Articles: Articles

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 12, 2016

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 07:42:33 +0000

Like many wrestling fans who use social media, I've been inundated this week with the step-by-step Zapruder film style breakdown of a high school dual meet in Pennsylvania.

To dissect the relative rights and wrongs of what transpired on the mats that day would be pointless -- and to blame the referees seems obvious and wayward of further critique.

As we've seen with increasing consistency, the coaches, athletes and parents on all sides of the wrestling mat are decaying the once-positive behavior of the wrestling mat and turning sport it into the moral morass of reality TV.

Bad behavior is everywhere on the wrestling mats, but it would be foolish to point to a singular cause. From where I sit, blame can be equally shared between the media, the high pressure of youth sports and the fascinating re-emergence of the #FaceMush culture that now serves large swaths of the sport.

I don't know when the #FaceMush culture took hold and I don't feel a dissection is necessary to solve the problems it is causing the sport. What is obvious is the incessant whining â€¦ and screaming â€¦ and stomping â€¦ and teeth-clenching threats of college coaches bled into the product and affected the sport's ethos.

Regrettably, it may have already become the most signature aspect of the sport.

Fans, athletes and stakeholders would all love a lot fewer blood curdling screams from men who try to then act tough on the sidelines. The peacocking of chests and the in-your-face celebrations are the tactics of bullying schoolchildren, not adults. The blurring of that distinction could very well be a contributing factor to the stymied growth of the sport nationwide.

Wrestling is tough, but it in no way should require its participants to be jerks on and off the mat.

What happened in Pennsylvania is not out of the norm. Was it odd that the normal social constructs broke down and coaches gamed the system with such blatant disregard for sportsmanship? Yes. But this behavior has been bubbling beneath the surface for years in the sport. The #FaceMush culture demands that everyone involved in wrestling must become a screaming, complaining, and crying mess.

This isn't just running off the mat after you lose a match, or refusing to shake an opposing coach's hand. This is the constant focus on INTENSITY rather than technique, WEIGHT CUT rather than healthy dieting, and the idea of BREAKING your opponent rather than letting your excellence and hard work shine. For all the life lessons wrestling can teach young kids our culture has done a fantastic job of bastardizing it to become one with a focus on trying to KILL your opponent rather than just try to score more points or pin them.

Wrestling still creates positive, viral moments -- athletes who forfeit matches to the physically disabled and those who honor their opponent's off-the-mat familial losses. Wrestlers are often sweet individuals who want what's best for their loved ones and work hard to achieve their goals, which is what makes the most recent outbursts and the recent propulsion of bad behavior all the more jarring.

Judging by the immaturity on display in Pennsylvania, we've done well to almost completely ruin a culture that was once filled with men of self-respect, pride and modesty and replaced it with ones blinded by the blood of the kill.

I'm not overly optimistic that America will refocus its emotional energies on good sportsmanship and fair play. The cultural plunge seems to be increasing, not letting up. But then again, maybe it will.

Maybe some of our sport's calm and collected college coaches will make an impact? Maybe more coaches and athletes will watch Jordan Burroughs win with honor at the Olympics, coaches in part by a wonderful human being and coach in Bruce Burnett? Maybe coaches will see the way the USA women's team -- often up against long odds -- absolutely never quits, and likewise never complains.

Maybe the Olympics will help right this ship?

Maybe.

But if something doesn't change soon we're racing to the bottom, where we'll almost certainly find fewer fans and increased irrelevance.

To your questions â€¦

Q: I can't imagine NC State is going to get through this weekend without blemish. I expect Virginia Tech to beat them tonight. I have the Hokies winning seven matches. If NC State somehow gets past Virginia Tech, then I would expect Missouri to beat NC State. If NC State loses, who do you expect to face Penn State for the dual championship?
-- Mike C.

Pat Popolizio is in his fourth season as NC State's head wrestling coach (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Foley: Man. I don't know anymore. Though I agree those are two tough teams (and matchups) there is something special about the NC State wrestling program and their ability to grab impressive performances from new wrestlers each week. I think the same thing of Virginia Tech's ability to outperform expectations under Coach Dresser, but right now the hot hand is in Raleigh not Blacksburg.

Still, to take on Missouri two days later seems like madness. Their scheduling doesn't allow for a rest period and Mizzou is well-equipped enough to upend the team at the end of the year.

No matter what happens in the dual meet, it's very obvious that Pat Popolizio is the NCAA Division I Coach of the Year and that his wrestlers won't be laggards heading into the ACC or NCAA tournament.

I think NC State bests Virginia Tech, but is just under 50 percent to also upend Mizzou.

Q: I watched the Ohio State-Penn State dual meet last week. The first five starting wrestlers for PSU were PA state champs (four were multiple-time champs), followed by sub Geno Morelli, a multiple-time PA state placewinner. Reportedly, when Cael Sanderson sought the PSU position, he stated that if he could recruit the best PA prospect every year, plus one other national prospect, his teams would be nationally competitive every year -- something he didn't believe he could accomplish at ISU, recruiting in-state against Iowa.

What have been the most successful most home-grown college teams in recent history? What have been the most successful most home-grown college teams in remote history? Say, prior to national media attention/promotion and routine, wide-spread national recruiting â€¦
-- Mike A.

Foley: Edinboro takes Pennsylvania talent and grooms them into some of the best wrestlers in the country. Almost every year a wrestler from Edinboro, buried in the mid-teens nationally explodes onto the national scene and wins a national title. They stand as the benchmark on how to recruit (and coach) locally.

Kent State has done a wonderful job over the last several years recruiting locally and creating national champions and All-Americans. One caveat is that not all of them are technically from Ohio, since the school can offer in-state tuition to Pennsylvania residents within a certain distance of the school.

Similarly, I think that we are seeing Lock Haven begin this process under Scott Moore, with a lot of local talent returning home.

From what I understand the best locally groomed program in "remote" history might be Fresno State who enjoyed a wealth of talent from the Central Valley. Stephen Abas, Gerry Abas and Yero Washington are almost enough to justify the list, but there are many more from the past, and I suspect many more to come.

