomore season was premature. He's talented, but in losing those two matches showed that he's not yet competing at the top level in 2014-2015. His sluggish start could have something to do with an offseason filled with training and competition, or maybe he was sick, or injured.

Who knows, but to answer your question, I prefer hot sauce (chili oil) to any salt, or pepper, or other dry spice.

Q: Given the recent decisions by the IOC to allow different formats of city bidding and more sports in the Olympics what do you think are the chances of wrestling adding more weights to include more competitors, what would those weights look like in a most favorable to the U.S. team standpoint. And who do you think best fills them?
-- Jimmie D.

Foley: I'd think that two non-Olympic weight classes are the limit to what would ever be added back into the Games. While we want more weight classes, we still have yet to have any country qualify all 18 wrestlers for the Olympics, which means there is not yet a high enough concentration of talent to demand the extra spots.

However, I do think that the Agenda 2020 opens the door to new styles and that could create a new energy behind the sport at-large. Beach wrestling and other new styles may finally have an avenue for inclusion.

As of yet a lot is unknown, but I do think that the growth of the Games and the reformatting of the mission can be beneficial to the sport of wrestling.

Multimedia Halftime

New USA Wrestling Room (via Jessica Medina)

The wrestling room is almost done! Cant wait to practice here at the next National team camp! #usawrestling #wrestlingroom #upgrade #coloradosprings #teamusa #roadtorio

A photo posted by Medina (@jessqtmedina) on Dec 12, 2014 at 12:13pm PST

Grapple at the Garden

Q: Could someone please explain the purpose of a medical forfeit in a finals or consolation finals match. Many times the athlete is not injured. Does the champion or third place winner receive a win on his record? If so, does the wrestler using the medical forfeit receive a loss? If the athlete is not injured, isn't this kind of like using a rule to avoid a loss? I thought the rule was truly for medical/injury purposes, but I see it in more and more tournaments as a way for wrestlers to avoid opponents. I thought the sport was wrestling? Not avoid wrestling!
-- Dennis R.

Foley: I can leave this alone, because you understand what is occurring at many programs. Suffer a loss, default out and don't risk having your crappy day affect seeding at the NCAA tournament. Sometimes the coaches pull athletes who have minor injuries, but just as often they try to protect them from bad days.

I agree. Life and a wrestling career are way too short to micromanage. Throw down while you still have the knees and inverted triangle back. Be a warrior, kids.

Q: The InterMat top 100 recruits is a very prestigious honor, but in no way is it an indication of how you will perform at the collegiate level. Is there anyone who was not in the top 100 recruits in high school wrestling today that is a national championship contender? Maybe you and Josh Lowe can put together some statistics on how the top 100 recruits of the last few years have performed at the NCAA Division I level? Also, who was the biggest disappointments out of the top 100 recruits in recent years? Some guys just didn't live up to their recruiting profile.
-- Beau E.

Foley: We have published features around this topic. Most recently, in April, Josh Lowe re-ranked the top 100 recruits from the Class of 2009 ... based on what we know in 2014.

Here is the link.

We'll do another one this April, looking at the Class of 2010.

Q: I have noticed lately that there have been several forfeits. It has been across the board JC, NAIA, D3, D2, & D1. What is going on? What are your thoughts? I understand if a smaller program doesn't have 40 kids in the room. I just don't see why a Big Ten team has a forfeit.
-- Keith T.

Foley: I think that there are a lot of wrestling programs at the lower levels, and that's brilliant. However, just like the Olympics, more programs means fewer athletes in each room. Fewer wrestlers means more chance that something can and will happen.

Also -- and I know this from my days as a coach -- guys don't always end up in the weight class for which they were recruited. The lightest guys often find food and booze and puberty to be a hindrance on their weight control. There is no replacing a 125-pound wrestler because you can't bump anyone up. The wrestlers on some teams just group and if there are a few injuries and the need to redshirt someone, it's often easier to forfeit.

I'm not against reducing the number of collegiate weight classes, but would only do so is we could see that more schools would add programs, something I don't think we'd be able to guarantee.

RANT OF THE WEEK
By Patrick S.

In response to your assessment of the Iowa wrestlers looking upset with themselves even after victories, I just wanted to make an observation. Of the guys that are currently in the Iowa lineup, I don't get the true "goer" vibe of a guy who is going to go out and wear you down with his gas tank and impose his physical and offensive will from anyone. I'm not saying that some of them aren't quality wrestlers (Clark, Evans, Gilman, etc.), but I just think that this "Iowa style" mentality was only truly in existence and followed to the fullest extent during Gable's tenure.

In the time after Gable, I think that what they are doing is going through the motions and following what the people who wore the black and gold before them used to truly believe. They aren't actually that upset with themselves when they win 14-2 instead of getting the tech against a D3 opponent in a 41-0 dual. I just think that they feel obligated to act upset when they don't live up to that precedent of intensity. I see it as a sort of hollow charade for the fan base and even for their coaching staff. They need everyone to see just how much they care about winning. Tom Brands has a certain expectation of intensity and he obviously is far from OK with accepting anything less than perfection. Because of this, the wrestlers are just going to become Iowa drones who go out and pretend to be pissed when they win a close match just so the coaches don't yell at them and the fan base goes, "Look at him! He won and he's still mad! He must really care! What a guy! He's the kind of kid we like to have here at Iowa!"

It's so transparent when a guy like Nick Moore, who has never been an offensive juggernaut in college, wins a close decision against a quality opponent and runs off the mat with his head down like he just got majored. Why does he do this? Because his coaches have planted this false image in his mind that he's a Lincoln McIlravy or a Mark Ironside. At some point you have to be realistic and understand that you're not going to go out there and tech everyone you wrestle, especially when the offensive Iowa style has essentially become extinct in Iowa City. Basically, it's annoying to watch a guy wrestle for seven minutes, not be Gable/old school Iowa level offensive, and then then run off the mat with all of this false disappointment and self-hatred because he didn't pin his opponent. Stop acting like you are wrestling with the same intensity as the 1980s Hawkeyes. You only get the act upset when you match the success and excellence set by the people you're trying to imitate.

You want people to like you more? Wrestle harder. Show some offense. Cut the fake perfectionist act when your level of effort is mediocre compared to some of the historical teams that have rolled around in your practice room.

Sincerely,

Not an Iowa hater, but good luck trying to convince anyone of that

Foley's Friday Mailbag: Tribute to Ty Moore

Fri, 12 Dec 2014 09:21:56 +0000

Ty Moore, four-time PIAA state champion, popular youth coach and the brother of American University wrestling coach Teague Moore, died this week. He was only 43 years old, but in his short time had a significant impact on the wrestling community. To honor Ty's life in wrestling, I've asked Teague to share his thoughts on his brother's life.

In wrestling,
Tim

By Teague Moore

Ty Moore and Teague Moore

Tuesday morning started like any other weekday morning should. There was the morning routine, but also something special as I was going to be the chaperone for my oldest daughter's school field trip. We've been talking about it for weeks and both of us were excited for the day.

When the phone rang from my mom, I answered as I moved through my finals steps a parent takes sending the family out the door.

The news she shared stopped me in my tracks. My head spun and I felt sick. It was a phone call I'd prepared myself for, but the reality was far more nauseating than I ever anticipated.

Ty was gone.

His death has closed a chapter of my life that had been filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. My hero, my mentor, and my biggest fan was now gone.

Ty Moore set a standard in Pennsylvania high school wrestling during the late 80s and into the 1990s. When Ty was wrestling in his prime a friend described him as the "Baryshnikov of wrestling" -- never in a difficult position. Always fluid.

Ty Moore won four PIAA state titles

In positions many feared to go, Ty would willingly step in and dare his opponent to strike. When he was ready, Ty would then turn his opponent's offense into a position of dominance. He'd usually find the fall.

When I was in middle school my brother couldn't lose. When Ty wrestled his motions were easy. Everyone loved to watch Ty wrestle. Parents in our area planned their evenings around North Allegheny High School wrestling matches. That school's Dream Team was exactly that as they dominated the competition around the state. Standing at the front was my brother. I was proud. I was Ty's little brother and to me he was the world.

When my wrestling career failed to compare with his, it was Ty who came to me and DEMANDED better. He wanted nothing less than the best from me and he would say and do anything to make sure that happened. When Ty would come home from college he would work with me on the little things. "Fix your hips," "Pressure forward," and "Stop acting like a wuss and do it, Teague."

Feeling sorry for his little brother never happened.

Ty Moore

Ty demanded that I achieve at the level he knew I was capable of. Over time my success came, largely when I started believing in myself like my big brother had all along. That belief in self, something that he'd given me, was what turned things in my favor. Ty was the catalyst and he had been the inspiration. I never stepped onto a mat without at least a small thought of hoping Ty would see me and give me that reaffirming smile and hug when the job was done.

The most impressionable thing Ty ever did for me was to sit me down during my ninth grade year and say, "Don't ever screw up another class again. You have to make the academics work for you. I'm struggling in college right now and your classwork matters more than the wrestling. DON'T BE LIKE I WAS."

It was the first time I ever heard my brother talk about schoolwork. But he was suffering in college at UNC. In high school he did enough to remain eligible and because his hand was raised at the end of almost every bout, he was allowed to get away with being subpar in the classroom. He would not let that happen to me.

When I wrestled in college my brother was always watching or calling someone to get the move-by-move action over the phone. The memory that still brings me to tears was in 1998 after my NCAA championship match. As I finished my ESPN interview I sprinted into the belly of the convocation center at Cleveland State. I was in a full sprint and screaming at the top of my lungs. I wanted to exit the belly and run up the back stairwell to see my family. The Moores traveled as a clan, and the clan was ecstatic. I just wanted to hug every single one of them.

Ty Moore and Jake Herbert

As I sprinted down the dark and empty hallway, who did I see coming at me at full-speed, somehow screaming louder than me? My biggest hero. My big brother, Ty Moore.

We hugged and we were crying tears of joy. Just behind him was my brother Tommy. How they passed security, found the stairwell and knew the hallway would lead to me? Only big brothers would know and only big brothers would make it happen.

The process and scenario repeated many times. If competing in California, Ty would be front row . . . Minnesota, Iowa, Arizona. Ty was there. My biggest fan, my biggest critic, my rock, my foundation.

As Ty moved into coaching his family grew. Suddenly guys like Jake Herbert, Coleman Scott, and Phil Davis became Ty's new little brothers. I remember coming home one summer while training internationally and Ty had 10 or 12 Angry Fish wrestlers sleeping at the house. It was a makeshift training camp of champions, trained killers, and the death cry was "The Russians will fear you. You are an Angry Fish."

Lost one of my hero's today...showed me the passion for our sport like no other. You will be missed my man. #ripty
— Coleman Scott (@CScott60kg) December 10, 2014

He could motivate the group and he could motivate the individuals.

Ty loved his wrestlers like family. He wanted the best for his athletes and he wanted the best from them. I loved meeting the new kids every summer. He would point them out and say, "He's got it. He's going to be a hammer." Ty would call them over make them look me in the eyes, shake my hand, tell me their name and then just to make them start believing he'd say, "Now tell coach what you're going to win the season." The kid would shrug and say, "I want to win states." Ty would correct them, "Say it like you mean it!" The kid would repeat it back while puffing out his chest and pulling his shoulders back.

As he would walk away, Ty would smile and say, "Yep! The brainwashing has begun. He's got it!"

At the 2012 London Olympics Coleman Scott and Jake Herbert both represented Team USA. As Coleman took the mat and battled for his bronze medal, you can see a guy in the stands. He's in a bright yellow colored shirt. He's out of place because those seats were reserved for FILA members. But once again Ty Moore had worked his way into the front row at the Olympic Games. His little brother Coleman was going for bronze and was damned if a security pass, photo ID, or an official FILA licensing would hold him back from watching his little brother win that medal.

Teague Moore and Ty Moore

Over the last decade I watched Ty slowly fade away. The brother I'd idolized and loved was disappearing. Our father warned us many times about the dangers of alcohol and our family's history of alcoholism. It became tough to watch, tough do deal with. I loved him so much but issues were building up. What would he do or what would he say? Could he stay sober all day? The fear of what he would do next made me question if my kids should be around. We didn't want to have to explain why Uncle Ty did or said something that they couldn't understand.

I love my brother dearly. He taught so much in this short life. He showed me the right way by example and sometimes the wrong way, by example. But he never wanted me to make the mistake that he made. He always said to learn from his mistakes and I'd get the job done quicker. He was the epitome of an older brother. I thank God for the wonderful life he lived and for always allowing me to close to him.

Ty was a special person and maybe someone so special can't remain with us too long. Maybe they are needed for other purposes, higher purposes. I'm thankful that he will be watching over my family and my four children every day moving forward. To them Uncle Ty is gone but he won't be forgotten. My daughter Maryn Sophia cried for three hours straight today because we had to go through Uncle Ty's belongings. She just wants him back a little while longer, so do I Maryn. I want the Uncle Ty back who I can admire on top of the podium. The Uncle Ty who made arenas come to their feet in applause and amazement. I've wanted him back for so many years.

Ty, I love you and I miss you. You meant the world to me and you helped me prepare to take on the world. I will see you in time my brother and when that time comes it will have been but only a moment apart.

Ty Moore highlights

Teague: One of my most cherished memories is sitting with Ty at a Pearl Jam concert in Pittsburgh and both singing aloud to Just Breathe. Please take a minute and remember your best memories of Ty.

Obituaries and thoughts

Post-Gazette Obituary
Farewell Ty Moore
Eulogy for a Comrade by Rob Prebish

Facebook post from former Angry Fish wrestler and NCAA All-American Matt Storniolo

The world is a little less weird, a lot more quiet and a much sadder place without Ty Moore. I hope that Ty realized how instrumental he was in all of our lives at one point or another. There are so many reasons why I am thankful for having had known him. The first is for all the times Ty was looking out for me off the mat. I can remember trying to gratefully decline Ty's help because I felt it was too much or not his responsibility. He told me, "Somebody did this for me and someday you'll do this for somebody else." And I will ... I will forever be thankful to Ty for taking an eclectic group of individuals and bringing them together as more than just a team. The Angry Fish were like the brothers I never had. Ty knew that what made the group so special wasn't just the things we were accomplishing on the mat, but the people we had to share those moments with and all of the experiences we shared along the way. I'll never forget you Ty. Thanks for everything. "Sum Iratus Piscis"

Ty Moore with his Angry Fish brothers

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 5, 2014

Fri, 05 Dec 2014 07:24:03 +0000

This week came news that Ohio State wrestler and football player Kosta Karageorge died of an apparent suicide. Much of the discussion surrounding his early passing focused on head trauma and his recent messages to family members describing his suffering. With any life, there is much more to the story than an easy headline, or investigative report.

The wrestling community is well-knit -- not only are we uncommonly bonded through our experiences on the mat, but when we communicate in times of loss we often share our own powerful experiences and opinions. Those experiences were shared on Facebook and other forms of social media and painted the portrait of a well-liked, dynamic young man. I've always thought our little subculture was among the best at comforting each other in these times and this week we showed special care in looking out for our friends at Ohio State and Oklahoma. As a wrestling fan, I was proud of my community.

There will be more made of Karageorge's passing in the coming weeks, and with the arguments about the dangers of football swirling, much will focus on what his death means to that sport. There is an important discussion to be had, but it's equally important that we stay aware that while costs are real, we shouldn't remember anyone as a series of analytical feature stories.

And for what it's worth, remember that if you know someone in trouble that it's always worth your time to reach out. Showing someone that you care can for some expend a lot of courage, but in the end it's always the right idea to let someone know that you are there to provide them unconditional love and support.

To your questions ...

Q: Why do Iowa wrestlers seem so miserable after winning? They can major a kid and you'd swear someone ran over their dog.
-- Tim J.

Foley: My friend Peter Maguire recently published a brilliant book called "Thai Stick" about drug smuggling in which a band of surfers traffic the titular form of marijuana from southeast Asia to Hawaii in the 1960s. Maguire is a brown belt in jiu-jitsu under Rixson Gracie and a well-respected authority on criminality in wartime.

Early in his book Maguire describes the protagonist's failed spiritual journey to India, and his eventual (and fateful) audible to tour Thailand. Maguire notes that unlike many western cultures, which believe life is to be endured with a grunt, the people of Thailand (and much of SE Asia) believe life is to be enjoyed with a smile. For a pot-smoking surfer protagonist this culture shock was the spiritual awakening that helped set him on a decades-long ride of surf trips to exotic locations and making millions in the marijuana trade.

I see institutional approaches to the sport of wrestling in much the same way as the book's protagonist saw SE Asia versus much of the Western world. Wrestling is a difficult physical sport that requires struggle. Often that struggle is easiest to motivate through the lens of a larger tension, maybe one with those in the society around us, or maybe with other programs, values or ideas.

Iowa's Nick Moore gets his hand raised after defeating Minnesota's Danny Zilvberberg, 3-2, in a dual meet in Iowa City last season (Photo/David Peterson)

For Iowa, winning and losing is life and death. From the head coach to the backup, the idea is to accomplish the goal of winning by enduring the suffering necessary to achieve it, while other programs like Penn State, Cornell and UTC seem to take enjoyment from the same journey to the podium. Maybe it's my perception, but the outlook of these programs is more positive, and with fewer dogs being run over by farm equipment.

The enjoy vs. endure comparison is admittedly broad, but for me it puts into focus how and why we lose wrestlers, and the viewing audience. If wrestling is more about the Iowa way than the SE Asia way, then aren't we teaching our wrestlers and fans that wrestling is not fun, that it, like life, must be endured before ultimately being lost to time? Should wrestling hold on tight to the Puritanical spiritual hand-me-down of suffering for a cause, or should we final incinerate that notion with the heat of passion and enjoyment of pursuit?

I prefer the latter and see a lot of progress towards that being the new style of American wrestling. I'm hopeful that the success of programs like Penn State, new youth programs like Jake Herbert's and the growing number of wrestling fans dedicated to growing the sport will help us make this important cultural change. I think that change will reap results and encourage even more enjoyment of sport, and maybe even life.

Multimedia Halftime

Terminator Genysis -- Go ahead and geek out

Drop. The. Beat.

Post by ?Wrestling for Iranian Women-????? ???? ???? ?????? ???????.

I love this. Enjoy and endure.

Q: I think 2014 was certainly a year when MMA took to combating PEDs seriously. Will 2015 be the year the sport will focus on dangers of weight cutting???
-- Chester Z. Arther

Foley: The popularity of the sport produced better journalism, which in turn did pump out enough pressure to make the UFC a touch more strict regarding PEDs. Weight cutting won't live the same life because it's often seen as a decision to gain the natural edge, and given that 95 percent of fighters engage in massive weight drops there aren't guys in the UFC calling for a restriction. There are few examples of guys missing weight and going to the hospital.

While weight cutting is unpleasant and unhealthy, a one-time drop three times a year is significantly less dangerous than five months of holding a lower weight and yo-yoing to weight in college wrestling. I'd like to see those rules amended well before anything that happens in the cage.

However, that said, I do think the UFC will start to send out notes to their fighters about image posting their weight drop. The UFC is image conscience and they would rather not have fans seeing their fighters lying on the ground wrapped in towels with only gaunt faces exposed to the air ... and Instagram.

Q: What percentage of this week's Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational champs were made when no one was watching?
-- @Rob_SwagginU?

Foley: Assuming that you have a standard margin of error of +/- 4.5% in polling, and accounting for the Polar Vortex, Ebola and the ongoing crisis in Ukraine, but also noting that international ballots have yet to be counted, the current percentage of champions coming from the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational whose championships were won when nobody was watching is 70 percent.

This was a very scientific study. The number could have been much higher, but it seems that a large portion of the Cornell wrestling team are videotaped for promotional videos using 24-hour body camera technology, a la "The Circle."

The future is now.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 28, 2014

Fri, 28 Nov 2014 07:45:38 +0000

The Brazil Cup kicks off today and that means weigh-ins for many wrestlers landed on Thanksgiving. Not only were these young men wrapped in sweatpants and hooded sweatshirts running through Rio de Janeiro (a city of sex and sin) on America's day of Turkey and green bean casserole, but in every turn they were smacked by the vision of Cariocas drinking fresh orange juice and scooping heaps of frozen acai into their mouth.

In addition to your healthy family and wonderful friends, be thankful that you're not cutting weight this Thanksgiving.

Be thankful that despite the digital distractions of the modern world there are still a stock of young men willing to eschew short-term pleasure for long-term gains; young men willing to be warriors for the sake of the battle and the never-ending climb to self-improvement.

Happy belated Turkey Day.

To your questions ...

Q: I have noticed your posting on BJJ (a hobby I have found my way into post-wrestling) and I see many parallels between the two disciplines and see how they could be mutually beneficial to each other. I am pretty surprised how much interest there is in the BJJ community to train takedowns with elite wrestlers. I would like to get your opinion on how a higher level BJJer might go about training in a college room. Is that even a possibility?
-- Dave in Norfolk

Foley: Marcelo Garcia recently stated that he saw little use for judo in jiu-jitsu, since the techniques were best used only with a gi and often outdone by simple wrestling. Marcelo Garcia is a smart man, and arguably the greatest grappler in the world, and almost certainly the best grappling instructor.

I'm in Rio this week for the Brazil Cup and in between photo sessions and stories I've been able to squeeze in training at Nova Unaio and Nova Geracao, the latter of which I've chosen as my school for these two weeks. At Unaio I train nogi and you'd be surprised how few grapplers want to roll with a wrestler. Because the control and balance of a wrestler causes them fits in 90 percent of position, their counter becomes avoidance.

I agree that there are jiu-jitsu fighters who want to learn takedowns from wrestlers, but the majority would rather dismiss the lot of us a lower form of grappler. In their opinion the control and simplicity of wrestling -- the balance we show -- is an affront to the beauty of the roll. Like a kid explaining why he doesn't like broccoli, their reasoning often teeters on the edge of the ridiculous. For those that do embrace the skills of wrestling there are massive gains: Marcelo and Cyborg as examples.

Everything in wrestling is legal in jiu-jitsu, while the opposite can't be true. That means we are a bringing a skill to their sport that is otherwise lacking -- to not replicate that, or train for it is a mistake.

As for BJJ'ers in college wrestling rooms we've scene a few over the past few years with the most prominent being Ricky Lundell and his time in the Iowa State wrestling room. There are, of course, a bunch who've transitioned from the mats to good careers in BJJ including Jerry Rinaldi (Cornell), AJ Agazarm (Ohio State), Jeremy Jackson (Eastern Michigan) and about 100 more.

Q: What is going on with Joey McKenna? He's not listed on Stanford's roster and I saw him at Who's Number One last month. He wrestled 60 kilos for Junior Worlds, then 65 kilos at Bill Farrell and will be traveling with the senior team to wrestler 61 kilos in Brazil. Did he defer his enrollment to Stanford? Because his Twitter says "Future Student-Athlete at Stanford '19." Is he doing a post-grad year at Blair, or just training at the LVAC with his mentor Buxton?
-- Dan L.

Foley: Personal Twitter accounts are a fairly valid form of confirmation in reporting, especially with teenagers. Assuming he's not been hacked you have to conclude that he's heading to Stanford in 2015 to wrestle. If you don't assume that to be intention then you'd think he's being manipulative and is indeed changing plans but doesn't want anyone to know.

If there is doubt, then I'm sure it's internal but with some comments here or there to stoke the gossip fire.

He'll wrestle tomorrow and I'll be sure to update the United World Wrestling Twitter and my personal account as I can.

Cael Sanderson returned to competition in 2011 after a seven-year layoff and made the U.S. World Team, defeating Jake Herbert in the finals of the Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: 84 kilos has seen a number of top Americans step aside from competition while still in (arguably) the prime of their careers. So, suppose I put up the money to arrange a four-man freestyle round-robin between Cael Sanderson, Ben Askren (OK, he was 74 kilos, but that was a long time ago), Jake Herbert and Ed Ruth. One of the best parts about this is that all of these guys love to go after it and score points. So, since my fabulous wealth set up the tournament, I'll add a rule: you get one placement point for winning your round-robin match, another placement point for scoring 5 or more points in the match (win or lose).

This is a ridiculous amount of talent (in terms of NCAA careers, 11 championships [10 undefeated seasons], 3 runners-up, 2 third-placers). Wrestling today (in 2014), who wins? My placement guessing: Cael, Ben, Ed, Jake. Or maybe Ben, Cael, Jake, Ed. Or Ed, Cael, Ben, Jake?
-- Ron M.

Foley: This is a creative bracket, and one that might just put a ton of butts in an auditorium. You'd need some real chedda' to get it started, but I think you would see a return!

However, what you just did right there was point out one of the main issues wrestling faces in the promotion of professional leagues: sustainable, marketable name ID packaged into the same single event.

The FPL and GWC are focused on current talent, and while that is productive for the athletes, when it comes to marketing super matches it's tough to push Ramos and Hazewinkel like you would guys who've had more time to create name appeal and success. Wrestling burns out athletes and that means you can't get them to show up for tournaments in their thirties as almost no wrestler is still training and those who do are in the role of coach.

For a point of contrast the jiu-jitsu organization Metamoris just hosted a match between two guys in their 40s who'd last fought each other more than 15 years ago. As you might expect it was a bonanza of media attention.

The equivalent would be Sergei Beloglazov and John Smith hitting the mats at NCAAs for a rematch of their first promotional bout.

Wrestling needs to see a bracket like yours. There needs to be a big money event of HUGE names willing reignite the competitive passions of those studly guys in their late twenties and early thirties.

Only idea I'd bring in it to expand a touch and allow for two pools of five wrestlers with a constant flow of action on one mat. Top placewinners in each pool wrestle for championship.

Oh, the answer is Cael, Jake, Ed and Ben.

Q: How do you see the 74-kilo freestyle weight class in the states shaking out this year?
-- Scott M.

Foley: Burroughs, Taylor, Dake and Howe.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

The only thing I can catch with my bare hands is a cold. This guy catches a deer.

Link: Technique over strength: Tim Spriggs taps the Hulk

Q: Should Kyle Snyder consider pulling a Deron Winn and drop from 97 kilos to 86 kilos? I know Kyle has won back-to-back junior world medals at the higher weight, that he wrestled 220 in high school and now 197 for Ohio State. But his height will be a real issue. I have no idea how he expects to hang with taller wrestlers like Jake Varner long term. Weight cutting is becoming anathema in wrestling nowadays, but I would think a guy with Olympic dreams like Snyder would be realistic about dropping to fit in better with his body type.
-- Dan L.

Foley: That's one hell of a cut for a barrel-chested boy like Kyle Snyder. Think he'd make that deep of a cut when he's pretty close to being the man at 97 kilos? Meh.

Lots of short people win championships, and you can't discount Snyder's success at home and abroad. Any BODY can wrestle and Snyder seems to be pulling down some decent hardware. Given a few more flips of the calendar and I think he'll have success. Also, there is precedent since Reza "Lion of Joybar" Yazdani has a very similar body type, if not a *touch pudgier.

Q: What do you think about the international judo governing body's new rules prohibiting ranked judo players from entering BJJ tournaments, the new rules that prohibit grabbing the pants and other maneuvers that were invented in judo, to limit wrestlers and BJJ players from beating ranked judo players. Finally, I believe the judo federation can learn a lot from wrestling and what happened regarding being thrown out of the Olympics and having to make major changes in order to get back in.
-- Vin

Foley: I was shocked. Like, floored, that they would insist their athletes not compete in other sports. First, it's just a component sport so why not let them try that skill in other aspects. Second, does this limit Mongolians from competing in traditional tournaments? Who is he trying to stop? What is the motivation?

I don't know the answers, but I have heard that Marcus Vizer is a bright man so there must be some logic behind the announcement that extends past the letter he submitted to the public.

Judo does a great job with their presentation and fan interaction, but this was a bit of a PR disaster.

Q: What is it with international officials and cautions for keeping your head up when neutral? I know this has been called a long time, but it just seems stupid. Someone working a tie-up and trying to use good head position to open up an attack is not stalling. It's OK to call stalling, but using your head is not automatically stalling. I was wondering your insight as the same thing is never mentioned in folkstyle?
-- Tom B.

Foley: I think you see that call much more in Greco-Roman. When you do see it in freestyle it's on the edge of the mat when a wrestler is trying to prevent hitting the edge, but not wanting to work for an attack.

Folkstyle doesn't call it because shot attempts can't be countered with exposure dumps. The folkstyle point structure comes from establishing control rather than points from techniques. That's also something to remember whenever thinking about the difference between NCAA and freestyle rules.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK
By Paul R.

Last week I was extremely excited to read the news that Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida, announced the addition of wrestling as a varsity sport for the 2015-2016 school year. This is great news for the future of wrestling in Florida. However, no major wrestling media outlets have provided coverage. Although it was a huge weekend for college wrestling competitions, this news is as important as any one dual meet.

This will be the first varsity wrestling program in a state that once had 19 varsity programs. Florida NCWA programs have flourished, led by the University of Central Florida with three NCWA national championships and countless All-Americans. According to the NFHS, last year Florida ranked seventh in terms of number of high school wrestling programs and 11th in terms of high school participants. Two Florida wrestlers represented Team USA in the 2012 Olympics. Not to mention that the Sunshine State hosts the NWCA Annual Meeting and multiple Florida programs received NWCA Best of Brand honors.

Florida is a wrestling-rich state and institutions should be celebrated for their efforts to grow wrestling. Especially in the South, which has been underrepresented and overlooked for years. Please help spread the word. Thanks!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 21, 2014

Fri, 21 Nov 2014 13:56:31 +0000

As is easy to imagine, there were several questions this week regarding Aaron Pico and his desire to pursue MMA. That was easy to predict, but with the season starting there were also several questions about sons not wanting to wrestle and how a parent should react to that decision, and how handling that situation reflects on fathers.

I've talked a lot about self-determination in the past and still believe that supporting the passions of your loved ones leads to healthier relationships. Whether your best friend is into archery, or your wife into training circus elephants, the best avenue of support isn't redirection, but encouragement.

Aaron Pico defeated Zain Retherford to make the FILA Junior World Team (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Did Aaron Pico make the right decision? I certainly don't know, but did he seek the correct guidance in making his decision and did those people help steer him to his true passion? Almost certainly. And because Pico is directing himself towards something he feels passionate about -- even if selfishly he won't be on the mats -- I think his decision is one worth supporting.

Guidance and consultation are the foundation of promoting an individual's passion. As those who love and care for the sport of wrestling, we have to understand that wrestler's lives aren't ours to manage. Our job is to support our athlete's passion and hope that the return not only helps that individual, but the sport of wrestling.

To your questions ...

Q: Got to thinking, when was the last time that all three of these NCAA powerhouses were not ranked in the top five at the same time? Oklahoma State, Central Oklahoma and Wartburg. I would guess you would have to find some random fluke year in the 70s or something! I am sure there have been times when at least two of them have been out of the top five at the same time, but that is probably pretty tough to find too!
-- Aaron S.

Foley: Rankings, as we use them today, have not always been en vogue, leaving this question a tad flawed. However, the larger point remains that three powerhouse programs at three levels are, in your estimation, experiencing a "slump."

I'd agree. We've talked a bit about Wartburg and their rapid deceleration, but when you add in Central Oklahoma's drift from the top and the incredible competitiveness of the Division I level forcing Oklahoma State into unfamiliar territory a theme starts to develop.

Some of this has been in play for a while, namely that programs are incentivizing wrestlers to attend their schools based on a formula for success. Forty years ago a successful wrestler was almost forced to attend a major powerhouse as they were the ones with the name ID and financial and institutional support. Today, successful athletes have access to a multitude of programs via social media and those programs have additional funding.

What attracts students has also changed. With the premium of a good education increasing at six-times the rate of inflation a scholarship to college is at a premium. Walking on to Iowa for $2,500 a semester to prove you're worthwhile of some Dan Gable butt slaps no longer adds up. Kids are facing $25,000 bills PER SEMESTER, and that means when a coach of a mid-level program comes bearing dollars there is more incentive to accept. They'll even yell at you should the need arise.

Individual programs are also receiving the most generous level of support in the sport's history. Almost every team in the top 25 has a fantastic wrestling room, endowments, weight rooms, Olympic training programs and a number of accruements meant to add icing to the scholarship cake. That means more shiny things to distract and attract the best 18 year olds in the sport.

For me, parity among top programs is the biggest factor to the decrease in success of former powerhouses. This ever-increasing parity will help grow the sport, and though that's a tough pill for the traditional big guys, it's not game over. Oklahoma State still has as its head coach, arguably the greatest American wrestler to ever live, and no alumni purchase or recruiting pitch can overshadow that simple fact.

Q: Last Thursday (11/13), Josh Demas faced Ian Miller in an early season showdown at 157 pounds during the Kent State-Ohio State dual. During the first period, Miller knocked himself out after landing awkwardly while trying to throw Demas. After he came to, Miller jogged to the center of the circle and looked to resume the match. The referee correctly stopped the match, much to Miller's frustration. The call was absolutely correct, and despite his protests, Miller was endangering himself by trying to continue wrestling. Does the NCAA have a protocol on concussions that happen during a match? How long, if at all, will Miller have to be sidelined?
-- Patrick A.

Foley: The rule for USA Wrestling and United World Wrestling is to immediately end any match in which a wrestler loses consciousness due to a blow to the head. Wrestlers who are choked unconscious by an illegal hold are allowed to continue.

The NCAA has a similar rule, though I don't know how well it is applied throughout Division I competitions. With such a tight focus on concussions it's an issue that needs to be approached with caution first. There cannot be a rush to place a wrestler in harm's way simply due to coaching pressure to attain another win.

Q: NYC probably has the highest concentration of former wrestlers in the country. You've got Beat the Streets, Grapple in the Garden, NCAAs next year. With that momentum why take away the one event that's been there for the past few decades? Wrestling fans in LI will hop on the helltrain known as LIRR just as easily as they will drive to Hofstra to watch an event No chance I'm going to West Hempstead on a Sunday.
-- Conor M.

Foley: Yours is a popular sentiment. The appeal of the NYAC tournament was that so many former wrestlers had quick and easy access to some of the best wrestling action in the world. The move to Hofstra had an impact on which fans attended the match and why -- something that was always at the heart of this tournament.

Granted, the NYAC wasn't the best venue, but in being cramped it offered an appeal that can't be replicated. I think it was distinguishable from other events, and agree that moving it to Hofstra sterilized it and eliminated what had been a vocal and supportive fan base in the city.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Cage Fighter: I am Wrestling by Russ Hellickson

Whoa! Do NOT mess with chimpanzees.

BJJ highlight video

Link: Bourdain vs. Cyborg

Link:
Cornell is leading the way in creativity this season ...

Q: Foxcatcher was supposed to be released 11/14. Can't find any showtimes anywhere!
-- William H.

Foley: Be patient and keep checking the site http://sonyclassics.com/foxcatcher/for more details on when the movie will be in your local theater.

Q: Am I jerk to be disappointed my 6 almost 7-year-old doesn't want to wrestle this year? Worried he'll be behind when he starts! Sorry to ask. I know you probably get asked this a million times a week
-- Ryan H.

Foley: No, you're only a jerk if you make him wrestle, or tell him you're disappointed.

I doubt you've done either.

Support his passion, no matter what it is or where it develops and he'll be a happy kid, and you a less worrisome father!

Q: What do you think of Aaron Pico signing will Bellator? How will this affect his Olympic and amateur wrestling eligibility? Lastly do you think more and more wrestlers will go this route?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Pico signing with Bellator in no way affects his Olympic status. If Michael Jordan can play in the Olympics, Pico can wrestle.

The contract, so far as I've been told, is developmental and allows for him to focus on making the Olympic team in 2016. That's a tall order, and even if Pico does make the team he'll be facing a loaded international field.

So what motivated him to not look toward 2020 where he'd be 25 years old? Maybe he realizes the climb and that any missteps could ruin years of profit he might otherwise be making in MMA? The decision to go into MMA is smart if for nothing else but to keep his name in the media. Pico is talented, but as a wrestler is not the best guy in the developmental program for the United States. Still, more people know his name than know Adam Coon or Kyle Snyder.

Something to consider when speaking of Pico's future in MMA is the difference in his training and that which has helped make American wrestlers the most dominant fighters on the planet: college wrestling. There is a significant difference in skill and learned aggression that comes with a college wrestling room, and that doesn't occur in international freestyle. I tend to favor the latter, but the former is without question the better cauldron by which to develop the mentality for fighting.

What will become of Aaron Pico? Unclear. He has talent, work ethic and a determination to succeed -- though where he uses that talent, how he applies that work ethic and in which sport he wants to succeed is left to argument.

Q: A few weeks backed you mentioned that American training methods are different than Russian training methods. I was wondering if you would be able to elaborate a little on the key differences between the two? Also, do you have any knowledge on how Iranian training methods compare to Russian and American?
-- Mark R.

Foley: The main difference in training method comes from desired output from an early age. Rather than focus on the medal count of 7-year-old wrestlers the Russian system focuses on building athleticism and creating fundamental techniques.

It comes as no surprise that the American style of wrestling and training is focused first and always on output -- win and you're great, lose and you are not. In other countries, namely those that use a Russian system (i.e. Russia, Cuba) the early stage training methods are not winning and losses but preparing the body and the mind for a career of competition.

There is burnout all over the world of wrestling, but there does seem to be less in the Russian style of wrestling and that is a consequence of teaching youngsters to enjoy their time on the mat.

My nephew and godson recently started wrestling. He's bright and sensitive and eager to please his father and uncles on the wrestling mat. There's talent to be developed in his 11-year-old frame, but when he goes to wrestling practice it might be tough for him to see progress and stay motivated since those he's with have five years of prior wrestling experience.

That difference in training, and that he couldn't simply mesh into a skills-based program rather than the competition-based program, means he's less likely to break through and become a lifelong member of the wrestling community. I'm not advocating that those with lesser skills be rewarded, only that there should be some logical development of talent in the states for youngsters that isn't so output based.

I didn't wrestle until a few months after my 14th birthday. In my freshman year I won one match and my sophomore year I won maybe a dozen. Fortunately for me I was self-delusional and believed that through either divinity or drive I'd become something more. For me, there was output, but for many others on my team after a year of two of not seeing gains they simply quit. I fear that is a circumstance occurring nationwide.

All this pressure to succeed means specialization, and for those not yet in high school results-based systems can and will lead to more burnout for a sport that should be looking to welcome more participants rather than bullying them off the mat.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 14, 2014

Fri, 14 Nov 2014 16:12:23 +0000

Foxcatcher premiers this week and with plenty being said about Bennett Miller's dramatic direction, Steve Carell's Pinocchio-inspired facial appendage and Channing Tatum's quality portrayal of Mark Schultz it's easy to forget what drove this film to be made: The humanity of Dave Schultz.

I didn't know Dave Schultz and I've only seen him wrestle in films, but I do know that he's assumed a spot of reverence in our sport -- somewhat for his athletic talent, but mostly for his kindness, generosity and force of spirit.

That's a meaningful legacy and that his legacy -- a wrestler who was as much about humanity as he was sport -- is retained long after Foxcatcher slips out of focus.

To your questions ...

Q: The new Global Wrestling Championships has an event coming up and had a lot of rounds and adapted freestyle scoring. Big hit? Or dud?
-- J.D.

Foley: What I know of the Global Wrestling Championships I read in Mark Palmer's article. When done I felt disappointment in learning the organizers chose to borrow heavily from boxing and manipulate existing freestyle rules.

One change GWC hopes to offer is five "rounds" for their "bout," instead of two "periods" in their "match." The idea is to stick to freestyle rules, which is smart, but in offering five rounds it could be a massive disappointment if there is a technical fall. If there's not, it's equally disinteresting when a guy opens up a 14-point lead in the first period ... nay "round."

Maybe the GWC takes off and maybe it doesn't, but there is nothing in history to say it will last longer than a Joey Lawrence-led comedy on ABC. I've discussed the reasons why failure follows these ventures so I'll save the rant, but the point remains that an adapted style simply won't sell. Won't happen.

One glimmer of hope is that the organization is hoping to start a dual team format. Do that, and reorganize the matches to follow existing rules and this one might have a chance. Dual meets can be a winner as evidenced in Iran Pro League or Bundesliga.

If promoters stick to the rules and use their creative energies in other more meaningful ways we might see something as successful as the pop up in America. Until then we'll have continue to have a series of one-year-only organizations losing hundreds of thousands of dollars and disincentive future investment in our sport.

Investments that could include tangible results in terms of athlete pay and widespread popularity.

Zeke Jones gives instruction to Brent Metcalf at the World Cup in LA (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: What do you think of Zeke Jones' first couple of months on the job?
-- Justin S.

Foley: Coach Jones has amassed an experienced staff with big name appeal, lined up donors, and in only four months has recruited arguably the top recruiting class in the country in one of the most competitive environments in the sport's history.

I'd say he's doing pretty OK.

Q: Joe Colon won the Bill Farrell International this weekend at 57 kilos where there was two-kilo weight allowance. What sort of impact do you think Joe could make on the freestyle scene this season at 57 kilos with no weight allowance?
-- Scott M.

Foley: Five pounds won't be any bigger issue for Joe than it is for any competitor. I can't say that with one-hundred percent certainty since I don't know how difficult of a weight cut Joe endured, but if it's within the margins, I don't see the impact.

I'm Team Joe Colon. He's got grit, but also has a style I think can be adapted well to the international scene.

If I could offer Joe one piece of advice it would be to leave the country early and often this season. Get in a ton of matches, work out in as many gyms as possible and not worry about the wins and losses. He's held back by nothing and though the World Team Trials in seven months seems important, it's a distant second to the Olympic Team Trials in 19 months.

Joe can surprise people, but he'll need more matches with more European and Asian wrestlers.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

You can learn a lot from watching the best. Here's a 30-minute documentary on Marcelo Garcia, who is arguably the greatest grappler of all time and fast becoming the sport's most important coach.

Turn down the volume on your phone or computer and then ENJOY!

Nothing to see here, just a famous Mongolian wrestling riding a jet ski.

Humans have landed a spacecraft on a comet. HUMANS LANDED A SPACECRAFT ON A COMET!

I might not have been as watched as the moon landing, but I'm getting the sniffles thinking about how much work went into this madness. The craft took ten years to arrive on the comet. TEN YEARS! This means that something like the following occurred.

Some awesome scientists dressed in Aloha T-shirts bedazzled with the solar system were sitting around their local European pub downing Carlsbergs and watching the Premier League, when one of the guys flipped on Star Trek. They watch in passing as they talk about engine thrust and if Pluto is a planet (astronomers AND science geeks) when suddenly the USS Enterprise lands on some comet.

Neither of the geeky-but-awesome scientist dudes with wild hair and Aloha shirts has a cell phone because this was 20 years ago and thus they were forced to talk instead of Tweeting or Tindering (obviously they're single). So in letting his mind roam through the seas of Carlsberg, the first guy, we'll call him "Friedrich", says "Dude ... Sebastien ... I'm thinking we could totally land on a comet, man! Seriously, we could totally land on a comet!"

At this point I imagine Friedrich pulled out a coaster (spacecraft) and the ketchup bottle (comet) and flew them together at the bar in a simply stunning visual meant to ensure that Sebastien got the point.

Sebastien screams, "You're right, Friedrich, this is totally possible! Let's dedicate our lives to landing a spacecraft on a comet!"

Boom. Comet, meet Man.

Fast-forward a few decades and Friedrich and Sebastien have landed a spacecraft on a comet. God bless this beautiful world.

Link: Rosetta Mission's Historic Comet Landing: Full Coverage

Q: I saw Chance Marsteller won the OCU Open. He had some tight matches, though. Will he start for OSU at 157 pounds? If so, what are reasonable expectations for this season? NCAA qualifier, round of 12, All-American, NCAA finalist, NCAA champion?
-- Mike C.

Foley: A week after the OCU Open, Chance dropped a couple ranking matches. He fell 13-7 to Chris Koo and 5-1 to fellow true freshman Ryan Blees, so it remains to be seen if he starts for the Cowboys at 157 pounds. If he does start it's well within reason to expect Chance to make the NCAA tournament, but less probable that he's a freshman All-American. Though 157 doesn't have any David Taylor-like hammers there are a lot of dangerous talent lurking in the top 12. He may knock some of them off during the season, but I'm doubtful that he's going to cruise past that field all in one weekend. I'm giving him a 35 percent chance to be an All-American in 2015.

Q: I have a question about Liberty University. How have they managed to land top-level guys like Ryan Diehl and Joshua Llopez? I realize that not long ago they were a Division I program. But I believe that both of those wrestlers were committed to the University of Maryland. Is this a sign that Liberty shall return to the ranks of Division 1 soon, or is there something going on at the University of Maryland that is keeping these recruits from wanting to attend there?
-- Nate M.

Foley: There is no indication that Liberty is returning to the Division I level, so I imagine this is either a way for Diehl and Lopez to train while working on their academic eligibility.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK
By Wade M.

Good morning or afternoon (dependent upon what time zone you might be in). I am writing to inquire further about the culture of youth athletics (mostly wrestling, but other sports you may have noticed or researched as well) in other countries. As a parent of three children under the age of 8, I am seeking information about how other countries may be running their youth programs. My oldest child is 8 and is now entering his third year of wrestling. In his first season I limited his participation in tournaments and yet we practiced three nights a week. Unfortunately the wheels came off the tracks when in his third tournament he did not finish in first place after winning the first two. Last year we practiced and made an attempt to wrestle a couple of tournaments, one ending with a bloody nose and the other just not wanting to go out onto the mat. He enjoys the practices and we finished the year just focusing on that and have no intent of wrestling a tournament this year as well. I enjoy our current wrestling club as there is a focus on fun and enjoying the environment while learning the basics. However, it seems that even with the intent to focus on fun, the "live" wrestling can dominate some practices and it is obvious that many kids do not have the technique they should. How do other countries potentially balance the learning of skills with having fun and maybe not doing so in a live environment or the need to wrestle tournaments? I would also add that my daughter, who is 6, has been actively involved in gymnastics for a couple of years and it appears thus far that the focus is on improving skill and strength. I believe this will change when she reaches a certain level and her training is year-round already at this point. I want my kids to have athletics in their life as I have personally found it to be a reason for my drive and desire to be successful in anything that I do in my life, but also want them to have some balance.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 7, 2014

Fri, 07 Nov 2014 08:58:32 +0000

I have a friend. A close friend. A wrestling friend.

After a strong stretch he might pull the nurse's tape measure to 5'4" and he's proud in teetering in that dangerous post-125-pound obesity zone of 150 pounds with gravity tugging on his nipples.