MUTLIMEDIA HALFTIME (and links)

Yarygin highlights

#Yarygin2016 Wrestling Highlights
#Yarygin2016 Wrestling Highlights #RussiaWrestling Great Performance by Yakutia Wrestlers.
Posted by Russia Wrestling on Thursday, February 4, 2016

Great spot for RIO2016

O #eventoteste de #LutaOlÃmpica mostrou como as mulheres sÃ£o guerreiras e boas de briga! http://bit.ly/MulheresBoaDeBriga
Posted by Aquece Rio on Thursday, February 4, 2016

Link: Blindspot's Jamie Alexander was a wrestler?! Yes, she was a wrestler.

Jiu-Jitsu highlights

IBJJF 2016 European Championships Highlight
A Weekend's Worth of Elite Grappling Packed into a Few Minutes: the Black and Brown Belt Highlight Video from the European Championships!
Posted by FloGrappling on Tuesday, February 2, 2016

Q: Is there a difference between who wrestles in the Pan Am Games and who wrestles in the Pan Am Olympic Weight qualifier?
-- @ZeroNBlindTeri

Foley: Yes. The two are not related. The Pan Am Games are a quadrennial sporting event (like the Olympics), while the Pan-Am Championships and Pan-American OG Qualifying Tournament are run by United World Wrestling.

The Pan-Am Qualifiers are open to all Pan Am countries who did not qualify a wrestler for the Olympics at the World Championships. For the USA men's freestyle team that means 57 kilos, 65 kilos, 86 kilos and 125 kilos.

The Pan-Am Championships are just the annual continental championships.

As of last week the championships will no longer be run in Olympic years since so much focus and financial resource remains focused on the qualification of athletes.

Q: The 184-pound weight class in Division I looks wide open right now! Gabe Dean, Vic Avery and Blake Stauffer all took losses last weekend. I like the way Michigan's Dominic Abounader is wrestling right now. His only loss has come to Dean. Right now who is your pick to win the NCAA title at 184 pounds?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Gabe Dean is still the odds-on favorite to win the NCAA title. As the defending NCAA champion and someone familiar with a few losses, I think Dean is as emotionally and physically equipped to succeed in March as any wrestler I've ever seen. He's also very well coached.

I like what I've seen of Abounader, but I'm uncertain how a tough Big Ten will affect him on two weeks rest. I'd imagine that it can take some rebounding for a conference champion, much less someone that eats a few losses. Total grinder.

Vic Avery's secret weapon, and guide to an NCAA title, might be Tim Flynn and the Fighting Scots tradition of outperforming expectations at the NCAA tournament.

Q: Are Jason Tsirtsis' recent struggles more mental or physical?
-- Mike C.

Foley: There has to be a combination of both, but a third interpretation would be the new rules and Big Ten refereeing has forced Tsirtsis to be more active on his feet. His increased activity, and the threat of stalling points, may have forced him to be a more anxious competitor.

The loss of Drew Pariano obviously had an effect on the Northwestern team. An upheaval like his firing can lead to a multitude of outcomes -- some as subtle as a gravitational ripple and others as on the nose as NCAA champion wrestlers taking bad regular season losses.

Q: Will you be asking fans to tune into InterMat's live blogs all weekend? Running four duals in three days!
-- @WrestlingSHP

Foley: Tune in, or risk Britt embracing the Culture of the Kill.

Quick note â€¦

Congrats to Mark DiSalvo on his recent head coaching position at Thomas More College. He's a good man and coach. Wishing him and his family success and happiness.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 5, 2016

Fri, 05 Feb 2016 15:09:09 +0000

The Super Bowl is Sunday, and for fans of football that'll mean get-togethers, beer drinking and watching as overgrown humans ram shoulder-on into each other's heads.

As I've mentioned in previous articles, football is not my sport. Beside the utter boredom of the pacing, the incessant advertorials (advertising interspersed with news-like features), and the bull-honky storylines the sport seems obviously, deeply and irreparably damaged. This makes me either hopelessly disconnected, or as others are predicting, ahead of the curve.

The NFL is caught in a maelstrom of negative press and is not only facing financial ruin via lawsuits, but cultural disintegration as mothers across America have begun to pull their children from the field. For football there seems to be no turning back. Though decadent in this weekend's affairs, the sport is on bended knee -- the pride ushering in the fall.

Wrestling was once in a similar, albeit more immediate, position. Almost three years ago to the day, on February 12, the IOC began the process of eliminating wrestling from the Olympic program. In response, the sport launched its Save Olympic Wrestling campaign, mustered new leadership and worked its way back into the Olympic program. Much of that movement was based in the promise and delivery of change.

I saw many of our sport's major improvements materialize in real time. Some, like the media rollout at the international federation, I've helped create. Others, like 6-6-6, an increase in the scope of the sport's development and improved tournament flow has all but transformed the sport.

For the past 34 months I've traveled across five continents and accumulated well more than a half-million airline miles working on some of these problems, and while exhausting, I think that my proximity to the change made me privy to the secret of what made the sport's return so successful.

There were, and are, many factors that influence wrestling's reemergence at the international level. In the past three years we've seen improved rules, healthier governance and the new leadership of President Nenad Lalovic. All certainly played a significant role in wrestling's renaissance. However, despite the importance of each factor, none seems to stand alone, almost needing another component to make it a viable solution.

Improved wrestling on the mat needed better rules, which required governance to write and then referees to implement. The leaders of national federations and fans then oversaw those referees. The sport has begun to work like a singular organism -- each part dependent on the other.

But something has to feed all these individual parts. There has to be fuel -- something larger at work than politics, improved rules, and more transparency in governance.

After three years the answer is clear, and it's what separates the at-risk sports of wrestling and football.

Wrestling is bound together by a community that works and it's made up of individuals willing to do anything in their power to ensure their sport's success. Football is a business that lacks an organizational structure capable of maintaining a fight of this magnitude without intense buy-in from fans and the media -- two areas most likely to leave the bandwagon first.

Yes, the wrestling community is often cantankerous and a touch too sensitive, but with its passion, energy, joy and knowledge of the sport you've become the key to its rapid rise on the international sports scene.

There is no community like ours. No body of individuals with as much collective passion, sport-based intelligence, or hard work mentality. We don't accept failure and we won't settle for anything than a best effort.

I love wrestling and I somewhat dislike football. That's the rock from which I view the world, and from where I sit I see football as a sport without a collective body willing to fight their fight like we did ours.

Yes, they have executives and maybe they'll find new and better rules, but they'll never have what we have. They'll never have you.

To your questions â€¦

Q: What do you make of Kaori Icho losing at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix? Is she still the favorite to win in Rio?
-- Mike C.

Japanese wrestling legend Kaori Icho with her gold medal at the 2015 UWW World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Purvedorj Orkhon put on a hell of a display against Icho at last week's Ivan Yarygin in Krasnoyarsk. The young Mongolian star had been competing at 55 kilos, but added three kilos for a run at the 58-kilo Olympic spot.

To get there Orkhon had already beaten 60-kilo 2014 World champion Sukhee Tsendichimed in the Mongolian National tournament, 10-0. She also steamrolled her early competition in Yarygin and looked more muscular and athletic than ever before in her international career.

By contrast Icho looked sluggish and out-of-shape all tournament. Her movements were rigid and she was constantly gasping for air. Even her win against Chimdee in the opening round seemed forced, and she still managed a nine-point advantage.

I was with the Japanese delegation in Rio when it was announced that Icho lost. The next day the word was the Icho had already embraced the loss and was excited because it meant that she was able to improve before the Olympic Games.

I know Icho well and if there is something she has that others don't it's an ability to view the sport as a challenge to overcome, rather than a burden. Icho live to outwork her opponents and to develop new strategies for competitors. I would suspect that come the Olympic Games she will be much better prepared for competition.

Still, all that disclaimer-like chatter gone, I was very impressed with Orkhon and will be watching her at the Olympic qualifier in Kazakhstan to see if Yarygin was a fluke, or if she has announced herself as ready to take home an Olympic gold.

Q: I was wondering, what are the chances of you writing a piece on former Penn State and Oklahoma All-American, Nate Parker? Since his days on the mat, he has since established himself as a respected Hollywood actor and has just made his directorial debut with his acclaimed independent film, "The Birth of a Nation." I think it would be wonderful for the wrestling community to be made aware of his work.
-- Kore S.

Foley: I'd meant to write about Nate Parker and his Sundance success in last week's mailbag, but it seemed the story was still unfolding.

Today it's more clear: Parker has sold the rights to "Birth of a Nation" for a whopping, record-setting $17 million.

The movie tells the story of Nat Turner's slave rebellion of 1831. Parker had labored over the writing, production and direction for almost ten years -- work that seems ready to be recognized in both dollars and awards.

His dedication to this project is something we should all hope to mirror in the pursuit of our passions. Parker wanted to tell a story for the right reasons and believed that with hard work it would be a story the public would want to hear.

They did, and after ten years Parker is now ready to show the world a new truth about slavery in the United States. I wish him the best of luck and will be at some theater that first week to support his film's release and the message it brings to the viewing public.

And though it might be unfair, I'm already looking forward to what Parker does next.

Q: Alan Waters rolled through the Dave Schultz Memorial. Is he a legit threat to make the U.S. Olympic team?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The Dave Schultz was a fairly weak tournament this year. A lot of talent was overseas, with the Yarygin and Paris tournaments running simultaneously. Though I like Alan Waters and think he's a good shot to place at the Olympic qualifier, there are several wrestlers to get past before Waters makes an Olympic team.

Primary among those roadblocks is Tony Ramos, who has held the spot for the last two years, but there is also Coleman Scott, Tyler Graff, Sam Hazewinkel and Angel Escobedo.

That's a steep climb to the top.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: Forward thinking wins hearts, minds â€¦ and media attention

Women's wrestling in Rio

O #eventoteste de #LutaOlÃmpica mostrou como as mulheres sÃ£o guerreiras e boas de briga! http://bit.ly/MulheresBoaDeBriga
Posted by Aquece Rio on Thursday, February 4, 2016

Yarygin highlights

#Yarygin2016 Wrestling Highlights
#Yarygin2016 Wrestling Highlights #RussiaWrestling Great Performance by Yakutia Wrestlers.
Posted by Russia Wrestling on Thursday, February 4, 2016

Kyle Snyder loses

The Big Upset of the World Champion 2015 Kyle Snyder (USA) #RI...
The Big Upset at the #Yaryguin2016 of the World Champion 2015 Kyle Snyder (USA) Highlights #RIWUS #RoadtoRio2016
Posted by RIWUS on Sunday, January 31, 2016

Q: World champion Kyle Snyder took a loss at the Ivan Yarygin Grand Prix. Cause for concern?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. The animal he lost to did a backflip, but hasn't been on the circuit in almost two years. Whatever lightening in a bottle that manimal captured will need to last him throughout the season injury-free, Russian Nationals and the opening rounds of the Olympic Games.

If there was casue for concern for Snyder fans it was only that Varner seemed to be competing at his highest level since winning the Olympics in 2012. Can he make it through the challenge tournament and outstrip Snyder in a best-of-three finals?

That seems more possible after Yarygin than it did before.

Q: Do you see any way that Ohio State can pull the upset over Penn State Friday night? I'm a huge Buckeye fan but I'm having a hard time seeing any way it'll happen. The way I see it is that Penn State will almost certainly get a tech/pin from Zain Retherford and Jason Nolf. Morgan McIntosh will definitely win as well and will most likely major or better especially if Mark Martin doesn't wrestle. If that's the case, the Buckeyes will need to win 6 of 10 matches to win. Snyder at heavyweight will win for sure and I don't see either Jordan brother losing even with Micah going against Jimmy Guilibon. However, that leaves Nico Megaludis vs. Nato at 125, JDJ vs. Jordan Conaway at 133, Myles Martin vs. Bo Nickal at 174 and Courts vs. someone at 184. Ohio State would have to win three of those four matches to win. Tough to see it happening but wondering what you think.
-- Eric B.

Foley: This is much, much less likely to happen. Your analysis requires no more input from my side. Like you said, "tough to see it happening."

However, I like Nato, JDJ and Kenny Courts to win along with Snyder and Bo Jordan. Little Jordan I'm not as certain about, and I think that he will be the match to watch, along with whoever creates bonus points at the upper weights.

Q: How many more career college losses will Isaiah Martinez have? Over/under is 2.5. What side are you betting?
-- Mike C.

Foley: How many more? I'd take the over on 2.5 matches. Kids are just getting a lot better out of high school and with Nolf being a freshman this has the makings of a three-year rivalry that will be certain to result in losses on both sides.