This friend and I grew up wrestling. He was the partner that ran the extra sprints, logged an extra 45 minutes in the sauna and would scrap for points. He was also the teammate that would disappear for days on end, and when confronted by authority have an authentic tale of distraction, wrongdoing upon his vessel and only sprinkles of self-awareness of fault for his evaporation into the ether.

As lifelong friends, I'm not ashamed to tell him on the phone and in-person that I love him. Since hitting the road full-time I spend more time in Asia. I see him and his wife, and on occasion we meet up with a third childhood friend for vacations on islands.

It was such an occasion last week when my friends arrived to the vacation destination at 2 a.m. on a Saturday. The rest of the horde had arrived and descended on a local surf bar to imbibe tall bottle after tall bottle of light beach-styled beer. Properly loosened up for his arrival, which given his Batman-like acts of instant disappearance was not guaranteed (He once walked out of a bar in NYC at 11 p.m. and wasn't seen for three days. It was New Year's Eve and to this day his whereabouts -- his journey -- remain a matter of hot debate) we waited by the villa pool.

He arrived frazzled from an outbound journey that included hitching rides on motorbikes through Manilla. Hugs exchanged, we let the weary traveler and his recent bride crash in the room as we stumbled back to our respective mattresses. It was 3 a.m.

God's flashlight awoke me at 8am along with a confused humming of sounds. Like trying to read your iPhone during a 4 a.m. bathroom trip, I find my sense of hearing is often dampened first thing in the morning. After a night of drinking I can be excused if takes me a few extra moments to sort out light, sound and touch.

As the fog lifts the words "I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man" come into my mind's focus. A hip hop beat continues in the background and for a moment I'm once again confused: Why is there a hip hop song being played right now?

I pull the curtain to my room, which looks out over the small pool. Below I see my friend, teetering on the evil side of pudgy, skin paled from office lights and body littered with questionable tattoos from under-qualified artists with his arms raised high in the air, eyes closed and walking around the perimeter of the pool. The two speakers he'd commandeered for this personal performance sit blaring the words on repeat, "I'm the man, I'm the man, I'm the man!"

Were it normal circumstances or a less-charismatic, Quixotic human I may have groaned or yelled or worse. But it was my friend. My wrestling friend. So I slid open the doors, slipped on a squinty-faced smirk and told him what I really thought.

"I love you ... but you're fat."

I'm offering a copy of "Full Circle" to the first wrestler with the cajones to WALK into a dual meet with this song playing. You absolutely must walk.

To your questions ...

Q: Any word on exactly what the problem was with Logan Stieber on Saturday night? A second thought, the Buckeye young en's looked good in their debut.
-- Jerry M.

Foley: The medical team asked that he not wrestle. Unfortunately there are no official reports and no way to confirm. However, we know that he weighed in but was pulled from competition by the doctor.

Hope he is OK and feeling better.

The Buckeyes look thirsty and they showed in the opening weekend that they plan to win the NCAA title with the pedal smashed firmly against the metal.

Q: Do you like the Penn State coaching staff's decision to redshirt both Nico Megaludis and Zain Retherford?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yes.

Nico Megaludis gets ready to wrestle (Photo/Bill Ennis)

The Penn State program and leadership of their coaching staff have never been in question. After four years of wining individual and team titles you have to assume that there would be some minor reshaping of their flock. What'll be interesting is how this rebuilding process will affect their performance at the NCAA Championships and comparing it to the Iowa teams of the 80s and 90s.

In my observation, the Penn State wrestling program is willing to risk a step down on the podium in 2015 to ensure unrivaled dominance for the next four years. But the real beauty is that the Nittany Lions don't win through conditioning, but technical skill. Thinking of how that will affect their rebuilding process, as opposed to the ass-slap-the-backup mentality that helped Iowa maintain dominance is, for me, very compelling.

Cael will also be presented with a new coaching challenge. He'll need to keep focused through whatever adversity careens towards the team, and keep his youngsters from falling back on the convenient excuse that they are losing as a team because many of their top grapplers are eating burritos at 4 a.m. and going to the movies with pretty gals.

The progress of these young talents and that overarching discussion of coaching ability and legacy will be a great storyline for the season, and postseason.

Q: Why you gotta hate on the Scuffle? bit.ly/scufflefield
-- Rocco M.

Foley: Ha. I think this screed needs the sarcasm font.

Like Midlands, the Southern Scuffle will be loaded with talent, which makes it appealing to anyone who loved NCAA wrestling. That "anyone" includes my lovely parents, who have purchased tickets to watch the Scuffle despite having no DNA in the fight. I'd say the prompt was that my my father likes watching the 'Hoos wrestle, but I'm getting the impression my mother likes to sit back and judge the "effort" of some wrestlers. This is high-quality entertainment.

Who knows, though. I've spent a year in-transit to cover wrestling tournaments in poorly lit gymnasiums with no bathrooms. I might be persuaded to spend my few days of family time inside a gymnasium in Chattanooga. Could be nice to put down the pen and just enjoy the competition.

This is a New Year's tournament. Do the fans have any insights into where we might enjoy a celebratory drink to welcome 2015?

Q: After watching the All-Star Classic what are your opinions on the experimental rules?
-- @Rhino184

Foley: The new rules were a good first step to improvement, but were not implemented with the gusto I thought it could have enjoyed.

The counts from a side headlock and drop to the ankle were well-executed and exposed those maneuvers for their obvious stall tactics. (Nobody scored back points from those positions.) I'd hope to see this called with more frequency and possibly adopted before the end of the season. Verdict: No-brainer.

The no-point escape calls did seem to keep more matches on the feet, which I thought prompted more action. Still, there is a strategy to manipulating this rule that hasn't been fully explored. It stands to reason that every reversal or takedown made near the out-of-bounds will result in a free release on the restart, especially at the end of a match. There was some threat of this rule affecting matches at the All-Star Classic, and without more understanding of how it'll be exploited en masse (we need a larger sample size) I'm hesitant to give a full-throated endorsement. Verdict: Wait-and-see

The out-of-bounds rules were a massive failure. Either the spirit of the rule wasn't carried into the referee instruction, or the writing of the rule was faulty. Look, I know that the NCAA hates black and white (ask them to define "amateur") but out-of-bounds should be, well, OUT-OF-BOUNDS!

When you have a boundary it shouldn't imply that maybe, kinda, sorta things can be in AND out-of-bounds because of an imaginary cylindrical sphere stretching upward to the International Space Station. Out-of-bounds means OUT-OF-BOUNDS and should be treated with a penalty. Let me layman's this for the non-wrestling crowd.

I'm terrible at golf (still better than Brian Muir) and every time I hit the ball OUT-OF-BOUNDS I take a stroke penalty. Perfect and clear guidance is provided by the rulebook, thus when I'm betting BIG money on the links I'm very conscience of going OB.

Here is a list of sports with a fuzzy boundary: NCAA wrestling

Here is a list of sports with clearly defined boundaries: All (minus NCAA Wrestling)

In college wrestling no penalty exists for going out-of-bounds, even as the rule has proven an incredible competitive additive in all three styles of international competition. Until it changes it'll be a lot of dancing on the edge and 3-2 matches with guys getting creative about how to lay on top of one another to ensure ONE POINT of riding time via #snoreride. Who wouldn't want to see that point come from a spectacular action on the edge of the mat?

Verdict: Failure

Q: Does summer training make winter champions?
-- @Rob_SwagginU

Foley: Only if you are willing to "leave it all out on the mat in March."

See you at state, bro.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Bourdain does Iran. Worth the watch, if only for the reference to traditional Iranian wrestling and challenging any misperception you may have about the beauty of the Iranian people.

Bourdain Unknown Iran by limukohou

Dude ... Wow

Two looks at Hakuh? and sumo wrestling. Mr. Phillips is one of the best sports writers on the planet and weaves a monster story. His story will win awards and mine will go (largely) ignored. He is cool. I am not. He is handsome. I am ugly. He has GIFS. I have Black and White's.

Foley: Japanese Sumo: In respect of domination and diversity

Phillips: Sea of Crises

Q: Do #FBF video clips of NCAA finals! A great way to get people amped for the season. What do you think are the greatest matchups?
-- @MallnOates

Foley: I like your thinking. Let me start digging these up and posting each Friday. Any that you'd want to see?

My favorite NCAA finals match? Don't call it a comeback!

Q: Should wrestlers get signature shoes if they never won Olympic gold? What about socks? What's the protocol for sock deals?
-- @JaroslavWrestle?

Foley: There is more to your question and it all stems from Tony Ramos and the Twitter machine.

To bring readers up to speed: Ramos queried why Daniel Cormier should get a shoe deal with CF Athletic despite not having won a gold medal, and who by Ramos' account ended up "missing weight" at the 2008 Games in Beijing.

Ben Askren responded and took a hard line that the medals shouldn't matter and that we need to reinvest in the sport, something he felt CF was doing in signing Cormier to a shoe contract. He went on to confront Ramos about not wanting to wrestle in the hybrid-rule FPL, which ironically smelled a lot like a Dana White tactic -- someone Askren has openly beefed with on the Twitter machine.

But I digress ...

Cormier also tweeted though only to clarify that the Beijing debacle haunts him to this day, and that he in fact made weight.

It's short-sighted and self-defeating to claim Cormier doesn't deserve a shoe. As someone who writes at least one dumb thing once-a-week I don't fault Ramos. Twitter, like almost everything, has a learning curve and it was an ill-advised tweet. Maybe he regrets it, maybe he doesn't, but I'm sure it's not the image he wants out there and I'm willing to give him the benefit of the doubt.

On a side note, #BreakBones

Q: What do you view as the best wrestling shoe ever made? My vote: Asics Gable Ultra XL.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Adidas Combat Speeds.

Next question ... :)

Q: The All-Star Classic used a random order. Why can't college duals use the same format? At weigh-ins, the home team gets first pick, visitors second, home third ... etc.

I believe it would have two effects.

1. It would keep team scores closer, longer. Coaches would pick winnable matches first.

2. It would usually push best matches last or late into the dual giving fans a buildup.
-- T. M.

Foley: I love that coaches would have to strategize, and though it's way too cool a system to be implemented by the NCAA I think it's worthy of a proposal.

Do consider that weight class alignment isn't just the simplest way to form a dual meet, but a fairly standardized progression of matches in many forms of wrestling. Think about it in a tribal sense. When asked to send out the best of a gladiator to settle a dispute, that would inevitably have been the largest man in the group. Extrapolate from there on your own and you will arrive at our current system.

Size, and what it says about your tribe (team) is a classic talking point of traditional sports. These are the biggest and baddest among the team and therefore have traditionally been given the spotlight. With collegiate wrestling and a shift in understanding of what it means to be dominant, the system could change to promote those wrestlers who score the most points, are most equally matched or will provide the most strategic advantage to a team.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK
By Jerry M.

I looked at the NWCA rankings this morning and thought so many rankings are subjective, rather than based on some type of objective criteria.

InterMat along with Flowrestling are the two biggest of the ranking companies publishing their rankings weekly in season. I thought a subjective way to look at rankings was to think of golf, and the low score wins. So why not apply this to the rankings? In the charts below I took the top five teams as they are ranked by NWCA,(Actually also by InterMat and Flo) and took each of the ranked schools, by weight and input the ranking of the wrestler from that school (i.e. Logan Stieber No. 1 at 141).

If the school did not have a ranked wrestler at a weight the school was assigned a score of 21. As both InterMat and Flo rank each weight 1 through 20.

Hypothetically, this means that the team with the lowest score translates to the best ranked wrestlers. Iowa would be ranked No. 1 as they have a combined score (InterMat and Flo) of 148, Ohio State would be ranked No. 2 with a combined score of 162, and so on. I would have to grant that the individual InterMat and Flo rankings are subjective. However, looking the variables there is very little fluctuation in the rankings, usually only one or two points.

The exception is 285 pounds where Ohio State's wrestler is ranked by InterMat and not by Flo, making a nine-point difference.

It would make some sense that Minnesota is ranked No. 1 in other polls based on the fact they have three No. 1 wrestlers. However, that is quickly mitigated by the fact they have three weights without a ranked wrestler.

Is this "golf" ranking perfect not only no, but hell no. The great thing about our sport is that there are very few automatics. You have to step on the mat.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 31, 2014

Fri, 31 Oct 2014 07:04:48 +0000

In honor of Halloween here are five scary situations to consider:

1. The pushout is found effective at the NWCA event, but we watch all season as an avalanche of new snore ride holds take effect and edge-playing once again defines neutral.

2. Title IX's push into high schools leaves the wrestling community fighting lawmakers in DC instead of promoting sport within female ranks.

3. Penn State wins fifth straight NCAA title. Though dominance can be good for business, a new face atop the national stage would help promote the sport.

4. The loss of another Division I program in 2014-2015 due to a lack of self-promotion or self-awareness.

5. Being stung on the back of the neck by a Tomcat while on vacation.

Q: What's the deal with Wartburg not being ranked and only having two individuals ranked?
-- Mitch B.

Wartburg has won four straight NCAA titles

Foley: Wartburg has won the last four NCAA Division III titles and seven of the last ten. This success and the release of the Division III rankings meant that their apparent drop-off was the single most oft-asked question for this week's mailbag.

Though a massive slide in the rankings seems to indicate something awful, the answer seems to be simply that second-year head coach Eric Keller is in the midst of a rebuilding scenario not too dissimilar from what Jim Zalesky and Tom Brands had to endure on their returns to Iowa. The Wartburg transition seems come with a more sudden drop-off, but let Coach Keller develop his wrestlers and team over the next few years in order to gauge the overall direction of his program. He is also missing out on four NCAA finalists that he lost to graduation. Three were NCAA champions.

Good luck to Coach Keller. It's never easy to replace a longstanding, successful coach.

Q: Thoughts on the NCAA changing the team scoring at the NCAA tourney and teams getting points for National Duals to start the tourney.
-- @JakeHerbert84

Foley: There has to be some credit given to the competition committee in engineering a two-tournament solution for increasing fan involvement in the sport of wrestling. The truth about college wrestling is not enough of the dual meets scheduled have an impact on the outcome of the season -- therefore lacking incentive for fans to attend, or media to care.

The NCAA is trying to change that by forcing the dual meets to matter. There are several issues arising from these attempts, but they are right to be pushing for some type of new format that will allow growth.

The current model seems to hurt teams with 4-5 high-caliber wrestlers but have large holes in the rest of their lineup. In the current system these teams can place as high as third or fourth, but with points carried in from dual meets, that seems less possible.

The devil's advocate would argue that these new dual meet rules would then prompt these schools to focus on a more balanced lineup, but the situation of these schools is often more a condition of institutional support than it is lack of effort by the coaching staff.

Making dual meets matter is vital to the growth of wrestling. Right now we have one marketable weekend of wrestling, but that could be expanded (along with a fan base) should a dual meet matter work.

For now, I like that we are delaying the release of the system, but I do think that tinkering with this, or something similar, will be a net positive for the sport of wrestling.

... Along with the one-semester season.

Q: Thoughts on double knee pads?
-- @IndianaMat

Foley: Unless you're shooting from both sides the double knee pads are only working to make you look like a volleyball player, or the old guy at the gym playing racquetball. It may also make you look like an old guy at the gym playing volleyball.

I write this as a man who once wore two knee pads with pride, but who was forced through peer pressure and the hassle of maintenance to move to one. Eventually that knee pad was eliminated due to hassle. Now I forge on like most, absent the knee pad and at least one bursa sac.

Q: Has a team that has never won before (Ohio State) ever had so many potential breaks go their way before? Iowa, Penn State, Minnesota and Big Ten tourney all at home, and the seniors those three teams lost should make tOSU the favorite.
-- @wrestlingnomad

Foley: I think "breaks" implies a lot of luck, and though some was probably involved, Tom Ryan and his staff also positioned themselves to be in the 2015 title race through very competent on-the-mat coaching and top-level recruiting. Also, know that the redshirt game also plays a role in when certain athletes are eligible. It wouldn't surprise me to find out that Coach Ryan had this season circled for years as his first real chance to win an NCAA title and prepped his lineup and redshirts according to that possibility.

Now, the scheduling was a bit of luck. We know that teams perform better at home and with so many of their top opponents faced in Ohio the team will be in position to earn wins and therefore better seeds at the B1G Tournament. The logic would then progress that better seeds at the conference tournament would result in better seeds and better performances at NCAAs -- not an unlikely outcome, but also riddled with possibilities.

As for Logan Stieber, I think that Ohio State will benefit greatly from the distraction of his fourth title hunt. The pressure to win the NCAA crown won't be shared equally by members of the Ohio State wrestling team. Stieber and his star power will dominate the news and I think provide extra room to youngsters like Kyle Snyder to improve throughout the season without a strong outside focus.

Still, there is no question this is the Buckeyes' year to make it happen, and from the outside everything has lined up. Now the issue becomes execution.

Q: How many undefeated NCAA champs will we have this year?
-- @koatig?

Foley: Two. Logan Stieber and Gabe Dean.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Always some of the best preseason viewing ... especially with the Gophers ranked No. 1.

Link: The Last Maverick Good riddance, Trev Alberts. Marysville's wrestling program is No. 1 in the nation and you're still a no-talent wannabe begging to get into the Summit League.

Link: Traditional wrestling in India

Link: Lebron? Sure, why not ... LEBRON!

Q: Similar to no info on redshirting, expected participants in freestyle events (example: Bill Farrell) can never be found until 1/2 days before the event.
-- @Eagle_Fan?

The inscriptions (a fancy word for entries) are not usually known until a day or two before an event because wrestlers and their coaches don't often apply until a week or two before the first whistle.

One reason for the delay is that off-season tournaments like the Bill Farrell Invitational come as wrestlers are progressing through their basic training and making decisions on which tournaments to attend before the season gets truckin' in early February.

For more important international events, like the continental and world championships, there are guidelines that require entry lists, and must be provided by countries within a certain timeframe. Of course that's not always the case, but the process has been improved over the past year to ensure there are more countries active in the sending of inscriptions. (You can also expect it to continue to improve over the next several months as new guidelines are instituted.)

While it does seem like a minor point to some, the release of the inscriptions are key to the promotion of the event. Like you, I hope we see more names and earlier.

Q: Now that the NCAA Division I rankings are released, who are your "sleepers" at each weight class and the overall team race?
-- David E.

Foley: That's the topic for an annual (and upcoming) Platinum article!

COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK

By Nick M.

I just wanted to alert the masses that Maranatha Baptist University is in dire straits. Here is a Division III program that was coached by Andy Peterson, son of Ben Peterson. It appears that Andy has left Maranatha for whatever reason, and they are contemplating dropping the program. They need wrestlers! Here is a school in Watertown, Wisconsin that needs our help.

By Doreen R.

I saw the best of what the world could offer in wrestling during those years. Wrestlers knew the rules and the consequences for their actions. While the rules remained stable, wrestlers improved their skill to win matches on skill. Dan Gable, Russ Hellickson, John and Ben Peterson were successful within that set of rules.

Enter money into wrestling and the sport tumbled quickly. The answer is not to continue to change the rules ... set them back to the 1970-80s and require wrestlers to increase skill to be able to compete at the national and world level.

There has always been a rule in high school, college and international wrestling that you cannot leave the mat -- fleeing the mat. If you apply that rule consistently, it's amazing how wrestlers will quickly adapt and stay within the circle.

To watch our great sport be demeaned and supported by MMA brutal fighting is a sad thing. Do you want your child to try wrestling when it is associated, supported and glorified by MMA? Thank god my two boys wrestled when wrestling had role models such as Dan Gable, Russ Hellickson, John and Ben Peterson, whom we call our friends.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 24, 2014

Fri, 24 Oct 2014 13:52:03 +0000

For the first time since the Save Olympic Wrestling movement the wrestling world has reached something resembling a consensus.

What to thank for this collective head nodding? A 32-minute off-season high school wrestling match.

Without being drug into the details of who was playing defense and who was attacking, wrestlers Daton Fix and Nick Suriano engaged in a 32-minute 1-1 overtime match last weekend. The match mercifully ended when Suriano found a takedown off a scramble, ending what was by most accounts a very long 30-plus minutes of not-that-much actual wrestling.

So what was the wrestling community's big consensus? Elimination of overtime? Capped overtime?

No. The establishment of an out-of-bounds that makes sense, pushes action and awards aggression. Better known by the colloquialism "pushout."

When the pushout rule was first introduced in the Olympic styles many wrestling fans feared that the sport would become a shoving match. The more simplified anti-pushout arguments called it sumo.* The old rules were ridiculous so the pushout sometimes was the deciding factor in matches. However, with the new international rules in place the pushout rule has helped contain action, quicken the pace of matches and has created exciting spats of offense.

In analyzing the 32-minute match many of wrestling's better minds turned to Twitter to dissect the fallout. In general most agreed that the current problem with collegiate wrestling (scholastic, folkstyle, etc.) is the lack of an absolute out of bounds enforced by penalty. Though not stated in 140 characters, one of the main gripes seems to be that the edge of the mat becomes an enormous void of action -- a retreat where wrestlers can force a restart to bad positions, or hang out to avoid the encroachments of more physical opponents. Where the edge of the mats starts, and what is the punishment for fleeing are both items that become highly subjective, and often misappropriated.

NCAA wrestling is lagging behind freestyle in terms of excitement. Way behind. The main reason is the collegiate styles inability to establish a perimeter and incentivize wrestlers to perform offensive maneuvers. I am a fan of scrambling and I love the creativity of the triple overtime snore-ride (no, not really), but adding an edge that is on fire will prompt action, and for a sport that wants to bully its way onto television and make a larger social impact, more scoring and shorter matches will be a necessity.

And now, almost everyone agrees.

*I was in Tokyo last month and watched a lot of sumo. The sport of sumo is simple, incredible, athletic, attractive and a multi-billion dollar sport in Japan. So maybe being more like sumo is a good thing. Also, those wrestlers are some of the best technical wrestlers I've ever seen. No, I'm not kidding.)

To your questions ...

Q: I have been super impressed with Yoel Romero in his UFC fights. He's a freak! I think with a little more seasoning he can beat Chris Weidman and become the UFC middleweight champion. Am I crazy?
-- Mike C.

Yoel Romero is undefeated (5-0) in the UFC

Foley: Yes, you are nutty.

Yoel Romero, while unique in his talents as a freestyle wrestler, has reached the top of his potential in MMA. His win over teary-eyed whiner Tim Kennedy showed that while Romero can strike and wrestle, he has a tough time with cardio. Against a guy like Weidman who is an technical striker and NCAA All-American but also has a gas tank, Romero would be picked apart.

Weidman also has the advantage of strategy, being coached by John Danaher, who engineered both of the Hofstra's wrestler's victories over Anderson Silva.

Romero is excellent -- he's a beast, really -- but he's no match for the more technical, and more "heroic" Weidman.

Q: Is Nico Megaludis redshirting this season?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yes! Jordan Conaway is entering Penn State's lineup. I'd expect a low All-American finish from him. He'll be well-coached and tuned up on a consistent basis

Q: I'm sure you caught Flo's WNO last weekend. Obviously, there was some great wrestling. Mark Hall is a force to be reckoned with. I don't think anyone saw that coming besides Mark. It seemed to me that Flo has really stepped up their game as far as production goes. Also, do you think that the choice to use the fight shorts and compression gear (or not shirt at all) will start some more conversation about changing the uniforms at any level, which level would be first to make the change?
-- Sean M.

Foley: Agreed that Flo's production value was top-notch. Interesting to note as well that most, if not all, of the online attention has gone to the high school matches. Without something greater on the line (Olympic development) wrestling fans didn't seem too interested in the Premier League match. The rules might also have been a factor.

The uniform change is coming. First to the recreational wrestling leagues (if such things even exists anymore) and then to middle school and high school wrestling teams. There is a ton of potential in changing the uniforms and even after one event public opinion seems to be shifting.

Shirts off? Eh. Not a big fan. Too much sweat, too much blubber, and for the little kids it's WAY too much skin.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Exemplary sumo match

Interview with retired sumo wrestler Asashoryu, who is the current president of the Mongolian Wrestling Federation.

#WillPower

Link: The race to nowhere in youth sports

Link: Kyle Dake via USA Wrestling discussing another reason Americans struggle on the international stage ...

"It's tough trying to split time between coaching and wrestling," he said. "I want to do everything great, but you can't split time and be great at both. I have to focus completely on wrestling right now if I'm going to reach my goals. Rob Koll and the other coaches understand that and they agreed it was the best thing for the program. I am still in the room and still around the team. I am still helping out where I can."

Q: Grayshirt. Good or bad?
-- @ShogunOfSonoma?

Foley: I know of two grayshirts: Post high school fifth years and Ivy league redshirts.

For high school fifth years it depends on the talent level and preparedness for college. For an Ivy league wrestler the grayshirt is more often a positive, if also tricky, solution to help them adjust to collegiate life and Division I wrestling.

From my experience, Ivy wrestlers are faced with more academic challenges than many of their competitors. Also with tough academic loads and a collegiate life that can more often resemble Hogwarts than Spring Break, a semester away can allow them time to focus on school or an internship. I've seen that time create a positive difference in on-the-mat and off-the-mat success.

But as always it's an individual-by-individual based decision.

Q: Which semester would you prefer to see NCAA wrestling season? Fall: NO WAY ... Spring: Possible. I'm a huge fan of both football and wrestling. I love my tailgating Saturdays in Happy Valley. I don't think I could "afford" to do back-to-back days. (Hotels are two-night minimum at outrageous prices.)

I like the idea of moving it to spring -- first and foremost -- get away from the hoops season! Second, I tend to lose focus of high school wrestling in PA as there is too much going on at any one moment. Plus traveling to the Big Tens/NCAAs would be much simpler without the worry of inclement weather!
-- Adrian S.

Foley: Spring is the only option. Though wrestlers would still be practicing over Christmas, the change of the season to a mid-January or early February start would allow for a better student-athlete experience and provide more opportunity to the NCAA in selling major events.

Right now the season drags on and much of the wrestling matters little to the final outcome. When something doesn't impact the final result it fails to be appealing, and the majority of the NCAA season is meaningless to the number of All-Americans and national champions produced by a school.

Time to shorten the season, provide fans better opportunities to engage with the product and make each event matter towards something at the end of the season.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK
By John G.

I watched the White-McFadden match that was streamed on Flowrestling, and I was interested in hearing your views on the match. I'm not referring to McFadden's rather obvious stalling. I'm talking about the whole approach taken by Flo in the event. Wrestling shirtless. Calling the mats the snake pit. Letting the boys wrestle until someone won in overtime.

I kept thinking about how I would feel if that had been my son wrestling out there. And, I don't think I would have approved of it. I understand that we need to promote wrestling and present it in new ways that invoke MMA. I'm OK with no singlets. But these are high school students. Or I think they are. And the comments posted on Flo about McFadden were rough. I mean, I'm trying not to be too sensitive here. I know we need to put on our big boy pants, but these are kids.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 17, 2014

Fri, 17 Oct 2014 07:03:13 +0000

If you listen to the messages coming from the professional sporting world, there is a new message that is being made clear to athletes, fans and owners: Less is more.

The NBA this week experimented with shorter games, knocking four minutes off total game time by making quarters 11 minutes as opposed to 12. The talk of the experimental quarters and the announcement that the NBA signed a mega-billions TV deal spurred discussion among players that they also want a shorter season.

The length of the MLB game is also under close scrutiny, with internal suits and outside consultants all trying to figure out how to sharpen the presentation of a game that once took roughly two hours to complete, now gobble up more than three hours.

Wrestling should take note. The NCAA wrestling season is far too long, running a full five months of the year (November-March). That number of matches is unique to America, and in many ways harmful to the athletes (weight management, injuries, distraction from school) and the sport (diluted importance of matches). To what ends? What's the benefit? We know the costs are higher departmental expenses, increased injuries and less interest in the sport throughout the regular season.

The NCAA competition committee should move to institute a one-semester competition calendar by 2018, if not sooner. Athletes should only compete in one academic semester, a move that will improve school performance, and give many the ability to connect with their families rather than starve their way to a few extra W's for their coaches.

To your questions ...

Virginia's Nick Sulzer finished fourth at the NCAAs at 165 (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Alex Dieringer vs. Nick Sulzer at the NWCA All-Star Classic. Who you got?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Please ... Nick Sulzer has doubled in technical improvements every year. He's got Coach Garland and two NCAA champion wrestling partners in Keith Gavin and Jordan Leen.

I've always been a Dieringer fan, but when it comes to a matchup against my fellow University of Virginia alumnus, I keep it loyal.

Sulzer, 4-2.

Go Hoos!

Q: Are there any videos online about how the rule changes helped save wrestling in the Olympics and why they made changes?
-- @mattg197

Foley: Yes.

Q: When will redshirt announcements occur? So damn frustrating trying to find out who will be taking a redshirt! Why so secretive?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: College wrestling coaches are like international wrestling coaches who are like high school wrestling coaches. There is a strong belief that withholding information will somehow give them an advantage -- that a wrestler unleashed without warning is like an extra queen on their chess board.

Wrestling coaches don't do a ton of lineup management. The sport is mostly based on a meritocracy and lineups, through weight classes, don't allow for too much arrangement -- there is no pinch-hitting, pinch-running, designated hitters, etc. My theory is that coaches withhold these nuggets of information because it allows them some managerial oversight and for many that feels like control and work.

I don't know for sure if Nico Megaludis is redshirting, though I've heard rumblings that he will. Does it matter to know now? Maybe. Is it annoying that we have to guess? A touch.

Q: Anthony Valencia vs. Mark Hall this weekend. Who are you taking?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Valencia, 7-6.

Q: What is your opinion on the public vs. private debate?
-- @Prlab1

Foley: In terms of high school participation, I don't see why there would need to be any side. The debate isn't about if your child should wrestle at a private school, as there is nothing inherently wrong with wrestling at a private school. Same applies to public.

The argument -- and this has been going on for as long as I've been in wrestling -- is about the accumulation of talent at private schools and the perception of recruitment.

Like many wrestlers I attended a public school with no defined wrestling tradition. My coaches were great at motivation and keeping me focused on my goals, and though we produced Division I wrestlers on occasion, we were not considered a wrestling school. Though my path didn't include specialization, I can understand why some parents and students would seek that experience -- even at the expense of the greater desire for competitiveness or the ever-slippery perception that is competitive equality.

As with top-level students who excel at the violin or chemistry, wrestlers should be allowed to pursue their talents at a young age, so long as they retain balance and perspective.

The other issue, and this is more a problem today than even ten years ago, is the cost of college tuition. Sometimes paying a little for high school could save you 100s of thousands of dollars in college tuition in the form of a scholarship and prevent a lifetime of student loan debt.

Maybe it's just as plausible to earn a scholarship from a public school, but when the motivation is saving 500k dollars in loan repayments the choice to go private can seem like an intelligent, calculated risk.

Multimedia Halftime

Foxcatcher Trailer No. 4

Link: Bennett Miller and Channing Tatum talk playing through the pain

Link: The Brands bros. do comedy and it works

Link: Sumo school is a magical place

Q: 2015 is wide open, but right now is Cornell the favorite for 2016?
-- @Rob_SwagginU

Foley: How are you so confident in jumping ahead one season?! The 2015 season will help dictate who can compete for the team title in 2016 as the growth and stagnation of current sophomore and juniors comes into focus, and the hype of incoming freshman receives a reality check (or not).

Anything can happen in 2015 and those outcomes will help dictate who is in contention in 2016. I don't think Cornell is in any better shape than Penn State, Ohio State or Minnesota. They are all reloading and in 2015 could have individual successes that change the argument and leave the field as open in 2016 as it is in 2015.

Q: Who finishes higher on the podium in March, J'den Cox or Kyle Snyder?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Damn.

I haven't seen Snyder wrestle an entire NCAA season, but on the flip side I don't know if Cox will be affected by the loss of Sammie Henson to West Virginia.

I'm going (very tentatively) with Cox. He's seen the season, overcome its grind and proven himself a champion. Snyder will need to show the ability to make it through a very long, very difficult season.

Q: I saw that Brock Gutches replaced Tyler Wilps at the NWCA All-Star Classic. I remember reading a Joey Davis interview on InterMat where he talked about wanting to wrestle in the All-Star Classic. No disrespect toward Gutches, but why would he go instead of Davis? Was Davis not asked?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Davis was asked, but declined because he won't be wrestling until the second semester. Really, really wish we could have seen him wrestle in the event!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 10, 2014

Fri, 10 Oct 2014 05:48:01 +0000

Last week's mailbag included a question that launched an impassioned discussion about a female wrestler's right to take the mat against a boy. The back-and-forth was focused on Harrisburg dioceses decision to forbid boys to wrestle girls, but quickly ballooned into the right of any girl to wrestle.

Readers on both sides were ardent in their defense about how the perceived gender roles -- and to an extent both were correct. Americans are guaranteed the opportunity to express personal opinions, and insomuch as it doesn't harm others, they are also allowed to live their lives by their own unique set of values. For example, the American government doesn't force Judeo-Christian religious doctrine into the everyday lives of the people, and that means we have a culturally diverse landscape of people, ideas and beliefs.

As a parent, you are allowed to order your male children to not wrestle girls, and your female child can also be forbidden to wrestle boys. That's a prerogative American parents are given over a dependent. However, that in no way should be extended to a third party institution that exists outside of the family -- even if as a parent you agree with the ruling, the ruling itself limits the ability of the individual to make independent decisions.

Yet there seems to be confusion over what exactly it means to have personal choice, versus willing institutional subjugation. In the case of the diocese, the freedom of the individual to make a choice has been supplanted by the power the diocese believes it wields over it's flock. In defense of the diocese many are quick to point to freedom of speech, or the general "Don't Tread on Me" right to free association and conduct -- that outlook confuses the right of the individual to pursue personal destiny, with the rights of an institution to make a ruling.

The difference is vital and is where the diocese has made an error. Although a private school, the schools overseen by the dioceses all receive federal funds, which make them subject to laws governing the equal treatment of the sexes.

This week news broke the Title IX laws, specifically the gender quotas applied to higher education around the country, would now be brought to the high school level. As the OCR lawyers sharpen their pencils and pull out the map of United States high schools, my hope is that they first aim for the wrestling programs controlled by the Harrisburg dioceses. Their willfulness in limiting the personal choice of their students on the basis of sex has no role within the wrestling community. Parents, not institutions, have the right to make decisions about their children's lives, and the dioceses' arrogance in thinking otherwise should make them first on the OCR's radar of gender discriminators.

And if the OCR doesn't come knocking soon, I have a better idea for correcting this institutional injustice. I suggest that every school with a dual meet against a program overseen by the dioceses should field a team entirely of girls. From the lightest to the heaviest, with 10 years of experience, or none at all, each should take the mat and stand there in defiance of gender discrimination. As a few close-minded bureaucrats force their boys to forfeit the message will be sent: Women and the wrestling community won't be governed from the outside. We chose individual choice and inclusion over institutional rule and discrimination.

The sooner that individuals and institutions accept this fact, the sooner the wrestling community can get on to the business of growing our sport in new ways. Until then we'll continue to fight Title IX gender quotas, live in fear of bad press and watch in anger as our programs are cut -- delusional enough to believe they are picking on us for no reason.

Girls wrestle.

To your questions ...

Q: Gabe Dean was an impressive freshman who snapped Ed Ruth's long winning streak. Is it conceivable that Dean does what Ruth did over his final three seasons of college wrestling?
-- Mike C.

Cornell's Gabe Dean finished third at the NCAAs as a freshman (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: Not only did Gabe Dean look spectacular on the mat all of last season, he also competed in top form at the Junior World Championships in Zagreb this summer. Though he would lose on a bone-headed mistake in the quarterfinals, it was obvious that Dean possessed the ability, at a pretty young age, to command every match he wrestles.

The NCAA tournament is a difficult tournament to dominate, but that's exactly what Ruth had done the past three seasons. For Dean to have a similar path as Ruth he will not only have to go almost flawless over his last three years of competition, but get through an NCAA tournament filled with talent.

I'm a believer in Dean's ability, but I think we are looking at a two-time NCAA champion with one or two more losses. Not exactly modest expectations, but also not quite to the level of Ruth.

Q: I do not know if you heard but the Indian Premier Wrestling League, which will start in November 2014, is a professional league with United World Wrestling rules. It will be in six cities around India each which will have teams.
-- Dennis L.

Foley: The IWL is being modeled after the "You-Almost-Can't-Conceive-How-Successful" Indian Premier Cricket League. That league, which takes the three-day cricket match and shortens it to three hours, has meant billions of dollars for that sport in India. Wrestling, though only the fourth most popular sport in India behind cricket, cricket and cricket, will have a large market by which to be successful.

Indians crave entertainment and they love sports. With Sushil Kumar and Yogeshwar Dutt having done so well, wrestling has been beamed into more living rooms than ever before. Previous to their success wrestling was limited to kushti (traditional wrestling) dangals (tournaments) hosted by politicians and local celebrities. These were also wildly popular but didn't have the same cross-country effect. Almost all are hyper-local events.

The IWL could be a big hit. The organizers have talked about bringing in foreign talent to add some intrigue, and the presentation is absolutely sure to be spectacular. If you've ever seen IPL you'd know that a good portion of the game is spent with cameramen in the stands looking for excited fans and pretty women. The latter is a standard operating procedure among cameraman worldwide.

I'll email some friends and see if we can get even more information before the start of the league, including how to watch!

Multimedia Halftime

Bill Farrell Invitational (formerly NYAC) commercial No.1

Japanese drilling session

Post by Alaa Hussin AL Abidi.

Don't lat drop a lineman

Q: I noticed the Doi twins were both ranked at 101 pounds in the women's college rankings. What's the likelihood they face each other in the national championship match? Who would you give the edge to?
-- Mike C.

Marina Doi earned a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships this summer (Photo/Martin Gabor)

Foley: The Doi twins have been progressing well through USA Wrestling's Cadet and Junior programs. This past summer Marina earned bronze at the Junior World Championships, while Regina didn't compete. Marina also placed third at the 2013 Cadet World Championships, won a Cadet World title in 2012 and earned a silver medal at the Cadet Worlds in 2011. Regina earned a silver medal at the 2013 Cadet Worlds.

Who is better? The edge might be to Marina, though that could change on a daily basis. They are both a little too small to compete at the senior 48-kilo limit, which means that until that time they will need to work on getting in as much competition as possible and bulking up.

This year that might mean rolling against each other!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 3, 2014

Fri, 03 Oct 2014 07:33:11 +0000

The wrestling portion of the Asian Games concluded this week, bringing an end to the 2014 competition calendar for many freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers.

Eleman Dogdurbek Uulu launched Jang Myong-Song in a bronze-medal match in men's freestyle at the Asia Games (Photo/Sachiko Hotaka)

The World Championships would normally signal the end, but the quadrennial games hosted in Asia are a powerhouse event where wrestlers are compensated handsomely for winning efforts. In Korea gold medalists earn $5,000 a month for the rest of their life and are eligible to skip compulsory military service. In North Korea gold medal wrestlers were rumored to receive apartments.

With the end of the season comes my personal break from wrestling. I've been covering these tournaments and building the new United World Wrestling media department for several months, and haven't had much time to power down the engines. The upcoming rest period will be spent outside of the gymnasium and hopefully add some perspective to the season. Mostly I'm looking forward to a sun burn, fruity cocktails and napping.

My time spent doing less will also give me an opportunity to contemplate the direction of the upcoming folkstyle season in America. The 2014-15 NCAA season is rotten with storylines, and though I could expound on any of them with zeal, I'm looking forward to your inquires and opinions.

Send 'em over. Rooms open in one week.

To your questions ...

Was the Flo deal a total valuation or just this round of funding? And either way, congrats!
-- @JaroslavWrestle

Foley: I can't tell you much more than what was reported by Fortune and what ran on the PR Newswire. Flocasts, the parent company of Flowrestling, earned a round of funding for $8 million from the venture capital (VC) firm Causeway Media Partners. The capital is likely to be used for further development of deals in the works and an expansion of roles across all their platforms, including Flowrestling.

As discussed last week (with no insight on this deal), Flowrestling is arguably the wealthiest wrestling entity in the United States. Their cash and existing distribution and acquisition deals gives them immense power in directing the future of our sport. As you, I love wrestling. My job is to critique all elements of the sport, and increasingly that will mean the influence exerted by Austin on the future of our sport.

Wrestling has always stood on a precipice of obliteration with little tangible profitable future. The consequences of ignorance and error have been elimination and the reward for hard work, minimal.

Flowrestling's income, media activity and desire for future growth have created an opportunity for them to change wrestling's famine or subsistence paradigm. Austin can help our sport establish further cultural legitimacy, and as with any thought leader or economic leader they will need, at times, redirection from fans and media.

Congrats to Austin.

Q: What do you think of the policy adopted by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg, which requires that boys on its school wrestling teams forfeit matches to girls?
-- Tim K.

Foley: I'm not an astute enough theologian to have any biblical-based insight for or against boys wrestling girls.

The structure for my opinion comes from personal experience. From that I firmly believe that inclusionary policies teach our youth more than policies that exclude, limit and discriminate based on race, gender or religion.

The dioceses' reasons are borne of an institution and not the heart of the individuals interested in the actual competition. A personal choice is something I can understand and mostly support. I'm not supportive of institutional policies that promote segregation and exclusion.

Q: What is the outcome of all these kids and their phones? Will we lose wrestling as life becomes easier?
-- Terry H.

Foley: My favorite quote about wrestling remains:

"Almost certainly wrestling is the oldest sport of mankind ... It came to town with the Olympiads of Ancient Greece and went back to the country after the decline of Rome -- there to remain, at least in greatest part, for nearly two thousand years. Preponderantly in and because of the country the sport has lived on in the general manner of pasture bluets, or field daisies, or other more or less global and substantially invincible wildflowers. Time and time again pasture bluets can be and have been burned away by the heavy hoofs or close-grazing herds. Yet with mystic stubbornness and effectiveness the pasture bluets somehow rise and bloom again. Wrestling is like that. It thrives, meets apparent destruction or widespread abandonment only to rise again, taking resurrection from a good and folkish earth. This has come to pass in many nations and it keeps happening in our own."

-- Charles Morrow Wilson, The Magnificent Scufflers, 1959

So ... no.

While sports like wrestling that include touch and perceived combat will always be replaced within cultures sensitive to a perception of barbarism, there is a growing recognition of wrestling's fundamental goodness.

That written, today's twenty-somethings grew up with a megaton of positive affirmation -- meaningless participation ribbons and self-confidence that tops the world rankings. The thought of struggle, and loss, isn't appealing to many who can simply tweet out their negative feelings and receive back a virtual hug.

There is a fear among "thinkers" that our new culture is becoming almost irreperably wussified. In his now viral piece on Generation Wuss, Bret Eaton Ellis eviscerates this lackluster group of young men and women for their inability to cope, to work, to tough out anything they find mildly displeasing.

Wrestling teaches an individual how to cope and self-soothe. There are a myriad other lessons, but at the center of American wrestling is how to survive a daily combat routine. There will always be those who want that lifestyle and struggle, but over the years, the swing youths have disappeared or marched to sports with less individualism and responsibility. Less coping.

Coaches are at the forefront of this battle. It might be worth asking them how they've dealt with a generation dependent on Facebook and Twitter conversation that affirm their worst tendencies. I'm sure their responses would shock us all.

Q: On the international level, do countries try to recruit wrestlers from other countries to compete for them? Is there like a free agency market for wrestlers at the international level?
-- Elbridge G.

Foley: Absolutely. The wrestlers in Dagestan and the Ossetias are a hot commodity among gold-hungry wrestling countries and are often shipped overseas. The country with the most transfers is Azerbaijan, but you see Uzbekistan, Georgia, Turkey and Moldova take in several wrestlers as well.

The policy regarding international transfers was made more simple last year. One transfer only and it can be immediate. No waiting period, which used to be at least two years. Countries may only take in one wrestler from each style per year and they must have at least working papers. This is the norm established by the IOC. There are no more transfer fees.

I think that more American wrestlers should look at the idea of competing overseas. Nationalism is appealing, but information has crumbled cultural borders and there is nothing wrong with learning to experience the world stage, even with a flag other than the United States' on your back.

Multimedia Halftime

Link: USA vs. Serbia *One match, with the first period freestyle and the second Greco-Roman. Total score. As evidenced by the video, I've never wrestled Greco-Roman ...

Link: 98-year-old judo black belt

Link: BJJ with a wrestling influence

Link: Wrestling mania in Senegal

Link: Koreans wrestle in Switzerland

Link: Spread of sumo

Q: What is behind your mind-numbing hatred of football?
-- Paul S.

Foley: The games are too long, there isn't enough action and I can't celebrate a sport that is so obviously unhealthy for the majority of its participants. Three high school football players died this week. When three wrestlers died in 1998 due to a mixture of supplements and extreme weight loss, a special council overhauled the sport and changes were made to help curb unhealthy behavior.

What has football done? Nothing. We don't ask it to change because we've allowed it to become of our life stories. The thought of proceeding through our existence without the team colors and the Sunday rituals is a horrifying consideration for most Americans. The reams of evidence showing the game is made unnecessarily dangerous by greed haven't been able to overcome the fear of many Americans that they will lose that connection to their tribe. There is rampant and dangerous incompetence among the commissioner, owners and several players and yet every Sunday Americans line up at bars and in homes to take in 10-plus hours of head-smashing humans and Doritos commercials.

When football takes off the pads, quickens the pace of play and addresses its health crisis (with more than a few PSA's on the Toledo regional channel), maybe I'll tune in for the afternoon. Until then it's all wrestling, and the occasional Tottenham Hotspur match. Six Nations Rugby, too.

Just as a note, it might be time for the Washington football team and owner Dan Snyder to read the tea leaves. When South Park eviscerates you in their season opener it doesn't bode well for future sustainability. The name will not last past this season. (My mom is a Washington fan. Sorry, Mom!)

Q: You travel a lot. Any travel tips?
-- Brian D.

Foley: Plenty. I'll write a travel column for you guys in a few weeks. In the meantime check out this flight. Yowza. $23k for a commercial airline ticket!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 26, 2014

Fri, 26 Sep 2014 07:22:21 +0000

Earlier this week Flowrestling announced the formation of the Flo Premier League, an amateur wrestling league with five scheduled events in 2014 and 2015.

Ben Askren currently fights in ONE FC

The league, which utilizes an adapted freestyle/folkstyle hybrid rule set, will be led by two-time NCAA champion and 2008 Olympian Ben Askren, who will help orchestrate bouts under his role as league commissioner. Events will be broadcast on Flo, likely behind their paywall.

Will the league be successful? Will it be "good for wrestling"?