Q: Lock Haven has recently picked up a couple nice transfers in four-time PA state champion Thomas Haines and four-time PA state placer Patrick Duggan. The programs has had mixed results this year. What do you think of the job Scott Moore is doing at Lock Haven? Any "chance" another PA wrestling great transfers to Lock Haven?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Scott Moore is a close friend and former teammate. I'm proud of the job he's doing, if only for the fact that I know the cards he was dealt and the quick changes to culture and recruiting he's already been able to implement.

I love the "Chance" reference, but I can tell you honestly I haven't heard anything about his transfer to Pennsylvania. I'd think he'd be more likely to find Cary Kolat and try to hunker down for a happy career near an old coach.

Q: Assuming NC State gets past Nebraska, Virginia Tech and Missouri, it will likely be Penn State vs. NC State for the National Duals championship. Am I crazy to think NC State has a puncher's chance to upset Penn State? The stars would need to align for Popolizio's squad, but it could happen.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Upset of the year!

You are not crazy to think he's got a chance. They are the No. 3 team in the nation and can score bonus points in at least two weight classes.

By the way, anyone who would see that type of upset and still not understand the appeal of a dual national championship just can't be reasoned with.

Q: What rule changes would create more action so we get more matches like Isaiah Martinez vs. Jason Nolf?
-- @thejollybeggar

Foley: The rules are in place for that type of match. The difference was the refereeing. For once they took control and enforced the out-of-bounds rule as it was written. College wrestling has a chance when wrestlers aren't allowed to stall. More had to be done to stop the gamesmanship, and that seemed like the first move towards ensuring less playing the edge and more offensive-oriented competition.

Let's watch over the next month and see if it continues. I'm not confident it will.

Q: If Isaiah Martinez beats Jason Nolf in the Big Ten finals, do you think an undefeated Ian Miller would be the No. 1 seed in NYC?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm certain he would.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 29, 2016

Fri, 29 Jan 2016 09:39:57 +0000

Last week in the mailbag I took a look at Thomas Gilman and the small fracas he'd stirred after face mushing an opponent post-win. That behavior, which fell in line with some of Gilman's previous on-the-mat indiscretions led to my ask that he cool down the bravado and consider that no wrestler wins the match after the final whistle is blown.

Though much of the response from Iowa was vitriolic and combative, buried deep inside the Twittersphere were some productive discussions about the behavior of many current NCAA wrestlers. These wrestlers, many Iowa fans noted, had performed equal if not worse crimes on the mat -- a punch thrown, a DQ for an off-the-mat throw and other such shenanigans.

While the fans that mentioned these acts tried -- and failed -- to discredit my article as anti-Iowa (I don't care) or draw some sort of moral equivalence (your actions stand alone), I do think there is a broader point to be made about the lack of maturity in NCAA wrestling.

For this, I thank the great state of Iowa and their tough-as-nails, never-back-down-from-fight, loyal fan base.

I made the error to compare the post-match behavior of NCAA wrestlers to that of international wrestlers, without factoring their significant differences in age, life experience and motivation.

The majority of international wrestlers are from underprivileged countries and low socio-economic statuses. When a wrestler from a village in Dagestan wins a gold medal at the World or continental championships he can change the trajectory of his entire family's life. By the time these wrestlers are in the public eye they've been wrestling with sponsorship for nearly ten years, which means they've seen what bad behavior can cost them down the line.

The average age of the world champions in 2015 was 25 while the average age of the college wrestler is closer to 20. That's an enormous five-year difference if only looking at lifestyles and maturity in America, but a 25-year-old in Dagestan is likely to be married and have a family. That's major incentive to not get fined for bad behavior on the mat.

A 20-year-old at the University of Iowa isn't wrestling for money. They aren't supporting their family and they are five years less life mature than those on the international stage.

The Americans I've seen wrestle at the international stage become more mature each tournament. Tony Ramos and Brent Metcalf are incredible examples of this maturation. Metcalf once pushed a backflipping opponent OFF A STAGE, but I've since seen him take more than a few bad calls and screw-job losses with grace. He's not perfect (nobody is) but he has matured since his NCAA days.

The same is already recognizable in Ramos, who last night battled through two incredibly difficult opponents to hammer home victories. He did those with technique, pressure and skill -- not a stare down.

The bad behavior at the NCAA level happens for a combination of reasons and while we can't do anything about the age of our NCAA athletes, or their lack of life experience, we can work to improve the culture of our sport.

I'm a true believer in the power of wrestling to change lives and I want to see a sport that inspires, not a product hoping to stir controversy. We have the ability to do that, but first we need to recognize that this behavior is a problem and then find some solutions.

To your questions â€¦

Brent Metcalf gets his hand raised after defeating Jordan Oliver at the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: Does Brent Metcalf have it in him to go through the challenge tournament and win the best-of-three finals of the deepest weight class in the country and hold down the 65-kilo spot on the senior team for another year?
-- Scott M.

Foley: Metcalf hasn't lost to a United States opponent in more than two years. While his results at the World Championships have been notably underwhelming, he has improved each year and won a large majority of his matches against top ten opponents worldwide.

There is always a push coming from the younger wrestlers, but Metcalf is a savvy wrestler with plenty of firepower, as far as I know he's not injured and nothing significant has changed in his training.

From where I sit Metcalf is the USA's top guy at 65 kilos and by a pretty significant margin.

Q: I was so happy this past weekend to see someone paying the price for what I consider more or less a stall technique. Imar got stuck after using an ankle dive/hold as a takedown defense. This is exceedingly rare, though. Ankle diving seems to me to be used predominantly as an effective stalemate tool. We all want more action. The ankle ride rule seems to be a step in the right direction to promote more action. How about a rule to stymie ankle diving/holding as a takedown defense? Perhaps a better question, how would you see such a rule working? It might be easy to get the diver confused with the takedown initiator if both have an ankle.
-- Jason

Foley: I don't know if I'm the only person who thought this, but the Penn State-Illinois dual was brilliantly called! The referees didn't allow Imar to roll around on his back with an ankle by his ear for an extended period of time. Nolf had Imar under control using his legs and was able to keep him in danger -- a simple back points position that had not been called in previous years. Between this and Imar being called for stalling after backing out of bounds a few times in a row, I feel like the referees here could make a case for not making any further changes to the rules.

I don't think a restriction of ankle diving could be crafted or enforced. Do we penalize everyone who touches an ankle? Just those that self-expose? What is offense and what is defense? The answers get very exacting and I don't think that would help the sport at a mainstream level.

Hats off to Nolf. I really had no idea he was so talented and tough. Incredible performance and one that makes me anxious for a rematch.

Q: Many people thought Imar could be the first wrestler since Cael Sanderson to go undefeated in college. Two absolutely amazing records that can only be tied and never broken: Sanderson's undefeated mark and Kyle Dake's four NCAA championships at four different weights without a redshirt year. Which record do you think is the more difficult to break? I do not think many wrestlers even ever wrestled at four different weight classes in college, let alone were champions!
-- Buzz B.

Foley: There is no right answer here, but given that four wrestlers have won four titles but only Cael has gone undefeated, I'd gander that the four at four weight classes is more likely to occur.

Winning an NCAA championship is not as difficult as going undefeated. For example, there is a good chance that Imar comes back and beats Nolf for an NCAA title. Maybe Nolf is better, but the chances are about even that he could make the improvements and beat his rival. However, he cannot go back and un-lose to Nolf. That's gone, done and dusted. In that way, it'll always be easier for a wrestler to win four titles (four tournaments) than it would be to have a perfect slate, even if they happen to be at four weight classes.

Still, on average, I think I agree with most other prognosticators in thinking neither will happen again for many, many years.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Wrestling is everywhere

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Wrestler Neil deGrasse Tyson drops knowledge regarding harm of ill-informed people with Influence

Link: Wrestler Nate Parker wows Hollywood

Q: Imagine that the National Duals matchup pairs Oklahoma State and Penn State. Now, there are plenty of valid reasons why Coach Smith would not want to wrestle a dual against Penn State, But what if he and Coach Cael agreed to make it more like an all-star matchup: bump Heil up to 149 to face Zain, and bump Nolf up to 165 to face Dieringer. Heck, they could agree to double-forfeit 141 and 157, if that makes it more palatable. This would definitely make the dual more of an "event" and likely eliminates a lot of the concerns about impacting seeding, facing the same opponent too many times, etc.
-- Ronald M.

Foley: This is one of the reasons that seeding can be such a monster. While I agree that it's good to build intrigue by separating the top wrestlers, the idea that teams would shuffle a dual meet lineup for the NCAA championships seeding is bothersome, especially if the teams aren't in the same conference.

Wrestling can sell dual meets much easier than tournaments. With this jockeying the dual meet experience would be watered down, but with more emphasis put on the matches, I think the exact opposite would happen. I think we'd see a massive boom in interest by fans and media.

Q: When is the much-needed uniform change finally going to happen? I'm reading articles back from 2005 saying "the change is coming soon." Also reading articles from 2013, 2014 saying that the 2015 Vegas Championships were supposed to be the uniform's first appearance. When will it actually happen?
-- John C.

Foley: International sport is a crazy business. No matter how well you have any angle pegged, something is bound to change.

The singlet issue is bound up not in a battle of aesthetics, but of wants. You have the wants of the athletes commission, which unsurprisingly doesn't want change; and you have the wants of the referees, who believe they'd be unable to properly call the action on the mat without bold colors.

Then there are the wants of the political actors around the world and how to fund something like a change of uniforms. You might imagine it would be tough to force change on an entire world of wrestling without some plan for subsidizing developing nations, or partnering with a third party for the development of the technology.

Right now there is agreement among certain circles that change is beneficial, but implementation needs to be tactful and well-timed. My suspicion is that the introduction of change is not far away. The Olympics are a big deal and a time suck for all the national federations as well as United World Wrestling. Beyond that tournament, however, I suspect that there will be more time, energy and space to make improvements to the uniforms and other aspects of the sport.

Q: Wondering if Anthony Robles was still pursuing the Olympics? I'll be going to Rio and would love to cheer 4 him
-- @joelax

Foley: I don't think Anthony Robles is still on the track to pursue the Olympics. He was certainly a great wrestler at the NCAA level and is becoming a solid broadcast analyst!

Q: I have watched more than 15 duals in person and online this year. I have also watched a few tournaments as well. At this point in the season I see a lot of inconsistent officiating with stalling. Is this going to change? I watched the Penn State vs. Illinois dual and the officials were fantastic about the stalling calls (new method). Then I watched another dual and nothing has changed; same old officiating. It almost seems as though only the top officials in the big matches are calling stalling the way it should be. The minor Division I duals? Not so much. Come tournament time, which kind of stalling techniques will we see?
-- Steven H.

Foley: I'm certain that you will see the type of calls we all appreciated during the Penn State-Illinois match. The referees will meet before and during the tournament to receive instructions and guidelines on how to call the tournament. Assuming that they have gotten the same feedback as fans are generating, then they will continue to shade towards strict enforcement of the stalling rules.

It'll take some time for these rules to be called uniformly. As we saw at the international level there are some referees who are not as aware of the changes as others, especially when it's the enforcement of an interpretation rather than a detailed rule change like four back points.

Should nothing else change in the rules during the offseason I'd suspect you'd see more uniformity during the 2017-2018 season than you did this season.

Q: I ABSOLUTELY agree with your remarks regarding Gilman's use of face mushing at the end of his match. I have noticed more and more of this type of treatment, even following an out of bounds call during a match. I think it is definitely unnecessary, unsportsmanlike, and inspires a fan reaction more towards, "What a bully!" and less towards, "What dominance!" Wish I could say it only happens during Iowa matches, but it is seemingly pretty widespread. The ideal should be to practice and prepare, wrestle hard, wrestle fair, and win or lose with sportsmanship and good grace.
-- NFW

Foley: Agreed. This is not an Iowa-only problem and it's one that has been growing for years. It's simple: If you want to be a bully, then go to a sport that doesn't strictly prohibit that behavior. If you're such a tough guy then head over to an MMA practice, strap on some 4 oz. gloves and start swinging. You can even head to a jiu-jitsu room where bully behavior is severely frowned up given the trust practice partners must have in each other to let go of dangerous holds and chokes.

I've seen cocky wrestlers enter these rooms and get humbled in a hurry. Some use it as a learning experience and come back again and again to improve and learn, while others just fall back into their shell of wrestling toughness they learned in college.