As a point of reference, the success rate for non-professional American wrestling leagues is zero. As in, literally not a single wrestling league still exists in the United States. If you want to make money starting a business you'd have a much easier time opening a vegetarian restaurant in Billings, Montana, than you would starting a wrestling league in the contiguous forty-eight.

Why?

Hubris. Each major wrestling league attempted over the past twenty years has thought they could do it better than what was already available to the public and used a hybrid set of rules. Real Pro Wrestling couldn't connect with fans despite having a number of popular stars and top-notch production quality. Agon built their matches into existing events and had live streaming, and still they sit on the wayside of the discussion in either prolonged hibernation or early extinction. Both these leagues had money and with that created new rules, which is akin to creating a new sport.

There are successful wrestling leagues in other countries, in both traditional and Olympic styles. Last week, I watched yokozuna sumo wrestler Hakuh? Sh? -- along with thirty other competitors -- compete at the Ryougoku Sumo Hall in Tokyo. There were 7000+ people on hand to watch him wrestle, which is not bad for a Saturday at 4 p.m., however it's more impressive when you consider that the same number that show up every day for 15 straight days, six times a year. They do so because Sumo it's simple, it's popular worldwide and, objectively, awesome.

Olympic styles enjoy prosperity, too. Bundesliga is wildly successful at marketing freestyle and Greco-Roman in Germany, with wrestlers from around the world being placed on teams and competing in front of rowdy fans. The Iranian Wrestling League features freestyle wrestling and pays out large sums of money to winners from Dagestan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and other countries. Attendance usually crests 10k fans per event.

Can't America do the same?

Flo is arguably the wealthiest wrestling entity in America in terms of revenue earned and that's not a small thing. By wading into a professional league they could change the fortunes of professional amateur wrestling in America. Except the current model isn't appreciative of the existing realities and ignores historical precedent, current successful leagues in-play around the world because they are choosing to proceed with a league that is neither American folkstyle nor an Olympic style.

According to their release, the FPL will use "Tirapelle Rules," which were developed by 2001 NCAA champion wrestler Adam Tirapelle.

"The rules bridge the gap between freestyle and folkstyle," Askren wrote to me this week. "I think it allows us to use post-collegiate athletes who don't compete in freestyle as well as MMA fighters."

The main thrust of the rules comes from the distaste for international rules which Askren thinks change too often, and Tirapelle thinks can be improved. By creating a third brand of wrestling the hope is that the league can attract big names after they're done competing in folkstyle and freestyle, namely MMA fighters like Bubba Jenkins and the horde of assistant coaches around the country. From those ranks he believes the new style will create something sustainable.

That won't happen. Most fighters are not in wrestling shape (the indomitable Askren excluded) and won't invest in the proper training to excel in the new style. Serious, attention-grabbing freestyle wrestlers are better served training and competing in overseas events to help their chances come September. Most assistant wrestling coaches are too busy teaching moves, recruiting and filing paperwork to give much time to the strategies necessary to excel in a new sport.

The Tirapelle Rules also ignore the wild popularity of the new freestyle rules and the increased attention being paid to Olympic-style wrestling. Askren says he still believes that freestyle rules are too complicated for Americans to understand and that his style will be easier to follow.

Again, the logic is flawed since the fans they're targeting are behind the Flo paywall. These are lifers and if they watched even some of the recent World Championships must understand the freestyle rules. Askren maintains that they do not.

A league with a third set of rules won't work. The premise of a third set will immediately eliminate the potential for compelling post-World's international matchups, limit the number of current top freestyle names from the USA willing to compete and not provide the benefit of real simplicity (takedown-only), which would appeal to a true general audience.

If the FPL wants to increase the competitiveness of America's freestyle wrestlers, engage with more fans and create a sustainable long-term model then they should move over to freestyle rules. The events would help educate the American audience, attracts big name international wrestlers for major events (Denis Tsargush vs. Jordan Burroughs) and in doing so make Flo a more competitive international presence.

I wish the FPL, Askren and Flo the best of luck and I will likely tune in for a match, but a third style of wrestling in the United States is still not an economically viable option for growing a wrestling league. Unfortunately, this league, like the dozens before it, will unceremoniously fold and fade into history, leaving Americans without a professional outlet for the world's greatest sport.

To your questions ...

Q: What do you think of Conor McGregor? Great fighter and an Irishman on UFC 178!
-- Lance K.

Foley: McGregor is, for the weekend, my least favorite creature on the planet. Anyone seen smacking his or her gum in a wide-jawed mastication for attention should for now on be whacked across the nose with a faucet handle. Also, offenders of the no sunglasses indoors rule should have their eyelids taped shut as middle school girls toss rotten cabbage at their head. He has done both, and incredibly he did them in simulcast.

McGregor is the (new) Great Irish Hope, and though I too enjoy the benefit of Eire-founded surname, I don't know that I've ever wanted to see someone freed of his or her right to consciousness as I do this gel-thwacked Lilliputian.

I know that professing hatred and hyping a fight is precisely what the UFC wants me to do, and that I'm carrying their saliva-spun water also angers me. But I really do want to see this troll's sneer turned downward and his pretentious affected beard speckled with his own self-righteous, self-aggrandizing DNA.

Q: What are the rules regarding the use of headgear in international competition? I've seen video of guys like Ed Ruth and David Taylor wearing it in practice, so it seems odd they don't wear it in competition. Is it prohibited?
-- Bryan R.

Foley: Not prohibited, as you will see some of the USA female wrestlers wearing them in competition.

Headgears are an American anomaly. I've never seen a foreign opponent wear one in practice or competition. That's not to say that stuck somewhere in the Ural Mountains there isn't a self-conscious wrestler who has ordered a pair of Tornados online, but the likelihood is slim.

Headgears are another in the long line of Mom Inventions, the single greatest voice of reform on the planet. Mothers don't like injuries (for good reason) and in protecting their sons from a future of malformed noise-catchers, began insisting on ear coverage in the late 60s and early 70s. They were ubiquitous by the 80s.

As a side note, there is a legend (almost certainly apocryphal) that during the height of the Soviet Union -- when masculine strength was an important aspect of civilized life -- men who didn't wrestle would slam their ears between doors to attain cauliflower. True or not, that the story persists gives you some indication on how Russia and much of the former Soviet Republics view cauliflower ear, and it's not the same as a mother in Palo Alto.

Multimedia Halftime

#MaxPower

Metamorsis 5: Renzo Gracie vs. Kasusari "Gracie Killer" Sakuraba

Q: Where is Toghrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan? We haven't seen much of him since he won the Olympic gold medal in 2012. I thought there was a chance we might see him at the Worlds this year. Has he retired? Injured? Didn't make the team? Do you think you we will see him again in 2015 or 2016?
-- Mike C.

Foley: One of the first Azeri's to win a gold medal for Azerbaijan, Asgarov received an embarrassment of riches upon his return to Baku after the 2012 Olympic Games. Considering his chosen profession and age -- he was 19 when he won gold -- Asgarov was made a wealthy man overnight. The gold and the wealth lead to Azeri idolatry of the young wrestler, both of which also made him content.

Toghrul Asgarov of Azerbaijan won an Olympic gold medal at the age of 19 at the London Games (Photo/Larry Slater)

For a wrestler, contentment can often become the biggest enemy of future success. Most people assume it's tough to win multiple Olympic gold medals because of increasing competition, but what stands between most wrestlers and several World titles is the finality of reaching a goal. Asgarov, at only 19, had reached that goal and in turn powered down his competitive engines.

Asgarov did compete at 65 kilos in this year's European Championships, but lost first round to Bulgarian wrestler Boris Novachkov and hasn't been seen since.

Q: Do you know why Reza Yazdani didn't compete in Uzbekistan? Was he the favorite at 97 kilos?
-- Andrew F.

Foley: He was one of the favorites and did compete, losing in the quarterfinals to Samil Erdogan of Turkey, 8-0. Erdogan would later lose to Abdusalam Gadisov in the semifinals and eliminate Yazdani's repechage chances.

Comment of the Week
By Mike C.

Jordan Burroughs is a tremendous competitor and great ambassador for the sport. He's humble and a great champion. It bothers me when U.S. wrestling fans make excuses for him not winning a World title this year. It does a disservice to Burroughs. I realize Burroughs was injured in his first match, but saying he would have won a World title if he would have been one-hundred percent healthy is disrespectful toward Denis Tsargush and the other competitors in the weight class. It's almost as if U.S. wrestling fans can't come to grips with the idea that Tsargush might be a better wrestler than Burroughs.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 19, 2014

Fri, 19 Sep 2014 07:34:37 +0000

After months of hype and lofty expectations for Tashkent, the USA men's freestyle program came away with an underwhelming two bronze medals. For a team expected by most in America to win several golds, the performance is surprising, if not disheartening. Yet, if fans were to look at the year's results and international rankings (which held up well) they could have guessed that the Stars and Stripes were in a downturn.

So why did the American wrestling community have such outsized expectations?

For starters Americans have a habit of shorting the talents of other countries. We are the nation that created football to eschew rugby and also gave birth to basketball and baseball, from which, until recently, few other countries excelled. We believe that our dominance in these sports is exemplary of our elevated sporting greatness. To further the point each of the professional championships in the coordinating leagues is called "World Championships," which, of course, they are not.

To quote a Dutch speed skating coach ...

Wrestling fans, largely due to the growth of scholastic style and re-doubled focus on the talents of our team members, have missed witnessing the development of individual talents and teams around the world. We've been so busy looking in the mirror to fix our hair that we forget to look out the window to see if it's raining.

The wrestling media in America has been focused on Aaron Pico, Kyle Snyder, Jordan Burroughs and the NCAA. Meanwhile Abdulrashid Sadulaev runs roughshod over the world and hardly gets a nod.

Tervel Dlagnev earned his second bronze medal of his career, and was one of two medalists for Team USA in men's freestyle at the World Championships (Photo/Larry Slater)

The totality of the world's talent will only become more evident in coming years. United World Wrestling has changed national transfer policies to be in line with that of the International Olympic Committee. That means an athlete can transfer anytime (only once) and compete immediately, though a country is allowed to accept three athletes (one in each style) each year. There are no transfer fees and no two-year waiting period.

American wrestlers and their fans will need to start looking overseas for more competition. They need to see their opponents with more consistency and be ready to acknowledge that the current training methods might be inadequate. We are a diverse nation of talented wrestlers, financial resources and willpower, but to go forward we will need to be modest about what is and is not possible and set expectations that are more rational with what is possible.

If not, then the failures of 2014 will be repeated in Las Vegas, if not in medal count then at least in aggregate disappointment.

Q: At the World Championships in men's freestyle, Russia took home five golds (65, 70, 74, 86, 97) and one bronze (125). Talk about death row! The only two weights they didn't medal, they had No. 2 Lebedev (knocked out by No. 5 Rahimi who took third) and No. 3 Bogomoev (knocked out by Bonne who took third). Absolutely incredible team from top to bottom.

Is this the best team performance at a World Championship? If not, what team/year would you put ahead of them?
-- J. Kreisel

Foley: The 2007 Russian team won a whopping six gold medals at the World Championships held that year in Baku. The only non-champion was Irbek Farniev at 66 kilos, who took home the bronze.

The Russians have a better system by which to prepare their wrestlers to compete at the World Championships and Olympic Games. We know that their dominance isn't just driven by money, or some Dagestani bloodline that makes them more creative and powerful. That would be a convenient excuse, but the overwhelming evidence points to a superior training system -- everywhere their system has traveled nations have been successful (Cuba).

We can complain about their dominance, or sit back and appreciate their effort, either way the simple truth remains that the American system is inferior to the Russian system. While I think that our system is excellent for the promotion of collegiate wrestling, it's not the best formula for creating World and Olympic champions.

Q: What's your prediction on number of World titles Abdulrashid Sadulaev wins before he retires? My prediction is six.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Ten. Hell, maybe one hundred.

Sadulaev is an athletic and brutal technician who scores in bunches. In every match I've watched he's hunted for the fall, worked to extend his lead and took moderate risks to ensure dominance.

In summation, as a wrestler Sadulaev is competing on a different planet.

What's even more troubling for 86-kilo wrestlers around the world is that he's modest and humble -- characteristics sure to have a positive effect on his dominance.

Sadulaev will win next year's World title and he will win the 2016 Olympic gold medal. Of this, I'm one-hundred percent convinced.

After Rio he will receive a big payout from the Russian government. For some Olympic youngsters, like Asgarov of Azerbaijan, the money can satiate the desire to compete and to win. Assuming that Sadulaev is driven by a desire to be the best wrestler on the planet, I see him able to extend his World title streak to seven in Tokyo.

Still, I am hopeful that a wrestler emerges who can test Sadulaev's seemingly unavoidable dominance. I'd be thrilled if that wrestler was Ed Ruth.

Q: Do you think there is any chance Helen Maroulis or Adeline Gray become MMA fighters? I know Randi Miller dabbled in MMA, but it would be fun to see either Maroulis or Gray in the UFC someday.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Nah.

Yes, there is always a chance that our athletes will pursue MMA, but I don't have any reason to suspect that Helen or Adeline would be the most likely of targets.

Lineage and looks matter in a promotion-based sport like MMA, which is likely why you chose attractive World medalists for your options, but the appeal of MMA is fading for men, and for women has remained somewhat subdued. If the UFC and others were interested in talent they'd have sought out our female wrestlers years ago. The UFC is only interested in making money off Ronda Rousey armbars -- not actual competition.

Until I hear about one of our athletes dabbling in jiu-jitsu or taking striking classes, I'm confident that their athletic careers will be made on the mat and not in the cage.

Q: Why didn't the ref stop and review the dispute when Brands threw the brick during the Ramos match? Brands threw it, the ref picked it up and threw it back into the corner, then Brands threw it back in, more so to make a point (which I thought was pretty cool and going crazy the entire time to get the score fixed) but Ramos was definitely screwed on that second exposure, clear two points, granted still not enough to win.
-- Frank C.

Foley: Tough call.

Remember that in freestyle wrestling you get one set of points for one technique. There was either an initial exposure or a takedown. Were it the former then it should have been just two, the latter and it was two and two.

The failure might have been the referee's, but you can see in the video that Coach Brands waited too long to challenge the call. In fact, he waited almost 20 seconds into the restart to throw the challenge brick. At that point you are no longer allowed to challenge the call on the mat, which is why the brick was returned ... twice.

Multimedia Halftime

Link: Big gift to F&M

How to NOT get thrown to your back ...

Post by MMA Leech.

Kiddie TaeKwanDo

Post by Mix 98.3.

Link: Every gold-medal match from Tashkent!

Q: You often speak about distaste for singlets dampening interest in the sport and how we should replace singlets with fight shorts and compression T-shirts. Well what about cauliflower ear? I wouldn't be surprised if there weren't a lot of uninformed parents who avoid the sport altogether due to fear of getting cauliflower ear. Should we be advocating headgear use at the highest levels of the sport rather than continually referring to cauliflower ear as a badge of honor? Advocating the use of proper protective equipment to prevent injury seems like a no-brainer to me if we want to continue to drive the popularity of the sport rather than continue to be a niche.
-- Bryan R.

Foley: The kids in youth programs are forced to wear headgear and if donned correctly that prevents a large portion of cauliflower ear.

Though many mothers are known to shed a tear in seeing the cartilage of their son or daughter's ears ravaged by wrestling, it's a scar of commitment and not vanity. In a world of distraction and flighty behavior, a young man or woman with cauliflower ear is sure to have shown resilience and commitment. That's refreshing.

In my opinion the ear is a sign of commitment and toughness, and in a world where those character traits are being supplanted by lives of ease and compromise, a knotty ear remains something akin to honor.

Q: Granted it's Worlds, and with a such a deep talent pool it's very difficult to predict who walks away on top, but I was a little surprised by Jake Varner's performance. I know he wrestled a spectacular day in London back in 2012, but in his competitions leading up to Tashkent I thought he looked the best he ever had. Physical, agile and aggressive. Is he a little undersized for 97 kilos? Have we seen the last of Jake Varner, or do you think he'll make a run for Rio 2016?
-- Ethan S.

Foley: Varner, like many of the American freestyle wrestlers, didn't have a big international season. Just making the American team can be difficult, but with only three tournament appearances outside of the USA in 2014, there was little reason to think Varner would come away with a gold.

What Varner had in 2012 was a real knack for winning that he'd carried over from his collegiate days. Life, distractions, time off, changed values: all of these things factor into the outlook and performance of a top athlete, even someone as talented as Varner. What happened in Tashkent may only be a glitch, or, as you suspect, the end.

To be fair, it's also worth noting that 97 kilos was a weight class filled with talent and making the podium surrounded by those entries was never going to be an easy task.

Q: Safe to say that we can stick a fork in wrestling latest pro organization Agon WC?
-- @RobbiBobbi

Foley: Gone. Even if the series was re-imagined and re-promoted the idea of a consistent matchup organization is dead. The rules, while interesting, were never going to interest enough people. We already have collegiate and Olympic rules. A third set was never going to attract a larger audience.

If you take a look at some of the world's most popular traditional wrestling styles: Lutte Senegalese, Sumo and Mongolian Bokh you see that each is simple to understand and has massive followings across gender lines.

I'll start to pay closer attention when America gets their first takedown-only league.

Q: I thought it was interesting to go over the entry list by country for Tashkent. It's interesting to see some countries send more women than men (especially African teams), northern Europe having full Greco squads while few to zero freestyle wrestlers, and some surprising teams not filling out the weights in general. You would think these countries would want wrestlers getting experience for future Worlds and Olympics. I also think United World Wrestling would want full teams and more competitors. Your thoughts?
-- Tom B.

Foley: United World Wrestling wants the weight classes to all be filled. However, the realistic vision is that many teams can, at best, average fifty percent of the allotted positions.

That might seem low, but to achieve fifty percent the country must send the same number of athletes to the continental championships. If you send five wrestlers to the Asian Championships, you get five wrestlers at the World Championships. Both require licenses, entry fees and lodging, not to mention referees and coaches. Those costs add up quickly.

For some countries, especially those in Africa and resource-challenged areas of the globe, sending a full team is not financially possible and instead they choose the athletes they believe have the best chance to medal and bring acclaim to their nation.

You won't believe this, but some nations in Europe don't even bother having freestyle teams. Greco-Roman is the preferred style in many countries and that won't change anytime soon!

Comment of the Week
By Danny C.

Is anyone going to discuss the lackluster performance of the U.S. men's teams at Worlds? Or are we just going to sweep that under the rug, pretend it never happened and look forward to Vegas? (Sidenote: Great Job to the women taking third and bringing home multiple medals.)

Seriously, I feel like men's freestyle was the most hyped team in recent memory and everyone underperformed. Sure it wasn't as bad as 2010 when we walked away with zero medals (freestyle and Greco), but Varner, Kennedy and Metcalf were expected to medal, Ruth had medal potential, and 0-1 out of Ramos was a little disappointing. (I thought he'd get a win or two.) I won't even harp on Burroughs because Tsargush is a three-time World champ, JB was injured, you can't win every time and he still pinned for bronze. About the only highlight was Tervel getting over the fifth-place hump and getting back to bronze.

I'm headed out to Vegas next year and I want to see our boys dominate! Not trying to disrespect our athletes or staff. I just know how freaking good our team is and I believe they are better than their performance.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 5, 2014

Fri, 05 Sep 2014 06:46:46 +0000

The World Championships start Monday. Read up, tune in and take part in the discussion on Facebook and Twitter.

What an incredible sport ...

Q: Henry Cejudo missed weight at UFC 177. I just can't ...
-- Kevin F.

Foley: I'm no fan, and much of the world has seen his behavior turn from good-natured, hard-working Olympic champion to shampoo salesman. Though I like giving him a solid ribbing, sometimes you have to step back and listen when someone close to Henry cuts him deep ...

From an interview with Terry Brands: "I don't see the Henry Cejudo who was balls in, who would give his life to whatever he committed himself to. But I'm not his coach and it's not my job to tell him this stuff."

Q: I was looking at Okie State roster and did not see Eddie Klimara. Any idea what's going on there?
-- Raed K.

Foley: The word is Klimara is back at Oklahoma State, but a possible redshirt is being discussed. However, if he does redshirt that might put Oklahoma State in a bind at 125.

Q: What did you think of Ben Askren's win at OneFC? He should be in the UFC.
-- Jake D.

Foley: Brutal. I'm actually kinda thinking I wouldn't want him to punch me in the face. Before his punches looked like white-gloved slaps from a spurned lover, but now they look back-filled with rage. The new more violent Ben, is probably more marketable, but a part of me loved watching him smother other humans. Something about that seemed so mentally defeating.

Askren is a dominant welterweight, and were MMA an international sport rather than a spectacle we'd have our answer of just how good he can be in the cage. I think he's top three, but until he gets a superfight against someone in the UFC, or a new contract we'll be left to guess if he could beat the likes of Johnny Hendricks and Robbie Lawler.

What Askren does better than any other fighter is something without his fists or his legs ... he tells the truth. There aren't many people who are wise and forthwith, but Askren is both. In a sport full of scumbags and crooks, hearing his spin-free take on the state of MMA, doping and Dana White is refreshing. Check out this interview for the details of just how honest he can be when given a microphone.

Team Askren.

Q: In your response to the private school questions (and the fact that you are in Chicago), how can you not reference the program that Mike Powell has built at Oak Park? They have top-tier coaching and a travel schedule that allows for increased competitiveness. And Oak Park High School is one of the most diverse in the country.
-- DMZ

Foley: Correction: I moved to Hong Kong in April ...

The OPRF program is one of the best in the country, and also one of the most diverse. In terms of wrestling knowledge my biggest gap comes at the high school level. As I've gone to cover more international events, I tend to miss out on more of the prep action.

What makes Powell an exceptional coach isn't just his ability to coach kids to win at the high school level. There are coaches around the country who can get results from their wrestlers, but to also create a combination of attitude and skill level that allows his athletes to succeed in college and in international competition.

Team Mike Powell.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

World Championships trailer

Link: World Championships broadcast schedule

Link: Journalist predictions for World Championships

Q: I know questions about Pat Downey have come up on your mailbag. Just wanted to let you know (assuming you haven't heard) Pat Downey is at Iowa Central Community College. Looks like one hell of a workout partner for my little brother.
-- Justin H.

Foley: I did not know, and I very much appreciate you sharing that information. You read it here first!

Q: Who from the States is coming away with a medal next week at the World Championships?
-- Eric H.

Jake Varner, who did not compete in 2013, will be looking for his third World-level medal on Tuesday after winning a World bronze medal in 2011 and Olympic gold medal in 2012 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: Prognostication is certain to incite pushback, but I think four men's freestyle wrestlers will capture medals: Jordan Burroughs, Brent Metcalf, Jimmy Kennedy and Jake Varner. Three women's freestyle wrestlers will medal: Helen Maroulis, Elena Pirozhkova and Adeline Gray. The Greco-Roman team has an outside chance at winning one medal from Justin Lester or Robby Smith.

I wrote an InterMat Platinum article on the odds for all these wrestlers, which you're welcome to read here, but know that everything -- as always -- has to do with the draw. It's conceivable that Tony Ramos can catch Viktor Lebedev in the first round and be drug into the repechage where he wins one match and heads into a bronze-medal match. It's equally as likely that Jordan Burroughs gets put into the same side of the bracket as Denis Tsargush and Jabrayil Hasanov. When it comes to the World Championships anything is possible, which is why we love this week of wrestling!

I've always considered America's top asset to be its optimism for outperforming the odds. Our medalists over the past ten years are a mixture of stone cold champions (Burroughs and Cael) and over-performing underdogs (Varner and Cejudo). That half of our Olympic gold medalists since 2004 were long shots to win a match is unique. Few countries have similar track records.

Anything is possible. Nick Marable could make the finals, Varner could lose first match. For me those limitless possibilities is what makes the week so much fun.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 29, 2014

Fri, 29 Aug 2014 10:34:36 +0000

This week Josh Shaw, a standout collegiate football player for USC, was caught in a lie. The 22-year-old senior claimed he injured his ankles in the midst of rescuing his drowning nephew. A few days later Shaw admitted that there was no rescue and that he's injured himself in a separate incident. Just what type of incident has yet to be determined.

Not knowing what occurred hasn't slowed the investigation into Shaw's behavior. Newsweek, once a venerable national magazine, had respected journalist John Walters report an exclusive about how the young, unpaid college athlete went about casting his web of deceit.

Walters, a middle-aged man with absolutely zero known lies in his past, describes Shaw's dishonesty as "pathological" and uses a true-crime, minute-by-delicious-minute structure to take readers inside Shaw's actions:

It was now Monday afternoon. Students and others might soon be noticing one of the Trojans' star players traversing USC's sun-dappled campus in a motorized cart. The next practice was scheduled for Tuesday morning at 8 a.m. With the Trojans just four days away from their season-opener and Sarkisian's debut as head coach against Fresno State at home on Saturday, reporters would definitely notice Shaw's absence.

How else was USC supposed to explain Shaw's bizarre injury when the only version it knew of was Shaw's? There was no mention of Shaw in any criminal activity; no incident reports from the campus police.

Sensational reporting! What could the university with a multi-million dollar endowment and 100-plus athletic staff do to ward off reporters? They were left no choice ...

Maybe now it is best to note that USC had zero obligation to report the details of Shaw's injury. There are strict HIPAA laws in place to ensure that medical matters aren't shared with the media. Shaw's story, however, proved irresistible, and rather than just divert comments and allow speculation USC chose to run the story on the front page of their sight.

Enter "inveterate" USC sports information director Tim Tessalone.

The only reason that Shaw's story would go public is because Tessalone made a decision to run the story on Monday at 3:30 p.m. By his own admission Tessalone states in Walter's piece that, "We knew it was a feel-good story, but it was also going to be a news story."

Again: USC was under no obligation to release a story on Shaw's injury. The SID and AD Pat Haden chose to run the story because it could result in great PR. According to honest John Walters, the school "interrogated" Shaw for several hours in what amount to a vetting of his story for publication.

Shaw's deception, which until this point had been kept a university matter, was now blasted into the Twitterverse sparking a flood of doubters and eventually a myriad stories about Shaw's character and his supposed crimes of propaganda -- none more self-righteous and grandstanding than Walters'.

The real bad guys of this story are the USC administration and the reporter who clumsily laid out their CYA media campaign. The men, all of whom are paid for their work, pointed fingers at a scared 22-year-old kid with sprained ankles and called him a liar. They called him "pathological."

Honest John Walters and inveterate Tim Tessalone violated the ethical underpinnings of journalism and education in general. They lost sight of who deserves their care and protection and who deserves their scorn. Tessalone failed Shaw for publishing his story, and Walters failed in reporting on Shaw's lies rather than USC's breach of ethics.

But nobody will take Walters and SID Tessalone to task. They're incubated by their relative irrelevance and emboldened by their distance from the action. Walters might move on to dissect a new pathological manipulation of another underprivileged, scared kid who lied to get out of trouble, and then he'll beat his chest once more, raise his chin to the world and know for certain that he is above the fray, that he and Tessalone are the honest gentleman, the best of the best, the infallible, the just, the purveyors of indisputable truth. That Shaw and his ilk are the scorn-worthy, the breakables, the ones who deserve the full might of a national magazine to expose their character flaws for the deserving masses.

Or maybe Walters and the media who covered this episode with brazen disregard for who holds power, are just scandalmongers picking off the weakest in the crowd, fearful of the big story and who it might alienate. Maybe they've lost sight of the media's role in comforting the weak and powerless, to stick up for the little guy and the hard truths, rather than conduct exclusive stories with the powerful in hopes of covering their asses and moving copy.

To your questions ...

Q: What were the biggest contributing factors to reinstating Fresno State's wrestling program and what can we take away from their feat?
-- @RobbyBobbi

Foley: Dennis Deliddo. That man has not given up his fight to reinstate the Fresno State wrestling program. A fantastic coach who has an impressive lineage of athletes and coaches, Deliddo has been laser-focused on doing whatever he can to get wrestling back in the Valley. After more than eight years his hard work has paid off.

There are many, many others who have played an influential role, but from my understanding Deliddo's connections and leadership have always been at the forefront of the reinstatement campaign.

What a great moment for wrestling. I'm getting teary-eyed just thinking about the first time a Bulldog wrestler steps on the mat. Redemption is a powerful story and reading that President Castro was committed to the sport's reinstatement was an assurance that administrations can and do recognize the power and profitability of passion.

Q: I do have a question about high school wrestling. In general it seems to me that the more successful programs in the country come from pretty affluent communities. For a high school to be continually dominant must they be private with a great coach or if they are public must they come from an affluent area as well? I look at my home state of California and the top teams consistently come from really resourced areas ... Gilroy, Vacaville and Bakersfield being the exceptions. Nationally the high school programs tend to be very affluent and as result can limit opportunities for kids of color who may not be able to afford the same opportunity as say an East on, a Blair, or St. Paris Graham. So is money a key factor in the success of dominant programs?
-- Marcus R.

Foley: Access to resources is a huge factor in the future success of athletes. More money often means better coaching and a travel schedule that allows for increased competitiveness. However, that's a soft line since the majority of successful wrestlers in America come low to middle/low income households.

Blair and St. Ed's are private schools with enrollments not limited by geography. They are magnet schools for wrestling talent and have a coaching infrastructure and booster program that supports the development of their athletes from a young age.

The other restriction for minority athletes from disadvantaged upbringings is early attention to their talent and proper relationship building by coaches to find the extra resources necessary to move them along to the next level. Ed Ruth was once a Susquehanna-only wrestler, but was able to create a relationship with Blair that landed him in State College, and on the U.S. World Team.

The part-time coaching structure of the public school system is not the most efficient means for developing young wrestlers. That system is even more complicated in areas of restricted resources and who battle larger issues that develop is socio-economic disadvantaged communities.

Wrestling can grow in these communities. It will take time, but we can already see that the Beat The Streets model is creating some college athletes. There hasn't been an Ed Ruth yet, but given time, exposure and expertise the NYC and affiliated programs around the country will create someone of his caliber and talent.

Q: Having been a Division I coach and recruiter yourself, how much emphasis is put on getting to know a wrestler on a personal level before committing scholarship money to that student-athlete? There are many accomplished wrestlers coming into college, but not all of them pan out and achieve at a high level. Some even fizzle out and quit wrestling within a year or two. Can coaches pick up on how motivated a kid is during the recruiting process?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The character of a young student-athlete is very important, though often it's difficult to suss out the truth before they arrive on campus. I was fortunate to help Brendan Buckley recruit a lot of quality kids to his program at Columbia. Some were excellent wrestlers, but all were smart and engaging. Not all of them made it through four years of college wrestling, but often that had to do a with a variety of difficult-to-predict factors.

College kids are trying out different personalities all the time. If done well, very few 22-year-old college graduates are the same person they were at 18. They are wiser, and have made hundreds of decisions, and often difficult decisions.

Good coaches try to find kids with whom they can communicate with on a personal level. Things will go wrong. There will be disappointments and lies told, but in the end if there is communication and trust a coach can help their athlete grow on and off the mat, the latter part of which is more important.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

FILA Wrestling World Championships trailer

Newest Foxcatcher trailer

Q: Why does Illinois dominate in high school freestyle, but can't touch Pennsylvania in All-Americans at NCAAs? They just like summer?
-- @alliseeis_

Foley: Maybe they just like freestyle.

Pennsylvania youth wrestlers have dozens of Division I programs in state, which means more are making starting lineups and earning opportunities to become All-American wrestlers. Illinois has four Division programs, SIU-Edwardsville, Northern Illinois, Northwestern and Illinois. (Northwestern has a very limited roster.)

Pennsylvania also attracts plenty of recruiting attention because of past results and population density. The majority of Division I wrestling programs are on the East Coast and therefore more coaches see the athletes and recruit them to their schools. The competitiveness within the state allows for mid-range kids with huge potential to find their way onto a program.

Illinois has a spectacular set of youth programs and their top, top guys tend to be close to on par with many in Pennsylvania. When summertime tournaments come along the margin that appears later in their development hasn't yet taken shape, giving the Illinois kids opportunities to excel.

Q: When is women's college folkstyle going to happen?
-- @koatig

Foley: Never.

American folkstyle has very little history with women. There were no barnstorming leagues, or mega-attraction matches in the 1940's. When female wrestling was promoted by the NWCA it was done so as freestyle precisely because there was no established traditional form of the sport in America.

Q: In the past few years we have seen some foreign wrestlers make an impact in Division I. Ganbayar Sanjaa was a two-time All-American at American University. Ugi was an All-American for the Citadel, as was Turtogtokh. Any foreign wrestlers we need to keep an eye on in Division I?
-- Mike C.

Foley: You should always keep an eye out for more Mongolians making an appearance in Charleston. Once the pipeline is opened and process known it's easier for coach and athlete to meet the enrollment standards and compete for the university. No confirmation on if they have more coming, but it's always a possibility.

Prior to The Citadel was Steve Lampe's Colby Community College program that would find foreign athletes and bring them to the states. Though if my notes are correct, much of that was also by chance.

There are plenty of foreign wrestlers looking for new opportunities. The problem has always been getting them at an early enough age where they can still train in their home country but also work on English and pass the TOEFFL entry exams. If today's Division I college coaches are able to entice foreign athletes into following a program that prepares them for college, then we might see an influx. However, it's much more likely that we will see older athletes come to JUCO before making brief appearances at the NCAA level, a la Ganbayar.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 22, 2014

Fri, 22 Aug 2014 07:30:08 +0000

This week's protests in Ferguson almost certainly have nothing to do with the sport of wrestling. The shooting of an unarmed teenager, treatment of minorities, racism in general and the militarization of police are all leading discussions in the national media, and none of those have a lot to do with man's oldest sport.

I'm a man of strong opinions, but the only one I can muster is a growing disgust for the Twitter reporters who desire to make their name by inflating and over-analyzing mundane activities. These reporters are a professional journalist's nightmare -- an unholy mixture of star-obsessed half-wits who think in 140 characters, don't verify information use the cover of "press" badges to behave like spoiled teenagers defying a parent's request to turn off their bedroom light.

The ethical and moral acrobatics of live streaming hacks aside, the Ferguson fiasco did prompt, for me, some positive thoughts about the nature of wrestling and interpersonal communication.

During the Save Olympic Wrestling campaign one of the main points made in the press was that wrestling is the ultimate egalitarian sport. Muslim, Christian, Shinto; Black, White, Brown; Rich, Poor, Middle-Class: There is nothing between the sport of wrestling, an interested athlete and success. FILA has never attempted to promote inner-connectivity, but when compared to FIFA's desperate clamor at the 2014 World Cup to "end racism" the goodwill chants of Iranian fans for opposing wrestlers is all the more inspirational, if for nothing else than its organic origins.

Staying loyal to meritocracy, wrestling has produced, in many ways, the most harmonious mixture of individual athletes on the planet, without any contrived attempt to create that outcome. Wrestling teams are not appointed or chosen, they have become an example of multiculturalism based on the requirements of the sport.

One place you can see that very clearly are in the team photos for the U.S. men's freestyle, Greco-Roman and female wrestling teams.

For anyone to say they are blind to race is obnoxious, but most American wrestling fans would likely need to be reminded of the national team's interesting ethnic and racial composition.

Jordan Burroughs, Ed Ruth, Tony Ramos and Tervel Dlagnev all come from something other than the American majority ethnicity and yet we don't read articles about their transcendence of race, because wrestlers have to do what the world only attempts -- wrestlers value each other based on individual merit, ability and personality. There is no room for half-truths and impressions on a wrestling team. When you spend hours every day locked in the same room, bodies in contact and trust being formed ("Please don't drop me on my head") the concern for race is muted by the responsibility of cooperation. Wrestling is the most enlightened form of interpersonal communication because it produces the most desirable outcomes.

No doubt there is need for high-level discussions of race, and though the mailbag isn't that format, Americans should engage in meaningful dialogue. Still, if you're a wrestling fan, looking at our men's freestyle, Greco-Roman and female wrestling team you probably won't sit around pondering the race issues of America. You will just see the Stars and Stripes -- captivated by the Red, White, Blue ... and hopefully, Gold.

To your questions ...

Q: Aside from Logan Stieber, who do you see as the most likely returning NCAA champion to finish undefeated in 2014-15? Options: Jesse Delgado, Jason Tsirtsis, Alex Dieringer, J'den Cox or Nick Gwiazdowski.
-- Mike C.

Foley: For me the most impressive finalists last year were Nick Gwiazdowski and Alex Dieringer, but with heavyweight as competitive as it's ever been, it's only Dieringer up at 165 pounds who has the chance to make an undefeated run.

But I really don't like anyone to go undefeated outside of the aforementioned Stieber brother. The NCAA season is very long and with tightening talent gaps we can no longer expect years in which multiple wrestlers make it to the top of the podium sans blemish.

Q: Been thinking more about wrestling versus other team sports and it seems like we are adapting their models more. Any idea why the increased focus?
-- John F.

Foley: The outsized importance of team sports was put in focus this month by the New York Times. Though they don't implicate individual sports as much (likely because it's largely a meritocracy for starting spots) it's worth adding this article to the reading list of less is more in youth athletics.

The professionalization of tyke-sized sports has to be curbed. There is nothing more corrosive to the fabric of a balanced home than the 11-year-old who can't be scheduled into a family holiday for fearing of conflicting with a family vacation.

Take a look around the world and you will see that our wrestling community is the outlier. Other cultures simply don't professionalize their sports programs at such a young age. High-level, win you live, lose you die competitions are for many in Japan, Mongolia, Russia, China and Turkey a foreign (to say, USA) idea. Kids are supposed to be kids, and at the time when they are capable of becoming young adults, they spend more time in their craft.

That's not to say that some tracking is bad. Germans use academic tracking to match students with their skill sets from an early age. However, the German school system takes a gradual approach. Series of tests taken early help the school select individualized curriculums that will help each student maximize its potential. Broad-ranging liberal arts educations aren't the norm, but replacing that cafeteria of options is not a single-serving of math from age six.

Q: Who do you see having a more successful wrestling career, Bo Jordan or Chance Marsteller?
-- Mike C.

Foley: It's tough to compare at this point, so every prediction is sheer conjecture. From first blush I think Chance Marsteller is the more talented wrestler, but their individual performances will be based on how they respond to the systems they enter.

Part of what made Marsteller such a well-known wrestler in 2014 was his unexpected de-commitment to Penn State and abrupt signing with Oklahoma State. There might be nothing more that some personal relationships at play. However, when you look back at wrestlers who have jumped programs for seemingly personal reasons, or had trouble sticking to one place, they have never fared well. Destin McCauley is of course the most recent example of this behavior.

Jordan comes from a long line of wrestling greats, which gives me some confidence that he will be supported both in the system and at home. He's young, but he has spent his life around the collegiate wrestling scene, and as much as a second-year college student can be he seems stable and focused. He also had an incredible redshirt season.

John Smith is sure to have a significant and dramatic impact on Chance's development, too. How much is yet to be seen, but that caliber coach and athlete often find hardware.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Not getting enough Ice Bucket Challenges on Facebook? AWESOME, here's some more!

Bill Gates

Oh, c'mon the guy is handsome ...

Can we get one of these for wrestling?

Q: I feel that it is going to take at least six All-Americans to win a team national title. What teams have six or more potential All-Americans?
-- @CodyOcho5

Foley: Penn State, Cornell, Ohio State, Minnesota, Iowa, Oklahoma and Virginia Tech.

How can I already be this excited for March?!

Q: What can we expect to see from Tony Ramos in his first World Championships? He seems pretty confident, but you need a heck of a lot more than confidence to be successful at that level. Can we expect anything from him?
-- Mike C.

Tony Ramos (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: Tony Ramos has a lot of promise. He's unquestionably good enough to compete at the World Championships, but in 2014, with little freestyle training, he's still a few years from contending for a gold medal.

You must remember that most of Ramos' competition has been wrestling freestyle, and only freestyle, since they took up the sport of wrestling. The strategies and minor techniques that mat experience builds is a valuable asset at the World Championships.

Ramos will compete to win, and with the right draw could win some matches, but until he gets more experience under his headgear it will be difficult to predict tremendous success in his first trip to the World Championships.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 15, 2014

Fri, 15 Aug 2014 06:14:23 +0000

Former UCLA basketball star Ed O'Bannon's recent court victory against the NCAA was only the start of the NCAA's weakening grip on "amateur" athletics. Last week the Indianapolis-based organization announced a plan to give autonomy to the five major conferences, especially in how they regulate athlete pay in the major sports.

The fallout is unknown, and that uncertainty has fueled speculation on the fallout for at-risk sports like wrestling. The questions all run in a similar vein. Will wrestling suffer due to limited funding? Will Title IX be applied to player pay rates and therefore double the expected impact and further jeopardize Olympic sports on campus? Will our sport die?

Who knows? But also ... Who cares?

The wrestling community spends far too much time worrying about outcomes or trying to change instituted laws. We don't hold any cards, and we can't influence the courts. The only way to prove our worthiness is to become, in the public eye, the sport we claim to be -- action-packed and egalitarian.

Division I wrestling programs need to become more media savvy in packaging their content. Wrestling is a perfect fit for the online generation. Just last week an Iranian flipped over his head to score a defensive takedown at the Junior World Championships in Zagreb. The 25-second clip was put on YouTube and in a matter of 48 hours had been seen by a quarter-million people online and aired on ESPN and FOX Sports.

Every wrestling dual meet has a moment that impresses. Film it, post it, promote it and keep the administration interested in the product. Yes, there are another 100 items on the checklist, but without incredible self-promotion there is no team to protect. Coaches need to make multimedia content (not just social media) a cornerstone of their program.

But to protect our programs is also to grow new ones and show the world the meritocracy of wrestling.

There is a famous T-shirt that says "AnyBODY can wrestle!" And we've seen the success of bodies ranging from Anthony Robles to Stephen Neal succeed on the mat. Well, if anybody can wrestle then why haven't we started Division I programs for more women? Where is the independent leadership from the sport's greats when it comes to gender equality? If you want to defend wrestling, if you truly love the sport of wrestling, then where are the women?

Wrestling cannot waste a moment worrying about the NCAA and it's changing amateur structure. A moment spent moaning is a moment that could have been spent building. We won't stop the change, or even misdirect it at a macro-level, but we can promote our sport and its values. That is all we can do, and with our passion and work ethic we should be able to do that with more efficacy and impact than other sports.

We can survive, but to do so will take leadership and hard work from now until ... well, forever.

To your questions ...

Q: Who showed up for camp in Colorado Springs? Those who didn't? Would like to know why. Men's freestyle is area of interest.
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: The entire starting men's freestyle team showed up to team camp in Colorado Springs.

When he took over the program in 2009 Zeke Jones established a no-questions-asked, must-attend team camp policy that applied to every wrestler equally. This was a departure from Kevin Jackson's leadership model, which had allowed for exceptions of athletes and personal situations. Jackson's model was his prerogative, but the feedback had been that it led to occasional spats of angst among teammates. Creating the expectation of camp attendance seems to have eliminated that sniping.

Bruce Burnett is extending Jones' method and ideology. Burnett knows exactly what he is doing. This training camp thing is old hat for the legendary coach, and all members of the team showed up in shaped and are headed next week to the acclimation camp in Italy. Their individual workout partners and coaches will also make the trip.

Q: What's the deal with takedowns/exposure on the edge of the mat? Didn't see a lot of consistency from refs on that. Some gave points. Others just gave one for a pushout. And when is it OK to call out of bounds and not award a point, or should it be a point very time?
-- Don C.

Foley: The judgment of the referee dictates many of the scoring calls on the edge of the mat. There are times when the athlete first "flees" the mat and steps out (one point) only to then give up the takedown (two points) or takedown with exposure (four points). This is similar to NCAA rules in terms of continuation of the move. The fleeing isn't wiped out just because the end result was a scoring action.

However, some referees, or head officials, don't see the need for the fleeing call if there is a large scoring action. That's complicated because it's a judgment on whether or not the defensive wrestler was engaging at the time they stepped out, or was avoiding action, but that's just the nature of refereeing and being granted some leeway for interpretation.

But you know that the REAL lesson is WRESTLE ON THE EDGE!!

Q: Am I crazy to think Aaron Pico's losses this summer might have been just what he needed? It seemed like the hype train was out of control. Pico seems like a really great kid who is mature beyond his years. He takes defeat like a true champion. Athletes young and old could learn a lot from him how about how to handle setbacks. These losses not only take some pressure off him, but also should motivate him even more. Thoughts?
-- Mike C.

Foley: You do learn more from a loss than you do from a win and that applies to fans as much as it does Aaron Pico.

One of the recent realizations of the "Pico Generation" of wrestling fans is that the American side is not always the best in the world, and that countries have wrestlers who can inspire and cause reason for cheer. Respect for international competitors is a huge lesson for the young American wrestling fan who can quickly fall back of national alliances in celebrating the sport, whereas fans in Iran, Japan and other wrestling-fueled nations respect athletic performance regardless of the flag on the singlet.

Pico, as an individual, does lose with graciousness and that makes me immensely proud. (He still loses with passion. Don't get it flipped. He HATES losing.) The Ugly American is a tough image to shake, but seeing Pico (and most of our athletes) lose with honor is something that I (and other fans around the world) note.

Jordan Burroughs is as much loved for his double leg and dominance as he is for his respect for fans and opposing wrestlers. There was a small moment after defeating the Iranian at the World Cup in Los Angeles when Burroughs bowed and covered his heart in looking at the Persian fans. Intentional or not (I think it was), his actions were a subtle sign of respect that melted the hearts of the Persian fans in attendance. Kinda reminiscent of Dave Schultz and his legacy of international popularity.

In pure wrestling terms, of course Pico will get better from these losses. There are some incredible talents around the world and Pico will have seen them dozens of times before he takes the mat at his first Senior World Championships or Olympics.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Programs around the country can mimic these types of videos and create sharable content with little work.

The beauty is a beast. This week Marwa Amri became the first female wrestler from Africa to earn the worldwide No. 1 ranking. She was raised Muslim and has become a hero in her local Tunisia. She deserves your attention, and as long as she's not wrestling the USA, your support.

Marwa Amri (Photo/T.R. Foley)

Q: Can we please keep the Angry Birds as the official wrestling "challenge flag?" It made me giggle.
-- Tom B.

The Angry Bird is being used for challenges

Foley: Outside of the action those stuffed birds are my absolute favorite thing about international wrestling. Hysterical to see an angry Romanian coach wing a stuffed bird at the referee. How serious can you be when you're tossing a fuzzy animal at a man in a yellow tie and suit jacket?

The Angry Birds were first used at the European Championships in Helsinki, as a shout-out to Rovio, the creator of the video game whose headquarters are in the region.