Yes, college wrestlers are the toughest minded athletes on the planet and they endure the most grueling season. However, that doesn't mean they should feel entitled to slap, mush, shove and slam their on-the-mat opponents. More mutual respect and appreciation could go a long way on the wrestling mat of today.

Q: What did you think of the article in which Ohio State granted a release to Thomas Haines? It had a nice interview with Haines and Coach Ryan where it seemed as though the coach really cares about the athlete and helped him in the process to find the best fit for him. Lock Haven, as noted by the article, is only three hours from his hometown, was chosen as the best option for Haines and his career. Do you know if he was granted a full release based on the school that he chose to transfer to? With athletics or academics in mind, there seems to be better options that are within three hours of his hometown (Penn State, Maryland, Rutgers, Lehigh, Penn, Princeton, etc.). Schools such as Cornell and Edinboro are also closer to home for him than Ohio State is.

Lock Haven has some history, and he will likely wrestle with old high school friends, but don't you think that if given the choice he would want to wrestle for a national power, a place that has been turning out All-Americans consistently or has had sustained or recent success in the upper weights?
-- Mike W.

Foley: Haines was granted a release for several reasons. He's likely on a full ride and with Kyle Snyder moving to heavyweight Coach Ryan could use the money elsewhere, which he did by landing Isaiah White around the same time. Also, coaches understand it's frowned upon to restrict the movements of their athletes, especially when there was no real precipitating event.

In addition to having high school friends on the team, Haines' father owns a campground in the area of Lock Haven and is familiar with the school and surrounding area. Head coach Scott Moore has built a nice program on limited funds and I'm sure it excited Haines to get in the room and scrap around people he knows and trusts, and where he can be part of something that is still maturing.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK
By Ismael M.

Watching wrestling for a while was or has been like watching two slow heavyweights plowing along waiting to get to the down position hoping to get the only escape to win. This was almost becoming the norm even in the usual exciting lighter weights. I watched the Midlands and Scuffle and was disappointed on how some guys won and never took a shot until the last seconds in the match or overtime. Refs never called stalling when they should have made the call. Anyway I enjoyed the PSU-Illinois match on Saturday. It was the way Penn State wrestlers Zain Retherford, Jason Nolf and Bo Nickal didn't sit back waiting for something to happen. They were making it happen. We already have non-stop Nico Megaludis out there, so it's great to watch. It's what I would like wrestling to be.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 22, 2016

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 07:02:46 +0000

At the end of a technical fall victory last week, Thomas Gilman caused a minor message board stir when he stood up at the end of the match. The problem wasn't some Cam Newton-inspired celebration, but that Gilman used the back of his opponent's still prostrated body and head to up himself from the Resilite.

That action, known colloquially as "face-mushing" is essentially grinding your opponent's face in the mat in a manner that is neither sporting, nor kind. Though unlikely to cause physical damage, face mushing is a disrespectful gesture meant to prove dominance opponent -- something you would think a 15-point victory already achieved.

This type of brutish and combative behavior isn't just dumb, reductive and immature; it also propagates the wrongheaded culture within wrestling that aggression and intimidation are weapons to be utilized. While fan boys of needless hostility might find gestures like face mushing as an endearing necessity of (faux) tough guy culture, in reality it's nothing more than a display of misplaced testosterone and underlying insecurity.

Winners don't denigrate and disrespect their opponents. Are they tough? Yes. Unrelenting in their forward pressure? Sure. Are they unapologetic in dominance? Of course.

The great ones were known as great in part because of a technical elegance, but also personal grace. John Smith, Gholamreza Takhti, Kaori Icho and Alexander Karelin -- none of these greats are prolific smilers, but they also weren't total jerks.

Trash talking, chest-bumping, and punch-throwing outbursts come about when wrestlers are taught to hide and protect their weaknesses and failures rather than explore them. The true champions don't see shortcomings as weakness, but as opportunities to improve. You don't get better because you emphasized the walloping of an opponent with a parting gesture more befitting a jailhouse than a wrestling mat.

Dollars to donuts, Thomas Gilman wins more matches if he tones down the bad boy rhetoric, and ceases to use intimidation as main wrestling skills. To fill the void of anger he (and others) could instead look at the technique missing from their repertoire and analyze it honestly and without bravado.

Wrestlers like Gilman (and there are many who act out in a similar fashion) could find enrichment from self-awareness and by default probably win more wrestling matches. But more importantly they could become better brothers, sons and teammates.

To your questions â€¦

Q: J'den Cox is supposedly moving down to 86 kilos for the Trials. Ben Askren seems to think he can be a contender there. Do you think he can challenge the likes of Jake Herbert, Kyle Dake, David Taylor, Ed Ruth and Keith Gavin?
-- Mike C.

Missouri's J'den Cox celebrates after his victory against Cornell (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Foley: You can't discount an NCAA champion at a weight class that seems to be wide open. However, not surprisingly, I don't agree with Ben. The paper might look good for Cox, but there is little chance he's having the type of run needed to secure an Olympic spot.

The first big hurdle Cox will need to overcome is his lack of experience at the international level. Rules have changed, winning takes experience, and a strategy is almost as important as athleticism.

On the technical side of the argument I worry most about Cox's shot defense. The way it seems to me, Cox: 1. Won't hold up to a set of attacks (Taylor, Herbert), 2. Leaves himself vulnerable to trap-arm gut wrenches in scrambles (Dake, Taylor), 3. Is often out of position, making him vulnerable to pushouts (Gavin, Ruth).

For now I'm thinking this is Dake's spot to lose, but do remember that someone still needs to qualify the weight class in order to even have this discussion.

Q: There has been a ton of talk recently about creating action and scoring, especially from the neutral position. First, I hate the four-point near fall rule and second I hate the funk roll defensive tactics.
-- Jason M.

Foley: Funk can be fun in places, but since the maturation of defensive techniques we are seeing a burst of stalemates. That essentially means we have 30 seconds of feeling out, a shot on the edge of the mat, a whizzer into some skank roll and finally an out-of-bounds or stalemate call. We are two minutes in and there is no score, which means there is little incentive to score.

With the additional point for the same exposure, I can see why it shouldn't matter much, but I still disagree since there is nothing balancing out that extra point.

For example, the international rule set added a point to the takedown, but they did so because too many people were using the pushout as an equal scoring opportunity. Athletes, coaches and fans wanted to see more techniques, but instead were seeing more of a shoving match.

By incentivizing the turn the NCAA has forced more ground wrestling, which they hoped would increase action. In reality, two things have occurred. First, the top guy is so focused on that extra point he goes into a traditional snore ride between tilting attempts. Second, the moves that go from feet to back which were once five points are now six, but there is no extra opportunity for the wrestler who is down to make up that point. There is no balancing of scoring opportunities.

If somehow takedowns were three points and those throws still only counted for six points there would be an equitable balance. But for now, any turn or any successful throw (in coordination with successive defensive wrestling from the knees) essentially eliminates the trailing wrestler's opportunity to wrestle back from his deficit.

Q: Isaiah Martinez and Jason Nolf meet on Saturday. The betting line is Martinez -5/Nolf+5. What side are you betting?
-- Mike C.

Foley: That's a fantastic line. I think that Nolf gives up too may points and Martinez will be charged up for the challenge.

Martinez by 7.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Highlight video from Ivan Poddubny (Hope you like house music â€¦ )

Interesting points: Brands moves mats, John Smith wears cowboy hats (even on the road), and boy-oh-boy do kids these days look young.

Grapple on the Gridiron
42,287 fans. Kinnick Stadium. Iowa vs. Oklahoma State. Thanks to DPD Productions, you can relive that historic November day:
Posted by NCAA Wrestling on Thursday, January 21, 2016

Link: Massive human reported to do 5k pushups per day

Link: Unfortunately this is the most-viewed wrestling story of 2016

Trump and Cruz FINALLY killed the singlet

Never mind â€¦ this also helps eliminate the singlet from ever being a viable, popular uniform â€¦

Q: I'm afraid my Gophers are going to have the worst finish in 25 years. They are in danger of having a losing record for the first time since 1991-1992. They also just dropped out of the top 25 rankings. I know the Gophers have had some rebuilding years but nothing like this in a while. Even in those rebuilding years you'd see a freshman or two have a very solid season. Other than Tommy Thorn I don't have faith anyone is going to step up.

Do you think J Rob is not getting it done like he used to? It seems like the team is becoming very Minnesota-only focused yet still lose top recruits to Penn State, ASU, and Purdue. Do you think if the Gophs could recruit all the top wrestlers in Minnesota they could get back to the top?
-- Jeff M.

Foley: The Gophers are in trouble.

As you cited there is less talent in their room than recent seasons and recruiting has been down for the last few years. The toughness J Rob imbued into the performance of past teams seems to be missing in 2016.

Why?

The chemistry may just be off. They've lost coaches over the past few years and those missing contributions may have finally stacked too high. There is "sum greater than its parts" element to the formation of a top-caliber squad and sometimes that concoction can be volatile, and other times just flat wrong.

Given his track record I'm certain he's not accepting this season as the new status quo. New wrestlers, maybe a new approach to training -- anything and everything will be up for review in 2016.

The only thing lost from a down season (or few in a row) is the element of mystique they once enjoyed. That reputation is near impossible to earn, but can be lost in just 12 months.

Q: Did Brian Shute wrestle in college? If so, what kind of college career did he have?
-- Mike C.

Brian Shute was a three-time All-American at Oregon

Foley: Absolutely Shute wrestled in college. He took the loss to Louden Swain and parlayed it into a sales pitch on his ability to showcase improved sportsmanship.

Shute attended the University of Oregon where he was a three-time All-American for the Ducks. After the school dropped the program Shute made appeals to the administration and local officials. Nobody listened, so Shute disappeared. Nobody is quite sure where he is today, but legend has it he stalks Eugene, waiting for Phil Knight and the perfect moment to strike.

(Seriously though, have you seen a recent picture of Les Gutches? Was he not the inspiration for Shute?!)

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 15, 2016

Fri, 15 Jan 2016 07:24:29 +0000

High school standout and Oklahoma State redshirt freshman Chance Marstellar won't be wrestling anymore this season. The four-time undefeated Pennsylvania state champion who'd had a frustrating start to his Cowboy career in 2015, was suspended from the team by head wrestling coach John Smith.

While his season on the mat officially ended this week in Stillwater, the saga of Marstellar's wrestling career will almost certainly extend a few more years.

The rumor mill has already started to spin, with conjecture that Marstellar will either quit wrestling altogether (as he mentioned in a tweet) or join his former youth coach Cary Kolat at Campbell.

So what happened? I don't know that it matters.

When given the body of evidence we have to go on there is little anyone can do but speculate, and really, what good is that when considering the physical and emotional health of a 20-year-old?

For now, it's best to allow him to clear his head and make a decision that most benefits his future. I hope that Coach Smith is part of that discussion, and maybe even Coach Kolat. What Marstellar needs now are calm voices guiding him to his next step, not to listen to the outrageous, cacophonous echo chamber of the wrestling world's message boards and Twitteratti.

To you questions â€¦

Q: I've been watching matches on BTN over the weekend and have an idea to improve scoring in folkstyle and likening more to freestyle without making any major changes. If a wrestler shoots or creates an offensive attack and that initial sequence ends in a stalemate, he or she gets 1 point. This rewards the offensive wrestler and more importantly penalizes the wrestler whose only goal is to create a stalemate. There are so many matches that have countless shots and no scoring because of funk scrambles. Think about the Jesse Delgado-Nahshon Garrett NCAA finals match from a couple years ago. Garrett might have won and at the least would have been much higher scoring. What do you think?
-- Andy S.

Foley: The near-takedown, which bubbled up in the states after some misinterpretation of international rules, was among the most reviled and confusing rules to ever (not) exist. On the surface this reminds me of that rule.

The other rule it reminds me of is the one-point defensive takedown, where any snapdown or sprawl into a takedown off an opponent's shot only earned one point. That ruled caused some really weird things to happen, like desperation "shots" by winning wrestlers who wanted to avoid giving up two points.

I'd have to see the rule in action, but my instincts tell me that there would be a lot of shots where the aggressor would accept the stalemate and maybe even push it along in order to ensure easier points. In my watching this year a high percentage of attacking wrestlers were left to hang on to a leg in order to avoid the counter takedown.

The OB and self-exposure rules would eliminate much of the tomfoolery, but as you alluded to in your question there just isn't an appetite for that type of change.

Q: Penn State dominated at the Scuffle, winning five weight classes. Has this ever happened at the NCAAs? PSU looks like a favorite in three weight classes with the possibility of two more. What are the chances?
-- Mike Z.