The Commonwealth Games used red, blue and white flannel-covered rectangles in homage to the kilted designs of the countrymen. Cute, but not nearly as comical as Angry Birds getting tossed and tumbled across the mats. Love it.

Q: Kyle Snyder now has two Junior World medals before he even wrestles his first college wrestling match. What's your early prediction on where Snyder finishes this season at NCAAs?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Right now I'm predicting Snyder is a national semifinalist. From that position he can make it to the national finals where he's 50/50 to win the title. At worst he busts out and places sixth as a freshman. Remember that there are seven returning All-Americans at 197 pounds and another who reached the round of 12.

We will know much more about Snyder's success on the college scene after two months. He will be adjusting to mat wrestling, successive weight cuts and the added grind of schoolwork.

He may even get a shot at J'den Cox, who does own a win over the Ohio State wrestler and is the defending NCAA champion.

Q: I know that Jon Jones is out of the fight with Cormier until January, but did the whole press tour seem staged to you? I don't recall any rumbles at UFC staredowns in the past, especially over a month out from the scheduled fight, but then the thing on ESPN's hot mike seemed a bit far-fetched to me. Your thoughts?
-- Curt H.

Foley: I don't think the duo's tete-a-tete was a "work." More likely, there is some bad blood that exists, much of which is driven by Jones's personal insecurity, but also some that comes from Cormier's (understandable) provocation.

Cormier is a good man. He's honest, hard working and has an enormous heart. I would never suspect him to do anything that misled his family and friends, especially something as questionably crass as threatening to spit in someone's face. That emotion, raw and disgusting as it seemed, came from a place of true anger and resentment.

I had a journalism professor once tell me that readers can always tell the truth. You can try to hide facts with fancy language, or mislead with tone, but in the end the reader can detect the hidden message. Don't underestimate the reader's ability to sniff bullshit and read between the lines.

The Jones and Cormier spat extends that idea for me. Jon Jones is not well-liked and that truly bothers him, but he's not liked because he's largely just an unlikable guy. In honest off-camera moments or in social media rages he comes across selfish, dishonest, and two-faced. The façade -- his attempts to mask his unlikable side -- has always fallen flat with fans, who have an innate ability to sense earnest behavior.

Cormier told Jones to drop the "church voice" act and that touched a nerve in Jones, as the truth told by our adversary often bothers us more than lies told by our friends.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 8, 2014

Fri, 08 Aug 2014 05:49:32 +0000

The UFC did wrestling a favor this week when it watched as its most profitable figure engaged in fisticuffs with an opponent. There is plenty of blame to be dispersed to both Jon Jones and Daniel Cormier for their on-stage antics, but the real gift was that MMA showed once again that spectacle and promotion does not make a sport.

Wrestling has long been intrigued by the popularity and profitability of MMA. There have been attempts to make weigh-ins more dramatic and hype the clash of likely opponents. Often these promotional stunts barely increase the attendance, or large-scale media acceptance of wrestling events. More often it's an oddity that distracts.

The simple truth is that wrestling is a sport, not a promotional spectacle. International sport can make money, but there are certain restrictions that must always be in place to ensure fair play and equity. Often those don't mesh with pre-fight brawls in casino hotel lobbies.

Go Cormier!

To your questions ...

Q: How do you think Matt Lindland does as the USA Greco-Roman coach?
-- Dan A.

Foley: There was a nice article on Coach Lindland and where he sees his value as a coach. There is some appeal in having an athlete who has been exposed to various forms of martial arts while still having been successful in what they coach.

Greco-Roman success won't be immediate. The international community loves the sport and while we have some of the better athletes, we are deficient in training and competition schedules. These guys are good because they wrestle more matches against top competition.

Though it would be great to see some of the top freestylers migrate to Greco-Roman, that change will need to occur well before they enter their 20s. The competition has only practiced this one style their whole life, and our team (who is better than most give them credit) would launch for five many of the names being floated as possible Greco-Roman converts.

Q: Did you see the article on the rise of women's wrestling? That's good press for the sport.
-- Susan A.

Foley: The article does a great job of reminding wrestling fans how far removed most media consumers are from understanding the growth of our sport.

Marina Doi won a Junior World bronze (Photo/T.R. Foley)

Female wrestling is incredible. Whether it's Marina Doi, who won a bronze medal at the Junior World Championships, or Helen Maroulis whose become the face of the sport in the USA, women's wrestling is experiencing more success and popularity in America. However that popularity isn't translating into positive PR for the sport.

Women deserve a shot, but to get to the next level the sport needs advocates motivated by their love for wrestling to take the forefront. We need ambassadors in every city and every state. We need individuals who see that the sport of wrestling (not just men's) can benefit from having gender equity -- that these women don't just have a value as mat stars, but are competent, brilliant and courageous competitors.

If you don't like women's wrestling, that's your choice, but if your put down the prejudice and head over to FILA-Wrestling.com today at noon ET, I think you'll find that the sport can be every bit as exciting and complex as the men's side.

Multimedia Halftime

Metamorsis Preview

Link: Kiki Kelley: The only woman to go in Iran's wrestling arena

Q: Could you please make mention of these young men in your mailbag who died this past weekend in Epworth, Iowa following a parade where they participated on the high school wrestling float. One of the young wrestlers killed, Mitchell Kluesner, was the nephew of my co-worker.

Three of the four young men were on the Western Dubuque High School wrestling team and all four were good kids in school and the community. I am sure the wrestling community would like to hold these families in their thoughts and prayers as they mourn the loss of their sons, grandsons, brothers, nephews, and cousins.
-- Tom G.

Foley: Thank you for taking the time to eulogize these young men. Bringing their passing to the attention of the entire wrestling community is an opportunity for us all to reflect on the loss of these families and grow appreciation for how fortunate we are to be healthy and happy.

Like many in the wrestling community, I saw this story posted on Facebook and my heart was crushed in thinking of the loss of these parents and the surrounding community. Life is filled with the promise of tomorrow and a better outcome, but young life has more chances built in and a story yet to be written. To lose these young men on the precipice of life that may include first loves, children and self-exploration seems cruel. It is cruel.

We are taught to love our neighbors and for wrestlers that extends to everyone who has shared in the turmoil. To a person, the tight knit wrestling community might not have individually known these young men, but their struggle on their mats and hopes for a bright future was a common connection by which all wrestlers can relate. Their early deaths are a reminder of the fragility of life and how much we should respect each day.

I will keep these boys and their families in my thoughts. I also trust that our entire community will do the same. Thank you again for writing and I wish the best to their family and everyone at Western Dubuque High School during this time of need.

Comment of the Week
By Mark B.

I wanted to commend you for your stance on youth wrestling. I have a 3-year-old son and I am torn on getting him involved in wrestling ... largely because of the broken system of youth wrestling that is in place. Too much, too early. I do not see much middle ground. This pains me because I love wrestling and am an avid fan. I wrestled though college at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. It put me in the company of great men who guided me through my youth. It has molded me to be the father and husband I am today. That being said I do not want my son to be involved in the current youth wrestling culture. In my opinion the cost now outweighs the benefits.

I am 40 and have been involved with wrestling since I was a 10. I have seen my share of overzealous and outright crazy fathers. I have countless horror stories of kids whose fathers wrestled them non-stop. Their lives revolved around wrestling. They lived in a wrestling prison. Three tournaments a weekend, cutting weight, traveling all over the country and traveling hours just to attend a certain club. I have yet to see this end well for the young men. Fathers sacrificed their sons' youth, personal development and innocence to satisfy their egos and/or to fulfill a void in accomplish from their own wrestling careers. All for accolades and trophies that will mean very little when they reach adulthood. In large most of the kids that I know that wrestled non-stop as kids are low functioning adults. Crime, and substance abuse stain many of their lives. They struggle through adulthood. Their identity wrapped up in an activity that carries very little value in the adult world. It's tragic. How different would their lives turned out if they had more balance?

The way things are now is insane and it needs to stop. Wrestling should be a tool that teaches kids skills and tools that will help them be successful in the important aspects of life. An extracurricular activity. Not the center of a kid's universe. If my kid wrestles I will start my own club and do things my way. Low pressure, little competition, based in skill and personal development. He might not end up being a championship wrestler but he will end up being a championship human being.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 1, 2014

Fri, 01 Aug 2014 13:34:41 +0000

The wrestling world is a little quieter this week. Fargo is subsiding and on the international front there is just the Commonwealth Games and the buildup to the World Championships in Tashkent. For once, we have what feels something like a rest.

Wrestling's lulls are great for long reads about the emotional connection we as fans have to the sport. Wrestling heads are different than fans from major sports fans. Many of us competed, or have children who have competed, and the connections we feel to the athletes and the traditions of the sport are personal. For many, the sport has helped defined our human existence.

Last week I wrote about the professionalization of youth sports, and in particular the problem with a sharp increase in youth wrestling tournaments. I stick by my stance that there is just too much wrestling for too high a cost, but as always there is more to the story.

There was, as always, some backlash to the article. There were the ranters and the haters, but there were also two very touching personal essays, and those quality stories is what I hope to share with you this week.

The FARGODOME in Fargo, North Dakota serves as the venue for the Cadet & Junior National Championships every summer (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

For many readers Fargo has become a part of their personal journey and I respect the spot and tradition enough to give those journeys space in this week's column. Maybe I don't share that same passion for North Dakota wrestling as many of my readers, but I do understand the connection and I hope that we can always respect and honor those meaningful moments.

The emotional connection to wrestling is what drives me to link the following two emails. Both are well-written stories about the relationship with family and friends sometimes built around wrestling -- in this case the preparation and competition of Fargo.

Hope you enjoy them as much as I did, and be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.

Link: Nate's story

Link: Sharon's story

To your questions ...

Q: I saw your comments about women's wrestling and gender equity. How could an NCAA wrestling program even add women to their roster? Who would they wrestle?
-- Dan S.

Foley: The most obvious solution would be to create a women's team with independent funding. Wrestlers on the female team would be given scholarship money and be treated exactly the same as men, but wrestle freestyle instead of folkstyle.

That option is riddled with complications, largely that there isn't enough budgetary leeway to make such a program viable for many schools, and that many programs can't handle the extra responsibilities necessary to stay compliant. The other option -- and this is only an idea -- would be to trim two weight classes and combine that with two other women's weight classes to create four total. That would make the balance 2-1, but if instituted across several schools could pump life into the sport.

Women's wrestling is more popular than you might think. Last year at the World Championships several thousand people viewed each and every one of the female wrestling matches and their comments constituted much of the social media traffic.

The upside to cutting two men's weight classes would be to concentrate the talent and allow for more competitiveness throughout the country. Are you tired of dynastic wrestling powers and fear that a new dual meet system might further stratify the 'have's' from the 'have not's?' Then trimming the men's side to eight weights is a great solution.

The downside is that there are fewer weight classes for young men to compete. But that is only initially. Adding a female wrestling component and limiting the men's to eight would actually create MORE opportunity because it would make the cost for entry into men's wrestling much more (there would be nothing stating you must have a women's program).

I know that it would be unpopular, but it would be even more unexpected and could provide wrestling with the type of thoughtful pre-emptive strike that could prevent it from being on the chopping block once the football and basketball players start accumulating paychecks.

Q: I was wondering if you had access to the data surrounding the FILA broadcasts of their international wrestling tournaments (i.e. Golden Grand Prix, Cadet World Championships, Senior World Championships)? Do you know how many viewers are actually tuning in? If so, what proportion is American and what portion is from the rest of the world? I am extremely grateful for these broadcasts and I tune in regularly. But I'm wondering how many other people have the interest and ability to watch in the early hours of the morning in the U.S.
-- Eric S.

Foley: I do have access and can tell you that hundreds of thousands of viewers tune in to watch the livestream of the World Championship. In fact, now that FILA has a somewhat reliable streaming platform (far-flung destinations don't always have reliable internet) the numbers in 2014 have been positively incredible.

More than a quarter of a million people tuned in ONLINE to watch the European Championships -- a tournament that was broadcast live on television around the continent and also played on tape delay.

As for Americans, I'd have to dig deeper into the numbers, but based on social media interaction numbers you'd have to assume roughly half come from the states.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Proof that no Westerner will ever fully understand China ...

Link: Kabbadi, Kabbadi, Wrestling

My good pal Ben Lowy -- a friend of wrestling -- has launched a new commercial site for his photography. It includes work from our projects, but all of it rocks.

Q: What do you think of Henry Cejudo signing with the UFC? Didn't he miss weight in his last two fights?
-- Mike H.

Foley: I give up on the UFC. The first gut-punch was the news that Uncle Dana was in hot pursuit of former MMA fighter turned Hollywood actress Gina Carano to fight Ronda Rousey. The fight is a total joke and is the most obvious money grab in many years for an organization that increasingly gives two craps about being seen with their hand in the jar.

Cejudo being signed means that the UFC is now into celebrity boxing matches. It's been stated across the Internet that Cejudo has yet to fight anyone of merit and has missed weights his last two fights, and event skipped shows altogether. His professionalism in MMA is abysmal, though some of that might owe to a sport that is largely devoid of good business people.

I would love to see Cejudo succeed if I thought he were as passionate about MMA as he was about wrestling. However, I think his larger goal is to maintain a level of notoriety that affords him the option to speak publicly, sign books and address business gatherings in Phoenix.

MMA is a real sport and the UFC has the best practitioners in the world. For that I'm thankful, because at least at some point Cejudo will be forced to make the decision between eating the 4 ounce leather gloves of his highly skilled opponents, or leaving his own 4-ounce gloves in the center of the octagon.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK

By Paul L.

I could not agree with you more

I live in Calgary Alberta originally from East Detroit, three of my teenaged cousins play hockey 10.5 months a year

They go from regular league to camps to spring tournaments to camps to pre try outs to dry land training to AUGUST try outs -- can you believe that crap AUGUST try outs for hockey in winter

I tell their fathers please don't tell me how well the kids are doing from April to September because it means "nothing."

I told them for all their effort and commitment they better get full rides to American universities when it's all said and done. Yes, all three are on pace for it but from here on it gets TOUGH, it's going to interesting to see if they do get the rides

One of my cousins is bust, broke from his three kids in hockey, he is OBSESSED with one his sons going to the NHL, I said his goal should be paid for education and four years of the greatest time of his life

It's gotten to the point, where you ask your kid at 2 years old to pick a sport, because if you don't do it 24/7/365 you won't make the dumb ass team

Even Wayne Gretzky and his brothers played baseball in summer, Wayne loves baseball. His son is the minor's leagues

Wayne said kids need to play other sports. It gives them a mental break and assists them in becoming a better-rounded athlete. It develops other motor skills

I said this for years:

It's going to take the top 10 sophomore/junior stud wrestlers or hockey players to say, to hell with summer wrestling or hockey were playing baseball and the next season these kids STILL excel

Once the other kids see the top tier kids enjoying the climb, playing other sports and going waterskiing they will follow

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 25, 2014

Fri, 25 Jul 2014 08:37:05 +0000

Wrestling in under fresh attack.

Over the past two years there has been increasing pressure in the NCAA to provide more rights and benefits to their student athletes. Between the Ed O'Bannon case which argues that an athlete has a right to profit from his likeness, and Connecticut basketball player Shabazz Napier's insistence that he goes to bed hungry at night the case is being made by former and current players that scholarship isn't enough.

The moral and legal scales seem to be tipping in their favor.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby this week came out and said that the mood of the country and outlook of the courts are changing and that he predicts a significant impact on college sports -- primarily non-revenue sports.

Bowlsby, who has been the athletic director at both Stanford and Iowa (he was responsible for hiring Tom Brands from Virginia Tech), has a straightforward argument: If all things remain equal, then we have to find payment from other places, namely non-revenue sports.

The logic of his argument seems straightforward, but in truth is anything but clear. College athletics (higher education in general) has been operating in a protective vacuum for years. The more they spend, the more they are supported by alumni and institutions -- the love of football and basketball driving independent donors to create massive endowments and large stadium projects. The money goes to the guys in suits rather than the kids in uniform.

Don't be fooled. There are is plenty of money for which to pay college athletes, however, it is likely to come from administrators' salaries, funds for outrageous facilities and existing endowments.

Regardless of the perceived validity of the newest threat to college athletics it is the job of the wrestling community to prepare as if the entire structure is about to buckle and nothing -- not a nickel of funding, or scholarship allotment -- is guaranteed.

We've fought two reactive wars over the past forty years. The first was against the expansive implementation of Title IX and the second was for Olympic security. The first was a massive, public failure, while the second one was the most important moment in the sport's history.

Despite the recent success, wrestling will lose if we do nothing to prepare for the coming budget cuts and threats.

We've learned lessons on how to save the sport and fight for reinstatement, but are we capable of preparing for a battle that hasn't started? Are we able to move as one unit to prevent future eliminations?

Maybe.

Wrestling can achieve powerful steps to improve our position in the sports landscape, but to do so we will need the leadership to build community friendly avenues of support. We need fundraisers and fan involvement at every major university program, and to create something resembling an attempt for gender equity. We need to think big and act bold.

So be ready for change. The sands are shifting, but if we're prepared the damage to our programs can be minimized. Wrestlers like a fight, which is good, because this is shaping up to be a decades long grind match.

To your questions ...

Q: What's the history of the #GoldenGrandPrix? Who has the most GGP titles? What is the most historic matchup or final?
-- @NHoughSnee

Foley: The original Golden Grand Prix in Baku was held for Greco-Roman wrestling in 1987, followed by similar one-off events in 1990 and 1992. In 2006 the modern version of the Grand Prix started to take shape with all three styles being held in Baku. There was no tournament in 2007, but there has been one every year since 2008.

The Golden Grand Prix in Baku earned recognition as a "Final" in 2010 when each style was given two feeder Grand Prix tournaments by which to qualify wrestlers. The idea was that if you earned a medal in one of the qualifying tournaments your country had to send a wrestler to the finale in Baku. The idea, I think, was to create a tournament outside of the World Championships that everyone was compelled to attend. Countries would qualify at a smaller Grand Prix and then want to attend Baku because the prize money is so generous ($10k for first, $5k for second).

As for repeat champions, Khetag Gazyumov (Azerbaijan) leads the way for men's freestyle with titles in 2010, 2011 and 2013. Sofia Mattsson (Sweden) won two titles in female wrestling (2010, 2013) as has Maria Stadnyk (Azerbaijan) in 2008 and 2011. In Greco-Roman only has been one repeat champion, then-120 kilo wrestler Riza Kayaalp (Turkey) in 2010 and 2011.

Still working on finding a definitive finals matchup worthy of discussion. I'll ask around this weekend and see if anyone remembers one that was especially worthwhile!

Q: The UFC just announced Jon Jones vs. Daniel Cormier is back on after Alexander Gustafsson got hurt in training. Jones is regarded as the best fighter in the world. What type of chance does Daniel Cormier really have against him? Will his wrestling be neutralized by Jones?
-- Robert M.

Foley: Though the UFC considered Alexander Gustafsson the top contender, it's Daniel Cormier who most challenges the Jon Jones legacy -- an undefeated fighter with an Olympic wrestling pedigree and fast, powerful hands.

The champ showed his nerves yesterday on Instagram when he posted a video en route to what he claimed was an extra, unscheduled workout.

Jones' concern about Cormier is justified. Broadly defined the challenger has superior takedown offense, heavy hands and suitable cardio. Specifically what will bother Jones is Cormier's clinch and his ability to dictate the direction and level of a fight.

On fight night Jones will try to keep Cormier at distance (as he did with Rashad Evans) by peppering him with low-leg kicks and keeping his body narrow to extend the reach of his jab. When threatened by the fence Jones will look for close range elbows to the ear and temple to disorient Cormier and help him buy distance.

Cormier will want to close the distance and come inside Jones' reach to find a clinch. From underneath Jones he can look for a variety of trips, throws and straight doubles. Coming in and out of the pocket, Cormier, who stands half-a-foot shorter than the champion, will look to land uppercuts and short hooks. Cormier will take damage inside, but the top of the head can take a lot more damage than the chin.

On the ground there is very little to lend to the idea of Jones winning by submission, or even reversing position. Cormier is rotund and squirrely, a combination that makes him difficult to catch out of position. As a world-class wrestler with a brown belt in Guerrilla Jiu-Jitsu, it won't be like watching Chael Sonnen drown on the ground. Cormier will look to keep half guard and inflict damage with his elbows to the head and the body. He's in very little danger.

I might be blind by my wrestler's adoration for Cormier, but I think his only weakness comes in the championships rounds. He'll need to push past his comfort level, which I think is easier for him to achieve in a room that includes the world heavyweight champion Cain Velasquez and former Pride and UFC champion Josh Barnett.

In the end I'll predict that Cormier earns a split-decision win, though he'll have won 4 of the 5 rounds on the home scorecard. The fight will come down to wrestling and positioning against the cage -- not striking. Jones has never been forced to grapple for 25 minutes with an Olympic wrestler and control-based fight, and that newness isn't something a spinning back elbow can remedy.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Congrats to Papa and Mama Burroughs!

Jordan Burroughs takes his baby Boy Beacon to Whole Foods

Link: Ronda Rousey: Mean Girl -- Brilliant New Yorker profile

Link: Greco-Roman team leader Kiki Kelley's interview with BBS Persia

Bill Scherr's World title in 1985

Q: You couldn't have been more wrong about your assessment of Fargo. Furthermore succeeded in trying to lessen my already modest achievements in my wrestling career.

It is my belief, through my own personal discoveries and countless conversations with present and former wrestlers, that we do it because of a personal desire and the call to answer a challenge. Whether I won or lost I stepped up to the task and gave it all that was in my being. Not for glory, not for praise and certainly not for popularity, we know how desolate a wrestlers world is. I did it for me, and the majority of kids who have put it on the line all year are doing it for themselves and deserve a little more consideration and respect from you. I am disappointed to say the least.
-- Wadabuka (Mailbag comments)

Foley: Let me first apologize for giving you the impression that I was belittling or devaluing your accomplishments in Fargo. The Cadet and Junior Nationals are unquestionably difficult tournaments -- if you trained to succeed and come away satiated by the results, then I'm your supporter.

Last week's intro took focus on Fargo because it was timely and over the past two or three years much more is being made of the tournament. It's my belief that too many"“must-attend" national tournaments and a full-mat press for a year-round commitment starting at age six are corrupting the general atmosphere of youth wrestling. I stand by the idea that even if he's built like a pocket Hercules and saunters through the hallways at a school, the 14-year-old Fargo champion is just a boy. He needs more than a wrestling mat to make him whole.

Overall these kids spend far too many days on the road, cut WAY too much weight and are doing so for very little discernible long-term benefit different from that which they would receive a more rational level of commitment and engagement.

Every kid should be allowed the leverage to participate as much or as little as they choose, and I admit that there are plenty of kids who love wrestling and the culture of the sport. These kids would choose a three-hour grind match over relaxation six out of seven days. However, where you look at the growth of the sport and the attendance at the major tournaments it just not possible that ALL these kids suddenly began fetishized wrestling success without a prompt from the adults in their life. There are external factors that cause these minors to increase their output, and as my argument extends, they do so without real insight into the long-term consequences of those decisions.

I'm only one example, but I started wrestling at 14 years old, only wrestled in season and only attended 1-2 weeks of camp per summer. Though I'm not an NCAA champion or member of an Olympic team I'm still in love with the sport and have found employment through that passion. Others have as well, but in my experience it has been the families and the individuals who live a balanced sporting life that see the largest returns.

I also can say that I did get commitment-crazy in college and though I won a few more matches, it came at a tangible cost. As my on-the-mat performance improved I suffered unexpected personal setbacks and lackluster grades in school. It wasn't until I pulled back again on wrestling and found a more balanced life that I became more fulfilled -- a feeling that led to more success on the mat.

Again, I'm just one guy and we all have a different path. But wrestling is hard -- really hard. Remember that the next time we try to push our pre-pubescent mashers to attend their fourth offseason tournament this fall. Rest, love and balance will help them as much as a six-minute go against the No. 14 ranked junior high wrestler from Idaho.

Q: Going to do some shopping today. What are some companies that support wrestling that you can point me to?
-- Aaron Burr

Foley: Home Depot has for a long time sponsored Olympic athletes, but outside of Adidas, Asics, Cradle Gear and Flips Wrestling, it's tough to know which brands have a definitive commitment to the wrestling community. I'll keep an eye out and let you know.

Q: I'd like to see an expansion of the Golden Grand Prix. Also, I was thinking, something along the lines of the FIVB World League.
-- @WrestlingSHP

Foley: I also like the idea of an expanded Grand Prix series, but maybe even more, I'd like to see a ranking system built from a number of meaningful tournaments.

Though complaints are always being lodged about international rankings, there is no mandate to attend any event. That scarcity of crossover and common opponents lends itself to more subjectivity in the rankings. Predetermined point-scoring tournaments would eliminate that subjectivity and drive the top wrestlers to many of the same events throughout the year.

The other appeal of highly incentivizing tournament attendance is to create competitive, sellable events. To create a want to attend there needs to be either a financial incentive, like the GGP Finale, or a points system that is later used for seeding. If wrestlers earn enough points they are seeded at the World Championships, which therefore prompts them to attend tournaments with large point totals. Seeding matters to these guys and working on that desire will help the sport continue its growth.

A ranking system could benefit the Americans who many think are under-valued on the international stage. From the perspective of an international wrestling writer the USA men attend very few tournaments outside of the states. (The women seem to appear more often.) The NYAC and Schultz are decent offseason tournaments, but in terms of overall competitiveness they don't compete with the Ivan Yarygin and other tournaments around Europe. The American team did attend the Yasar Dogu in 2014, but that and the GGP Finale does not make a season.

Some of the American's inability to meet up with more talented wrestlers has to do with the strength and viability of the European Championships as compared with the Pan-Americans. That is one less week every year to compete against the very best in the world.

The system will change, but that will take time and timing with the IOC and the need to not change the qualification system until after the 2016 Games in Rio.

Here's to hoping it all works out.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 18, 2014

Fri, 18 Jul 2014 08:08:05 +0000

The Cadet World Championships wrap up this weekend in Slovakia and from where I've been sitting youth wrestling has never looked better. After the first three days of competition it's apparent that Greco-Roman, freestyle and female wrestling have a strong future. These kids can roll ...

Fargo, the annual a youth-wrestling extravaganza in North Dakota, also gets started this weekend. The largest wrestling tournament in the United States, Fargo features middle and high school aged wrestlers from around the country competing for the titles colloquially known as "Fargo All-American" and "Fargo national champion." For many coaches, athletes and parents it's the single biggest event outside of their folkstyle state tournament.

For some it's come to symbolize something much larger adding more stress to an event overwrought with needless drama and pointless valuations.

I never competed in Fargo and only attended a few times as a coach. The last time I was in Fargo wasn't even for wrestling. I was playing Trivial Pursuit for money during a 24-hour car ride from Philipsburg, Montana, to Chicago and had to stay overnight at the Holiday Inn. When it comes to wrestling in Fargo I have no emotional connection to the city and no meaningful connection to the event.

Maybe that emotional and physical distance from Fargo is why the tournament feels like the embodiment of what's gone awry in youth wrestling. Wrestling fans are now glued to the screen to see how wrestlers as young as 14 years old are competing at a tournament which will have absolutely no effect on the rest of their life (outside of prompting some to get a USA Wrestling tattoo on their shoulder in honor of their "All-American" achievement). Worse still the wrestlers themselves begin to mistakenly believe that Cadet and Junior National Championships at 14 or 15 or 16 will in some way ensure future success.

Hint: There is no correlation between high school success and Olympic success.

Look around the wrestling world and see that for every Fargo Megastar like David Taylor there are 10,000 participants who never made it to college and burned out of the sport completely -- many before their first day of college.

Humans assign value to plenty of dumb things (Beanie Babies, stamps, diamonds) but none seems as overgrown and ready to implode than the self-important gaze by which parents and coaches glare upon the youth sports. In wrestling that over-infatuation and skewed value is epitomized by what goes on inside the FARGODOME.

I applaud the efforts of our wrestling community to have a single, large event by which to evaluate youth wrestlers and celebrate the sport. But Fargo is not a celebration - it's a cutthroat competition for medals that very soon will mean nothing except the loss of formative years. Fargo means more to parents, scouts and the wrestlers than what it could ever create in return. Util to util Fargo has a terrible ROI.

Jake Herbert has been promoting his BASE wrestling system, which focuses on skill-building, fun activities for youth wrestlers, without discrediting the idea of competition

The error is in thinking that with hyper-focus, a wrestler -- buoyed by family and coaches -- can become an elite athlete. Some might, but most pre-pubescent, over-worked 14-year-old boys won't become Jordan Burroughs or Cael Sanderson, and most won't become Jordan Oliver or Cyler Sanderson. Most will become former wrestler with weird stories to tell girls at the bar about how they have "actually been to North Dakota." They don't make it to the top of the pile and when they don't they leave -- the price they paid for failure too great.

The truth remains that despite the hero-worshipping and creation of the Fargo-Dreamscape, the vast majority of the youth wrestlers who venture to the tournament will end up outside of the sport, disenfranchised and burned out.

There are ways to keep Fargo on the schedule and our kids happy, but that will require parents, teachers and coaches to CALM THE HELL DOWN.

Over-competitiveness and hyper-specialization isn't a new trend -- American wrestlers having been burning out for decades, but never before has what led to that burnout -- overexposure, high-stress, low-return on investment -- been more prevalent. Today's wrestler is living in his father's car being toted around, their life a miserable go-round: Practice ... cutting weight ... Super 32; Practice ... cutting weight .. Fargo; Practice ... cutting weight ... Pop and Flo; Practice ...

Life for a teenage wrestler is lived within a single opportunity and single expression. Kids -- that's what they are -- deserve the opportunity to be supported in doing more than just one sport. They deserve to be given a chance to negotiate what it is they like and dislike. Adult life is about being forced to absorb and process the absolute repetitive hell that is "day-in, day-out." Being a child or young adult means getting to avoid that quicksand and live an optimistic, healthy existence -- preferably with three meals a day and gallons of fresh drinking water -- and it's this generation of wrestling parent that can change the prevailing 24/7, "Win you live, lose you die" attitude of the community.

Sport specialization happens. You don't have to ask too many wrestlers over thirty what life was like as a child to see that vast separation between their experience and that of the modern youth wrestler. I started at 14 years old, wrestled ONLY in season and at the end of the day I smile more than I laugh, won more matches than I lost and made some lifelong friends. I also still work within the sport.

Youth sports should be about teaching determination and competition, but a variety of options allow for personal growth ... Play to win

Don't get confused about this message. Competition is OK and something that can be taught through passion. I'm not a psychopath about winning, but I can see that I have a drive to succeed and have been known to take ping-pong games with 12-year-olds too seriously. Some of that passion through wrestling, but a lot of that came from the confidence my parents let me create by allowing me choose my path (even as early as fourth-grade baseball).

Fargo isn't the only cause of wrestling's high-turnover problem, but it is a result of priorities and poor leadership by coaches and parents.

There will always be savants who excel at the sport, and kids who love wrestling so much that they have to get their beatings six days a week, but we all know that the vast majority of our little guys are neither. They're just dudes (and dudettes, though that's a separate culture) who don't want to disappoint Mom and Dad and who think that they (mostly) like some part of the sport of wrestling.

So please, this week, give the poor kids a break. Cheer them on, support them and should the need arise allow them go on to do something else active, healthy and fun. The beauty of wrestling is that anyone might become a champion, but that not everyone can.

Your kid included.

To your questions ...

Q: Failed drugs tests in MMA â€¦ How much do managers/coaches/partners know when athletes are using drugs? Should a guy like Greg Jackson be held accountable at all for Ali B. failed test vs. Mighty Mouse?
-- @Rob_SwagginU

Foley: I once interviewed an unnamed, very well-known MMA fighter who said that he believed 90 percent of fighters were on some type of performance enhancing drug. According to him the fighter would typically use them to help in training and then get off in enough time to pass the drug tests.

For a long time that system was working, but now the commissions and the UFC (kinda) are cracking down. Were it up to Uncle Dana, fighters would probably all be on juice to improve their "KNOCKOUT!!!!!" potential, but as it stands he can't ask that of his contracted employees. He's a bright guy and probably sees how drugs almost killed baseball and would do the same to the UFC.

The trainers are one-hundred percent aware of their fighters' in-the-gym activities, or at least should be. Did Jackson know about Ali B? It's possible, but he has a lot of fighters on his roster and Ali had a lot of people jabbering in his ear. There is a cloud of confusion that comes over operations like Jacksons and to make him responsible might be ill-advised.

Athletes will always cheat to get ahead and while I think it's preposterous not to test them more often, it's also an expensive proposition. Without blanket procedures for who gets tested when the entire thing becomes a gamble, though in Ali's case I think it was a scheduled test.

Who will hold him accountable are the young fighters coming up. Do they want to be in a camp with a bunch of guys that have peed hot in the past? Are they comfortable in being surrounded by a culture of cheating? Jackson needs to get involved from a business perspective and see that it's bad for the brand to have his title contenders get their butt kicked AND test positive for drugs.

Q: Will there be line bracketing at Fargo this year? How will the seeding or bracket placement be done with so many competitors?
-- @ghwcoach?

Foley: Yes. The old system has been replaced by a simple bracket system that you see at the NCAA tournament. The top wrestlers will be separated as best as possible, though nothing can be guaranteed.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Stuart Scott Motivates

Athlete of the Week: Mighty Mouse Kacy Catanzaro

Wealth Gap: Wrestling can relate and Billy Baldwin reference!

Link: John Bardis, The Wrestling CEO

Q: What's your feeling on the state of wrestling in the American West? Grand Canyon turmoil, Pac-12 rebuilding, Wyoming, UVU?
-- @NHoughSnee

Foley: I'm hopeful.

The recent firing of the Grand Canyon staff is tumultuous, but that program is being prepped for Division I and that means it will attract talent. No matter the reasons for the dismissal of the coaches there is opportunity, and with the right replacement Grand Canyon can keep up their recent successes.

The Pac-12 is still reeling from a lack of depth, but with the news that Fresno State is closer than ever to re-adding their program and Zeke Jones moving to Tempe there is reason to stay optimistic. Conference growth is never an easy or quick fix. Cal-Poly should improve this season with guys coming out of redshirt and the Stanford Cardinal will place wrestlers at the NCAA tournament (Jason Borelli is proving to be one of the best coaches in the country).

So why not? Let's go ahead and be hopeful. It's the American way.

**FINAL READ**

Doug Zembiec

The Washington Post reported this week that Marine Maj. Doug Zembiec's 2007 death in Iraq was while fighting on behalf of the CIA. Nicknamed "The Lion of the Fallujah" Zembiec starter his military career ate the Naval Academy where he was a two-time NCAA All-American wrestler.

The story is worth reading in full, but here are a few quotes that speak to his force as a commander and man. He was without questions a warrior and remarkable in his perseverance and courage.

"I was with him in Fallujah," the Marine continued. "And if we had to go back in there, I'd follow him in with a spoon."

"The radio operator on Zembiec's death, 'Five wounded and one martyred.'"
-- Wall Street Journal

Final quote from Zembiec, given at his funeral

"Be a man of principle. Fight for what you believe in. Keep your word. Live with integrity. Be brave. Believe in something bigger than yourself. Serve your country. Teach. Mentor. Give something back to society. Lead from the front. Conquer your fears. Be a good friend. Be humble and be self-confident. Appreciate your friends and family. Be a leader and not a follower. Be valorous on the field of battle. And take responsibility for your actions. Never forget those that were killed. And never let rest those that killed them."

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 11, 2014

Fri, 11 Jul 2014 07:03:15 +0000

The freestyle and Greco-Roman seasons are well underway and over the next three months many of the sport's top youth athletes will take center stage in tournaments around the country and the world.

The highlight for many youth wrestlers is "Fargo," the multiday Olympic-style youth tournament hosted by USA Wrestling. Though the tournament isn't actually the "world's largest wrestling tournament" there are thousands of wrestlers in attendance and for those interested in scouting the next class of competitor, it's quite the scouting field day.

Though it gets less attention, next week will also be the 2014 FILA Cadet World Wrestling Championships in Snina, Slovakia. Last year, Aaron Pico made a larger international name for himself by winning the tournament, but even among the 16-18 year old wrestlers in attendance Pico wasn't the all-star. That title belonged to Russian Abdulrashid Sadulaev who has this year remained undefeated en route to a unanimous No. 1 world ranking at the senior level.

The Cadet Worlds will be streamed live from the fila-official.com with matches available on YouTube shortly after completion of the finals.

Enjoy the next few weeks, but remember that as thoroughly as these wrestlers train and as important as their careers seem today, many are still kids. Coaches and parents need to realize that a kind word and pat on the butt goes much further in the life of a developing wrestler than does an earful of rage and angst over childhood mistakes. We have lots to watch, to discuss and dissect, but some discretion in how and when we critique the children.

Keep calm and wrestle on.

To your questions ...

Q: Do you think anybody can stop Logan Stieber or Jason Tsirtsis from becoming four-time NCAA champions? Who?
-- Gregg Y.

Jason Tsirtsis (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

Foley: I've written before that I believe Tsirtsis has a tough journey to becoming a four-time NCAA champion. That he won it as a freshman is impressive, and winning another title or two is very likely. But in a world of ever-improving young wrestlers and being stuffed in the middle of all the weights, Tsirtsis will need some luck to tag along with his hard work ethic.

Stieber has a smoother road, only needing to win one more title to complete his five-year odyssey to four titles. That is likely to happen because Stieber has the experience in finals competition that his opponents likely won't. He's navigated through injuries and unexpected losses to still find his name on top of the bracket. That's the life of a proven winner, and I don't see anyone challenging him in 2014-2015.

Q: In regards to the University Worlds, why did Anthony Ashnault only wrestle one match? I realize that he lost his first bout and his opponent did not reach the finals, so he was eliminated from the repechage. I'm new to following international wrestling and have no clue what that means. Is there anywhere online that can explain some of the rules like the FILA website or anything like that?
-- Curt H.

Foley: You're right. Repechage is a follow-the-winner style bracketing with only those guys losing to the eventual finalists making it to the wrestlebacks. Ashnault's opponent did not make it to the finals, which meant he lost the opportunity to wrestle again at University Worlds. The plan was to move to semifinalist repechage, but I'm not certain if/when that change will take effect.

That does seem like a bummer, but it's the system that has been in place for several years. Though it doesn't allow much repetition for guys who lose early, the new theory is that you have one or two-week camps leading up to the event -- often in-country -- that allows you to get another 15-20 matches in with guys from other countries.

The FILA Website has updated rules here.

Q: I love @ncaawrestling working on limiting stalling but why not use the fairly B+W freestyle and Greco-Roman pushout for the NWCA All-Star Classic?
-- @gaertnbw

Foley: That's an excellent question. In my opinion, and maybe yours at well, it seems much too subjective. Giving the referees the decision as to whether or not a wrestler is into an "active" defense or not is much too complicated for fans to decipher and slows down action for the wrestlers themselves.

The out of bounds should be OUT OF BOUNDS. We've learned over the years that unless you penalize with points wrestlers will use the edge to their continued advantage. Some wrestlers attempt low percentage shots near the edge in the hopes that if it fails they can escape the hold and get a restart. Defensive wrestlers will use the never-ending out of bounds to stay on a stalling front head lock.

Regulation mats are between 32 and 40 feet. That's HUGE, and unless you're backing up continuously there is little reason that you should ever be pushed from the circle. That will be a point in the new system, but given time that subjectivity will allow for much more gamesmanship.

The NCAA should implement the B+W pushout rule for out of bounds from neutral and move forward with changes from there rather than trying to predict the behavior and reaction of the wrestling community to such a rule, only to create something more obtuse and confusing.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

If you hate soccer dives ...

Anti-gambling ad backfires

Link: See you there opening day

Q: I recently read an article where Cael Sanderson said he may redshirt Nico Megaludis, Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf, Bo Nickal, and Nick Nevills next year. If he does that, I don't see any way that they can win a fifth straight NCAA title. What do you think?
-- Tom K.

Foley: I think you'd be a fool to bet against Cael Sanderson and the Nittany Lions.

From an NCAA point-scoring perspective, the redshirt class listed only includes two guaranteed starters in Megaludis and Retherford. Both those guys could use another year to get stronger, change tactics, and improve before making another shot at the NCAA title -- Megaludis more so than Retherford.

Nolf, Nickal and Nevills are entering the class and by going into redshirt allow those in front of them to finish out careers while improving their own on-the-mat acumen. Coach Sanderson sees them as part of a massive reloading and that placing them in the starting lineup before they're physically mature enough to handle the stress could cost them individual NCAA titles and, subsequently NCAA team titles.

My guess is that Penn State trusts that their returning starters and guys with experience in backup roles will mature throughout the season and be able to compete inside the top 10. Jordan Conaway (125), Jimmy Gulibon (133), Garett Hammond (165) and Matt McCutcheon (184) are your likely starters at four key weight classes, and in my estimation three of the four have a very good chance at finding the podium.

How the Nittany Lions do without the bonus points is more concerning, but again, they could have a very balanced team and score throughout their lineup.

Q: What exactly is the deal with Grand Canyon University? Do they begin Division I competition this season? What's your outlook for their program?
-- Matt F.

Foley: Any program making the jump to Division I can expect to have slow results. Grand Canyon will (I think) join in 2016 after their four-year transition from Division II to Division I is complete. This past year they ran through the NCWA title. Tyrell Fortune, who won the University World Championships on Wednesday, wrestled in the program.

Given their propensity for winning titles and recruiting top athletes I think they look pretty solid to become a force within Division I wrestling for several years to come. They are also a for-profit college and when their transition is complete they will be the only one of their kind at the Division I level.

SUPPORT OF THE WEEK

Beat the Streets Providence is in a month-long competition for $10,000 from Kind Snacks. Over the next month we are competing against a variety of non-profits to get the most votes for our cause.

Today is the first day and right now we are in third place. If we can get the wrestling community behind us this should be an easy win! If wrestling is going to grow we need to support each other and this is an easy way to do it. I think it could truly go a long way towards helping us grow wrestling in he Providence community and bringing opportunity to students who really need it.

Link: Beat the Streets Providence

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 4, 2014

Fri, 04 Jul 2014 07:43:32 +0000

Condolences to the family and friends of Virginia Tech wrestler Darren Hankins who died in an accidental drowning earlier this week. To read more about Darren, his career and his character please head over to the Virginia Tech website.

Happy Fourth of July, wrestling fans.

It's been a slow week in the wrestling world. The hirings and firings that dotted the landscape have subsided and the international guys are poolside with margaritas and the cauliflower kiddos are soaking up some much need rays (Except Ohio State. Are there year-round UV's in Columbus?).

But since I'm on the hook to provide you something, I've opted for a Red, White and Blue Mailbag.

Let's talk about 'Merica.

As I've mentioned before I spend a great deal of time covering international wrestling events. This year has been wild and in the hopes of improving the coverage of these events, I've spent around 220 days on the road. Being outside the states and on the road allows me to form very strong opinions about airline reward programs, the necessity of quality luggage, and where to book hotel rooms online.

Those are all functional, but inevitably the travel also gives me perspective on the relative quirkiness of not just other nations, but our own union.

I love the Stars and Stripes. We have a cool flag and a difficult national anthem. Russia has church bells in their ode to nationalism, but we have lyrics that are as poetic when read as they when sang. We gave the world David Foster Wallace, Ernest Hemingway and Maya Angelou and then without much changing pumped out Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and Charlie Sheen. I like that we're diverse, complicated and love to complain. If we didn't maybe I'd be out of a job?

America is complex and depending on your intent we can be a nation of heroes landing on the moon, or warmongers storming the sands of sovereign nations. That's an argument for another time. Today is America's day and on her birthday we should celebrate the good, while acknowledging the bad.

Like any birthday today is the day for introspection and though I'll let you do the heavy intellectual lifting as to what nationalism should mean, I'll go ahead and keep the mailbag on one, singular, flag-waiving theme: America.

To your questions ...

Q: Which of the guys on the current USA team roster would throw the best BBQ? Why?
-- Brian M.

Foley: Brent Metcalf.

Recently unleashed on Twitter and in the media, it's become obvious to many more people just how immensely likable Brent Mecalf is as a person.

Like the Brands brothers, Metcalf doesn't talk much, so when he starts on a topic you hang on his every word. He's sharp, witty and (I think) emotionally attuned to those around him. That makes him an excellent July 4 host.

Tony Ramos and Ed Ruth would be fun, but their too young to know the type of old man stuff that Metcalf understands. Great guests, but crappy hosts.

For example, let's say you walk into Mecalf's home. You're being greeted by him and his wife -- kind and traditional, but in no way stuffy. Big Brent would point you to the bathroom and where he stores the beer, while simultaneously not boring you with the architectural details of his house.

Head outside and his pool is clean and he asks if you want to ride his four-wheeler across the property (Metcalf is a guy that has "property" or "land" – he's not a McMansion'er). After you oblige, he shows you how it starts and sends you out to explore.

Dinner is something he recently killed, potato salad and hot dogs. Oh, and pickles. Everyone loves pickles.

Metcalf is also the type of man who buys the type of illegal fireworks that are illegal for a reason. He drives 300 miles to some stand off a county road and knows each by brand name and tactical ability. He definitely gives kids sparklers, but then also slips them M-80's and watermelons.

No question, Metcalf is my Fourth of July kind of guy.

Q: With the new rules, sans ball draws, it seems like we will send our best guys to Rio in 2016. Nobody will be able to win the first period and then stall their way to a ball draw victory. This seems like a good thing for the United States team, but it also is probably a good thing for the overall strength of other teams as well. Is there any international sentiment out there on how this strengthens rosters for Worlds? Any difference between countries?
-- Tom B.

Foley: The new rules absolutely favor the best-conditioned athletes. Americans tend to be well conditioned and often go whistle-to-whistle, which means the potential for scoring late points on pushouts, warnings and takedowns.

Other countries are in shape as well. The North Koreans will wrestle until they pass out from exhaustion and the Japanese women seem to never breathe hard. The new rules benefit those that work hard more than those who are crafty and looking for single points or the luck of the ball draw. New rules mean more wrestling and that tends to favor those who commit themselves to their goals, so I'd probably agree that the new rules have strengthened rosters around the world.

Overall, I think the Americans could be one of the biggest beneficiaries of the new rules. We'll need to see way more international wrestling before we know for sure, but my prediction is that we will win more matches and medals in Tashkent than we did in Budapest.

Q: Is it anti-American to throw your boy's gambling skills under the bus in one mailbag and not redeem him in another?
-- B. Muir

Foley: Anti-American? No need to get a tone, Brian. You are a terrible Rochambeau player and that makes you susceptible to losing dinner bets. You also took some bad sides during the season. Winners win.

That written ...

Just when I thought you couldn't be any dumber ... you went and totally redeemed yourself. I risked hundreds on the NCAA wrestling tournament and made a paltry $14, while you raked in enough money to pay for a new king-size bed (sleeps two). You are a solid gambler who understands when there is an edge and often exploits his closest friend's weaknesses for personal gain. That's the mark of a true gambler -- the guy who takes from those closest to him without remorse or loss of sleep.

You recently also showed that you are among the luckiest of humans, cashing in on a modest bet that paid out a few thousand to one. Those are long odds and your Snapchats of laying in a pile of money made me a happy man. I'm always on your team and it pleases me to see you almost break even on your lifetime of gambling.

MULTIMEDIA FULL-TIME

Second Trailer for Foxcatcher

America, f%ck yeah! (NSFW)

What makes Americans odd to others? Pickles. Your hidden love for pickles.

Q: Most American president?
-- Mike L.

Theodore Rex "T.R." Roosevelt

Foley: The man from whom I draw all my nicknaming and sartorial advice: Theodore Rex "T.R." Roosevelt

Too many people talk about Reagan, Lincoln, Kennedy and the most recent Roosevelt. Fine, they were sweet but here is a list of things about Roosevelt that you might not have known.

His mother and his first wife died on the same day, Valentine's Day 1884

The SAME day. The immense grief and sadness of losing the women who gave you life and the one for whom you intended to spend the rest of your life both being taken from you on the same day. Roosevelt was only 35 years old.

Roosevelt went skinny-dipping in the Potomac River as president

And you thought that Barack Obama was sweet for taking a dip in the ocean?

Won the Nobel Peace Prize

In 1906 Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation in the Treaty of Portsmouth, which ended the Russo-Japanese War. He was the first president to win the award.

In fact he was the first to do a lot of things.

Teddy Bear is named after him

In response to this cartoon ...

Medal of Honor

Posthumously given in 2001 for his charge up San Juan Hill with the Rough Riders during the Battle of San Juan Hill.

Roosevelt was the first sitting president to leave the country

They call him Mr. International. He traveled to visit the Panama Canal construction project in 1906.

The perk of being president in the modern age is that you have Air Force One. Until Roosevelt though no other president made it out of the country. That's partly due to technological restraints, but still, tip a hat to T.R. for what was certainly not an easy sell to his cabinet, or advisers.

Man of many talents

Before taking over the presidency for the assassinated William McKinley, and after his defeat as a Bull-Moose candidate T.R. Roosevelt held many jobs, including: cattle rancher, deputy sheriff, historian, naturalist, explorer, author of 35 books, police commissioner, assistant Secretary of the Navy, governor of New York, war hero, and lawyer.

U.S. Forest Service, Grand Canyon, 42 million acres on public land

All T.R.

He climbed Matterhorn

The Swiss mountain of 15k feet and he did it on his honeymoon.

He volunteered to lead an infantry unit in World War I

"At the outbreak of World War I, the 58-year-old ex-president was eager to return to the front lines. Roosevelt vehemently lobbied President Woodrow Wilson to send him to France at the head of a 200,000-man expeditionary force. Around the country, supporters of the hero of San Juan Hill staged rallies of support, but Roosevelt would not get called to fight in the war that eventually claimed his son Quentin, who was killed in action when his plane was shot down over France in 1918." -- History.com

First in Flight

On Oct. 11, 1910, Roosevelt took a four-minute flight in a plane built by the Wright brothers, making him the first president to fly in an airplane.

He survived a gunshot wound to the chest

Right before delivering what would become the most-famous 90-minute campaign speech in history, Roosevelt, who had hopes of being elected to his second term (third in office) was shot by a local saloon-keeper in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The bullet passed through a steel case for his glasses and a folded 50-page speech before hitting him in the chest. He kept talking, delivering the famous line:

"Ladies and gentlemen, I don't know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot," Roosevelt said, "but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose."

He survived malaria and tropical fever

The latter during his South American Expedition which discovered the headwaters of the River of Doubt.

This is not a debate, this is fact: Teddy was the most-American president there ever was, or likely will be.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 27, 2014

Fri, 27 Jun 2014 08:55:06 +0000

Another week and two more Division I coaching positions have been vacated.

Joe Heskett, an NCAA champion and four-time All-American at Iowa State, spent four seasons as Army's head wrestling coach, and served as an assistant wrestling coach at Ohio State and Cal Poly (Photo/Mark Aikman)

Joe Heskett, who has led the the Army wrestling program for the past four seasons, is leaving coaching to pursue an administrative position at West Virginia University. Rob Anspach, head wrestling coach at Hofstra since the departure of Tom Shiflett, also resigned this past week -- a move to a sales position outside the sport.

The departures of Heskett and Anspach mark the 11th and 12th coaching vacancies of the 2014 offseason, by far the most in recent memory.

So ... what's going on?

Heskett's reasons for leaving Army are a combination of personal and professional opportunities. Leaving to take an administrative position at a growing athletics program like West Virginia is a natural fit for Heskett who is well-respected for his high character, work ethic and natural leadership. Coaching creates unique challenges, but for Heskett those challenges were no longer complicated enough to keep him motivated.

Anspach is Hofstra wrestling and to see him go means the loss of continuity for a program that faces tough administrative challenges. His move -- reportedly to a sales position -- means that Hofstra alumni and administration will need to create new relationships. For Anspach it's a chance to make more money and spend more time with family.

Add in that two weeks ago Penn head wrestling coach Rob Eiter resigned to pursue other professional opportunities outside of wrestling and that Derek DelPorto did the same at Eastern Michigan and a disturbing trend seems to emerge.

College coaching doesn't meet the mid-life work/life balance that many professionals seek.

What's interesting about these changes, as opposed to Shawn Charles' departure from Arizona State, is that they are voluntary. They show a waning desire of professional men in the later 30's, 40's and 50's to work the 70-90 hour weeks to try and create top 25 programs for athletic directors paying $60k-$100k for the effort.

The talent it takes to balance the administrative and technical side of coaching is almost unmatched in the professional world. College coaches have administrators, alumni, parents and wrestlers all pulling on their time. Add to that a desire to be a good father, brother and husband and it's easy to see that after three or four decades the low pay and long hours aren't fulfilling.

The danger for college wrestling is that the replacement hires will be frustrated by the amount of work, or otherwise incapable of recreating the diversity of successes it takes to manage a team internally. Wrestling needs more stability and that means that this latest trend -- the loss of mid-career coaches -- needs to subside.

To your questions ...

Q: What do you think of the new anti-stalling rules?
-- Jeff P.

Foley: YES! A million times YES! You think these guys are reading our mailbag?! No more #snoreride for the fans to suffer through and no more 3 second criteria wins for an NCAA title. I'm happy.

The quasi pushout rule will be pretty interesting to see implemented. What constitutes defense on your feet? Couldn't a downblock be seen as active defense? Also it sounds like they won't allow a simple drive forward, but that isn't easy to gauge either.

Overall, I'm the happiest I've been in years with the committee's idea for change.

Q: Uniform uniforms are a seriously dumb idea, and it seems that only international wrestling uses that convention, with the boring alternated red and blue singlets.

You note how exciting and popular World Cup FIFA soccer/football is... well, heck, note that their (non)uniforms proudly exclaim their nationality and culture, in exciting diversity of color and even design. Successful sports know how to package the product.

Is there a reason that FILA has (apparently) mandated this 'uniformity'? And no one complains? Bucks the system?

American kids proudly wear their school colors in scholastic and collegiate wrestling matches. Internationally, I guess that we're lucky that the red-blue was chosen for singlet options, but still.
-- Jim F.

Foley: There has been talk of changing the uniform combinations, but there are a few obstacles to manage before making a full change.

First is to understand how most other uniform systems work, which is based on white and color jerseys. For FILA to implement that system would require every nation to come up with tasteful white singlets. That's not as easy as it sounds, and given the general dislike of singlets at large there is little reason to ask for a reinvestment by every governing body unless you're certain it will go well.

The second major change would be to scoring displays. I know this is an easy fix for a professional league contained in one country, but when dealing with a worldwide outfit change that means the youth tournaments from Kazakhstan to Pago Pago will need to implement a band system and scoring display in line with each other.

Not impossible, just not easy.

The change will likely come. The need for a better product is at the front of the wrestling community's mind. To get there just might take more time, effort and cash.

Q: What happened to Henry Cejudo? At one time he seemed to be unbelievably talented. Now he seems to spend his time not making weight for low-level MMA fights and tweeting bullshit inspirational messages. He could be preparing for his third Olympic gold medal. Instead he's content with giving speeches about his glory day back in 2008.
-- Scott M.

Foley: I've talked about Henry Cejudo in previous articles and would tell you that not much has changed since 2009. Cejudo did something amazing, and despite the efforts of promoters and agents, coaches and friends, he hasn't quite figured out his next journey in life. His gold medal, the incredible day of wrestling he had in Beijing, will stand forever, but for the moment that gold medal has become more of a noose than a buoy.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: Vote for the Magic Man as the Best Male College Athlete

Link: Title IX via Time

Link: Important to celebrate

Kangaroo Jui-jitsu

Q: Looking at all the important occurrences to the wrestling community in the last year, how important has been the success of Flips Wrestling (headphones)? I haven't seen their QuickBooks, but it seems they're doing well while marketing a non-essential equipment product to the wrestling community. While we obsess about rules and equipment the fact someone is making money marketing to us is an extremely good thing. More money means bigger and better events and opportunities for grapplers, right?
-- Tom B.

Foley: Flips is a company that seems to be putting cash into the hands of top athletes while also providing a niche product. Though they spent heavily on advertising, I'd guess that they are generating some income after their first year, and that couldn't be better for the sport of wrestling.

There are lots of brands out there, but Flips has created an online personality that is positive and energetic. Yes, they advertise on InterMat, but all things being equal they are the type of company wrestling needs and I'm sure most fans can agree.

Q: Do you think if Aaron Pico continued to wrestle in high school and college he could have been a four-time time high school state champion and four-time NCAA champion?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Maybe a four-time NCAA champion, but not undefeated. The NCAA Division I wrestling tournament is too tough for any lightweight to make it through four times without a blemish. He's a talented future world-beater, but I don't see how he could escape the collegiate grind unscathed.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 20, 2014

Fri, 20 Jun 2014 07:27:58 +0000

Who wants to talk about World Cup soccer?

This week saw the kickoff of one of the world's most-watched sporting events: The FIFA World Cup. Essentially a representative World War, the world's largest and most important soccer event has become a multi-billion dollar spectacular that in 2014 has reached a stratosphere of coverage and promotion in the United States many sporting experts would have told you ten years ago was impossible.

Now, in what will feel like an overnight success, soccer is the third most-watched sport in the States and is trending hotter than every sport outside of American football in terms of television contracts and endorsements.

So if soccer can succeed in the United States and the World Cup is the largest and most profitable sporting event in the world, what lessons should wrestling learn? What elements of soccer make it the world's most popular game, and can wrestling imitate those values to create a product that the entire world will want to watch?

The first acknowledgement is to understand that wrestling will never overtake soccer as the world's game. That's OK, because there is plenty of money for the runner-up and we aren't in direct competition for sporting dollars.

The next is to know that any plan for making wrestling more marketable worldwide won't be freestyle or Greco-Roman, but a grass or sand takedown tournament with five or seven team members to each side. Simple and tension-filled action.

Unlike most sports, wrestling is already being practiced in every country around the world, and since the sport is organic to the human experience there is little explanation. Yes, some rules will need to be clarified, but with a 32-foot circle pushout rules and a single takedown format it will be easy for viewers to buy-in to the spectacle. No confusion, no singlets, no referee interference and no judges.

Wrestling, like soccer, enjoys an advantage over sports like American football and baseball because it's found everywhere and has a very low cost of operation. If a worldwide governing body like FILA (soon to be United World Wrestling) can orchestrate the regional tournaments over the ten years then there is a real chance for massive advertising dollars at a world level, which means more money to support the Olympic styles and more influence in the Olympic discussion.

Soccer works because you can't take your eyes off the field. Wrestling, with rules done well, can have that same effect. For marketers and advertisers, that type of live sporting event is gold because it's impressionable 18-35 year-old men who watch sports and are creating their lifelong brand loyalties. Television money filters into every crack of sports, from $2 billion teams like the NBA's LA Clippers and developing domestic leagues like the MLS, live sporting events are becoming the most valuable items in entertainment. Wrestling can earn a slice of that ever-expanding money cake.

With time, energy and creativity wrestling can build a larger worldwide audience, create a marketable event, and become one of the largest and most profitable sports in the world.

I believe.

To your questions ...

Q: In your latest mailbag edition, someone supported the pushout rule in high school and college wrestling. I am a high school coach and wouldn't want the rule. Too often, high school mats are much smaller than college mats. I have kids who will come from the bottom position and are trying to hit a standup, and are driven out of bounds by the top wrestler because we are on smaller mats from time to time. To me, collegiate and high school wrestling is about controlling your opponent, and pushing someone out of bounds isn't controlling someone.
-- Mike C.

Foley: There are valid arguments against the pushout rule and you stated the most obvious: freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling are primarily standup styles while American folkstyle is both stand-up and ground. As you noted, the transition between the two can cause some difficulties when you have an out-of-bounds rule that can be easily manipulated.

The idea behind a pushout point would be to keep wrestlers in the action and prevent stalling. The failure of the current American folkstyle rules is that they have become needlessly complicated and nuanced. The history of the rules reflects the NCAA's larger mindset, which is to answer a bad rule with two more. That's a needlessly complicated mindset, which over time adversely affects a sport whose motto for improvement continues to be "simple."

A pushout heaped on a pile of poorly conceived rules and matches determined by razor-thin riding time margins won't improve wrestling's commercial and competitive viability. Folkstyle needs an overhaul from the mat to the feet -- a reassessment of what values we want to show the world about America. We can accomplish the change as a community, but it will require some difficult change -- something which, fortunately for our community, is part of the American folkstyle psyche.

Q: I watched Ed Ruth's matches against Keith Gavin, then went back and watched him against Robert Hamlin and Phil Keddy. I was about to draft a question saying essentially "HOLY CRAP, did we just find the answer at 86 kilos that we haven't had since Cael???" and then I watched his match against Clayton Foster and I decided to slow down a bit. Foster and Gavin both have a more European style and I could see that giving Ruth trouble at Worlds. Ed's potential is so ridiculous and I could see him anywhere from winning the thing, to losing in the first round. I literally have no clue. What do you think? What's your prediction for Ruth?
-- Brandon J.

Foley: Ed Ruth would end up with a World silver medal or suffer a quick technical fall defeat. Given his lack of international competition there is almost no way to know.

Ed Ruth with Nittany Lion Wrestling Club coaches Cael Sanderson and Casey Cunningham at the World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

The truth behind Ruth's rise to the starting position is only that the younger generation made it past Keith Gavin -- a tough-nosed wrestler often underestimated and rarely appreciated for the stability he provided the USA lineup. With Ruth cracking his code it will likely make room for Ruth and Foster to engage in a protracted yearly battle for the starting spot.

Though I don't agree Gavin has a European style, I can see that Foster is creative and wily in a way that harkens to some of the better Russian lower weights. Though Ruth had trouble with Foster, the sample size just isn't large enough to draw any broader conclusion about his ability to adapt. Hell, I'm not even sure Ruth or his coaches have a one-hundred percent understanding of his abilities on the international level, which means they also don't have his style finalized.

The elements of his style that are most enjoyable are his quick entry into single legs, powerful driving finishes and typically calm behavior. The worrisome components are his frequent failures on the edge of the mat and an inability to limit scoring opportunities when most necessary. When watching Ruth wrestle I often get the urge to scream "No!" as he locks up something goofy on his feet. Equally discomforting is that I often find myself thinking that Ruth can score at any moment and that it is just a matter of him making the choice. In my opinion, he's good enough on his feet to plow through most of the international competition.

Most.

Russia's Abdulrashid Sadulaev is the only wrestler in the bracket who can absorb all of Ruth's physical threats. The No. 1-ranked wrestler in the world, Sadualev is only 18 years old, a two-time Cadet World champion and only has one loss at the senior level, a semifinal match at the 2012 Ali Aliyev. He's not "kind of" talented, he's giggle-worthy with an impressive combination of strength, flexibility and technique that inspires cheers and raised eyebrows from fans around the world.

I've had the chance to watch Sadulaev wrestle at three tournaments and each time he's taken the mat I've stopped whatever I was doing and just enjoyed his performance. I'm not overstating it when I say that he could be a once-in-a-generation talent.

Ruth should focus his career goals on being Sadulaev's competition -- the guy who takes the Russian the extra mile and finds a few wins. If Ruth can steal wins and tournaments against the Russian he will have reached a level that would make him, Cael and the USA very happy.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Cross-trainer wrestling shoes? I'm totally in.

Link: Best goal of the World Cup?

Link: Passion

Q: Is the NCAA wrestling tournament going to an individual and a dual meet championship? If so, is this a good thing or a bad thing for the student-athlete? Why? Or why not?
-- Greg Y.

Foley: Dual meets are happening, but in what format is still being discussed.

I like that you inquired about the student-athletes. Too much of the disagreement and discussion has been about team points and how it affects smaller programs. Though I agree those are serious issues, I haven't read or seen any breakdown of how the format change would affect the wrestlers.

My instinct is that there will be a similar number of competition dates and with more emphasis on dual meets we will see the average number of matches per wrestler drop by as much as 5-8. In a five-month season that drop in matches should help preserve these guys for the end of the season.

What concerns me is that immediacy of the preparation for a week-to-week advancement team tournament. Plenty of sports endure that format, but it would be a psychological shift for some wrestlers who are used to a set schedule of events.

Will the new dates coincide with exams? Papers? Other things? Probably. We'll have to get more data, but in the meantime the NCAA and the thought leaders in the discussion should consider how the change will affect the wrestlers. They might have, but I haven't seen any literature.

Q: The UFC card this past weekend was pretty boring. Are we experiencing MMA overload? Exhaustion? Could this happen in wrestling if it got big?
-- Steve T.

Foley: Product overload would be a great problem for wrestling!

The UFC has more than 50 events in 2014 and if you're a fan, especially on Twitter, the constant chatter around the sport can be too much to endure week-to-week. I'm pulling back from my interest in the sport, but not because of the exhaustion as much as the product's inability to impress me.

Wrestlers are the greatest athletes in the world. Our need to combine strength, flexibility and mental toughness is unequaled in any sport or spectacle -- to control another human without strikes is the most fundamental and therefore difficult thing to accomplish. Basketball players? Congrats on putting the ball through the hoop as nobody is allowed to touch you? Football players? I'm no longer impressed with four-second spurts of action.

Wrestling is also beautiful in comparison to the UFC and MMA at large because it requires fidelity and commitment to training. There are no shortcuts. Fighters can make their way into the UFC with padded records and advance through trash talk. As we well know there is no combination of words that will get you to the finals of a wrestling tournament. You want to be the champion then you will need to wrestle past everyone in your bracket. MMA has become a showcase for low-class, no-talent clowns with too many tattoos to thrash each other on social media in an effort to earn, or promote, their fights.

Wrestling could always use more promotion and the lowest common denominator stuff is there for the mimic, but it will never happen because what we watch on a wrestling mat is sport. What you watch in a match is entertainment -- mere spectacle.

As a side note, it's important to note that the world can no longer deny that American wrestlers are among the toughest humans on the planet. Wrestlers from the States currently hold six of the eight UFC titles and with Chad Mendes fighting for the belt in a few weeks, it may very well become seven of eight.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 13, 2014

Fri, 13 Jun 2014 08:38:39 +0000

The Greco-Roman World Team trials start this weekend in Daytona Beach, and for the first time in years this is a must-watch event.

Nobody has shorted the prospects of an interesting Greco-Roman style more than me, but the new rules and strategies they've created have made for a much-improved, big-lift spectacle worthy of your time.

The big development heading into the Trials is the addition of a handful of freestylers to the event -- guys whose World Team dreams were wiped away two weeks ago in Madison. Though some may seem to have a chance, it's vital to remember that the two style very greatly, with big points in Greco coming from non-traditional freestyle positions. Despite the bleak outlook for many of those guys transitioning styles, their movement does show that USA Wrestling's bet on splitting the competition to add more wrestlers and interest has by-and-large worked.

What remains to be seen in the sticking power of that draw. Will Matt Lindland be able to attract some of freestyle wrestling's third and fourth-string wrestlers? If he does, will they succeed at home and abroad? How much money is USA Wrestling willing to spend on their development, as many of those making the transition are already later in their careers?

The saga will unfold, and as always we'll all have an opinion, but this weekend try and find the time to enjoy the hard work of America's "other" Olympic wrestling team.

To your questions ...

Q: What do you think about @BruteWrestling #WCW FB photo of Miss VA? Seems insulting to the female wrestling community.
-- @mikemacadocious

Foley: The photo in question has since been removed, but for those who didn't see it, essentially it was a mashup of Miss Virginia in beauty queen garb and then one of her strangely, oddly, weirdly, posing in what seems to be the sexy swimsuit pose wearing nothing but a singlet.

The first issue is what the photo is trying to depict about the state of women's wrestling. Does sex sell? In some ways it does, more often in much the same way it does for men's sports, which is passive. However, to place an image like that front and center would seem to be more deliberate and non-sequitor, which is why you and others noticed.

The other issue is being an adequate social media manager and moving away from what would be easy clicks. There are several theories on how to manage a good social media account, and each product and business requires its own strategy. Sometimes, without goals or a strategy in place it can be easy to fall victim to the convenience of quick hits and big attention, rather than the grind of consistency in messaging.

I have no doubt that whoever posted the photo wanted to bring more positive attention to the sport of women's wrestling. Just so happens they made a mistake in their choice of photos. Certain they'll do better next time.

Q: Do you think FILA can legislate action? If so, why? Consider that FILA's data demonstrates that action and scoring eventually slow down after every major rule change since the early 90's. Do you have an argument to dispute that competitors and coaches will once again find ways to win matches by avoiding risks and being conservative no what the rules are?
-- Matt C.

Foley: If "legislate" means to "help create" then I do think FILA/NCAA can legislate action. When two wrestlers walk on a mat there is nothing prompting them to do anything except hug for six minutes. Rules, especially those that allows for scoring points with frequency, tends to create action.

International wrestling use to be governed by the black marks system which advanced wrestlers from pool stages based on aggregate points and aggressiveness. It was a system overrun with corruption, or the appearance of corruption. There was action because no wrestler wanted to leave it in the hands of the judges.

Today the action is dictated by the pushout rule and the addition of points, actual points, for passivity. By creating urgency, the rules have prompted more wrestling. No longer can you push a 0-0 match to overtime, or rideout a 2-1 lead in the second period. Wrestlers are being awarded for aggression and penalized for passivity. The result is an insane increase in scoring.

Coaches and wrestlers will always avoid risk, and though I don't see many ways to do this in freestyle, there has been a recent surge in pushouts in Greco-Roman, as well as a biting for par-terre (since scoring happens from par-terre than neutral in Greco-Roman). That's a problem for Greco-Roman, but one that can be penned in by vigilant referees. However, there has also been a recent surge in three-foul disqualifications, which is not good for the advancement of the sport.

Greco-Roman is better than before the overhaul in rules, but to survive there will be a need for vigilant oversight and a constant tweaking of the rules.

Q: I would be EMBARRASSED to challenge for a spot on the University Nationals team. We in the USA don't need to do what the Euro's do and send a 26-year-old trumped up HACK. The other kids won the won the University Nationals------------------ THEY GO---------- PERIOD. Screw McDonough, Oliver, Crapgore and Fortune, I hope they get STUCK in the challenge and IF they make the team they get STUCK there
-- Paul L

Foley: I can sense your passion, and understand your frustration. Americans look at "University" as an NCAA-driven eligibility, and other countries think of it as an age categorization. Challenging guys who rightly think they had the position, but then have to defend it once more feels … well … un-American

Maybe you're right and the winners of the tournament shouldn't have to wrestle the losers of another tournament, but as you allude to -- it's a fairly common practice around the world. USA Wrestling wants to win Olympic medals and part of that is making sure your entire senior team (top three) is facing the best possible competition. The World University Games is an incredibly competitive tournament, so they believe that it's in their best interest to send their most qualified and talented team.

You also referred to the Europeans sending their meat to the World University Games. That's only kinda true. Denis Tsargush, who has won a few senior-level World titles, did wrestle at last year's event. Some Azerbaijanis did as well. Still, these guys aren't the always-starters and due to the timing of the event it was important to some countries, particularly Azerbaijan, to get another look at some of their top guys. For the Russians, it was a chance to compete even though they hadn't made that year's World Team.

Back here at home the only major moral infraction would be if these particular champions were not informed that the other guys could drop and challenges. They should be given the time and expectation to face another challenger. But if they were, then this is just a matter of being asked to go one step further and ensure that it's the strongest team the Stars and Stripes can offer.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Creative Judo Finish

Post by AlMudir Sport.

Too much vomit?

Lots of wrestlers at this weekend's UFC 174

Link: $11 Billion for a Soccer Tournament? Maybe not the best idea ...

Q: How about a one-point push-out rule for high school and college? I'm so tired of watching NCAA championship matches where one wrestler has one or both feet out-of-bounds for a large amount of time, and the refs choke on their whistles, rather than call stalling. Take the issue out of the refs hands, and simply institute the pushout. Awarding one point will still prod the offensive wrestler to complete a takedown, since that is worth two points, and it will necessitate both wrestlers staying in the center. Plus, it will be much easier for the fan to understand, versus understanding when officials call fleeing the mat or stalling and when they do not.
-- Mark M.

Foley: Yes! A simple solution to a seemingly complex problem.

The NCAA Rules and Competition Committee has not yet grasped the meaning of "out-of-bounds." Why have a line, or a cylinder, if it only demarcates a space in which something has to be inside? Talk about confusing. There isn't a casual fan in the world that would instinctively describe the out-of-bounds line as a place where wrestling was to take place.

The model has been proven at the international level, and there are next to zero complaints. Why? Because as you note, the line forces action inside the circle. NCAA wrestling became insufferable this year with tedious rideouts and challenges, but also in a total lack of action on the feet. Tell a kid that the out-of-bounds line is hot fire and I guarantee you will see an explosion of offense on the feet.

Q: Looking at the picture of the World Team, every person on it is from Division I and then there is one Division II national champ. Thinking about Aaron Pico, do you think bypassing college will have any effect on him? For the 2020 Olympics, he would be right around his senior year of college. To me, it seems like that is when the U.S. wrestlers are entering their peak.
-- Tim H.

Foley: The argument goes that they are entering their peak because they haven't been exposed to enough international competition. By going overseas and focusing on freestyle Pico is thereby, in theory, boiling down his wrestling career to what matters most.

I think the plan has merit, but there is nothing to judge it against, and therefore no way to know what, or who, is to blame if there is a failure. The college wrestling season is brutal, but if you look at our wrestlers' most successful seasons over the past decade, most have come directly on the heels of a collegiate season.

Aaron Pico (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

It makes sense. Wrestlers are in shape, battle hardened and psychologically prepared to fight another fight. For example, Jake Herbert had nothing to lose when he wrestled the 2009 World championships in Denmark. He was a two-time NCAA champion and Hodge Trophy winner. Expectations were low and that allowed him to hit the mats with a stride of confidence, and conditioning, that he otherwise couldn't have achieved. He was the World silver medalist, which remains his best-ever finish at a world-level competition.

Pico made the right decision for Pico, but it will be interesting to see his maturation process and what, if any, adjustments he'll make to his future training regimen. It'll also be interesting to see if any other wrestlers follow his unique path. Critiques are sure to be frequent and heavy-handed, but he's a tough kid and there is no doubt he'll make the adjustments necessary to be on par with those guys coming out of college in 2020.

Q: The overtime vs. criteria debate is a pretty hot topic right now. I see that having criteria does two things. 1. Forces wrestlers to wrestle and score within the 6 minute time frame. 2. Rewards risk, for example 4-point throw vs. 4 pushouts. But I also see that having a list that coaches, wrestlers, and officials need to go through to determine the winner is a huge hassle. There is no way you can figure out the winner when the scores of matches are entering the teens. Also, from a fan perspective, having a winner when the match is tied is confusing and anti-climactic.
-- Tim H.

Foley: The scoreboard denotes the winner either with a large line, or a flashing number. Who is winning might be tough for the first year, or for the first few tournaments, but after a while it becomes commonplace.

The biggest complaints come from Americans who, to be completely fair, just haven't been paying that much attention to the sport. As they've started to watch more matches the complaints have dwindled, because, as you wrote, the benefits far outweigh any minor confusion that might occur every 40th match. Criteria is a winning idea and overtime has been proven to be a losing one.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 6, 2014

Fri, 06 Jun 2014 09:58:35 +0000

Though Frank Molinaro put a dagger in the heart of the complaints about criteria being "boring," last weekend's World Team Trials did become a showcase for a new complaint about international rules -- the much-maligned and difficult-to-recognize "almost takedown."

Over the past four months I've traveled more than 100k miles across four continents to cover more than a dozen international freestyle wrestling tournaments for FILA. I have never -- literally not once -- seen an "almost takedown" awarded to a wrestler. The only place I've heard it discussed or seen it awarded is in America. Why? I haven't the fuzziest and like you would love to find out.

I don't know if the rule will be reinterpreted to become more widely and uniformly enforced, or eliminated altogether. That is up to the rules and referees commissions. However, I would point to last year's short-lived one-point "go-behind" takedown as an example of these committees making a change based on the experiences (complaints) of the American wrestling community.

The broader realization for wrestling fans needs to be that wrestling as a point-scoring, time-managed sport NEEDS rule changes and adjustments to increase action. As we've seen with the abysmal NCAA rules and the former international rules, this is a tricky process. New strategies and gamesmanship are sure to emerge, which will necessitate small in-season tweaks by the rules and referee commissions to ensure that scoring stays high and action lively. The effort put into ensuring that in wrestling has been, broadly speaking, both positive and effective.

If you want to see what grappling can become without a good rules and referees commission take a peek into the rapidly declining action in sport jiu-jitsu. What was once a submission-first sport for exceedingly tough humans has morphed into an unwatchable ten minutes of pajama-pulling.

Two of the sport's very best practitioners -- Buchecha and Keenan Cornelius -- met last weekend in the semifinals of a world-level tournament. The "fight," as it is called in jiu-jitsu, lasted 10 minutes but produced almost no discernible point-scoring action, much less open-action that casual fans could find entertaining.

We're talking about two guys who, if properly incentivized by the rules, could perform acts of physical skill and flexibility you'd find incredible. However, in a sport with no independent referee commission, a 10-minute clock and little rules creativity we instead get two guys panting hard and tugging on each other's gis.

How can they win if they don't score any points?

The fighters are awarded "advantages" given for, you guessed it, "almost maneuvers."

To your questions ...

Q: What is next for David Taylor after losing to Jordan Burroughs?
-- David E.

Foley: Shoe salesman!

The Magic Man isn't going anywhere. He's the firm No. 2 this year and will get extensive overseas competition and training. Burroughs is the man to beat on the mat and their rivalry will continue until M2 grows out of the weight class, or somehow drops to 70 kilos.

Q: Seeing Tony Ramos down at 125 pounds and David Taylor lose to Jordan Burroughs got me thinking. How hard of a time do you think Taylor would have going down a weight? There's still time for him to make the World Team if he could make the cut.
-- Scott M.

Foley: Like how I webbed this question with the one above? Synergy.

I don't know how tough of a diet he has to keep in making 74 kilos, but I think that he can make the (opens calculator) 8.5-pound drop to 70 kilos for the Trials in late July.

Taylor is a big boy, but at stake is the chance to win his first World title. He would have the same training opportunities as discussed above, but instead of just watching his friends compete and knocking around Europe for some preparation tourneys, M2 could be The Guy. He makes a positive impact on his teammates and I would love to see his energy, and that of his fan base, at the World Championships in Tashkent.

By the way ... I'm not a musical genius and crowd chants aren't my thing, but aren't there lots of opportunities to call Taylor to a mat by singing refrains of popular songs with the word "magic" in them. Let that knock around your heads a bit and get back to me.

Q: Who will have the better beard at the World Championships, Ed Ruth or Jordan Burroughs?
-- Ronald M.

Who will have the better beard at the World Championships? (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Oh, please ... Jordan (@alliseeisgold) Burroughs. The three-time World title winner isn't going to lose a beard growing contest to a 23-year-old.

Though sports beards have their place, trendy beard-growing to jock up your look is pathetic, hipster-driven koala dung.

Men, it's time to grow up and buy a razor. Covering your face with hair in an attempt to look more masculine is antithetical to the core ideal of masculinity -- the confidence to be your true self (Read: Capable of living outside of Hipster-driven trends.) A man should never desire to purchase beard care products (waxes and combs) to cover up the fact he doesn't have a superhero jawline, and confuse women into thinking he has a handmade four-post bed made of self-fell sequoias.

You don't look attractive. You look like the broke cousin of the backup banjo player for Mumford and Sons. Go read a book, shoot a squirrel and drink a beer. Be the man your facial hair is working so hard to project to the world.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Your Move, FLIPS

Highlights of the World Team Trials

Brilliant Commentary

Q: With Matt Lindland taking over the Greco program it got me thinking on what could be changed. How much recruitment of guys takes place? Specifically, should Lindland try to convince Andrew Howe to try Greco? I know Howe has seen freestyle success, but he just placed third, so he is behind two guys and lost to Dake last time they wrestled. We have seen crossover success before and his heavy hands could translate well. I would think his popularity would also be a boom to the Greco program. Do you think Howe could have success in Greco and should he give it a try?
-- Dan B.

Foley: The hiring of Matt Lindland signaled USA Wrestling's desire to recruit more freestylers to the Greco-Roman team. I think that's a smart idea and with J.D. Bergman already committing to the jump it's starting to pay off (in depth of talent).

Howe is the big prize for USA Wrestling. He's stuck behind a wall of talent and as he gets older it will be tough for his athleticism to stay in range with the leading triad, never mind the upstart talent that might come through the ranks.

I'm probably not well-suited to give life advice to Andrew Howe, but from the outside there is an opportunity for him to compete and do well on the Greco-Roman team. He won't be a shoe-in to compete (Note: Greco-Roman might not be our best, but our team still has some tough asses in the lineup), but he will raise the level of intensity in the room and improve the depth.

Who knows maybe he refines his talent and makes the Olympic team. Would you be all that surprised?

Winners like to win.

Q: The future of U.S. wrestling clubs looks strong. Would clubs like @tmwc12 benefit from a league like Germany?

-- @theschneid13

Foley: Wonderful little piece of videography. Life is always better when instead of bathing our children, filing taxes or drafting angry emails to airlines we instead are able to watch wrestling videos with dramatic music. Great stuff.

The American wrestling scene is still pretty fractured by geography and the ability to provide substantial financial support to wrestlers outside the top three in their weight class. I'd love to see a league, but I think it's more important for our guys to get overseas and compete more often in high-level and mid-level events. Our freestylers need more looks at the Asian and European talent and that takes big money.

I'm tickled if both can happen, but I don't know if there is enough wrestling money active to support a two-front campaign.

Q: We all know that the Trials were available through premium service on Flowrestling. Someone put both JB vs DT matches on YouTube... it would appear those links now say "David Taylor vs. Jordan Burroughs ... " This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by Flocasts. It would appear Flo was on the lookout for it. Your thoughts?
-- Frank C.

Foley: The new-look Flo is making a lot of money through their pay-per-view model and part of monetizing online video is preventing rampant copyright infringement. I can't rattle them for protecting their property. However, when starting down this path it will be vital that they not be infringing on the copyright-protected material of others. The latter will prove to be their bigger challenge.

RANT OF THE WEEK
By Jason E.

We are missing the boat. I mean missing it big time. To give you an analogy if we were playing the old Milton Bradley battleship game our fleet would have been sunk in four moves. My 5-year-old son and I were watching cartoons this past Saturday. In that time, there must have been a zillion commercials. Many of which featured sports being played by kids. Tony the Tiger was kicking a soccer ball, a famous football player was encouraging kids to eat right, a professional wrestler was having kids eat Fruity Pebbles. At no time did I see amateur wrestling in those commercials. Are we hated that much (can't be we are ranked as the sixth most popular sport by the NFHS yearly participation survey)? Are we too proud or too serious to make our sport "kid friendly?" Kids are going to do what they think is important. "Hey kids, buy Fruity Yummy Coca Poofs cause this wildly radical character said so." They are going to buy it. "Hey kids, watch these teenagers have fun and smile in the commercial after kicking a goal." OK soccer is cool! "Hey mom, when is registration?" Bottom line this kind of propaganda works. If you don't believe me look at the NFL. Or Alabama football where I'm from. Kids will chew candy made of broken glass if their favorite Crimson Tide guy tells them to. Is it because football is inherently awesome? No, it's because from the time they can click the "on" button they are beat over the head with that damned Crimson A. Why are we as a community of fans, or even better USA wrestling not getting on Saturday Morning/Cartoon Network/Disney XD. Just think about it, how many kids probably joined wrestling because of AC Slater (oh yes I did, just use a Saved by the Bell reference). Somebody crowd source this idea, tweet Ashton Kutcher and let's get some wrestling in the next kids commercial, or a funny kids cartoon where the main antagonist is a wrestler, a 15-second highlight spot run every 30 minutes on cartoon network. (Just as long as those production values don't mirror the ones from the 90s, think the World Cup on ESPN2, I can hear the music now). I'd even settle for a banner on the side of websites like Animal Jam, or the aforementioned TV stations. Sorry, USA Wrestling, but kids aren't going to download podcasts, Facebook has been dead for years, and they are too young to tweet. Once we get this ball rolling, then maybe we can get the adult coaches to calm down at practice so kids don't want to jump off a cliff instead of hit the mats, but one problem at a time I guess.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 30, 2014

Fri, 30 May 2014 07:57:49 +0000

Sammie Henson celebrates after J'den Cox wins the NCAA title (Photo/Larry Slater)

The World Team Trials are this weekend and though there is plenty of focus on who will emerge from men's freestyle at 74 kilos there are plenty of plotlines that while not as sexy, will matter just as much to the American effort in Tashkent.

First, is that the only weight classes be competed at the World Team Trials are the six Olympic weights, the other six weights (two per category) will be competed at a later date, ostensibly with wrestlers who failed to make the Olympic weight categories either bumping up or down to compete at the World weight classes.

Is this fair?

No, but USA Wrestling is recognized by the USOC for gold-medal performances at the Olympics and by instituting this system now they can create more attention on the Olympic weight categories. Also, it's their estimation that by allowing guys to drop down and bump up form Olympic weights they will increase the competitiveness of the non-Olympic weights, which in turn helps to create a stronger program.

I understand the philosophy, but think we are creating too much drama within the organization. Still, it's the system the women have used since 2004 so that data must support the claim that this is better for the United States.

Outside of the qualification system it'll be important to keep an eye on 57 kilos where the American side has not performed well over the past few Worlds and Olympics. The wrestlers are talented, but as 74 kilos grows with talent our outlook at 57 kilos isn't as deep. Will new wrestlers emerge in Madison? I'm hopeful.

Keep an eye on our women. They are among the best in the world and are awesome to watch. You think men compete hard? Ha! Anyone who has attended more than a few international tournaments knows that the toughest, angriest, grittiest, and never-say-die competitors tend to compete in the women's division. Their flexibility and weight distribution might mean there are fewer throws, but when the action is close to the mat and creativity is needed to escape or score, it's the women who often create the most fascinating moves.

Also, keep an eye out for Matt Lindland's new Greco-Roman wrestlers at the Greco-Roman World Team Trials, which take place June 13 in Daytona Beach, Florida. It's way too early to assess any aspect of his job, but it will be important to make a mental note of where the team is today and where it will be come September. If Lindland wants to make an impact he will need to recruit more guys from the room and start competing more evenly with the European nations.

To your questions ...

Q: Can you verify the proven performer additional qualification procedures for 74 kilos? Specifically trying to figure out, even if David Taylor were to beat Jordan Burroughs, do they both go to an overseas tournament and highest placer goes to Worlds? Or is it just DT wins he goes to Worlds? And why is this rule so inconsistent every year?
-- Frank C.

Foley: The rules have changed, but I don't recall there being an overhaul in recent years. You are right. Taylor would have to beat Burroughs in two of three matches and then travel to an overseas tournament where he would then have to place (medal) above Burroughs.

Q: What's the deal with Sammie Henson?

In his 17 years of coaching he has never spent more than three seasons at a school. Counting West Virginia, he has also coached at eight teams over that period of time.
-- Mark K.

Foley: When I talked to other coaches and insiders about "why" Sammie Henson had yet to find a head coaching job the first response would always be a failure to stay put for too long, and the assumption that athletic directors would shy away from his lack of commitment.

I have always liked Sammie and never perceived the movement as a lack of loyalty to a program, but a rational and natural move up the coaching ranks. There are dozens, possibly hundreds, of coaches who have stayed put at an ascendant program only to look back after eight years and be firmly entrenched as a No. 2 with no chance of getting a premier head coaching position. Loyalty pays off, but not always.

Henson also has a specific reason to not trust AD's and those in power. He was at Clemson when they dropped their program. He was their last wrestler to win an NCAA title and as he left, the program crumbled. For a 22-year-old kid that type of event leaves a logical and lasting impact. Don't trust the man, trust yourself.

West Virginia is going to be a very good wrestling program in a few years. They may even be a pretty good wrestling program next year. Henson knows how to coach. He's had the experience of coaching on both coasts and in the Olympics -- nothing will shock him. Expect big things.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

It Hurts To Win

Link: Bill Murray continues to inspire

Q: Derek DelPorto (Eastern Michigan) and Rob Eiter (Penn) recently announced their resignations as Division I head wrestling coaches to pursue professional opportunities. This is not that uncommon. Lenny Bernstein (Virginia), Chuck Barbee (Army) and others have done the same in the past 10 years. You spent time as a Division I assistant wrestling coach, so I'm sure you have some insight on the duties of a college head wrestling coach. What makes it such a demanding job?
-- Mark C.

Foley: Simply put ... The paperwork and demands of the NCAA and athletic departments. If coaching was only about winning wrestling matches, then more coaches (albeit different coaches) would be in their jobs for much longer. Unfortunately the NCAA, in a need to keep control over every breathe of their students and coaches has made coaches their primary foot soldiers.

The typical Division I head wrestling coach spends very little time on the mat with his athletes, and even those who do practice and show technique unquestionably would tell you that they don't do it enough. Instead of teaching life lessons and outside singles, the main job of a head wrestling coach is to fill out recruiting paperwork, attend compliance meetings and keep up alumni relations.

Maybe that's why some of these guys went elsewhere? They saw that their skill set could earn them more money on the open market while also allowing more time for family. Coaching isn't a 9-5 task. You have to be committed from the moment you wake up to the moment you close your eyes. Anything less shows up on the mat. The life span of a head wrestling coach is shrinking, and like most negative things in sports, that has a lot to do with the tightening grip of the NCAA.

Q: The post weigh-in stare down/faceoff is absolutely ridiculous in the sport of MMA, right? All it does is give an opportunity to act like an idiot and create fake drama. We know that they aren't supposed to like one another; they're scheduled to fight. Would the sport be any worse off if they did away with the whole thing? I think the King Mo-Rampage scene from last weekend, as well as any time a Diaz fights, shines a bad light on fighters in general. What's your take?
-- Curt H.

Foley: Dumb.

I think that wrestling should publicize their weigh-ins, but the mass buy-in to the bullshit theatrics of MMA staredown and almost guaranteed shoving match lost its appeal in the 90's when Mike Tyson would use the same tactic to promote fights.

The guys causing these fights at weigh-ins are guys too insecure about their talents to let the action happen in the cage. They tend to be self-promoters with limited capabilities, as is the case with Mo and Rampage, guys sliding down the backend of their combat careers.

Should public weigh-ins happen with wrestling, it would be important to limit this type of action, mostly because striking isn't part of our sport, but mostly because it's tacky and chillingly lame.

Q: Which Division I head wrestling coach will lead his program to a top-10 finish first, Zeke Jones (Arizona State) or Sammie Henson (West Virginia)? Why?
-- Mark C.

Foley: Zeke Jones has more assets in place, but with Sammie Henson there is a large unknown about how his ethos affects a team at-large. We know that Sammie has been instrumental in the success of programs, but what is the outcome when the mat results all hinge on his theories and life philosophies?

Neither program will be in the top 10 in the next three years, and likely not the next five. At the six-year mark I think they are both on the edge of cracking the top 10, but if I had to choose I would say Zeke gets there a touch before Sammie if only because he will have massive institutional buy-in and the type of alumni support necessary to get high-level coaches in town.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 23, 2014

Fri, 23 May 2014 08:16:50 +0000

The head coaching jobs at UPenn and Eastern Michigan both opened up this week, adding even more instability to an offseason coaching carousel busier than any in recent memory. Derek DelPorto leaves Eastern Michigan after almost a decade at the helm, while Rob Eiter leaves UPenn after six years in the big role.

Though the specifics of their decisions are no doubt personal, both alluded to wanting to pursue other professional opportunities. That's understandable.

It's easy to forget that college wrestling coaches have often been competing and coaching for as many as 40 years before they take over a program. Though many have found new challenges along the way there does come a point when a change is needed -- when the look of a Resilite floor at 6 a.m. on a Saturday in Topeka isn't what gets you fired up.

That's OK. That's change. Both coaches have done admirable jobs leading their programs and I for one wish them big success in their new careers.

As for replacements, it's anyone's guess. UPenn is a big, sexy job that is sure to attract a big cross-section of applicants. Eastern Michigan will be an interesting choice and much will depend on who applies, but I'd suspect we will see a young coach from the Midwest -- likely an assistant with more than 10 years of experience.

No matter who gets the job, turnover should be welcomed and celebrated. Thanks again to coaches Eiter and DelPorto on great careers in wrestling.

To your questions ...

Obe Blanc won the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials in 2013 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: What are your thoughts on Obe Blanc and ostarine?
-- Scott M.

Foley: The infraction happened last year in the leadup to the 2013 World Championships in Budapest. Blanc, like many athletes, maintained that his infraction was due to contamination of supplements. That's not an accepted excuse, but it was one that made a lot of sense. Still, when it comes to USADA and WADA, there is only positive or negative.

The result was that Blanc would miss the 2013 World Championships and serve a two-year suspension. That suspension leaves him eligible for the 2016 Olympics, but without two years of competition I would find it difficult to believe that he can continue to train at a level that will be on par or ahead of guys like Angel Escobedo, Nahshon Garrett and Jesse Delgado.

Q: Immediately after reading the first paragraph of this week's (or last week's) mailbag I realized it would be pretty cool to watch the U.S. Greco-Roman and freestyle teams wrestle each other in both styles. I feel an event like this could draw an audience as well as help those individuals that may struggle in some areas that could be negated by the style.

Also, I was an avid supporter for moving wrestling to the Winter Olympics when wrestling was reaching elimination in the Summer Games. In doing so I feel like it would be considered a "headlining" sport. Thoughts?
-- Jayk C.

Foley: I'm currently preparing to do exactly such a thing. As you may know I travel a lot to cover FILA events around the world (I'm the editor of their news service) and in doing so have met some other wrestlers. One such wrestler is a Serbian named Slaven, who is in charge of running video crews at tournaments around the world. We see each other all the time, and on occasion drink rakija, a Serbian fruit wine that is their version of moonshine and if made poorly or consumed with too much zeal can cause blindness.

I work long days in far-flung places and at times need the rakija to help me fall into a restful slumber. During consumption this exact debate has been raised. If you wrestle one period a piece, on average, who would win, the freestyle wrestler of the Greco-Roman wrestler? As Slaven is a Greco guy and I would be more closely aligned with freestyle we've decided to test the theory and are arranging a two-period match with one period dedicated to each style. The opening style will be decided by a coin flip.

I'm not sure if this will extend to our Olympic guys, but I'm pretty certain that if I draw Greco-Roman first I won't have the skill to prevent a passivity and almost no chance of preventing a throw from par-terre. If we start in freestyle I'm only a little more optimistic that I can find points from leg attacks.

Overall, I think that the unique nature of a Greco-Roman match would benefit their wrestlers more than the freestylers.

Moving the Olympics WOULD have been an interesting move, but an impossibility due to IOC regulations governing the addition of sports, etc. Just not the right fit or viewership. Remember, it's still the same people running the Winter and Summer Olympics.

Q: What are your top five wrestling events to see in-person and why? I am going to the NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden so leave that one off your list and include at least one overseas event. I am interested more in the experience than needing to see the biggest events (e.g., a high school state tournament or college dual could be better than the Olympics in my book).
-- Scott S.

Foley:
1. 2016 Olympics or 2015 FILA World Championships
2. 2015 Greco-Roman World Cup in Iran
3. 2014 Kirkpinar Oil Wrestling Festival in Edirne, Turkey
4. 2015 dual meet at Carver-Hawkeye Arena (I need to go as well!)
5. 2015 Naadam in Mongolia

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Women's wrestling

Cole Schrupp doing great work for Minnesota

Foxcatcher: I want to win gold

Link: Bucknell's big gift scheduled to open in the spring of 2016

Q: I've noticed that the freestyle guys are being cornered by their college coaches (Tom Brands, Cael Sanderson, Mark Manning, etc.) instead of the OTC guys. While I know the OTC is still a great place to get better, do you see maybe more of a shift of the trust/faith/leadership towards the college program heads with the development of the regional training centers? The RTC's now have senior level guys training year-round rather than a few post grads rolling for a couple weeks before nationals.

Is there also some gamesmanship not wanting to reveal techniques, strengths and weaknesses to the guys you are trying to beat out for the spot on the World/Olympic team? If I'm on to something at all, when can we start seeing duals between these RTC's? Cliff Keen Wrestling Club vs. Ohio Regional Training Center would be a nice start.
-- Tom B.

Foley: Having personal coaches in the corner of specific athletes isn't new. Several countries around the world allow for a national team coach and a personal coach to be in the corner, and allowing the personal coaches leeway to take the lead was something I thought Zeke Jones did particularly well. As for gamesmanship -- always has and always will be a part of the sport.

You are onto something in asking about the growth of the American club system. What was once strong in the 1980's in pocketed places like Foxcatcher are now being grown within RTC's with additional sponsorships from wealthier clubs like the NYAC, Sunkist, and Titan Mercury. Will those get big enough for dual meets? Probably not, and there are a few reasons why we shouldn't ask for too many more duals.

America needs to be wrestling overseas MUCH more than it does currently. Geography doesn't lend itself to too many competitions, but in my estimation no other country as strong as the Americans compete in fewer overseas tournaments. For instance, Brent Metcalf has only competed in the Ivan Yariguin and even though his skill level arguably has him in the top ten, it's difficult to justify that when he's only wrestled at home.

Q: How many women college wrestling teams are there? Will we ever see a women's NCAA wrestling championship? Why? Or why not?
-- Gregg Y.

Alli Ragan won her second WCWA title this past season and helped lead King University to its first national championship (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: There are more than 20 women's wrestling programs in America and Canada competing in the WCWA. The organization uses freestyle rules and has a national championship every season.

Currently there are no Division I women's wrestling programs and no plans to add any, or create a league to govern that expansion.

That ignorance might be a big mistake.

One of the most important lessons of the Save Olympic Wrestling movement was the push for inclusiveness and equity. Will every wrestling fan want to see women's wrestling? No. Will there be resources spent to develop the sport that will be taken away from the men? Yes. But if you are truly selfish about the expansion of men's wrestling opportunities, the state of affairs in national and international athletics requires the advancement of opportunities for women, and money spent on women helps secure men's programs.

I get a lot of emails from readers and some are from individuals putting together inspiring packages to save or revive programs. Not one has included the addition of a women's wrestling program. The press would love that type of expansion and by providing an opportunity to women wrestling can fundamentally change the conversation about who we are (in America) and what we believe.

The Title IX argument is over. Another dollar spent fighting that in the courts counts for three dollars against wrestling's ultimate goals. Instead of defensing against Title IX, embrace the idea of expanding women's opportunities at the highest level and watch as the world changes its mind on what is and is not the outlook of the wrestling community.

Q: As a Jersey guy who wrestled in the town next to where Donny Pritzlaff wrestled in high school, I'm a big time believer in him finally being the piece to the puzzle that finally develops Rutgers wrestlers into AA's. My question is, why isn't Donny a head coach yet? Scott Goodale was a great high school coach, and has been consistent for Rutgers, but with all the recruits he has brought in over the years, he has produced one AA. Do you think Donny takes control of the program eventually?
-- Tony B.

Donny Pritzlaff, a New Jersey native, has more than 10 years of collegiate coaching experience at the NCAA Division I level (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: I too am a big believer in Donny Pritzlaff and think that Rutgers in the Big Ten is perfect for a Jersey kid who has wrestled and coached in the Big Ten for several years.

Coach Goodale is doing fine. Any grumblings people have are just because they set high expectations for Rutgers given Goodale's career as a high school wrestling coach. The NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships are tough and his program has struggled there, but he's now putting in place coaching and support he needs to succeed.

I'd guess that Rutgers dramatically increases their number of All-Americans over the next several years and in doing so further positions Donny to take over at a program he finds to be the right fit.

STORY OF THE WEEK
By Brad H.

This past season I was at my older son's wrestling tournament. We are talking District 11 in PA here, so pretty large in terms or competition and fans attending. My 4-year-old son had to go "potty." So he and I go in the men's room. Standing in the back of the line for about one minute when he starts whining about having to go. I quietly and calmly explain that we must wait our turn. He proceeds to state loudly, "But daddy I really have to pee!" Just like that, men from different schools and whom I have never met, turned and waved us forward. We went next and no accidents were had thanks to their kindness. Every single wrestler, father, uncle, coach, cousin, etc. just let us go before them. It was a small gesture, but I feel it just goes to show how great wrestlers and their families are. We might yell at each other with passion between the whistles but when its all over, we are still one big community.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 16, 2014

Fri, 16 May 2014 07:47:49 +0000

Iranian fans show their passion for wrestling (Photo/Borna Ghasemi, FILA-Official.com)

The Greco-Roman World Cup finishes up today in Tehran and after two days of horns, drums, chanting and singing my nerves are a little frayed.

My fingers are shaking, my ears are ringing and I'm more frazzled than a freshman trumpeter at an after-prom party. But mostly I'm just impressed. The fans here, their energy, their passion, their consideration for the sport of wrestling is absolutely unmatched by any other fan base on the planet.

Iran arguably has the world's best wrestlers, but inarguably it has the world's most passionate fans. Chants are always positive ("Wrestling with enthusiasm" "We Love You, SORYAN") and there are even poems written about past champions and sang to them upon entrance into a building.

And it's not only their own wrestlers. American heavyweight Robbie Smith has a beard, bright American socks and engages the crowd with a passionate style of wrestling. In return he's chanted, cheered and adored.

So what can America do to close this ever-widening "fan gap?"

Americans are, at their roots, Puritanical and modest. We're a Judeo-Christian society that harkens back to a Pilgrim immigrant class so stuck up that the ENGLISH booted us from their country. Despite the lack of fun and serious reflexive serious nature for which we consume all things, I think Americans have the flexibility to have fun. We have an incredible music tradition filled with diversity and expertise and a creative class that is the envy of the world. We also have plenty of events where we can test the validity of new ideas.

Soccer has started to close its fan gap both at the MLS level and the U.S. Men's and Women's National Team. The new campaign I Believe We Can Win is one example of the national team's new-found cheering section, but there are dozens more. American fans looked across the ocean, learned how to cheer and then reversed engineered their way into some catchy tunes.

Wrestling fans can, and should, do the same. Let's tap that resource and star cheering traditions for the sport of wrestling in America. Lets' have a little less booing and a little more fun. Let's tone down with the bravado and focus a touch more on the camaraderie and respect.

What are some of your ideas for new cheering traditions? Any original chants? List them below!

As a note, it's also important to remember that the United States is bidding to host the 2015 World Cup and has already been awarded the 2015 World Championships. Can we pull it off? Can we become a nation of enthusiastic, respectful cheerleaders?

I believe.

To your questions ...

Q: Is there any chance 70 kilos will become an Olympic weight class for 2020 Tokyo? That they will add the two catch weights?
-- @WelchsGrapevine

Foley: Highly unlikely, though by 2020 there will be several readjustments made by the IOC and FILA.

There are many factors at play when discussing the number of weight classes for Olympic competition. The first is the number of athletes included in the original contract awarded to the host city. For Tokyo that number is 10,500 athletes spread across all sports. Under the current qualification system there is no room for wrestling to add six weights (and it would have to be two per style).

Then you have to get into the number of medals handed out. Would they allow another six gold medals with no change to the double bronze system? Unlikely. Would wrestling want to get rid of the double bronze? Maybe. But there is an argument that by increasing the number of medaling nations from 21 with a single bronze to 29 with a double bronze you engender more participation.

Behind your question is the working assumption that there is a massive saturation of talent in wrestling. The truth is that in 2012 there were no teams that qualified a wrestler at every weight class across all three styles. That means that there is no issue with opportunities to compete. America might have a backup at 74 kilos and Russia at 66 kilos, but that doesn't mean it's a problem shared by the other 100-plus participating nations.

Finally, giving smaller nations the ability to field a full six-member roster is also vital to ensuring the continued participation and investment. If we want to grow wrestling it's essential that we create opportunities for all countries to get onto the medal stand.

Just one man's opinion!

Q: What's up with the rankings that FILA puts out? It seems that there are not many Americans represented. An example is Alibeggadzhi Emeev at 65 kilos. Emeev came to America and lost to three Americans and is ranked 14th. None of the Americans that beat him are ranked. Me thinks Brent Metcalf should be at least merit an honorable mention off his World Cup domination, but nothing. The rankings are pretty much discredited when the No. 1 in the world loses to someone unranked (Metcalf defeats Magomed Kurbanaliev 11-8 at Beat The Streets).

In your opinion, should Kyle Dake and David Taylor be ranked in the top 20 at 74 kilos? I personally think they should be top ten but I am admittedly an American homer.

At 97 kilos, the defending Olympic champion comes out of retirement and looks great, but is not top 20 in the world? How about a senior level ranking by InterMat?
-- Dave A.

Foley: As stated before I do a lot of work for FILA, and that includes helping to publish the rankings. First, it's important to remember that until last year there were never any rankings in international wrestling. The effort to provide new rankings came from two hard-working individuals brought on to help during the Save Olympic Wrestling movement.

The system for rankings is admittedly self-produced. To get ranked requires that wrestlers compete, and succeed, in overseas competition. However, because there is no ranking system imparted in wrestling that would compel our wrestlers to go overseas and compete, the rankings can be skewed to those who get on the mats.

For example you mentioned Brent Metcalf. Certainly he will rise in the rankings next month, but a single win over former No.1 Kurbanaliev isn't quite enough to make him No.1. Unfortunately Brent hasn't been overseas very much this season. He competed at the Ivan Yarygin and lost to Roman Flasov (who he'd beaten twice before) and Falsov eventually lost to Kurbanaliev -- the eventual champion who beat -- wait for it -- Emeev in the finals.

While Metcalf has been smoking the American competition and looked good at BTS, you have to judge his work against the rest of the world, who by proximity or attitude is wrestling each other with more frequency. The World Cup helped Brent and others, but it just wasn't a large enough sample size to drive guys north.

None of this is the ranking guy's fault. Wrestling will try to change their competition schedule so that various meets matter more than others and the wrestlers are given points for finishes. It's a system more similar to judo or tennis where the guesswork is taken out of the rankings. Go here, win this, and you'll be ranked here. Those rankings will matter because that'll be your seed going forward.

Like anything, this will take time. In the meantime the rankings are effective at creating a discussion and allowing fans to dig into results and get to know the names. Not perfect, but effective and always evolving. It's a monster task, and one that I'm impressed is accomplished every month!

Q: Forgive any ignorance due to age, but is Bruce Burnett an impact hire? Or stop gap solution till after 2016?
-- @Will_J_157

Foley: Bruce Burnett isn't as well known to wrestling fans as Cael or John Smith, but he is arguably one of the best coaches in the history of American wrestling.

You may not remember, but Coach Burnett was at the helm of the USA team in 1995 when the men's freestylers won the World championship and in 1996 when the Stars and Stripes won the overall medal count at the Atlanta Games. Burnett wins and when he's given driven, talented and well-disciplined men he does even better.

The upside to Burnett's agreement is that he can both deliver results in 2016, but also step out of the way in 2016 to allow for a talent like John Smith or Cael Sanderson to take the reins. Think of Burnett like you would George Washington entering his second term as president. There is an end date, a bloodless transfer of power and likely some pretty stellar men waiting in the wings.

American freestylers are pretty thrilled with the choice, as are guys who have seen Burnett coach. USA Wrestling now has another dedicated, professional and proven coach on their side. If the Americans want to compete for the team title in 2016, Burnett was one of the only men who could deliver the goods.

Great hire.

Q: Nike Wrestling is trying to make a "comeback." What do you think Nike can do to repair the relationship with the community?
-- @coachc133

Foley: Do they need to "repair" their relationship? Meh.

I can see that Nike disappeared for a bit and along with helping to engineer the cutting of the Oregon program made for a bad stink. Still, the wrestling show market is a fairly saturated marketplace that has for decades been controlled by Asics and Adidas. Nike's divestment after 2005 might have stung, but they weren't exactly making cutting-edge stuff.

We'll see how the new shoe feels and how it is marketed to fans. If Aaron Pico becomes some type of superstar and is helping them launch the product then I expect it will do well. That's a big if and one I suspect isn't strong enough from which a multi-billion dollar company would create and market a new product. Let's see what else they come out with and how it's marketed. Then we can make a full-on assault or simply sit back and golf clap.

Q: Is the site you adore on a basketball floor wrestling mats from door to door?
-- @Rob_SwagginU

Foley: And donkey basketball.

In high school I was part of a senior class that did a fundraiser that included -- as its grand finale -- a donkey basketball game against teachers and members of the administration. Parents, faculty and students came out by the hundreds. Even my parents -- who as wrestling parents had camped in gymnasiums for years -- decided to attend.

If you have never played or seen donkey basketball the rules and construct are simple to grasp. You are on a donkey playing basketball. The donkey moves its own way, only sometimes listening to your commands and when it doesn't move the hired Donkey Handler will give the jackass a nice shock to the rear end to gitty it up. The shock and resulting buck also tends to dislodge the ball from the carrier's possession.

Typical scores in donkey basketball hover in the single digits or low double digits. Something like 14-8 for an hour-long game is common because ball handling is difficult and injuries are common. The donkeys also don't listen to reason and with some poop on the ground the game is a carnival affair ripe for the unexpected. As you might imagine there is also added danger when brittle-boned, out-of-shape math teachers saddle a belligerent jackass whilst doing something mildly athletic.

Our game didn't end when the history teacher toppled over the side of his stubborn steed, but maybe it should have. I'm not exaggerating when I write that this certain teacher had his kneecap turned the wrong direction, tore his ACL and was taken to the hospital by medics -- all in the first quarter.

The promoters -- if there was such a thing -- decided to play on. The Donkey Wrangler, a chubby man in his 40s with a growing belly and a belt he needed to constantly pull skyward, had appealed to have his donkeys get more exercise. There was an agreement to continue play with no adjustments made to rules, or for player safety, thus proving that the 90's were weird and that there is NO QUITTING in donkey basketball.

On the restart the game quickened. The faculty had better teamwork, but the students seemed to find the rim more often and managed to get a few more balls to fall through the hoop. I am by no means a horseman, but I felt that after a second and third go atop my stubborn steed I was beginning to get control of how to manage his direction. Late in the third quarter I scored back-to-back goals, which is precisely when things went from weird to backwoods wonky.

Early on the Donkey Wrangler had taken enjoyment in seeing his jackasses gallop and buck in reaction to the electronic prod. After the spill by the history teacher he focused more of that satanic energy on the students.

Maybe it was something I said in defense of his relentless prodding of our sub-equine rides, or maybe it was my face, or the back-to-back buckets, but in the third quarter the Donkey Wrangler turned his prodding energy to the rear-end of my jackass.

That the donkey bucked was bothersome but that it kept happening with greater frequency to me had me upset enough that I made some sort of gesture and had asked the wrangler to please stop. He didn't, and a teacher, seeing my anxiety but unable to control the frumpy West Virginian had me pulled me from the game. It was time to let everyone calm down.

Near the end of the game I was given a final few minutes to mount the donkey and throw the ball towards the hoop. The students were winning and nothing of consequence was occurring until the Donkey Wrangle once again came over to my donkey, except this time, with time about to expire he hit me with non-electric side of the prod. He had progressed from bullying the butt of a donkey to the leg of a 145-pound high-schooler.

Though I'm somewhat confrontational as an adult, as a 17-year-old I faced authority with a tilt towards the deference -- Sir and Ma'm were, and are, still common. An adult HITTING me was beyond comprehension, and since I felt innocent I was certain that something wasn't right with him. Even then I understood that certain kinds of crazy aren't worth confronting.

The game over, I hopped from the donkey and walked to the sidelines ever-carefully to avoid eye contact with the Donkey Wrangler. It hadn't worked. The man found me in a mix of people and walked alongside me and continuously whipped me in the knee with the cattle prod. I kept my eyes forward, and continued forward to a group of friends where I sat on the ground. The Donkey Wrangler stood over top of me and mother-eff'ed me with spit flying from his tobacco-chewing pie hole.

I sat quietly by as a teacher finally intervened and led the Donkey Wrangler towards the doors of an adjacent cafeteria.

What this man didn't know, and what I hadn't expected, was that my father had seen the entire interaction unfold and along with my mom had by now seen enough. They'd tried to stay back, but at some point in the interaction my father had decided to act.

I had seen my father mad, but I had never seen him this type of mad. He took on an eyes forward march that I imagine could drive sheep off a cliff. Whatever the Donkey Wrangler had thought would be the outcome of his night, I'm certain that it didn't include a 200-pound barrel-chested recently retired Marine chasing him through the lobby of a high school.

My father had reached the Donkey Wrangler about the time he made it to the doors leading to the adjacent cafeteria. From there my father assisted him through the doors and was likely working on a way to dislodge the man's head from his shoulders when SEVERAL Stafford County Sheriffs jumped into to restrain him.

It's hard to pull a wild animal off a kill and I was told my father nipped and lunged until his message was crystal clear: Look at my son again and I'll disembowel you.

No blood was shed in the cafeteria, though as the head jackass walked past the students (escorted by sheriff deputies) it was obvious that he had spent time crying, possibly weeping. If he's peed himself it would have been justified -- he'd almost been killed.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I also adore the sight of donkeys on a basketball floor. Being assaulted by a grown man might seem like some bad childhood memory, but it's really not. It's actually awesome because it's exactly how I want to feel in defending my children.

Make the jackasses cry.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 9, 2014

Fri, 09 May 2014 08:36:35 +0000

On Wednesday, the New York-based non-profit Beat the Streets raised a record $1.6 million in funds for their citywide wrestling programs. That's big money, but in addition to ensuring more mats, programs and coaches, the organization increased awareness for the sport through its USA vs. The World dual meet broadcast on NBCSN.

When it comes to wrestling non-profits few have competed with BTS in terms of dollars and awareness raised. That's not a coincidence. In addition to hardworking staff, the largest financial supporters for BTS rank among the wealthiest individuals in the United States and the world. These donors have massive influence and deep pockets, which means their chosen charity can bring in phenomenal amounts of money and, like we saw this week, put on marquee events in Times Square.

One night and one very big million-dollar spectacle.

Events like BTS in Times Square, and last year's Rumble on the Rails and United for Wrestling are showcases put on for larger causes by some of the wealthiest and brightest wrestling fans in the world.

Fantastic as the events are they obviously are not financially solvent and most take on, for the event itself, major financial losses. The locations, the cost to put them on the air and the unique atmosphere all equate to a rare moment that costs hundreds of thousands of dollars to produce.

Despite losses, and in fact because they end up a net gain for the wrestling community through charitable giving, these events (and the NCAA tournament) are now the standard-bearers for the production of a high-level wrestling event. In total that's good. The sport should stay focused on improving the product. However, we should also recognize that other events around the world aren't being assisted in their production, and that others are not always as fortunate as us.

FILA, where I work as the managing editor for the website and cover top events, lends their name to about 15 brand-level events each year from the World Cups to World Championships, Continental Championships and the Golden Grand Prix Series. Some are on par with Beat the Streets, others are competitive, and still others could use some work.

One of the major differences between events is size and economic model. FILA is a non-profit without a single generous donor putting single events to raise cash -- most of their money, like all International Federations, comes from their partnership with the International Olympic Committee. That means that local organizing committees are asked to bear some financial burden when preparing for the brand-name tournaments.

Often times events are chosen to take place in smaller, lesser-traveled cities because they can be hosted at low cost to wrestling federations and at significant gain to the local economies. For example, traveling to Zrenjanin, Serbia and Snina, Slovakia for back-to-back Cadet World Championships might seem out of the way, but capturing these audiences helps build media attention for the sport around the world. They're well-attended, well-reported and generally very well-done events.

In a way these locations and these events might not sparkle like Times Square or electrify like Los Angeles, but in putting events in smaller cities (despite their problems) the wrestlers and the fans will benefit at-large.

We know that wrestling has always been and will always be a blue collar activity. No matter where you go on the planet, or when you travel through time, the sport lives in the countryside. Flash bulbs and media coverage are important to making wrestling a "mainstream" sport, but fans will always flock to the thirty-foot circle. They did it 5000 years ago and they do it today.

It's important to keep in mind that the richest and most powerful men in wrestling, from the richest and most powerful country in the world, encountered problems putting on a single dual meet. Remembering that fact when over the next five months of the international wrestling season the local committees of third world countries battle for Internet connectivity. The host countries and the FILA staff on the ground will be trying their best for six days at a time in new countries, with new language, new challenges and new obstacles. Still, it will happen. Maybe not all at once, and maybe slower than we would all like, but it is happening.

Be humble in your expectations of these other countries. They are trying, and though they don't have Times Square and billions of dollars, each is trying their best to show you the sport that you love.

To your questions ...

Q: I have to give you credit, Foley. You were right all along about Henry Cejudo. He just backed out of another MMA fight. This is after he didn't show up for weigh-ins in two previous fights, and came in overweight in his last fight. I would love to see a motivated Cejudo leave his ego behind, put on the work boots, and make another run at Olympic gold in Rio. He is still only 27 years old! Has that ship sailed?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Thanks for the compliment. I'm kinda tickled.

Henry Cejudo fell short of qualifying for the 2012 Olympic team (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

There are a good number of MMA and wrestling fans who have had their fill of the Henry Cejudo song-and-dance. I'm forever impressed by his Olympic performance, but what happened in a day six years ago in Beijing has become Cejudo's life. He still has talents to explore and a life to be lived, but instead he chooses a strange path of least resistance.

MMA is no joke. Guys will hurt you if you come in ill-prepared. Cejudo has all the talent to become a top-level fighter, but he seemed to favor a path with fewer obstacles. He's now spent more time talking about his achievements in Beijing than he ever did training specifically for them. It's time to move forward and drop the celebrity posturing. The world loves a struggle, not a six-year victory lap.

Come back to hard work, Henry. Come back to a sense of modesty and community. Come back to normal.

Q: How important is an NCAA title towards international success? Do we in the U.S. bring up individual NCAA championships (freestyle in particular) just for promotion purposes? Because the collegiate style is really different from both international styles so do other countries care? Are there equivalent University Nationals championships in other countries and do they have NCAA Division I type of big events?
-- Marcus R.

Foley: In my experience about 30 percent of wrestlers I meet from around the world know about the NCAA and American folkstyle wrestling. Maybe a tenth of those have any interest in discussing its merits, or have any gauge for what makes one successful or not.

Every nation has something equivalent to the NCAA tournament, though the styles are dramatically different. Still, just like most wrestling fans don't follow traditional oil wrestling in Turkey, schwingen in Switzerland or Bukh in Mongolia, foreigners don't follow collegiate wrestling closely. Thus, the accomplishments made on the mat in America don't typically translate to fear or respect among international competition.

In most cases the foreign wrestlers I meet only care about what was accomplished at continental and World championships -- maybe an open tournament or two.

Q: As someone who just recently started really watching international competition I have noticed the action and offensive ingenuity is miles ahead of the current state of collegiate wrestling. While some American wrestlers have developed unique offensive styles (JB and DT in particular) most are stale, often relying on a select few techniques and stout defenses to succeed. I feel that collegiate wrestling pigeon holes American wrestlers into a formula for NCAA success that hinders the U.S. internationally. What are your thoughts on this subject?
-- Nick S.

Foley: Offensive ingenuity ... well stated

NCAA wrestling promotes a style of wresting that is either so strict as to be reductive at the next level with boxy motions and over-focus on head snaps. Or NCAA wrestling promotes rolling around which if not tightened up at the next level can result in serious points.

Collegiate wrestling is holding back some of our better wrestlers from international success. Regardless of how well they complement each other, freestyle and folkstyle take time to seep into your bones. Wrestlers need time to change their reactions and create points from positions that might not have been opportunistic at the NCAA level, but might be at the international level.

Having seen Ed Ruth at the U.S. Open and BTS event, I saw that growth. The change is seeping into his bones. He's getting it. More time in the room, more time in matches and no focus on collegiate wrestling. He's getting the hang of how to score and creating more opportunities. I wrote last week that he probably wouldn't threaten this year, but now I think he's my choice to challenge Keith Gavin in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Brent Metcalf vs. Magomed Kurbanaliev

UFC president Dana White at Beat the Streets event in NYC

Link: Muslim wrestling keeps beard, NCAA DOESN'T SCREW UP!

Link: Anthony Bourdain goes to Punjab, discovers Kushti

Q: I thought Clarissa Chun wrestled well at the U.S. Open despite losing to Victoria Anthony in the semifinals. Then Alyssa Lampe thumped Anthony in the finals! That was impressive! 48 kilos in women's freestyle wrestling is going to be a really interesting weight class in the U.S. over the next two years! Chun hadn't competed much since the Olympics in 2012, so I'm hopeful she can get back to the form that made her a World champion and Olympic medalist. Do you think Chun can get past Lampe and Anthony and get on the Olympic team in 2016?
-- Mike C.

Clarissa Chun lost to Victoria Anthony in the semifinals of the U.S. Open (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: I don't know that Clarissa will be able to hang with this new class of 48-kilo competition. Though she looked awesome until the headlock, Chun still did get headlocked by Victoria Anthony, who wrestling up a weight class was THIS close to being in the World finals.

Anthony was wrestling up because Lampe has had her number for the past few years. As we have seen from Lampe this year, she's more engaged as a competitor and whatever lingering doubts she might have had about her ability are starting to fade. She's a born killer and that's starting to show.

Chun is not out of the mix for 2016. But she is, in my estimation, the No. 3 wrestler at 48 kilos.

Q: The recent Dave Shultz High School Excellence winners were announced. The Alabama winner, Brandon Womack, is a six-time Alabama state champion, capturing the Most Outstanding Wrestler honor five times. While at Scottsboro High School, Womack compiled a 422-8 record. Granted Alabama is one of a few states where you can wrestle for state championships in the seventh and eighth grade, and Womack did this over six years compared to most kids who only have four years to amass a win-loss record. Do you think this is too much, too many matches for a high school kid? Do you think it is bad or good for the sport? Why? Should seventh and eighth-graders be allowed to wrestle high school seniors?
-- Frank S.

Foley: I'm not sure I know what's best for any state or any individual wrestler, but 430 matches in six years is more than I've competed in 14 years. Fact.

That much wrestling can be harmful, especially if you're cutting weight, not getting enough sleep, or wrestling against tough top-notch competitors. It seems like Womack made it through OK and in doing so did something unique for the state of Alabama -- a place where wrestling could use some good publicity.

Too much wrestling? Almost certainly. Good for Alabama wrestling? Yes.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 2, 2014

Fri, 02 May 2014 08:09:53 +0000

The kid was toast. I had an arm bar with a wrist and in keeping my weight low it was only a matter of a few more bumps of my hip until I drove him from his side to his back. Bumping was the safe technique, but I knew that I could also choose to step over his head with my left leg and cradle his head with a figure four. Lift the head and his back would flatten. Legal and flashy, but also risky. One slip and it's potentially dangerous.

Coach Brooks sat on the sidelines nodding his head in approval. I was doing as he'd told me in practice, that was right until the second I sent my leg over my opponent's head.

Coach Brooks jumped from his chair and screamed across the empty gymnasium, "Dammit, FOOOLEEY! I told you NOOO!"

He had, in fact, told me on several occasions to not do that move. Do NOT step over the head, he'd tell me, just bump. He'd told me that morning, he'd told me the week before. He'd probably told me the first day I brought it into the wrestling room. "Don't do it, Guppy. Just don't do it."

I did it, and as he predicted my foot dropped past my knee and I was penalized for a dangerous or illegal move. I was a 95-pound 14-year-old wrestler about to win my third JV wrestling match in my first-ever season on the mat. I was impetuous, bull-headed, arrogant and technically awful.

Coach Brooks sought to change what he could and preserve what was necessary. That was his job, and he was my first wrestling coach.

I had him in mind when I returned three days ago from a five-week trip to cover the African, European and Asian Championships. The trip included a 72-hour sojourn spent wrestling in a northern Vietnamese village and a few days in Hong Kong with friends. It was a tiring trip, but one in which I was pursuing my life's work, my passion.

My mother had told me last month that Coach Brooks was suffering from advanced, inoperable and likely untreatable liver cancer. I registered notes of pain when she told me and in thinking of his illness and possible death had decided to write him a note. When I landed in Chicago I reminded myself to get it done this week. Except it never happened. Instead of sending a note, I acquired distractions and selfishly moaned about jet lag.

My father called me Thursday morning to let me know that Gerald Brooks had passed away in his sleep. His brief battle with cancer was over. My note was left composed only in my head. He was 64.

Like many high school wrestling coaches, Coach Brooks wasn't remarkable on the mat and didn't come to our team with a list of previous accomplishments. He taught auto repair, had wrestled some in high school but was talented at motivating hormonal, know-it-all teenagers to behave like young men. To all he was adored and to his wrestlers he was beloved and respected.

Coach Brooks was a character. He dressed in snug pot-belly polos and carried to practice a whistle and a clipboard that weren't often used but always at the ready -- for something. He was perfectly bald from the crown of his head to his temples, where he left wrapping his head a semicircle of wispy hair. His short neck and big smile gave the appearance that his shoulders were hunched forward in a laugh.

He had kind eyes.

Coach Brooks wasn't always a buttercup. There were moments that our behavior (like doing in a match precisely what he'd just said not to do) was met with a ruddy-faced gritting of teeth and country-bred string of unique insults. Coach Brooks made memorable lines -- mostly nicknames like "Guppy" -- but he called my best friend "Hemorrhoid" in homage to his ability to be a pain in the ass.

I can't remember all the anecdotes and quips, but I do remember the way he made me feel. I came to him naive, self-important and physically timid, but after a season on the mat I left with what I thought were notable gains and a blushing of earned respect that helped me know the difference between being cocky and confident.

Coach Brooks and I hadn't spoken in several years. There was a cookout 15 years ago, a parking lot conversation eight years ago, and a handful of passed messages through the high school's long-serving head coach. He followed my college career with pride and sent congrats through my mother. Though we didn't pen pal -- he was a quiet type -- he was never gone from my memory and I trust that I remained in his. I think wrestlers are unique in that way. We can uncouple from a coach without losing separation. We can absorb distance without dividing our emotions.

Tim Foley (bottom) and Jeff Pradhan (top) pose with head wrestling coach Mike Smoot (left) and assistant coach Gerald Brooks (right) after the AAA Virginia State Wrestling tournament in February 1998

Coach Brooks taught me the first lesson of wrestling: to listen. He also taught me the second: to be tough. I'd had doubts about myself -- and still do -- but Coach Brooks kept the wrestling fun and the lessons simple. He trusted in my growth and invested his time in my development, and now twenty years later the sport he introduced me to has become my life's work and passion.

I'm thankful to have so many positive influences in my life -- people who believed in my ability -- but I'm especially thankful to Coach Brooks for being the first to give me his confidence. I know enough to know that he was proud of my accomplishments. I just wish I'd have found a moment before he passed to tell him what I'm telling you. I wish I'd just written a short note.

Thank you for everything, Coach.

Signed, Guppy

To your questions ...

Q: I'm surprised no one mentioned the dominating performance from Brent Metcalf at the U.S. Open. Metcalf supporters seem to be very emotionally connected and almost irrational in their support (and I am much more of a casual fan), but Metcalf seems to have distanced himself from the pack. He wasn't really threatened the entire tournament. Add to that performance the World Cup in Los Angeles where Metcalf defeated the best from the rest of the world and he may be the best wrestler his size in the world.

And ... he's baaack. Jake Varner looked as good as ever. He seemed to be more dominant physically and technically by a long shot-cruising to victory and may be as good as anyone in the world right now. These two guys have to be the favorites to represent the U.S. and maybe win gold in Rio.

This may be sacrilegious to the wrestling crowd, but what are the chances that these two will get aced out by current high school students Kyle Snyder and Aaron Pico? These two seem to be light years ahead of other high school wrestlers in the international scene. Personally, I think Pico would be very competitive with Metcalf right now. What are your thoughts?
-- Dave A.

Foley: I'm all about being present and I couldn't be happier with Brent Metcalf's progress in freestyle, or the reemergence of Jake Varner. As for the latter, it's been easy to say that he took the gold and ran away, but what is obvious is that with some motivation and training he really is one of the best wrestlers in the world. Will he win the 2014 World Championships? Yikes. I don't think he makes it past Reza Yazdani of Iran, but I think he can at least compete.

Brent Metcalf went undefeated at the World Cup in LA (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Metcalf inspires the fan base because he's consistent with his emotions towards his own performance. All wrestlers care about winning and losing, but for Metcalf that caring is never hidden. His seeming self-hatred and disappointment at underperforming makes him difficult to criticize, and his masculine modesty in accepting his own brilliant performances connects with the wrestling community.

That said, in the coming years Metcalf will have to battle with Aaron Pico on a very real level. That will make them both better and help guarantee that whoever emerges from the scrum is a World champion. Pico is good enough now and getting better. But until he gets stronger -- maybe in 2016 -- it will be Metcalf's weight class to give away.

Varner has one last Olympic sprint in his blood. If he makes it past Kyle Snyder in 2015 I think he will do it again in 2016.

Q: What do you think of women's wrestling?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: I absolutely love women's wrestling. Couldn't be a bigger fan. It's easy for fans to say that they aren't as good as the men, and then compare the NBA to WNBA, but women's wrestling is almost a different sport than men's wrestling.

The techniques are different because the bodies and range of reactions are so drastically different. They tend to wrestle closer to the mat, which means fewer throws, but they also tend to wrestle more than the men. That is to say that they don't take breaks or pause in the action. When women step on the mat they scrap.

My guess is that by 2016 the women will have grabbed even more attention away from the Y chromosomes and be featured in many of those sepia-toned pre-Olympic pieces on NBC where you're sure to cry, but you're never sure why.

Q: High school has a 220-pound weight class and international has 97 kilos (approximately 214 pounds). Do you think the NCAA should add a 220ish weight class? Would an odd number of weight classes make dual meets more interesting?
-- Nick M.

Foley: Wow. Yes, I think that another weight class would make dual meets a lot more interesting. But before we go down this rabbit hole it's important to know that this will never happen, both because the NCAA isn't adding a weight class and that at that weight there isn't (I think) enough interest.

Q: What's up with the instant replay in NCAA wrestling? Is there a time limit with regards to how long the officials can view the video? I don't know the rules around it, but my observations make me assume that the official who made the call will review the replay and decide if a reversal of his call will be made. This seems to be a problematic situation, as I have a sneaky suspicion that officials may not want to be challenged over their judgment in making a call or no-call. Part of me wonders how beneficial a coach's challenge can be with regards to changing the score.

What are your thoughts on the state of instant replay in NCAA wrestling? How beneficial would it be if NCAA wrestling were to adopt a three-judge system like FILA?
-- Jacob R.

Foley: Excellent question.

Instant replay at the NCAAs was a drag in 2013, but my biggest issue wasn't in the constant challenges, but in the presentation of the challenges. What FILA does well is shows the fans exactly what is being reviewed. There is a large screen so everyone can follow along. Not only does it feel more transparent, but I think it's kind of an additional check on coaches who get too challenge-happy. Nobody wants to get boo'ed by the fans for making a dumb challenge.

Three judges is smart, but I think only necessary with the international crowd because of each country's certainty that referees from opposing political ideologies are trying to screw them. The conference and school allegiances aren't typically strong enough, or well-known enough, to cause coaches much concern.

Q: Why are the U.S. World Team Trials in Madison? Traveling to and from there sucks. They cancel flights all the time and the media market is small. Why wouldn't they have them in a major city? This small Midwest crap needs to stop. Stillwater, Iowa City, and Madison are nice Middle America, but they do nothing to gain exposure for wrestling.
-- Tim J.

Foley: Small markets are able to control overhead and still attract and audience on par with larger markets. Most people will watch the Trials on the Internet or television. It's an important weekend, but not so huge that fans will travel thousands of miles to attend the event. In fact, despite the controls for overhead I'm certain that the Trials will struggle to make money, and will most likely lose a couple of tens of thousands of dollars.

Wrestling needs to stay greedy, but it's also important to control the temptation to complain too much about the locations of these events. The building process takes time and when USA Wrestling finds the model that works best they'll stick with it (see: Las Vegas).

Q: As an ex-wrestler and current BJJ student, I was wondering why you thought the end of match handshake in wrestling at the collegiate level is so perfunctory and forced? It almost seems as though wrestlers go out of their way to be as "ungracious" as possible with the handshake. I understand it's very competitive, but no more so than in BJJ and after matches in BJJ there is typically true acknowledgement of your opponent. I know it's a tiny thing, but it always just seems so ridiculous and unsportsmanlike.
-- Jeff H.

Kyle Dake shakes Cael Sanderson's hand after winning his fourth NCAA title at the 2013 NCAAs in Des Moines (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: To be fair, the handshakes do vary in sincerity, but overall the attitude is one that lacks respect for opponents. One of the biggest mistakes being made in the world of American wrestling is a continued focus on being the toughest SOB on the mat. That works at times, but often it results in too much boasting and grandstanding and not enough recognition of the sport for which we're competing.

In my experience a majority of other wrestling cultures have ingrained attitudes about sportsmanship, with most favoring respect. There are outliers, but when I think of Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Turkish and Russian wrestlers I can recall excellent moments of forgiveness. Like you've seen in BJJ there are even moments of hugs, temple presses, and I kid you not, cheek kissing.

We could learn to be a little more respectful on the mats and that includes the handshake.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 25, 2014

Fri, 25 Apr 2014 14:33:25 +0000

Wrestlers love to comment on the state of our sport. This mailbag, message boards and our insane interconnectivity on social media are all proof that when it comes to having an opinion we are well-equipped.

Having an opinion can by default mean that you believe the anti of something. The mind searches to correct a failure in a system and in doing so our brains fixate and analyze it until it's corrected, or we are frustrated enough to move past.

The current fixation among American wrestling fans is the battle over criteria and overtime. The sport itself -- the actual product -- is healthier than ever. Fans are enjoying the action and the wrestlers appreciate being asked to actually wrestle. Petty gamesmanship and referee interferences are gone, being replaced instead by the action of the wrestlers.

But among the American wrestling crowd it's not enough. Despite the scoring, the excitement, the success -- American fans want overtime, nay, they NEED overtime.

I've stated the merits of criteria on several occasions, but none sticks out more than asking the wrestlers to compete for six full minutes. Don't hold back, don't cruise, don't play the clock. Wrestle. We know that overtime corrupts the motivation to act in regulation by pulling the wrestlers into a risk evaluation of when to act. We've seen that the confusion occurring in criteria matches is mostly due to a lack of information between event organizers, media and fans.

Which is easier to fix? I claim the latter.

To your questions ...

Q: I was looking at the scores at the U.S. Open and noticed that there were a lot of technical falls, a lot of 10-0 technical falls. (I did not watch any of the matches.) While one would think that more points means more exciting matches, a bunch of 10-0 matches does not seem like very competitive or exciting matches.

What is the reason for so many lopsided matches? Is there a big disparity among the competitors? I noticed a lot of names of wrestlers who were successful in their collegiate careers. Does the format favor wrestlers of one style over another or if you get down early do you have to start taking risks which opens you up to counter moves.

Is this a problem?
-- Kenn B.

Foley: No. The seven-point tech was a little quick, but at 10 points the wrestlers have ample opportunity to overcome their deficit and put points on the board. A match that ends in a technical fall has usually run its course for awesomeness and competitiveness. More isn't always better.

There isn't always a huge gap in skills, though that can sometimes account for the action. I've seen a lot of freestyle over the past year and when it comes to senior level wrestlers a good portion of the technical falls occur once a wrestler has decided that they've lost the match and gives up some successive roll or gut wrench. Rare is the five-takedown technical fall.

I think the technical fall gives fans a feel of domination that they can appreciate, like a knockout blow, or maybe the increasingly infrequent fall.

Q: I'm a fan of the few states that have one-division individual state tournaments. I understand the school size factor, but would you be a fan of states using classifications for dual states but having one division for individuals?
-- J. Wyatt

Foley: That is the type of solution that needs to be forwarded to administrators around the country. As you may know, Virginia recently split their state into a preposterous six state tournaments! It was an accommodation to the sport of football, but it ended up costing the state a level of seriousness in competition that it will need in order to attract top-level division one coaches.

The dual meet states will attract crowds while the individual tournament gives wrestlers a chance to compete against everyone in their region. What does it mean to be a state champions if there are five others walking about?

Q: Is there a way to find out what programs are fully funded with 9.9 scholarships? I was shocked to hear that Edinboro isn't, which makes fifth place even more impressive.
-- Tim J.

Foley: Plenty of coaches are open to discussing their scholarship details, but a surprising portion are cagey about what they're given. Often the discrepancy is in how, or technically "where," the coaches can use their scholarship allotment.

Edinboro might have a certain amount of money for scholarships, that when subdivided by out-of-state tuition might not amount 9.9, but when cast in state might be the full 9.9. That's just an example, and likely not true figures, but there are several other colleges working with similar distributions -- they can't snag 9.9 out-of-state scholarships, though they can field a team with 9.9 scholarships.

I'd have picked up the phone to ask each one, but I'm not sure I'd make it very far!

Side note: How awesome is Tim Flynn and the job he's done at Edinboro?

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Match of the Year?

U.S. Open Highlights (Wow!)

Best Article of the Year? Chinese Somersault Kiss

Q: I was wondering if you can talk a bit about the struggles of Jordan Rogers (Oklahoma State) in college as a freshman? There are many freshmen finished way ahead of him even though he was the No. 4 recruit in the country 2013. Will he recover? I see a lot of Dallas Bailey.
-- Ryan K.

Foley: College wrestlers are also college students. There are plenty of factors that go into the success and failure of different athletes, and no coach can predict them all. If Jordan wants to win and is dedicated to the sport then he will find the support he needs in Stillwater to become and All-American and NCAA champion. I think Jordan can be both of those things.

Q: Maybe it's just me, but I've noticed an increase in the number of freshman not only making the NCAA finals, but winning the NCAAs. Andrew Long, Matt McDonough, Kyle Dake, David Taylor, Logan Stieber, Jason Tsirtsis, J'den Cox, Dylan Ness, to name a few, I'm sure there are more. Granted, I'm young, and I've only been religiously following collegiate wrestling for sevenish years, but where does this correlation derive from?
-- Ethan S.

In 2010, freshmen Andrew Long and Matt McDonough battled in the NCAA finals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: My take is that the athletes you see now are sport-specific training from a young age and increased exposure to high-level technique during development. Essentially they don't learn bad techniques and have the ability, with money and coaching, to access the best competition.

The trend will stabilize over the next few years. We'll always see more upperclassmen on the medal stands, but I think it's possible that we'll continue to get 12-15 freshmen All-Americans every year, with at least one in the NCAA finals.

Funny to say this, but by the time they make it to their freshman year many of these guys will have been training for that tournament their whole life.

Q: I'm sure you're aware of the use of advanced statistics in sports. (MIT hosted the Sloan conference a few weeks ago.) Is there a place for advanced stats in wrestling? I'm thinking about this whole stalling issue and wondering if we can go deeper into the story of a stalling wrestler with things like shots per period, match time moving forward vs. backwards, points per shot attempt etc. It seems to me like numbers could help us tell a more complete story about college wrestling.
-- Brandon J.

Foley: I don't think so. We can clip videos and count the tendencies of individual wrestlers, and maybe teams, but there is so much fluidity and creativity on the mat that grouping techniques together can often be misleading. For example, time spent going back for one wrestler might be the last 45 seconds of a match they are winning, while for another it might be a baiting technique.

There is room overall, but we aren't going to discover a new Moneyball in a sport that often depends as much on emotion as it does technique.

COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK

By Marcus R.

Am I being too critical when I think amateur wrestling fans come off as petty? I mean some fans complain about exposure and marketability of the sport but won't put money behind watching the actual sport? This is in response to many of the comments in regards to Flowrestling charging to watch wrestling. Now it's one thing to complain about a service that's not well done and to be honest sometimes their service isn't the best quality I imagine because they haven't generated enough revenue to upgrade to a high definition cameras but wrestling fans will complain when a university doesn't see the value in a wrestling program, because we haven't put our money behind going to actually watch the program! We complain about the sports exposure to the mainstream and yet won't put money behind one of the premier international events in the country via the Internet and or watching the event. Which is really a great value if you can't make it out because you can see A LOT of matches for 20 bucks! If you think about when you're there live sometimes you miss great matched because so much wrestling is going on at once.

I also think you were spot on in your critique of Flo's shot at ESPN. I mean again I thought the ESPN team did an excellent job and when I watched the finals with all the expert commentary by Dan Gable, Kyle Dake, Jordan Burroughs, you and all those other guys I thought BRILLIANT! Well-done emotion doesn't equal excellence in my opinion. That's not to say Flo doesn't do a good job a capturing the emotion of the sport but I in my personal opinion I've found that some of the best emotional broadcasts happen at the last-second "miracles" than throughout the whole match, that's what makes it brilliant! In the Burroughs-Taylor match the Flo guys were well warranted of their excitement.

By Cary A.

We are looking for ways to make the sport better for the audience. Here is a change to our sport that I think is necessary and make it more appealing to the viewer. Now this might rattle some old school folks' feathers (much like the death of the singlet), but the whistle use has to be reduced to a minimum. I'm not talking about match stoppages as they are necessary, I mean the actual whistle. The sound is annoying (especially during tournaments), distracting to adjacent matches, and gives no explanation to the new viewer as to why action is stopped. Hearing the referees (UFC or events like the NCAA finals) gives the viewer the feeling that they are sitting mat/octagon/ring side.

Breakdown of whistle use and possible alternatives:

Start on the feet: A simple "WRESTLE" would suffice and, if said with enough chutzpah, would instill excitement (much like "get it on" in the UFC).

Out of bounds on the feet: Instead use "BREAK" or "OUT."

Out of bounds on the Mat: Instead use "BREAK" or "OUT" coupled with a tap of both wrestlers.

Start on the mat: The only time when the use of the whistle that may be necessary, though I still think "WRESTLE" would work.

Stalemate: Just step in tap both wrestlers and say "STALEMATE."

Miscellaneous stops (injury time/clock issues/challenges): Referees should just step in and stop the action.

End of period: "TIME" coupled with a tap of the wrestlers in scrambles and on the mat.

End of match including technical falls: Could use "TIME" or to be real awesome "SUPERIOR VICTORY."

Fall: The whistle is only to add drama. A simple slap of the mat would work, but to add drama the slap could be coupled with something sweet like "KABOOM" "BAM" "GAME OVER" "TERMINATED." Much like umpires after a strikeout in baseball wrestling referees can develop their own signature pin call.

Referees in the UFC operate without whistles. They step in and make their presence known and wear gloves in case they have to make contact. It is time for college referees glove up and get more vocally involved in the match and step in when they need to (i.e. end of periods or stalemates). Don't get me wrong, there are many referees that do an excellent job of this, but I think the whistle can be replaced and spare the wrestling world of whistle echoes in gyms across the U.S.

Arguments against:

Wrestlers can't hear as well. Anyone who ever wrestled knows that if they can hear their opponent breathing, I am sure they will hear if a ref leans in and barks out an instruction. Mind you I have never wrestled in an NCAA final or Carver-Hawkeye Arena, but I imagine if they can hear Tom Brands telling at them to build their lead I'm sure they can hear a referee right next to them.

Language barrier: I would image 99.9% of wrestlers speak English in the U.S. So for that .1% they can watch the hand motions (make them universal) and they will eventually learn the terminology.

Also, I hate the term "stalling." It makes it seem like you're doing an action. Passivity is embarrassing and is the antithesis of what we all want to watch, aggression. We should change stalling to passivity in folkstyle.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 18, 2014

Fri, 18 Apr 2014 07:45:40 +0000

The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee this week suggested experimental rules recommendations for the 2014-2015 season. The initial reaction of many fans was to welcome the changes even as few details were given about the interpretations of the rules.

According to the NCAA's release, these are the rules they'll be asking for coaches to discuss at their annual meeting this summer:

1. "... wrestlers who step out of bounds with both feet while in a neutral position. In this scenario, the referee will call stalling on that wrestler."

2. "... from a kneeling starting position on the mat, the wrestler in the top position drops to a lower extremity or uses a side headlock. In either of these situations, the referee will make a visual five-second count using his arm. If the wrestler who started in the top position doesn't make an attempt to engage in action before the referee reaches the count of five, the referee will call stalling."

3. "... a wrestler earning a position of control, such as a takedown or a reversal to earn the top position, and the action comes to a natural stoppage. An example of a natural stoppage would be when the wrestlers go out of bounds. In the proposed experimental rule, instead of beginning in a kneeling position on the re-start, the wrestler who earned the top position can indicate to the referee that he elects for the next action to begin in the neutral position. (No point would be awarded for the escape)"

Nahshon Garrett and Jesse Delgado battle in the NCAA finals (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

There are plenty of scenarios to suss out, and many, many ways for craftier wrestlers to exploit the rule changes. It's not too difficult to see there will be some belly-aching should a wrestler make an attempt at a takedown on the edge, but end up being pushed out for a stall call. What happens if both feet go out during a scramble? Will restarts where the top wrestler pushes out the bottom wrestler be called stalling?

A discussion of what might happen is sure to progress through the comments section, but what about the bigger questions? Why are we not addressing what it is we want the wrestlers to accomplish on the mat? We're missing the bigger picture on what we want from the sport of American wrestling. Do we want takedowns and points? Or do we want falls? Do we want action? Or do we want the illusion of "fairness?"

It's obvious (to me) that in order to please more coaches and fans, the committee has intentionally blurred boundary lines -- both physical and temporal -- to compensate for a lack of desire to make concrete decisions. The 32-foot circle use to be the steadfast out-of-bounds demarcation, as in literally out-of-bounds, but recently the committee sought to create action by making that line irrelevant and extending wrestling to virtually all wrestle-able surfaces. There is still an out-of-bounds, but now it's sort of an amorphous conglomeration of judgmental boundaries that includes hardwood floors, other mat space, scorer's table and simple referee discretion.

Compare this to the international set of rules which treats the out-of-bounds line like a ring of fire. That hardened approach to the boundary has created massive action in the center of the mat. Scoring is up by almost 200 percent across all styles and though pushouts occur regularly, they do so mostly as a penalty to defensive wrestlers and draws them into creating scoring actions.

The NCAA's rules want to address this problem, but instead of getting to the heart of any matter, they simply come up with a patchwork of solutions -- each as susceptible to gamesmanship as the rules that preceded their implementation.

The NCAA has also grayed the lines with the idea of what a match has become in terms of time. International rules don't have overtime, and that's because at some point wrestling -- when decided by points, not pin -- must come down to some criteria or else simply run into perpetuity. The calculation of the international community was to make athletes compete in the time given and level out the time of the match so that everyone knows what to expect. No gamesmanships is available to a wrestler who doesn't have the one shot miracle takedown in overtime. Remember the ball draw? The elimination of overtime also eliminates playing for coin flips in OT or riding out a leg. Six minutes, get it done or don't.

The NCAA is trying to address their own failures in creating definitive ends to boundaries and matches by eliminating the side headlock and dropping to the leg. These are without question the two most popular moves in rideout scenario, and yet instead of addressing the problem that rideouts exist at all, the committee chose to quasi-eliminate the overuse of popular moves.

At the center of the rules interpretation is something much more disturbing. The NCAA Wrestling Committee is now the head for all wrestling rules in the United States and yet they have no oversight and accept very little influence sans annual reports from the convention.

Scholastic style is the traditional wrestling style of the American people and whether or not we like it, the NCAA has hijacked our ability to determine what type of matches we want to see. The NCAA takes a beating for a lack of transparency (as they should) but instead of just restricting food intake, they are now leading a traditional sport in whichever direction they choose without clearly stating their guiding principles or intentions.

What is their operating motivation? TV Ratings? Scoring? Pinning? What do they wish to accomplish in changing the rules each year?

The NCAA doesn't govern the universal rules of football, basketball, baseball or soccer. Their rules are mostly static. Why should we let wrestling's largest stakeholders and those deciding the future of the sport be appointed and approved through a largely opaque process with no accountability? Why can't there be an independent body able to look at these matters with clear eyes and a bent towards the history of the sport?

Say for example these rules fail, or more accurately that the last set of rule changes proved to be a detriment to the sport. What is the fallout for those who manipulate the rules? Are they kicked from the board? Are they asked to resign their post?

Also, just how diverse is this committee? Are there any student-athletes on the committee? Any press? Anybody who lives outside the oligarchy of Oz? What does the NCAA Rules committee handle, and what does the Championship committee cover? Who is the overseer of both?

Nothing about the organization is clear, and the more power they assume the less that the coaches and those invested in the sport can provide influence. Our fans have great ideas on what wrestling can become and though we live in a democratic society the rulers of our sport are appointed.

Why?

Look around the world and you'll find traditional wrestling styles that have been unchanged for hundreds and even thousands of years. The outfits, rules and dance that surround their style have importance within the culture. The choices they made, the people they've become, the people they want to be. Wrestling is a mirror on their cultures.

I hope that's not true in America. The America I enjoy is one that elects decision-makers, that opens the floor to debate and that sets out clearly-defined goals. Right now the America that I see reflected in our wrestling style is soulless, profit-focused, reactionary and exploitative bureaucracy accountable to nothing and nobody.

The rules will change. People will either enjoy them, or hate them, but at the end of the day the process is run by the same dozen people, none of whom are elected and none of whom are accountable.

To your questions ...

Q: Can anyone stop Logan Stieber from becoming a four-time NCAA champ? If so, who?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: No.

The other answer is "Logan Stieber" but he doesn't strike me as self-destructive. The only things keeping Stieber from winning four straight titles is an injury. That's about it.

Q: Do you think Jason Tsirtsis has the skills to be a four-time NCAA champ?
-- Gregg Y.

Greg Jones (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)

Foley: Having the skills to win it as a freshman guarantees that you have the skills to win it three more times. However, the odds of him winning three more titles are pretty slim.

Look at Greg Jones, arguably the most dominant freshman wrestler to win a title in the past 20 years. Jones looked like he'd cruise to four titles after an impressive freshman campaign, but he failed to place as a sophomore, losing to Ralph Everett (Hofstra) and Rashad Evans (Michigan State). His junior and senior seasons were laughable. He was hardly challenged en route to rattling off back-to-back titles.

In addition to the odds working against Tsirtsis, the middleweights see a lot of talent get trafficked through and for Tsirtsis that means guys like Hunter Stieber who come off redshirt seasons hungry to win a title.

Q: What are your feelings on the job Bob Patnesky is doing at Davidson? He's had four NCAA qualifiers in the past four years compared to two the previous 40, and three SoCon champs compared to zero since the late 60's. As an alum, I'm thrilled with the progress the team has made under his leadership. What, in your opinion, will it take to get Davidson from the bottom tier of the SoCon to consistently getting NCAA qualifiers?
-- Jason D.

Bob Patnesky

Foley: I think it's likely that Davidson will stay near the bottom for a few years to come. Finding recruits is difficult at every school, and though Davidson is having more success, the separation between the haves and have nots is only widening. As you noted, Coach Patnesky is doing a great job with what he has, but for now that'll be the pace of growth until he gets a big star to help draw in more interest, fans and alumni support.

There is hope. Take a look at Franklin & Marshall and what they've been able to accomplish over the past couple of years. With the addition of Richard Durso's All-American plaque the program is likely to see more support both financially and in support from high school coaches sending their athletes to college.

Prove you can win and the talent will follow.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Highlight film from the European Championships

Citadel Highlight Film (Go, Turtog!)

Q: What are you hearing on the coaching search at West Virginia? Who would be a good fit?
-- Jim A.

Foley: There have been whispers of it staying in-house, but since it's a national search I'd expect to see at least a few big names to apply and think that Virginia Tech's Tony Robie would be a regional selection with some pop. Sammie Henson is the best coach in the country and though he seems cozy in Mizzou could be compelled to make the move for the type of head coaching position he deserves. Also keep any eye out on some of these Big Ten assistants who might be looking to start their own program.

Q: I'm looking at the new weight classes for this year's Worlds, and my basic takeaway is that there is really just one new weight class, which is 70 kilos (154 pounds). So what do you know about who will be competing at the different weights this freestyle season? Anyone you think was a tweener before, but might break out at a new weight class this year?
-- Brandon J.

Foley: The big name for the American side is Nick Marable at 70 kilos. He's shown that he can beat anyone in the world at 74 kilos, so having him at 70 kilos, I think, makes him a favorite to place at the World Championships. How to populate that weight class is still being figured out by coaches around the world, but early gold medal contenders include Turkey's GOP and Ruslan Dibirgadzhiyev of Azerbaijan.

Q: I have been licking my chops at the potential showdown between J'den Cox and the human cyborg known as Kyle Snyder. This rivalry is Dake vs. Taylor in its potential for epic-ness, and as fans we could get to see play out three times! Do you think J'den will make the jump to heavyweight next year? If this ends up happening I feel that the wrestling community should ban together, not unlike they did with the Save Olympic Wrestling campaign, and petition to make sure we see this Goliath vs. Goliath matchup at least once over the next three years.
-- Craig F.

J'den Cox defeated Nick Heflin in the NCAA finals (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: I hope you're right. To see those two battle all season long would be something for fans to follow all season. They're tremendous talents and pushing each other will not only make them better wrestlers. Remember, it's Cox who owns the last victory over Snyder. Though Snyder is certainly training to win an NCAA title, it's his freestyle that has been the most impressive part of his young development.

I actually favor Cox in the matchup. He's the right mixture of talent and poise and having already been in the college ranks he gets the idea of how to escape and ride when necessary. Still, this could be a three-year battle for supremacy and if the wrestling stays exciting, it would be a treat for the fans.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 11, 2014

Fri, 11 Apr 2014 08:19:01 +0000

The Friday Mailbag turns 2 years old today. Thank you to the readers, emailers and commenters who have helped make this weekly discussion of wrestling topics so popular. I would have expected writing a weekly column would be mind-numbing repetitiveness, but you have kept it fresh and provided adept insight into our sport's biggest issues. Thanks again for all your support and loyalty. -- Tim

Zeke Jones shook up the wrestling world this week when he left his post as head freestyle coach for USA Wrestling to take over the head coaching job at Arizona State. The move made sense for Jones, but for USA Wrestling it left an uncertain future.

Jones deserves a lot of praise for the job he did with the USA Wrestling men's freestyle program. A 1991 World champion and silver medalist at the Barcelona Olympics, Jones used his passion and insight into international freestyle to help revamp and retool a struggling USA program. His 2012 Olympic team was one of the country's most successful, earning two gold medals and a bronze. Jones oversaw the development of Jordan Burroughs and was brilliant in giving Mark Manning the space to coach his wrestler the way he saw appropriate. He leaves Colorado Springs with America as the No. 3 freestyle squad in the world.

ASU coach Zeke Jones and wife Renee have four children (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

I ran into Jones a few months ago at the Yariguin tournament in Krasnoyarsk and he was open about the challenges of running the national team. As you might expect, bi-weekly international travel is taxing physically and emotionally. The work takes you away from your family and the home life that we often take for granted. With four children, Jones wanted to spend more time at home, but he also wanted to win.

College coaching won't mean a ton of free time for Jones. But after pushing hard for several years, Jones was fortunate to be presented with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to coach at his alma mater. Even the most die-hard USA Wrestling fans would find it tough to blame Jones for making the move.

But those same fans might also see the danger of making a switch mid-Olympic cycle.

Jones was a master organizer and did well to get his wrestlers into a system where they knew what to expect and what was expected of them. With a coaching change the attitude and direction of the team are sure to change. Some wrestlers will enjoy and progress, while others will resist and leave. The balance between the former and the latter will depend on the transition team and how well the rules are carried over. Since Jones did such a great job, it's likely that much of his system will remain.

So who's next?

That's tough to predict since the job COULD appeal to any coach in the country.

I would like to see Cael Sanderson take a shot at coaching the international team. He's proven that he can win several consecutive NCAA titles as a wrestler and coach, and can even lead an individual Olympic wrestler to gold. Could he also lead a team to the freestyle title?

John Smith, Tom Brands, Mark Manning, Sammie Henson, Lou Rosselli, and Sean Bormet are all great names from the college ranks. Then there are those already on staff like Bruce Burnett (who is heading the transition), Brandon Slay, and Bill Zadick.

Whoever USA Wrestling chooses they'll have an uphill climb in 2014. The world is getting more competitive with teams like India, Mongolia, Georgia and Azerbaijan reloading for the upcoming World Championships in Tashkent. Then there is an Iranian team that is arguably the best freestyle team to take the mat since the USSR teams of the 1970's. The Russians are deep enough to field four top-ten teams.

The new freestyle coach will have to play a head-spinning game of catch-up on scouting likely opponents and figuring out which of our wrestlers are best suited for competition. He'll have to play politics, travel 200k miles a year and work his butt off just to keep the team at the level it's enjoyed during Jones' tenure. I'm cautiously optimistic that everything will be ironed out by early summer, but if it's not, that's just our luck.

To your questions ...

Q: I would love to see a postseason all-star/charity event that brings in one or two top-ranked wrestlers at each weight class from Division I, Division II, Division III, and NAIA to compete against each other. I think it would be exciting to see them go at it.
-- Jared W.

Foley: Agreed, though I'm sure that after five months of knocking heads that some of these guys just want to relax and enjoy college life. As many fans remember, the NCAA tournament once invited the best from Division II and Division III. Probably made for an interesting event, but the NCAA hates fun and segregated the tournaments.

Q: Rank all the Big Ten programs (1-14) in terms of most desirable head coaching position.
-- Mike T.

Foley: There was only one way to make the list with any slant towards equality, and that was to create the scenario in which every position was open and you were asked to bid on becoming the coach. To do this you also have to assume their current statue within the league, the possibility of adding funding and support, and all other options I'm sure a coach weighs when choosing a job.

In essence, this is as much about how I think everyone else would rate the jobs, as it is my own read.

1. Penn State
2. Iowa
3. Michigan
4. Minnesota
5. Ohio State
6. Nebraska
7. Illinois
8. Wisconsin
9. Northwestern
10. Michigan State
11. Maryland
12. Indiana
13. Rutgers
14. Purdue

Q: How does the University of Texas not have a wrestling team? The Big 12 could really use another team and that athletic department has money to burn, plus I've read where high school wrestling is getting better in Texas.
-- Tim J.

Foley: High school wrestling in Texas is improving. The teams are performing better at the national level and the Division I talent produced seems to indicate there is more on the way.

The biggest battle for wrestling in a state like Texas (and the entire Deep South) is to overcome the popularity of football and the pervasiveness of the NFL-type protect-the-shield culture. Football will always be legal in the state of Texas. Long after Connecticut moves over to flag football leagues, Texas will still allow their 9-year-old sons to ram head-first into each other. This affects wrestling because the more the sport is attacked, the more a place like Texas is likely to double-down on their love for their sport and push away anything that seems like a threat.

Also, with the recent developments of student-athletes getting closer to earning a paycheck from their work, schools like Texas are going to be much more careful about how and where they spend their monies.

I think that when we talk about adding Division I college programs we have to look first at the schools with proud traditions whose teams were lost to Title IX in the 90's, or to budget cuts in the Aughties. For me it's easier to imagine the reinstatement of a program because the alumni base -- which is significant in raising funds and awareness -- is already in place and motivated to achieve. Places like Clemson, Syracuse, Fresno State, Notre Dame and even Yale are the lead candidates for navigating the difficult task of reviving a lost program.

Q: I read on InterMat (interview with Drew Pariano) that Jason Tsirtsis and Aaron Pico are going to wrestle at Beat the Streets on May 7. How do you see that match playing out?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Whoa. Love it.

This is (I think) going to be freestyle so I give the edge to Pico. If he does win that also means that fans will be yapping for months about how the California Kid would have been the world's greatest ever collegiate wrestler. Except I'm choosing him because he's really, really good and been training exclusively in freestyle for more than a year.

Pico's win over Russia's Emeev was impressive, especially after the latter's runner-up performance at Yariguin in January. His progression will be vital to showing the next generation of American high schoolers that they don't have to wrestle in college to win the Olympics.

Should be a fantastic match.

Q: In freestyle, with all the recent changes to the rules and scoring again and again ... and finally again, and with the U.S. Open just around the corner, is there a link you could share that shows the current freestyle wrestling rules as they apply today?
-- Randy B.

Foley: The freestyle rules are more-or-less unchanged since the end of last year. Here is the quick and dirty.

2-point takedowns

1-point reversals

1-point pushout

2-point shoulder exposure, 1-point hand-to-hand exposure

All exposures from feet are now counted as point (no 5-point or 3-point)

10-point technical superiority

First criteria is highest scoring maneuver

As most people came to see with the World Cup in Los Angeles, the new rules have created plenty of action. No more ball draws and clinches and very few matches decided by criteria.

To set the record straight on the perceived awfulness of criteria, there is criteria in college wrestling. It's just that international wrestling doesn't add a point to the winning side at the end of the match, like what happens at the end of a double OT rideout. I know we all hate the idea of no overtime, but what is gained far outweighs whatever you think is lost. If wrestling wants to get tournaments on television it needs to control the times of the matches.

Though a lack of overtime might feel unfair, there is no way to implement the addition of a period without de-motivating the wrestlers from action. When the score is tied late the action is incredible, but when there is overtime, wrestlers often cruise -- choosing instead to have a quick rest and sudden victory scenario.

Q: Do you reckon David Taylor of Penn State is the best four-time finalist/two-time champion in NCAA history. He's a Cyborg. Who were some other four-time finalists/two-time champions or three-time finalists/two-time champions?
-- Big Iron

Foley: Reckon so. The domination of opponents and only tripping up against the two opponents for a total of three losses makes Taylor and Ben Askren the top two choices. For what it's worth, I think of Taylor as a Gumby not a Cyborg. He's loose and long, where as a Cyborg is someone who can cause internal damage with a single look. Like ...

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreau. This man is a Cyborg.

Roberto "Cyborg" Abreau

Q: I just got finished watching Boris Novachov's match against Toghrul Asgarov and I was wondering if to solve this new type of top ride/stall and to increase our success on the Olympic level (I acknowledge that we are steadily improving) do you see the NCAA ever instituting the standup rule like in freestyle if the top man is not working for the turn? I know it might sound like an extreme change but maybe one to consider!
-- Jim D.

Foley: Big win by Boris. When you watch the match you can FEEL Asgarov getting more and more tired. Boris' stuff was working and his four-point double leg was one of the best techniques of the weekend.

Asgarov was wrestling in his first tournament since winning the 2012 Olympics, where the rules were still a little funny. He was up to a new weight and rusty, but when all was done is was Boris's training that proved the difference.

The NCAA does need to consider the standup rule. Here is the history lesson on why America has mat wrestling. Ready? Set. Go!

The current form of American traditional wrestling came from Irish collar-and-elbow style that showed up first in the northeast but eventually trickled across the country. Early matches would happen during March meetings when farmers and associated businessman would meet in rural New England locations to talk logistics and pricing, but would be entertained by the meeting of each town's best wrestlers. There were no points. Pin to win and on the ground wrestlers could use a variety of catch wrestling holds to incapacitate opponents.

Eventually the talent gap shrank and the sport split off into two avenues: Professional and amateur wrestling, with a third much smaller catch wrestling which combined elements of both, but allowed for submissions.

Amateur wrestling still wanted to see the fall, but over the years began to shed some of the more painful ways to turn over an opponent. Just like guillotines are a recent exclusion due to the pain inflicted, there are several dozen maneuvers used in the barns and backyards of the early 20th century which are now illegal.

Without those holds and with points mattering more wrestlers began to feel satisfied with points victories. Pins have always been sexy, desirable and incentivizes, but as time has ticked past the 6-2 match is more common than the 62-second fall.

That seems to have reached a pinnacle in 2014 with riding time playing the slim margin in an increasing number of matches. By gaming the system using maneuvers that allowed top wrestlers to move perpendicular without really trying for a fall, there were 100s of hours of college wrestling that looked like a man vs. man rodeo. Riding time dulled the action, but was ever-important in deciding the victor of razor thin matches.

(Side note: riding time is also technically a criterion since no points are being scored.)

The NCAA needs to address the riding time issue and the dearth of scoring in general. Though I dislike the idea, I'm willing to trust that they will find a solution to create scoring. Wrestling is a difficult sport to manage because the very essence of the sport asks for gamesmanship. Rule alterations are necessary to keep up the action on the mat.

The only question left will be "how" they decide to incentivize action. I'm with you in thinking that a few more standups might not be a bad idea.

Q: Do you think Nick Sulzer will become Virginia's first national champion next season? The top three placewinners at 165 pounds are graduating, clearing the way nicely for Sulzer. However, I have heard that Dieringer is moving up to 165 pounds. Sulzer vs. Dieringer in the NCAA finals perhaps?

Also, supposedly J'den Cox is moving up to heavyweight next year. How do you think he will fare against guys like Adam Coon, Nick Gwiazdowski, Bobby Telford, and Mike McMullen?
-- Dave T.

Nick Sulzer (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Sulzer has the talent to make the NCAA finals and with an offseason of improvements comparable to gains he made last summer, he should be in the hunt. He didn't finish the season well, and wrestled tentatively at NCAAs. As an alum it's my hope that he takes a killer's attitude into next year's tournament and doesn't stop until he wins the national title.

I hadn't heard much about his move up to heavyweight. Will he be big enough? I think that Gwiazdowski would have world's more trouble with Cox than he would with a heavyweight like Telford. What I like overall is that the division is getting more athletic. NCAA wrestling is better when our heavyweights are moving around and scoring points.

COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK

By Brian W.

Regarding stalling at the college level, if it's going to be called more often (which I absolutely agree, as a high school and college official myself, needs to be done), one major thing needs to be done.

A great deal of power needs to be taken away from coaches in terms of who officiates their matches.

At all levels, coaches have way too much pull with assigners with regard to blackballing officials from their duals, or keeping them off their mats in tournaments. Should a coach have an assigner/commissioner as a recourse to vent frustrations and call attention to potential errors or issue? Of course, but to be able to say that a referee will not work your matches? It's cherry-picking your own guys on some level, and it also means that the referees who work the matches are very cognizant of not pissing off the wrong guy.

Has to stop, or else it's not going to get better.

By Clint W.

You had a few defensive pin topics/arguments in your mailbag as of late ... I have a rule that I feel would solve that inequity.

If you have control (i.e. are in the top position), a pin is one-second. All other positions, it is two seconds. This would eliminate the injustice when a superior wrestler gets touch falled on a roll-through or when scrambling, etc.

If you take somebody down to their back, you are awarded a two-point takedown before backs are counted, so this would not change that as you would have control, so this would just apply to scrambles and pins from the bottom position, which you should need to demonstrate an extra level of control for.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 4, 2014

Fri, 04 Apr 2014 07:49:10 +0000

By most accounts ESPN's coverage of the 2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships was the best-produced wrestling event in the history of the sport. Better than the 2014 World Cup, better than the 2013 NCAA Championships, better than the Big Ten Championships (even a touch better than Iowa Public Television's college wrestling events circa 1993). It was a major success for ESPN and wrestling fans around the world.

Tim Johnson and Adam Amin were on the call for ESPN during the finals of the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships

The internal metrics and social media feedback seem to support that otherwise subjective claim. According to ESPN, viewership of the championships jumped an incredible 39 percent from 2013 to 2014 and the feedback from fans at home varied from signing online letters of thanks to ESPN to what were solemn head nods of acknowledgement.

For a moment it seemed like the wrestling community felt something like contentment.

The veneer of universal gratitude was cracked on March 28 when Flowrestling's PR guy Nick Velliquette wrote an article that ran counter to the popular belief that ESPN had done a commendable job covering the NCAA Championships. The article was titled, "ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Sports? Not in Wrestling ..."

Writing contrarian articles is essential in journalism, and when done well can create vital discussion about commonly held beliefs. However, when poorly done the contrarian article often works to highlight the shortcomings of the author and, when applicable, supporting organization. When the author shoots aimlessly from uncertain ground the result can often be a self-inflicted wound.

From his perch at Flo, Velliquette took aim at the NCAA's production value with vacuous, unsubstantiated claims that the media giant lacked "excitement" and that during the course of their 30-plus hours of programming there were -- shock! -- some mistakes. Too dry, too bland, too un-Flo.

The article was panned in social media as being poorly written, nitpicky and just flat wrongheaded. But what the article -- and discussion surrounding the article -- really exposed was the growing frustration with the "bro culture" and growing disconnect between Flowrestling and their audience. The assault on ESPN came across more like the petulant tirade of the beauty pageant's first runner-up than it did an informative look at improving the coverage of our sport.

What Velliquette's article wanted to achieve was to earn a few extra clicks for Flo and to possibly move the media company into the "Hot Take!" business. Flo wants to be known as "wrestling" and the success of ESPN showed the fallibility of that claim, ostensibly prompting the site's response.

Velliquette and Flo have overestimated their role as the video production leader or thought leader in the sport of wrestling. Their entry into the national conversation suffered a mighty thud this week and seemed to betray an institutionalized Icarus complex, suffering from a fatal hubris that led them to address the wrestling community in a wanton and disrespectful manner.

Five years ago Flo's anti-authoritarian, anti-intellectualism landed with wrestling fans because they were rebelling against an often-static media landscape. Fans of the sport were willing to forgive the headbands, chewing tobacco and breathless screaming because the employees hustled to create content. They loved the sport and let it show.

But now that original wrestling-focused altruism has been replaced by feckless website management and an altogether disdain for spellcheck. Where at first there was a small army of volunteers providing shaky handycam footage of coaches talking hi-crotch crackdown defense, five years later there is a double premium service that provides mediocre quality videos (in comparison to ESPN) filled in part with content ripped from other sites and YouTube.

Today the Flo-to-customer relationship has matured from their original "never charge for content" missive to a fully monetized for-profit model. The altruism has died, and to a large extent that's totally fine. But as the business has grown the intellectual and professional attitudes of the company have failed to develop. There are constant complaints of billing difficulties, constant encroachment on media licensing and a general sense of entitlement that matches the 20-something bro-aesthetic.

Velliquette's article signaled that type of untethered institutional arrogance -- willing to compare themselves to an international broadcast channel without providing any content in the same cosmic zip code. Hubris at work, but since they are profitable and aligned with the interests of USA Wrestling, NWCA and the NCAA, the idea of becoming a bigger force in the marketplace is their idea to pursue. Just the same it's the right of other media to respond to Velliquette's claim and challenge them on their professionalism and quality of product.

What Velliquette and Flo will learn if they choose to continue with Hot Takes is that launching a wide-angled tirade against professional journalists from a position of power requires more than bro-speak and half-truths to convince the masses. Criticism requires a reputation, facts and hard work.

Wrestling has real journalists. I read Andy Hamilton, K.J. Pilcher and Jason Bryant every chance I get. They are some of the thought leaders and when they concentrate on assignment they let the facts guide their interpretation. Hamilton moved the discussion around stalling this year by researching his article on the dearth of scoring in the NCAA. I hopped on and have been pushing for change. Hamilton planted the idea in my head, and I'm happy to add to it as I can. That's what good journalism does. It informs by outlining problems with facts and then offers clear-headed solutions. It's not about throwing drunk haymakers to impress your bros.

The Flo article didn't move forward any new idea about ESPN. It only worked to expose the company's own set of NCAA coverage inaccuracies. The only substantive online discussion became their lack of professionalism and quality increasingly expensive service. As pointed out by Flo's own readers the ESPN coverage was more accurate, watchable and professional.

ESPN3 had a feature called "Off the Mat" during the finals

That's not a surprise. ESPN pays close to $40 million for the rights to broadcast several NCAA championships, including wrestling, and with that investment they provide an array of viewing options for the wrestling community on multiple free platforms. Flo provided poor quality footage shot by amateur cameraman, narrated by over-caffeinated announcers as interested in their own "Oh's" as they were the action on the mat. When it came time to lay down critiques, Velliquette not only fired blanks, but he did so against a company who'd outperformed his own.

The Flo crew works very, very hard. They are passionate bunch, and I don't doubt that to a person Nick, Christian, Joe, Mark, Willie, and Ryan are in this for the right reasons. I know that a healthy secondary market of video services will help wrestling grow, but the half-cocked M.O. and brashness has now tipped past inane and into offensive.

Flo simply can't compete with ESPN. The Worldwide Leader had dozens of cameras at the event, manned by grizzled sports vets who were supported by an array of super talented and professional employees with hundreds of years of sports production experience. Though Velliquette states that this year's NCAA's was done with "a crew that doesn't cover a single event" all year, ESPN does in fact cover other wrestling events. Earlier this year I was part of the broadcast team that covered the ACC Wrestling Championships in Blacksburg, Va., and saw first-hand how a professional broadcast is managed. That crew, myself included, worked on location in Oklahoma City.

The ESPN3 crew on-site was led by a sports producer with 30-plus years of big truck experience. He had only worked a dozen or so wrestling events, but to compensate for his lack of precise understanding he often asked for input from the experts. That's the opposite of hubris. That's modesty -- to be good enough in the mechanics of your employ to not have to overcompensate with emotion or fudge facts.

T.R. Foley and Shawn Kenney

My job as color commentator was simple, but ONLY because I had Shawn Kenney, a broadcast veteran with a huge future, leading the play-by-play. One of the most frustrating aspects of Velliquette's Hot Take was his ignorance of the skill and work put in by professional play-by-play announcers. Though I don't know much about Adam Amin, I do know that Kenney is the single most well-prepared professional broadcast journalist I've ever met, and I'm not exaggerating.

When I first met Kenney at the 2013 ACC Wrestling Championships he had several stacks of 5x7's and color-coded folders filled with back stories to help us fill the 10-plus hours of content. Kenney is from Iowa and knows wrestling, but to get involved in the ACC stories he'd watched previous matches (likely on Flo) and knew scores, coaches, athletes and storylines by memory. His work was near-brilliant.

And still, despite all that prep time he also found the confidence to NOT speak. He let the wrestling breathe and when the time was right he told fans about a wrestler's past, or their plans for the future. When the action got complicated he let me explain the technique. I'm not polished, but with his leadership -- and a voice that could soothe a Mother Grizzly suffering from postpartum depression -- I sounded intelligent. His hard work at those tournaments and efficacy in connecting with listeners landed him at the NCAA tournament. Work ethic and skill is rewarded by a professional organization and Kenney deserved better than to be belittled en masse by Velliquette.

If Flo wants to scream into the microphone while calling the 2014 Wyoming Middle School Wrestling Championships for the sake of proud grandmothers and 14-year-olds who found their parents' credit card, then that is their right. But taking unfounded shin kicks at the competition only opens them up for the type of criticism that starts as murmurs, but ends in shouts. I believe they can look at their own product and find a way to improve, but until then it's best to let the professionals take the lead.

Lol @ @trfoley's take on the ESPN article. Foley, ESPN's TV broadcast was bout as informative as your Grabbag or whatever it's called ????
— Nickolas Velliquette (@NickVelliquette) April 3, 2014

Post by Flowrestling.

To your questions ...

Q: Assuming that David Taylor got better between his junior and senior seasons, do you think that a senior David Taylor beats a senior Kyle Dake?
-- Philip M.

Foley: Tough to justify a David Taylor victory simply because he had one more year on the mats. Both he and Kyle Dake have been wrestling since they were knee-high to a pissing pot. Sure, another month matters, but it's just too ambitious to say that Taylor improved enough.

The duo's collegiate matches were as close as a wrestling match can get and I think I'd be devaluing Dake's performances in 2012-13 and the Magic Man's insane 2013-14 campaign if I bet on one side or the other.

But hey, we'll have the U.S. Open and U.S. World Team Trials where we might see these two get back at each other.

Q: How much weight does the typical Division I wrestler cut? How much weight does the typical MMA fighter cut?
-- B. H.

Foley: The main differences between the weight cutting habits of a Division I wrestler and an MMA fighter are time before competition and flexibility of the governing body overseeing the final weight.

In Division I, wrestling competitors weigh in two hours before a tournament and one hour before a dual meet. Most MMA organizations have night-before weigh-ins and often that means 30-plus hours of recovery. That time difference allows for much more recovery of the athlete and that translates to HUGE differences in weight cut.

There is no hard-and-fast rule when it comes to MMA fighters, but on average they are cutting up to 15 percent of their body weight in the week leading up to a fight. For a guy who fights at 185 pounds that means they will train at 215 pounds and then use a two-step weight-loss program, the second part of which is the accelerated sauna-based water cut for which you're probably familiar.

Wrestlers tend to cut significantly less weight. There is no recovering from a single-day crash cut of 15 pounds in time to wrestle with any level of fitness. Still, wrestlers at the Division I level tend to cut 5-10 percent of their body weight in the days leading up to a weigh-in.

When I was in school our training programs were in no way as year-round or as sophisticated as today's programs. When I wrestled 157 pounds I'd start the season at about 190 pounds of pudgy belly fat but with conditioning work could whittle that down to about 180 pounds by Oct. 1. The real practices started and we stopped boozing, which helped me get down to about 170 pounds by Nov. 1. To make hydration we'd make a single crash diet (like the MMA guys) and pass with ease. (Spoiler: Every wrestler cheats the hydration test, and mostly because it's a totally asinine way to determine how much a kid is cutting.) The first couple of weight cuts came from a combination of food and water restriction and often felt like they might be my death. Throughout the season I'd never get higher than about 164 pounds and that was because I was suffering from a terrible caloric restriction.

Things changed a bit my senior season. I grew a little more and because the NCAA had rear-ended me on my eligibility I was eating and drinking more heavily than normal. I was at the Cornell wrestling camp as an instructor, weighed in at 200 pounds, and immediately called my head wrestling coach to let him know that if I came back it would be at 165 pounds. To that point in my life it was the best decision I'd ever made.

At 165 pounds I was able to eat healthier, and was fortunate to have a better nutrition program. The water cut was no more than 5-7 pounds a tournament, which is what I think most wrestlers are now pulling per tournament.

Q: David Taylor was "only" a two-time NCAA champ and had three losses, but is he possibly the most dominant NCAA wrestler of all time with 125 out 136 victories earning bonus points? Has anyone else even come close to that metric?
-- Go H.

David Taylor (Photo/Rob Preston)

Foley: I'm not able to access the entire database, but none come to mind, although I'm told Yojiro Uetake Obata from Oklahoma State was basically unchallenged in the course of going undefeated and winning his three NCAA titles. His matches would often finish with 3-5 point gaps, but according to Lee Roy Smith, who runs the National Wrestling Hall of Fame in Stillwater, they were never matches.

Taylor was special because he was always trying to score. As we sit back and bemoan the riding time game in wrestling, we have to acknowledge that Taylor never rested on winning by a single point. He was always looking for a major decision, technical fall or fall. He's the type of wrestler we all want to be, and compared to Kyle Dake's fuzzy black and white outcome-focused version of wrestling, Taylor is an IMAX 3D Dolby Digital surround sound. He looks to entertain and enjoy.

That aggressiveness is what has endeared him to fans. He's "only" a two-time champion, but in a time and space where doing less has been rewarded he was an outlier. He was a wrestler looking to dominate.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Time to unionize!

Borislav Novachkov knocks off an Olympic champion

Women's World Cup HL -- They can wrestle!

Power of sport

Q: This question may sound absurd, but allow me to back it up. Do you think the Olympics removing wrestling turned out to be a good thing for the sport? First it forced wrestling to change some rules to make it more exciting (at least in the international disciplines). Second, it caused an increase in support from everyone. So is this increase in popularity related to the removal from the Olympics?
-- Tyler M.

Foley: There is no question that in terms of popularity, improvement of the governance and improvement of product the elimination of wrestling from the Olympics was a HUGE gift.

I wrote this a few months ago, but when I was in Krasnoyarsk for the Ivan Yarygin tournament, Buvaisar Saitiev was telling people that their gym in Krasnoyarsk had DOUBLED in enrollment in the 209 days of the Save Olympic Wrestling movement. Moms and dads of these little Russian bears (and American cowboys) were forced to consider the actual value of sport, and specifically the value of wrestling. For most the evaluation ended with an acknowledgement that it builds strong men and women.

Wrestling spent upwards of $10 million on the Save Olympic Wrestling campaign, but what the upheaval did to eliminate corruption within FILA and improve the rules -- which we now see are MUCH more exciting that collegiate -- ended up being priceless.

That doesn't mean that we should go through it again. Once was enough to learn our lesson.

Right?

Q: At this point, less than a whole week after the 2014 NCAAs finished up, who are your NCAA finalists in each weight class and your top five team finishers in 2015?
-- Nick M.

Foley: This all depends on the rule changes in the offseason. If riding time, stalling and out of bounds are amended then this will need to be updated. But assuming that a more aggressive style of the sport will be called ...

125: Jesse Delgado (Illinois) vs. Thomas Gilman (Iowa)
133: A.J. Schopp (Edinboro) vs. Cory Clark (Iowa)
141: Logan Stieber (Ohio State) vs. Devin Carter (Virginia Tech)
149: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. Hunter Stieber (Ohio State)
157: James Green (Nebraska) vs. Dylan Ness (Minnesota)
165: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. Nick Sulzer (Virginia)
174: Taylor Massa (Michigan) vs. Bob Kokesh (Nebraska)
184: Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. Max Thomusseit (Pittsburgh)
197: J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)
285: Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. Mike McMullan (Northwestern)

Top five teams: 1. Iowa 2. Penn State 3. Ohio State 4. Minnesota 5. Oklahoma State

Q: My friends and I have been talking about who the best guys are that never won a title. Some names that come up are Tyrone Lewis, Sam Hazewinkel, Nick Simmons, and Montell Marion.
-- Sean M.

Foley: All those names sound delightful. I would add Daniel Cormier.

COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK

By Jared H.

Now that it is the end of the college wrestling season, what are your thoughts on the flash takedown? There were many instances of it not being called, as well as it being called wrong (in regards to the video the NCAA issued prior to conference tournaments). My issue with it is that it gets called a takedown and immediately whatever 'control' there was is lost in a nanosecond and an escape is awarded, then another flash takedown is scored. OKC saw this happen quite often. On a side note, two defensive falls the first day in OKC then never seen again. Consistency and the balls to call stalling are lacking. I own a rule book. I understand the objectiveness of the stall call. But just inform the coaches prior to the match that you will in fact call it as it is in the book.

By Dan B.

Regarding Ohio State AD Gene Smith receiving $18,000 for Logan Stieber winning an NCAA title ... Is this an opportunity for USA Wrestling to take advantage of considering the national attention the story has received? It really wasn't about Logan Stieber, more of an AD's personal gain off of an individual that he had no effect upon. But our sport is still in the spotlight. Currently, USA Wrestling compensates athletes who succeed internationally and this may sound really odd considering how opposed everyone is to Smith's contract, but what if USA Wrestling gave every AD who had a national champion $18,000? It would "only" be $180,000 a year (yes, it is always easy to spend other people's money so the logistics might not be as doable) or less if you capped it for multiple champs. Hire a PR firm to spin the money as a fight against Title IX's current enforcement and an effort to save the sport. Would that be an incentive for AD's of lower-level programs to keep wrestling when budget cuts come around? Make the payments public knowledge so ADs may feel pressure to give the money to the school, but give it to them nonetheless. How many programs have been cut even though they produced individual champions? Perhaps a personal incentive would have altered their thinking. I have to believe Trev Alberts might not have cut UNO's wrestling program if he had such an incentive given that program's success at the Division II level. Would Boston U's AD thought a little longer? I realize the answer may be no and it could have no effect, but it could also turn a bad story's focus back onto wrestling.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 28, 2014

Fri, 28 Mar 2014 06:50:13 +0000

Logan Stieber stepped off the mat Saturday night in Oklahoma City as one of only four men to have won three straight NCAA titles and still be in pursuit of a fourth. It's an incredible individual accomplishment that's worthy of celebration and long-winded odes to Stieber's psychological and physical makeup. The boy can flat out roll and there is no hyperbole in any description of his toughness.

That's exactly why Ohio State's athletic director Gene Smith deserved every penny of the $18,000 he was awarded for Stieber's victory.

Non sequitur? Exactly.

Logan Stieber's NCAA title put $18k in Gene Smith's pocket (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Stiebergate gained notoriety in the mainstream media largely because all of the NCAA's lecherous business practices are under increased scrutiny across the country. Northwestern football players are unionizing, Ed O'Bannon has cracked the NCAA's grip on images and rights, and the fabric and old-timey mysticism of amateurism is fraying at the edges. Meanwhile a young wrestler with battered ears and missing a tooth wins an NCAA title, but only the AD gets a pay bump?

I agree with the argument that the athletic director of a Division I institution is in charge of making mega-moves that influence the wins and losses of a team. The job of the athletic director is to hire the correct coach, create an "environment that breeds success" and raise some tax-free dollars from well-to-do suburban alumni.

That's their job, and like the CEO of a major company the AD is only judged by output. In the case of the CEO that's stock price and profit, and for the AD that's wins, losses and number of NCAA sanctions levied in a single year. The only real difference between the CEO and the AD is that the CEO must pay his employees for their labor before he can ever benefit from his strategy. The AD just employees their overseers.

Stiebergate struck a funny-bone with fans because it corrupted the suspended reality many fans and supporters had created when analyzing the NCAA and its arguments for the validity of amateurism. Until Stieber the popular belief was that Coach is God and that he can replace any one unit and get the same results. If the AD is worth his chedda' then he hires good coaches who in turn recruit good players. "Remember, Son! No one athlete is bigger than the team!"

Coach Tom Ryan might've been instrumental in Stieber's success, but his leadership then should have guided the team to an NCAA title. If the Buckeyes win the 2015 NCAA title you can see how Smith would be incentivized. He was GENIUS for keeping Tom Ryan, right? But is he responsible for the actions of a single wrestler? What did Smith have to do with anything that happened Saturday night? Nada. Zip. Zilch. The direct actions of an unpaid 23-year-old earned a professional man an $18,000 bump in pay. It's filthy, and I need to shower.

Logan Stieber is an individual athlete who has bled for his three NCAA titles. He has stood up in the middle of 20,000 people wearing nothing but a thin piece of gray, shiny lycra and asked the nation to throw out their best. He's been triumphant three times, and yet it was Smith, tucked away somewhere watching basketball who checked his bank account's mobile app and noticed the window.

Direct Deposit: NCAA Championship, Logan Stieber, $18,000.00

Wonder if Smith ever looked into using their transfer function on his Chase account? I'm sure Logan wouldn't mind replacing the tooth he lost in pursuit of Smith's blood money with some more substantial. But then again, you can't buy a bagel for a kid who's lost his father so looks like it's one less tooth until graduation.

To your questions ...

Q: 1. Instant replay is used way too much.

2. Overtime needs to change. Rideouts are no fun and I don't necessarily see riding a guy for 11 seconds versus 9 seconds as a victory.

3. Stalling is getting out of hand. It's not one person or one team. Everybody does it. They need to start hitting guys for stalling and doing it right away.

Am I just exaggerating these problems or does everybody notice them? What do you think?
-- Ryan R.

Foley: These are concerns that I'm hearing again and again and again, by fans, wrestlers and coaches.

Instant replay was bad last year, but reached a new level of momentum-crushing terribleness this past weekend in OKC. There were three, yes THREE, reviews issued in the first two minutes of the 125-pound match between Jesse Delgado and Nahshon Garrett. Yes, there was rolling around, but at no time was there evidence that Delgado did anything but fight his normal fight.

The logic of the Cornell coaching staff seemed to be that if they had the challenges they might as well use them early. A single takedown could mean the momentum and the match. The only problem is that they used two and with the additional referee challenge in a three-minute first period which suddenly gobbled up 10 minutes of real world time. It feels like the older brother who pushes the RESET button every time you scored first in Super Tecmo Bowl. The review system is supposed to not interfere with the pace of the wrestling, but in this situation it completely changed the composition of the match.

Other coaches this past weekend seemed to use the challenge as an injury timeout without the consequences. Some even used it at the end of the match when a call was clear, hoping that somewhere in the video replay will be something that could cause sufficient doubt. It's a Hail Mary, but wrestlers aren't known for quitting. We're still fighting Title IX, aren't we?

Maybe the coaches should recognize that the tournament success rate was only 8.5 percent, or 4 out of 47 challenges issued. Those are terrible odds, and odds that make me think there should be fewer and an in-match limitation on the number of calls allowed to be challenged. New rules need to reflect the increase in calls or else next year we can suspect more challenges and more in-match dithering.

Like the NFL, a simple rule has been mutated to the point where more rules need to be implemented in order to avoid corruption. Maybe it's better to simply eliminate the review?

As you pointed out the ride-time criteria has changed the entire ethos of wrestling. What was once a battle for domination has become the ability to get up by a fraction of differential and then try to game the referees into not being able to call stalling. It's not as much fun for the wrestlers or the fans.

Q: You often suggest takedown-only tournaments as an exciting alternative that will drive fan demand. Based on the NCAA Championships I'm not so sure. Isn't there just as much of a possibility that the fans are turned off by wrestlers who never engage their opponents and only respond with counters and funk (e.g. Delgado)? I think the solution has to involve awarding points for initiating offense. Obviously, it introduces subjectivity but it's clearly what the fans want to see. Thoughts?
-- Bryan R.

Foley: I don't see takedown-only events as taking the place of American folkstyle, freestyle or even Greco-Roman. In my grand vision I think takedown-only tournaments would be an addition to our current offering that would allow higher levels of participation and increase the fun-quotient among part-time competitors. Also, the rules would be based in the touching of either the elbow, knee or hip to the ground -- all of which would eliminate the new jiu-jitsu scrambles that popped up this year.

Takedown-only should be part of a fair-like experience that welcomes any and all takers. There could be a national champion and with work a nice little subculture of athletes could emerge. There are a million places to take this variety of the sport, but it'll take hard work and some solid salesmanship.

The real question is whether or not AD Gene Smith would agree to help us manage the project. For a fee, of course, it's always about that skrilla!

Q: I heard Columbia endowed their second assistant position and now their entire staff is funded (genius, btw). Upon learning the news that Boston had an endowment, were any additional safeguards put in place there?
-- Frank C.

Foley: The safeguard is that they've raised a $6 million endowment and bring in more than $100k a year. When it comes down to it they don't cost Columbia a dime and with a coach like Carl Fronhofer and freakazoids like Steve Santos they are doing enough on the mat to keep the administration happy.

No word on if the AD gets paid for every endowment the program raises, but I bet Super AD Smith gets a 20 percent finder's fee!

Q: Lots of fan response to your last mailbag bemoaning the lack of offense. Last year, FILA finally woke up after the IOC tried to drop wrestling from the Olympics. FILA changed the freestyle and Greco-Roman rules to make the sport more exciting for the spectators. Thank you, Nenad Lalovic!

Who in college wrestling is going to stand up and be the one to lead the charge to make the college sport more exciting for its spectators and save it from extinction?
-- JM

Foley: The problem with NCAA wrestling is that there is no centralized body to make all these changes, whereas with FILA, for better or worse, there is an executive committee and a bureau to help make decisions.

We know about the NCAA committee that makes recommendations and the referees who influence the manner in which rules are interpreted, but the flow of information between those committees and the leadership needed to direct change is fairly opaque. I have no idea who comes up with a full rule change and who directs when calls need to be improved. There are guesses, but I'm mostly left wondering who holds the power (outside of the ADs of course).

The NCAA wrestling tournament was a bit more exciting than I expected, but there were still some awfully boring matches. Much of that can be blamed on the rideouts, which have incentivized wrestlers to slow the pace and play for overtime. Referees haven't been calling stalling nearly enough and the four-point stance is about to kill the sport, or I'm about to kill the four-point stance.

Though the committee has proven as susceptible to criticism as AD Smith, it's the referees who also NEED to call more stalling from top and possibly even appeal to have the riding time point eliminated altogether. To be clear, the riding time point was established as a passive means for an in-match tiebreaker and prevent extra overtimes. Then, in 2002, guys like Jesse Jantzen started with the half-ride tilts, which eventually morphed into aggressive SADDLING like we saw with J.P. O'Connor. Soon the ride-time point wasn't a difference maker in a high-scoring match. It was a third of all points in a low-scoring snoozefest.

I also think we should ask AD Smith if he has any ideas. It's possible we'll have to pay for that type of gold-assured input, but my god it's worth it. He's led Logan Stieber to three NCAA championships!

No more #snoreride. #instalegend

Q: With all the recent complaints regarding the rideout and the Delgado-style wrestling (see last week's mailbag), how's this proposal? Folkstyle adopts the one-point pushout. I think you'd see a lot less overtime, a lot less double overtime, and a lot less stalling. For example, under the current rules, in the Big Ten finals Delgado ran to the edge of the mat in the third overtime. Megaludis pushes him out; give Mega a point. Match over. This doesn't solve riding or stalling, but I think limits stalling and overtime. Thoughts?
-- Mark K.

Foley: I love the pushout rule. Again, college wrestling's mysterious overseers did get together to try and solve the lack of scoring. Their solutions have been the flash takedown and an increase to the size of the mat. The idea was that the action never stops, but if there is a boundary that lacks consequence it will always be a matter of getting to the edge. As they could before, defensive wrestlers can force action to the edge of the mat and wait to shoot or defend, only now they can score from ridiculous positions like front head cradles.

Pushouts make sense to common fans and wrestle-heads alike. Instead of everything is in, making everything out and award points for getting your opponent to breach that zone. There are sure to be plenty of consequences, but I guarantee there would be less backpedaling at the end of match and way, way fewer ties. The matches would also go faster because wrestling would happen in the middle of the mat with the clock running.

For those of you who think this is just like sumo, it's not. But if it were ... AWESOME. Have you seen sumo? It's the biggest sport of the world's second-largest economy! Still, lighter weight wrestlers in 30-foot circles shouldn't let someone push them around the mat. They should be able to stand their ground. And when someone is pushing in too hard they are met with pass-bys and shucks. For every move there is a countermove, for every offensive strategy, a better defense.

The new mats are too big and the risks are too high. Too many heavyweights are going to double overtime and too many small guys are in their three-point stances. Incentivize action. Don't try to democratize the sport by making every surface imaginable up for competition. Limit the competition surface and make the guys do what they've been training to do since their AD inspired them to greatness: wrestle.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

They might be out-of-touch with their stance on amateurism, but this is one heck of a video. Well done, Oz.

Fun 26-minute episode of Wrestling TV that recaps the action from the Men's Freestyle World Cup and gives the full Iran vs. Russia match.

To quote every college girl in America, "I just can't handle ..."

Q: This is for those who did not watch the World Cup. You missed out. A lot of fuss has been made lately about the lack of action at the college level (rightly so). If you're sick of boring matches then you better have tuned in to the World Cup. There were many great matches (not just those the good ol USA wrestled) and I was on the edge of my seat for the Iran vs. USA dual. The skill level and the increased action has made the international style a great product. Time to buy in folks.
-- Erik B.

Foley: Exactly. See the above video for confirmation!

Q: What's your opinion on Mike Evans' possible defensive fall against Chris Perry in the NCAA semifinals? Regardless, how can refs catch the defensive falls more effectively (for example, the refs blew the call when Matt Brown had, in my opinion, a defensive fall against Chris Perry in the PSU-OSU dual)?
-- Mark K.

Was it a fall?

Foley: I think that it's as much about calling it evenly as it is "catching" the defensive fall. Was Perry stuck? Almost certainly. Was he OK to not get called? Sure. That's the nature of a defensive fall, there has to be another extra heartbeat for the referee to call it in any match, much less one of that magnitude.

To be more effective there needs to be a better technical understanding of what is and is not control from the funk position. We've gotten way too lost in our interpretations of the rules. Things like dropping to a single leg need to be called immediate escapes. When someone rolls around overtop and they get caught for more than a few swipes of the leg it's time to start calling backpoints and looking for the fall. What's going on out there is as much jiu-jitsu as it is wrestling, and when the ankles and knees start getting locked up the idea of control is lost.

Let me check with Gene Smith and get back to you with some ideas. You don't happen to have a few extra buck(eyes) laying around do you?

COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK

By Jeff N.

I am sure some of this is already on your mind or you've already ran it down. My thoughts on the effect of seeding out to 16 vs. only seeding 12. Many predicted that there would be less unseeded guys to place.

Double check my math but only comparing to last year:
2013: 8 unseeded All-Americans
2014: 6 unseeded All-Americans

13-16 seeds that placed in 2014: 6

In theory if they hadn't seeded out to 16, there would've been 12 unseeded All-Americans.

My take: it is irrelevant. The fact that the seeding "system" is not only inconsistent but arbitrary makes all the nonsense revolving around it "much ado about nothing."

It affects matchups only. If you can't beat them all then you shouldn't be crowned the champ. If you need a select path to win it, then you really don't deserve to win. Bottom line is champions get it done and All-Americans earn their spots as well.

By Dave C.

I've been following wrestling for years. At the Big Tens I was very disappointed in the amount of stalling I saw in most all the matches. My opinion? It's killing the sport. I thought the officials were going to be more aggressive than during the dual meet season but there was only a slight dial-up in warnings. I don't recall any stalling points being handed out. Maybe there were one or two cases. I think it would really improve the sport if they instituted two changes. Like international competition, they should have pushouts be one point to the aggressor. And officials absolutely have to hand out more stalling calls, not just warnings but awarding points to the aggressor, and if necessary in the waning seconds of a match. When fans are literally screaming at officials, it's frustrating that in many cases the fans see what the referees apparently don't. What are your thoughts on this? Also, fleeing the mat to avoid a takedown should not be a warning, it should be a point awarded to the opponent.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 14, 2014

Fri, 14 Mar 2014 06:54:16 +0000

When the NCAA announced their seeds on Wednesday night, the response around the country was the same.

"Why?"

Though the NCAA refused to return my emails or engage in a public debate we have to assume that their logic was similar to that of a disinterested mother dealing with the begging of a hyperactive child.

"Because I said so. That's why."

From Kyven Gadson's insulting No. 5 seed at 197 pounds to the utterly inexplicable No. 8 seed handed to Nebraska's T.J. Dudley, and the rear-ending of Jason Tsirtsis at 149 pounds, it's obvious that in the NCAA's race for objectivity, they forgot to act rational.

The NCAA does a good job monitoring the pasta consumption of athletes, but like all bureaucratic bodies it entrusts the wrong people with making decisions that impact those lives most directly. Should we be placing the future competitiveness to an amalgam of overworked head coaches and bleary-eyed administrators? Should someone who has a passing knowledge of the sport's rules and history be given the right to seed 330 wrestlers just because they work within the NCAA? I've watched some of the biggest movies of the year, but that doesn't mean I should have an Oscar vote.

I have no doubt that each committee member is a good person with the best of intentions. Administering college athletics is a challenging profession that requires wit and hard work. But the gripe isn't with the personalities or professionalism of the members, but in the bureaucracy and innate arrogance of the institution that forces these members to make decisions for which they are unprepared or ill-equipped.

The entire process has been turned into numbers and odd little rankings systems, none of which is made public. Then rules are made to ensure "fairness," ostensibly the primary objective is achieved.

Wrestling is about more than numbers and no matter how many formulas they create there is subjectivity inherent in both making the formulas and ranking them in importance. The NCAA has therefore concluded that bad decisions made with a tenuous connection to plausible deniability (and the certainty of one's own objectivity), is more virtuous than making the correct decision through a system that admits subjectivity but is displayed in honest terms.

It takes an immense amount of arrogance to think that your organization is the only one capable of objective decision-making. That mentality shows disdain and disrespect for the fans, coaches and media that support the sport. Get Andrew Hipps, Jason Bryant, Earl Smith and Christian Pyles in a room and have them hash out their own seeds. There will be blood, but I know for CERTAIN that they aren't going to drop Kyven Gadson four spots because their formula said so. That type of automated CYA decision-making comes from years of mechanized incompetency inside a bureaucratic infrastructure fundamentally flawed by the incessant reminder of amateurism's virtuosity.

The simple truth is that the members of the committee themselves aren't to blame. They closed the door one afternoon, ran some numbers, had a quick chat and then emerged a few hours later with a document. That's the job they were assigned and they fulfilled their duty.

The fallout from the worst seeded bracket in NCAA history? Nada. The principals don't carry the weight of the decision, but the student-athletes that helped propel them up on bureaucratic depth chart do. These wrestlers lose sleep. They're the ones who are wronged. This isn't basketball where a team might lose a seed and get put in a tough region. There are dozens of players and lots of stats. Wrestling is pure and when you seed the tournament, you aren't seeding a collection of jerseys and missed free throws. You're ranking a man's accomplishments and failures. You're measuring his worth.

Though the NCAA flubbed, the real beauty of wrestling is that on March 20 none of the seeds will matter to the tough young men who are taking the mat. They'll have learned the lesson that life and institutions aren't fair, and they'll prove themselves wrestlers by taking advantage of the opportunity to be in the room and fight for their title, regardless of bureaucracy and incompetence.

"Why?"

"Because they're wrestlers, that's why."

To your questions (you all asked the same three) ...

Q: What are your thoughts on the recent style of defending champ Jesse Delgado? Watching the Big Ten tournament, Cory Clark and Nico Megaludis consistently got in on his legs only for Delgado to literally dive for the other foot and hang on for dear life. He showed no offense or seeming desire to attack. For a guy who has an exciting offense, this is a negative way to win matches. The crowd and his opponents were clearly frustrated by his newfound tactics.
-- Dave A.

Jesse Delgado defeated Nico Megaludis to claim his second straight Big Ten title (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

Foley: Jesse Delgado can wrestle on his feet. He's quick as a hiccup and fights for offensive positions. However, over the past year he's turned off the spigot to his attacks. He's become a dawdler on his feet who is most interested in getting the chance to test out his Buck 'em Bronco techniques.

I get it.

Like all wrestlers, Delgado wants more than anything to win. To do so he has adapted to rules and created a style that gets him the most number of victories. He has the right to wrestle how ever he wants within the rules, and since the rules no longer reward aggression or penalize defense tactics, he's smart to find his keys to victory.

The problem is nationwide. Wrestlers are no longer looking to dominate through toughness or aggression. They are looking to squeak by with tactics. That's not a sellable product, and if left unchanged it'll kill the sport.

Q: I'd rather watch pigs fornicate than stare blankly at another 2-1 OT victory. Also, how does escaping sooner in the second tiebreaker period somehow mean that you have asserted your dominance and "beaten" your opponent? Seriously? See Delgado-Megaludis for a perfect example of this ridiculous criteria. So much is wrong with the current rules. Stalling is incentivized as a winning tactical method. What can they realistically do to force the action and make wrestling watchable again? I want to see overtime with no time on the clock and two guys in neutral battling it out until someone scores. Thoughts?
-- Patrick S.

Foley: Though I prefer to eat my swine rather than watching them reproduce little slivers of bacon, I can agree that there is no worse pain than watching two talented humans not use their given talents.

The 30-second rideout is stupid. It's dumb. But in a system that can't solve issues on the feet, it's the only possible tiebreaker available. And just so we're clear, I do think that the international rules are far superior in this regard. I love top wrestling when it's tilts and pins, but when it's one guy seeing how long he can bite and ankle I lose all interest.

The great tragedy of this season has been we have arguably the most talented field in NCAA history, but a set of rules that leaves us wondering what sport we are watching.

If I see one more side headlock from top in the 30-second rideout, I'm going to punt a puppy into Lake Michigan.

It's simple: The rideout has become so valuable that it makes the entire match valueless. What is so incredible about holding down an opponent when you START ON THEIR BACK?

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

2014 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships Promo

Q: With the World Cup going on this weekend in LA, give me one badass freestyle wrestler to keep an eye on who is not from the United States.
-- Mike C.

Foley: There are a lot of guys to watch. I'm in Los Angeles for the World Cup and walking through the lobby of the team hotel I've run into several World and Olympic champions. The talent is probably the best to ever attend a World Cup and that's without Russia's Otarsultanov and Gatslov who both couldn't make the trip.

For my money it will be fun to watch Jordan Burroughs hit the mats, and to see what Nick Marable can do at 70 kilos. It will also be interesting to see how Tervel Dlagnev starts up another year on the mats. He's not young and with heavyweights when it goes, it's gone.

Internationally I'd watch out for the Mongolian lightweights, especially Batbold Nomin at 57 kilos and Ganzorig Mandakhnaran at 65 kilos. With the upper weights you can see some incredible stuff from defending 84-kilo World champion and 85-kilo World No. 1 Ibragim Aldatov of Ukraine.

COMMENT(S) OF THE WEEK

By John B.

I just watched the Big Ten tournament finals during which three wrestlers, Jesse Delgado, Nick Heflin, and Tony Nelson were allowed to win titles without ever initiating any offense. Surely there must be a way to put an end to this type of folkstyle wrestling before the boredom it produces kills the sport. What are your ideas for a solution? Clearly the referees do not want to have this happen but they seem unable to make the call. For example in the Heflin match all we heard from the official was "keep working" with Heflin going unwarned.

Is it possible to better define stalling by rule to make it easier and quicker to be called? Maybe the second official could count "action initiation moves" with stalling being called on the passive wrestler after a certain number of these moves with no corresponding moves from the offender? Double stalling if neither wrestler initiates action within a certain time period? Something must change to prevent wrestlers from simply blocking off attacks and waiting for an opponent's mistake and usually ending the first period at 0-0.

If a solution is found for wrestling on their feet, we might then look at solutions for mat wrestling where riding to build riding time rather than turn the opponent is prevalent along with curling up on the bottom to avoid the risk of being turned.

By Tim J.

Agree one-hundred with your tweet about the first two matches at the Big Tens having no takedowns. NCAA wrestling is soooo boring. I try to take my girlfriend and younger kids to matches and have them watch it on TV, but I can barely watch it so they hate it after a couple minutes. It's basically come down to be all defense in first period, ride guy in second by dropping down on leg, getting a riding point, and then an escape in the third. Mason Beckman at Lehigh, Chris Perry at Oklahoma State, and Jesse Delgado at Illinois are the worst. I wish people would start calling them out non-stop.

Without Taylor and Ruth next year, how will the Big Ten finals be? Talk about watching a pile of crap.

By Mr. Juice

I feel like letting out a Chewbacca style rrroooaarrrrrr when I hear and read that the National Duals are key to our sport's growth. The National Duals, from a fan's (and former wrestler) perspective, feels "forced." Crowds that attended the Big Tens and other conference championships want to be there and show up to root their teams on. They know how our sport works. No matter how aggressively the National Duals events are promoted, attendance, interest, etc. will not be there. The results in these conference tournaments are key to seeding, as we all know. But for growth of audience, interest, etc., shouldn't we celebrate the uniqueness of each conference more? Celebrate and promote the unique coaching styles within each? And how these styles, victories, and defeats in each conference lead to the most spectacular tournament in the country? Isn't the obvious best path to simply promote our existing system better? Push for an entire afternoon of wrestling coverage on TV compiled from a variety of conference matches. This amplifies audience metrics and opens doors to sponsorship/advertising opportunities beyond "wrestling products." FYI: The Big Ten Wrestling Championships production/matches were fantastic this year.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 7, 2014

Fri, 07 Mar 2014 08:25:47 +0000

The Division I conference tournaments this week start Saturday and for fans of the sport this means the start of March Matness. Be sure to interact with each other on Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #D1Wrestle. With any luck we can all create good content and get more fans interested in the sport.

Good luck to all the wrestlers, and for anyone interested in the ACC tournament you can catch me live on the ESPN3 broadcast starting Saturday at 10 a.m. ET.

Q: Devin Carter is going to wrestle at the ACC championships after tearing his hamstring at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational in December?? WHAAAT? Can you elaborate on your thoughts about the decision, from the wrestler's, coach's and fan's point of view? Also can you give us some insight about medical redshirts?
-- Curtis H.

Virginia Tech's Devin Carter won a gold medal at the 2013 Dave Schultz Memorial against senior level wrestlers (Photo/Larry Slater)

Foley: Devin Carter's return is remarkable. Unless there is some unforeseen exaggeration of injury, it seems like the Virginia native just used the grit and determination he's utilized on the mat to bring along his recovery. His improvement is dramatic, but we've yet to see his results.

Medical redshirts aren't difficult to receive if you meet the criteria. Wrestlers can now compete in 20 percent of team dates (3) and still apply for the hardship waiver as long as their last competition is before the midway point of the season. Unfortunately for Carter he wrestled in five competitions within the 16-date season, making him ineligible for a medical redshirt.

That knowledge definitely forced the All-American wrestler to hurry his recovery. Doctors gave him the go-ahead, but until he steps on the mat in live conditions with glory at stake, it's difficult to know how his repair will hold up.

For fans it's an exciting plot line and for the coaches a reason to be hopeful that one of yours will find the podium. For Carter it's the opportunity to compete during all four years of eligibility, and for any wrestler all you want is the chance to compete and be given the chance to win an NCAA title.

Q: Who is the most underrated (or underappreciated) Division I assistant wrestling coach?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Assistant coaches have a lot in common with schoolteachers. They are typically underpaid and almost always underappreciated. When some do get recognized, it's for what they do working under a successful head coach and program. I'm glad you asked the question, because assistant coaches are the foot soldiers of college wrestling.

The guys that toil for little pay and less appreciation are everywhere. When a program finds success the credit is almost always given to the head coach. That's fair, and that's life, but I promise you that from Central Michigan to Drexel to Oregon State, there are at least three dozen assistant coaches that if given the opportunity to showcase their leadership would impress wrestling fans with their success.

To name a few would only add to the heartache of others, and trust me these guys are going through enough horse manure on a daily basis (NCAA regulations, recruiting call logs, fundraising events) that what they are there to do seems like a treat -- wrestler's concerns, technique development, scouting.

There is plenty of great young talent across the country and all of them deserve our appreciation.

Q: I listened to a recent interview with Cornell coach Rob Koll, and he was asked about youth wrestling. I thought something he said was pretty interesting. "What do you call a 6-year-old Tulsa World champion when he is 16? A former wrestler." While I certainly see the value in having elite clubs and national events for development, it seems as though there is too much emphasis put on competition results at a young age, which can lead to all sorts of problems down the road. My opinion is that a wrestler shouldn't start competing until he/she is at least 10 years old. Do you have an opinion on this?
-- Mike C.

Foley: There does seem to be a shift in how Americans think about the development of youth wrestlers, and on-average it's for the better.

Wrestling is tough. When equally matched with an opponent wrestlers are pushed to their limits, and often times they break. There are limits to learning, to endurance and to toughness, and when we push pre-pubescent boys into a sport with rules that are meant for MEN, then we aren't developing good wrestlers, or good citizens.

When boys reach puberty they often deserve to have their butt kicked every other day. The pubescent boy is a nightmare, but when given a humbling and challenging experience like wrestling they can often see that their immortality and invincibility have limits. They recognize that they aren't invincible, but also that if they work hard, they can be a touch more bulletproof.

That psyche shouldn't exist for a third-grader. Life is brief and at times difficult and childhood is our opportunity to see the fun of existence. We are meant to try several sports and hobbies, mature our natural tendencies to a passion and hobby that will keep us maturing throughout life. Wrestling can be that for some kids, but not all kids.

En masse most kids don't want to drill for 90 minutes and get screamed at for their technique. They want to play, dream, and hang out with their friends. They're kids, and that should be their only concern.

Koll is one-hundred percent correct. Youth tournament culture is out of whack right now. Guys like Jake Herbert and Andy Hrovat understand that to engage children in wrestling you need to make it fun and the competitions need to be skills based, not contests of heart and desire between 8-year-olds in baggy single pieces of spandex.

Q: Would the dual meet championship be a better idea if the Big Ten wasn't such a dominant conference? If you're Iowa, you have to wrestle that conference schedule and you always wrestle Oklahoma State every year. Then you're asked to beat everyone again in one weekend, and the fans are asked to fill an arena for duals they've already seen.

I've been a supporter of a dual meet championship I think largely since I'm from Michigan where the dual state championship is a huge success here. We actually need a larger venue since they started seeding the finals. Making the finals extremely exciting. Of course, there isn't one conference that just dominates the landscape.
-- Tom B.

Foley: Wrestling is growing in unique ways, and largely from the power of regional schools that can attract to dual meets. This season's dual meet between Pitt and Penn State was the highest attendance ever recorded for a college wrestling dual meet with 15,996 fans showing up to watch their teams compete. Those are real numbers between regional rivals, one from the ACC and one from the Big Ten.

NCAA National Duals will be implemented and they will work. Fans will engage with the product and the sport will be more popular than ever with passive fans. We just need to find the motivation to move forward and take a chance on the quality of our product.

The Big Ten might dominate, but it might not. We won't know until we try.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Welp, so much for women not being tough enough to be on the same mats as boys ...

Q: Who do you think from this year's senior class will transition best into either international Wrestling or MMA/UFC? I see the likes of David Taylor & Andrew Howe as destined for the Olympics, while someone with the killer cross face capability of Ed Ruth (there's an alliteration for you) would do great things in MMA. Your thoughts?
-- Curtis H.

Foley: I really like David Taylor to grow into an 86-kilo wrestler that can compete for a World title. Taylor has the flexibility and is creative enough to compete with the Russians, Turks and Japanese. I know he's not that size yet, but as he grows he'll retain his original style and speed. I'm very hopeful he'll be competing for a spot by 2016.

As for the UFC, I want to see Kevin Steinhaus give the cage a try. Obviously, Ed Ruth would be an attractive recruit for many MMA gyms, but I'm not certain he's looking in that direction.

If you want to find the next fighter look to the schools that have created the most over the past several years: Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Arizona State, Penn State, Minnesota and the California programs. The idea of fighting is becoming more popular, but most young guys need the extra push, or the introduction in order to make the decision to pursue a life in the cage instead of a life in the office.

Q: Below is a list of Big Ten wrestlers that would not (or at least should not) really surprise anyone if they won their respective weight class. If they run the table, would it be a first in NCAA history that a conference sweeps the NCAA championships?

125: Jesse Delgado, Nico Megaludis, Cory Clark
133: Tony Ramos
141: Logan Stieber, Zain Retherford
149: Nick Dardanes
157: Isaac Jordan, James Green, Derek St. John
165: Possibly that Taylor kid from Penn State
174: Robert Kokesh, Matt Brown
184: Ed Ruth
197: Morgan McIntosh, Nick Heflin
285: Any one of them
-- Jason R.

Foley: I think you're being mighty wishful at 149, 174 and 197, but otherwise you've got a nice lineup for NCAAs. There have been years where it got close, but in the modern era no conference has swept the NCAA individual titles.

Q: The UFC is on the fringe of being a big-time sport among casual fans. In your mind, do you think the UFC would be easier to swallow for those potential fans if Dana White didn't have such an abrasive, outspoken personality? Dana seems like he often speaks what's on his mind without thinking of the possible ramifications. You don't see Roger Goodell or Bud Selig going on profanity-laced tirades, but those sports are well-established in our culture. If Dana played it closer to the vest, would we see any increase in fandom or support from the ESPNs of the world?
-- Curt H.

Dana White at UFC press conference (Photo/InterMat Staff)

Foley: I believe that White is smart, generous and the sport's biggest fan, but I also think he enjoys putting on the act of being a tough guy to help bring in more fans. Someone tipping the meter too far in either direction isn't selling the UFC. David Stern couldn't get dime one for the UFC because he's too nerdy. Dan Severn couldn't get a penny because he's too brutalized by the reality of the sport. Dana White is the perfect human to sell the product right now. He's just fit enough, had just enough tough guy experience to make him credible, and is a born salesman. White plays the role perfected by Vince McMahon. He's acting.

The popular belief is that the UFC will have to shed White in order to make substantial growth and improve the marketability of their image. That's not true. When pushed by the Fertitta brothers to improve his image for the sake of the brand, White will fall in line and change his rhetoric. When the time comes he'll change roles from T-shirt wearing used car salesman to $10k suits and a reserved and calculating mentality.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 28, 2014

Fri, 28 Feb 2014 17:06:44 +0000

As fans, you were really into sending questions this week. That's awesome, and to compensate for the number of topics and questions in this week's bag (a new record) I will be truncating my opening to keep this monster under 3,500 words.

If you haven't already, now is a good time to pick up a copy of Full Circle. I'll also have copies at the ACC tournament, World Cup, and the NCAA tournament.

To your (many) questions ...

Q: Check out the finals of a German club league Bundesliga Ringen. Would be sweet to see some of our clubs have duals like this.
-- @DanieloElliot

Foley: Agreed that it would be nice to see this level of involvement at the club level. We have a growing interest in Olympic style of wrestling so what's keeping us from this environment?

First, there is no substantial folkstyle wrestling form in Germany that draws from the Greco-Roman competitions. Unlike America's wildly popular NCAA tournament, the Bundesliga isn't built into the schools. Across the world athletics is separated from academics, allowing the focus of athletes to mature at their own pace. Guys like Aaron Pico aren't asked about school, because frankly there is no tie between the two.

The lack of a competitive folkstyle and the separation of priorities means that the clubs can bring students up from the grassroots level and promote their Bundesliga and international competitions for decades. The transience of the American collegiate system (and with some high school stars) means that there is a dispersion of interest. To get mega-passion the athletes need to be raised in the same club colors they compete in later in life.

Take Chance Marstellar as an example. He grows up competing for a local club in Western PA and sticks with that SAME club throughout his entire career. Locals love him and locals buy tickets to events. Instead, he's now headed to Oklahoma State and being boo'ed at events.

Bundesliga matures wrestlers through the ranks, but they also have a league that promotes dual matches and the idea that one region is better than the other. If you watch the video you can see all the trappings of an international soccer match with scarves, T-shirts and event sponsors. That's huge in creating income for the clubs.

Overall, the American system is too transient, leaving the club system to only mature after-college, which for many of our top athletes is not the college where they trained, leaving only fledgling local loyalties.

The American system is great for many reasons, but creating an atmosphere for dual meets and club leagues is not one of them.

From reader Tom S., who provides some clarification:

In Germany sports are different and all those wrestling clubs in the Bundesliga probably also have soccer teams. That's how things work there. All the big football teams are non-profit sports clubs and sponsor other sports. Bayern Munich also sponsors chess, handball, basketball, gymnastics, bowling, and table tennis in addition to soccer. There are 1,100 active athletes in which soccer is a minority. It just happens to be what they are most well known for and are reigning champions of Europe. In that sense Bayern Munich and German clubs are closer to university athletic department than a US wrestling club. It would be like if the Chicago Bears weren't a for-profit corporation with and owner and had a wrestling team, chess team, football team, squash team, baseball team, basketball team.

It's like that in some other countries too. For instance Boca Juniors, the biggest soccer club in Argentina, also has a wrestling program. So there are scarfs like at soccer matches because the club probably plays soccer too and sell scarfs for that not necessarily related to regionalism related to club wrestling.

Q: Over the past, say, 25 years, which wrestlers had the greatest potential to make the U.S National Team (and even perhaps medal internationally), but chose to not compete for a spot?
-- Ron M.

Foley: The first name that popped into my head was Cole Konrad. He was large enough and successful enough at Minnesota to make a serious impact at the international level. He chose MMA, but had he been a lifer on the mats I think he could have challenged Tervel for a spot on the squad.

The other name that kept popping up was Bryan Snyder. I'm sure that like most guys he did is time giving it a go, but I don't know that he ever made a full commitment. Looking at Snyder wrestling with Burroughs and what he was able to do in college leaves me thinking he could have been the guy. But all the same, he now helps coach the guy (Burroughs), which for a thoughtful and intelligent guy like Snyder might be even more fulfilling.

Q: Many are interested in the developing story at 141 pounds that will likely culminate in at least one more match (probably two) between Zain Retherford and Logan Stieber. Currently, it seems as though those two are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in the different rankings, with Mitchell Port ranked No. 1.

I recently realized that I never truly understood how the seeds at NCAAs are chosen in situations such as this where there are so many moving parts. Port is undefeated and finished second in the weight year prior, but hasn't proven himself against two-time champ Stieber, who is up a weight class, or undefeated Retherford who is a freshman.

I am sure that many think that Port should have to face one of them to reach an NCAA final this year. Is there any chance that something can happen at Big Ten's that will allow for this? It doesn't seem right that Stieber and Retherford should potentially need to wrestle each other three times to reach an NCAA final, when Port could reach the finals without facing the best competitors in the weight class all season.
-- Gabe W.

Foley: The best way to get Stieber and Port to face Port at the NCAA tournament is to have one of them lose a match, or two, at the Big Ten tournament. Losses drive seeding at the NCAA tournament, since previous year's finishes mean nothing to the ranking committee.

Though Port is undefeated without having wrestled either Stieber or Retherford, it's not as though he's ducked them throughout the season. Wrestling outside of the Big Ten and Big 12 can have advantages in helping wrestlers earn higher seeds without having to face other top guys, but don't expect everyone to run to fringe conferences to pad their records. The Big Ten and Big 12 are rewarded with more bids and often times wrestle the toughest schedules, both of which protect wrestlers should they fail at their conference tournament. That level of security isn't always available to top-level talent outside these conferences (I'm excluding undefeated wrestlers who would be pulled in by their RPI during the at-large selection process.) Just take a look at this year's allocations.

Penn State true freshman Zain Retherford enters the postseason undefeated (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

Your question also seems to imply that Port somehow doesn't rate as dominant as the No. 2 and No. 3 wrestlers. Maybe he is better? Retherford is one of the most focused freshman I've ever seen wrestle, but there is criticism that his riding style will be scrutinized and penalized at the NCAA tournament. Stieber, like Maple, is changing weights, which means he's changing his entire field of competition. His previous accomplishments are impressive, but he has to earn his standing at 141 pounds, just like he did at 133 pounds.

Maybe Port won't win the NCAA tournament, but he has earned the right to be the top-ranked guy in the country.

However ...

If Retherford finishes the Big Ten tournament with another win over Stieber, the ranking committee will likely use strength of schedule to determine the top-ranked undefeated wrestler. In that case it seems that it would favor Retherford since it's safe to assume his Big Ten schedule was more difficult than Port's. This happened Ed Ruth's sophomore season. He'd been defeated by Nick Amuchastegui in the 2011 NCAA semifinals, but both were undefeated heading into 2012 NCAA tournament. Even though Amuchastegui had the only common win and was undefeated, the nod went to Ruth who had wrestled a stronger schedule.

Q: How much does a resident athlete at the OTC in Colorado Springs make a year? Assuming there is a salary, is it different by sport?
-- Brian

Foley: The No. 1 at each weight makes $1,000 per a-month, guaranteed for eight months, and if they compete enough during the year they earn the entire 12 months. The No. 2 makes $600 per month and the No. 3 makes $250 per month.

A question to fans: should USA Wrestling pay the same amount of stipend to wrestlers at non-Olympic weights 61 kilos and 70 kilos?

Q: Why doesn't a program like Iowa attend the National Collegiate Open? It seems like all of the Division programs are in the East and Iowa surely has the money to send guys. You would think the guys in practice every day that aren't wrestling in Carver Hawkeye would want to be there.
-- John M.

Foley: You make a good point, and I'm not sure of the rationalization. Some wrestlers are burnt out by the end of the season, or are limping through the last few weeks in support of NCAA-bound teammates. Five months is a long, long time to be in the room and though you'd think an extra week shouldn't hurt, most wrestlers opt to get off the ride. Some coaches may want their guys to attend the conference tournament in support of their team.

However, the tournament is increasing in competitiveness, as are the numbers. This year's event is sold out and I'd expect continued expansion of the brackets. It's a great idea that should make money for the hosts and support the development of our collegiate wrestlers.

Here is the list of top contenders.

Q: Is this National Duals proposal splitting the sport in two? Are the coaches at odds as much as the fans? Or are the fans going overboard while coaches are having a civil discussion? It seems like most coaches are open to the change but a few coaches are opposed or undecided and the fans default to whatever may help their program.

Are people being selfish in this process? Or are people really giving it thought and trying to do what is best for the sport as a whole?
-- J. Martin

Foley: The National Duals argument has quickly turned from "great discussion!" into "Mom and Dad are fighting."

For many in the wrestling community it's getting a little awkward.

I do agree that the debate is dividing our sport into two camps, but that has more to do with our hardwiring as it does the merits of the argument. A simple mention of "dual meet," seems to breathe oxygen into the emotional fire pit of this ongoing discussion. By nature wrestlers are emotional, stubborn and conservative -- making a fundamental change to the season makes the National Duals discussion ripe for emotional pushback.

As for motivation, I don't think many in the argument are being selfish, in fact I think most coaches and fans involved in the debate want what is best for the sport. Change is a painful process. Members of the wrestling community have sense the rapid growth and popularity of the sport as an opportunity to expand the sport's reach. Some don't think the sport is ready for that expansion, and others think it would dilute the tradition. All arguments, feelings and rationales are correct, because there is no way to know how it plays out until it's underway. Save a few die-hard fans, I think most wrestling fans just want enjoy best version of the sport.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Rob Koll Talks Program Building (11:05)

Q: I've been hearing a lot lately about getting rid of the singlet because it hurts the sport. What I don't get is that if it's hurting the sport so bad, why haven't any teams switched to a spandex uniform. It's legal, below is the verbiage straight from the NCAA rulebook. Nobody is stopping teams from doing making the switch.

"1.12.1.2 Spandex/lycra. The shirt shall be a T-shirt style form-fitted,
sleeveless or short-sleeved and shall not cover or extend beyond the
elbow. In addition, the length of the shirt must be longer than the torso to
prevent the shirt from becoming untucked. The shirt shall remain tucked
into the shorts at all times during competition. The shorts shall be form-
fitting with a minimum 4-inch inseam and shall not extend beyond the top
of the knees. (See Illustration No. 4.)"
-- Jason R.

Foley: The issue isn't just with covering a wrestler's arms, but in creating less bulge in the shorts. Any changes made would be to both the top and the bottom. Those improvements are meant to facilitate a growth of the sport at the youth level and increase sales of merchandise.

For only the second time in twenty-three years I am going to miss the NCAAs this year. What method(s) are the best to watch it at home? I am going to take a day and a half off of work to watch them. Suggestions? Picking up ESPN 3 for the weekend?
-- Steven H.

Foley: If you can't get to the computer and are checking on your mobile phone for updates, then nothing is better than the InterMat live blog. Also be sure to check out our session previews and recaps.

For live coverage ESPN has expanded their offerings in 2014 which now includes every match of the tournament. Here is the release from ESPN.

Q: With all of the new ideas being thrown around in order to make wrestling more mainstream and spectator relevant (National Duals, new singlets/uniforms, scoring changes), why not make the NCAAs more like the basketball tournament and rank/seed every wrestler.

I suppose I don't understand why the committee has ranked 12 wrestlers (16 now), then essentially picks out of a hat the remaining qualifiers to make the brackets. The NCAA now has their RPI rankings, which in addition to the coaches panel and other criteria to determine the seeds and at-large bids. Why not use all of this information to its full potential?
-- Chris C.

Foley: Winner, winner. That they don't seed the remaining wrestlers is confounding. They have the stats in front of them, and past the last seeded guy there isn't much need for intense committee oversight. Though there isn't a lot to separate No. 14 from No. 18, it would be a nice exercise to see how it would turn out. Maybe someone could use the final RPI to make brackets after conference in which everyone was seeded by RPI?

My only argument against seeding of each the 330 wrestler is that in updating the event I'd be forced to use everyone's seed in the agate. That would be taxing.

Q: Could not disagree more with the National Duals being part of the championship. You constantly say "have to grow" and "status quo" is killing the sport but you never show proof of how they will make the sport grow. Where if your proof? Here are a few questions for you. How will the sport grow by having the Duals part of the championship? Will ESPN want to air them? Will the Big Ten Network stop showing big duals during the regular season since they won't matter? What will happen to the Edinboro's of the world? Will fans not care about regular season duals? And if so, why should AD's?
-- Tim J.

Foley: You qualify for the postseason by doing well in your conference dual meets. Win and you are in. Every dual meet now matters MORE, not less.

As for proof, the same amount exists for saying that an NCAA-run dual meet championships will be a failure. None.

Missing from this conversation is the recognition that if the NCAA dual meet championships fail, then the old system could be returned. This isn't a decision that will be written in the great books. It's just a new idea that deserves a proper discussion and vetting. Why not take the chance at creating a more mainstream product to help our viability within athletic programs?

If the new system works then we can all say "Awesome!" and go on to complain about something else. If the new system fails, then "At least we tried."

Q: Who in your opinion has the best signature takedown/move/pinning combination in college wrestling this season? I ask this because we have seen a lot of great action and exciting individual wrestlers this season. Who has the best big move and who has the most dominant move this season? I'll throw out some of my favorites and obvious ones. Logan Stieber -- bar arm/half Nelson, Ed "The Truth" Ruth -- cross face cradle, Dylan Ness -- elevator (by far the biggest!), Johnni DiJulius (JDJ) -- dump, Jon Morrison -- blast double.
-- Curtis H.

Foley: Dylan Ness! Little room for debate. He's on a new planet with his fall-back-cement-job thingy. It's hell for other wrestlers to prepare for because its execution is so unique. Plenty of people say that certain special wrestlers can hit a move from "anywhere" but I've never seen that in action with more consistency and against higher-level competitors than with Dylan Ness.

I'm genuinely wowed.

Q: Blair had its 33-year streak of National Prep titles broken by Wyoming Seminary. I competed in the era when no one would ever imagine Blair would lose National Preps. But I noticed there was no story on InterMat or TheMat.com. Why so little coverage?
-- David B.

Foley: You sent this question before the release of Josh Lowe's weekly column, which covered the tournament and the upset. We also put out a few press clippings about the streak being broken. Still, I can see why you would say it merits a feature piece.

I agree that Blair's streak being snapped was impressive, and that Wyoming Seminary deserves recognition for their accomplishment and a great season. Congrats to their program!

COMMENTS OF THE WEEK

By John L.

I was at Ohio State and the crowd wasn't great. The paid gate was 2,500. There was some excellent wrestling for sure. I like your statement where you cannot compare these duals to what the NCAA event would look like.

Also, if you look at the stands at the NFL Pro Bowl, you wouldn't expect the NFL playoffs or Super Bowl would be as successful. Or how about the stands at the East-West Shrine game compared to the BCS game? The Scuffle with many more teams participating and the Virginia Duals don't draw as well as the Ohio event.

I have to believe the NCAA and ESPN know about bit more about marketing than a well-intended coach.

By Greg D.

I have solutions to both the freestyle and folkstyle problem with one overlapping change.

For freestyle, reduce the size of the wrestling area in overtime. Since pushouts are already allowed as a scoring option, reducing the mat size with an additional painted circle should allow for more aggressive hand fighting and attacks. (Similar to college football starting at the 25-yard line.) Also, make the two-minute overtime period be sudden death.

For folkstyle, add the pushout as a one-point scoring option in overtime only. Freestyle has already implemented it, so it should not be an issue to include into folkstyle. smaller inner circle as mentioned above.

I do not like the suggestion for changing riding time to include a one-count or near fall points. This only adds back subjectivity by allowing the refs to decide if something is exposure.

The more we can have the wrestlers decide the outcome vs. refs or criteria, the better.

By R. Griffin

Bet you never hear this: We need a better National Duals.

With UNI finishing undefeated, it shows just how awesome duals can be. Consider their final matchup vs. Old Dominion, where they only won four matches, but three of their wins were pins and they still won the meet. We all know Penn State will win any tournament-style determination of best team, but are they impenetrable to a team dual? Clearly not.

So how about this. Keep everything the same. Except, two weeks after the NCAA tournament, host a 15-team National Duals tournament. With 15 teams, no true contender is left out (no offense to your No. 16 Virginia). A key benefit is that wrestlers won't sacrifice their rankings by wrestling aggressively. They will truly wrestle to win as opposed to "not to lose" to preserve their NCAA tournament ranking. The team that won at NCAAs gets the first-round bye. Throw in a 5-10 pound allowance. Wrestlers can only bump up in weight and not down. Call it the NCAA Team Championships.

We'd get some fantastic matches. Andrew Howe vs. Chris Perry normally = Defense. Pretend now that Andrew Howe must major Chris Perry, how fun would that be? Even watching hapless freshmen try their best not to get pinned against the likes of Tony Ramos and Dylan Ness would be a blast. Some of the best matches I have ever seen came out of the state-level team duals tournaments (like Illinois), many of which use this format.

What do you say?