Zain Retherford is one of six Penn State wrestlers ranked in the top five (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Not zero chance, but pretty close to nil. The NCAA championships are tough to win for wrestlers who are No. 1 with a bullet, much less someone who has to overcome a few close competitors or put together the perfect tournament.

The action at NCAAs rarely falls on the side of perfection, and instead trends toward disarray. That disorganization of champions (how often does anyone predict all 10?) does favor a well-coached Penn State squad come time for the team title. However, I think it's a stretch to predict five, four or even three champions. Is each capable? Yes. But like the Powerball, given enough iterations of the tournament winning five titles may happen, but it's a very, very long shot.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Really ... Don't pull hair in jiu-jitsu

These kids just don't play no more !ó¾»
Posted by Mr Jiu-Jitsu on Sunday, January 10, 2016

Helicopter defense, anyone?

Link: Great read on Jesse Thielke

Q: Please comment on the 4-point nearfall hurting NCAA wrestling. A good scramble ending with a takedown and back points puts a wrestler up 6-0. The wrestler then stalls for the rest of the match to win 7-2. Is there a better way for awarding action without throwing the match?
-- Josh L.

Foley: I'm not a fan of adding points just to make the score look more impressive. Takedowns are very hard to get and are worth two points, but when you subtract a standup (which you need in order to score another takedown) that's really reduced to one. Meanwhile an action like tilting can be done on repeat and HOLDING someone in danger for four swipes is worth twice as much as two swipes? The rule seems wildly out of line with what the NCAA would want to promote, which is action on the feet. Why would any casual fan want to watch a match with two guys logrolling each other for massive amounts of points? Hint: They don't.

The NCAA should incentivize wrestling from the neutral position and an increase of new and grand actions. The problem has become one of death by a thousand cuts. In order to solve the dearth of scoring (and interesting scoring) in collegiate wrestling, the NCAA instituted easy ways to add points. That change, added atop a heap of others, has decreased action.

This is most evident in Bo Nickal's loss at Indiana. The action was his and though he lost position he gave up six points. In freestyle he'd have given up four, but the comeback would've been easier because stalling and the pushout would have evened him up in minutes.

I don't see the NCAA making major changes. They are content with minor adjustments no matter what the eventuality on the mat.

Q: About 2016 Takhti Cup: The traditional wrestling style (Pahlavani) competition after the international tournament is an excellent idea. You can see a lot of international freestyle/Greco stars fighting with different rules and uniforms. I believe in this strategy, a strong partnership between Olympic and traditional styles during an international event. Could be interesting see another "mixed" event with kurash or belt wrestling. What do you think?
-- Luca M.

Foley: I love the idea of adding in the local culture of wrestling to an international event.

I've worked from over 30 countries in the last few years and each event opens with a dance number. I'm the first to recognize and appreciate the tie between dance and wrestling, but it always occurred to me that these ceremonies may also play an ode to local wrestling traditions.

Growth of the traditional styles could be coming. In February, I'll be attending an international forum in Istanbul on traditional wrestling. United World Wrestling is pairing up with some sponsors and the Turkish Wrestling Federation to make a more permanent improvement to the traditional offerings.

Time will tell. There is a lot to be done at all levels of the sport and only so much time, money and human resources to split among the interested parties.

Q: What specifically is USA Wrestling doing to help get the sport back at the Division I level to schools who either used to have it or are in popular wrestling areas? Other than talking points, what can they tell you is being done? The second part of that is what is their revenue being spent on? I seriously don't know and my smart guy friends and I can't come up with those answers.
-- Mike S.

Foley: USA Wrestling has very limited dominion over NCAA wrestling so they don't focus too much on giving their resources to the collegiate programs.

I don't have talking points for USA Wrestling, but they are in constant motion. There is no slacking. The first role of the organization is to win Olympic and World medals at the senior, junior and cadet level in women's wrestling, Greco-Roman and freestyle. To accomplish that means funding eight starting wrestlers at each weight class, plus two backups to wrestle around the world for almost a full 12 months.

Travel is an enormous expense, but I know from experience that the coaches, athletes and executives are almost always sitting in coach (save the free upgrade). That isn't always the case with international and national federations.

The staffing levels for three teams is equally burdensome financially, having to pay for a team director, strength coach, nutritionist, developmental coach and a myriad more roles. And that's before you get to the obvious on-the-mat coaches.

USA Wrestling also hosts a bunch of events throughout the calendar year, not the least of which is Fargo. Those events need a very large, very dedicated staff to execute and a smaller year-round staff to envision, manage, and prepare.

Then you have communications staff, support staff and the aforementioned executive staff. All those people have salaries and those numbers are all made public.

In total, they do work their ass off for the betterment of the sport with pretty limited funding. They do a heck of a lot for an organization their size. Could they do more or be more efficient? Of course, we all could, but for now they are well run and meeting their mission to bring home medals.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 8, 2016

Fri, 08 Jan 2016 09:25:27 +0000

Anderson University this week chose to discontinue the sport of wrestling at the conclusion of the 2016 season. The team, which competes at the Division II level, was one of only a handful of collegiate programs in South Carolina.

News of a change began to break last month when longtime head wrestling coach Dock Kelly abruptly retired to take the job at newly minted Lourdes University in Ohio.

On the local level the loss of a program in the south could hurt the growth of the sport. However, when seen on a national scale the loss of Anderson has been counteracted with the rapid growth of collegiate programs around the country. That said, were this a Division I program the impact may be wider felt since the programs tend to draw much more attention and act as the barometer of the sport's overall health.

If you're still depressed then look at Division III wrestling where five new programs will be added next year (Castleton, MacMurray, Nebraska Wesleyan, Otterbein, Thomas Moore), along with the maturation of Southern Virginia into full Division III status. That's 150 high school wrestlers who have the opportunity to stay in our sport for four more years, and possibly the rest of their life.

There are more programs being announced every month. While we should mourn those that have been eliminated, we have to see that in the big picture we are in the midst of an unprecedented upswing in collegiate participation -- and that's a good thing.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Do you think some high school stud wrestlers just burn out when they go to college and don't have a parent pushing and driving them? Is that the case with Jimmy Gulibon and Chase Marsteller? Or is something else going on with them?
-- Tim M.

Foley: There are a lot of factors to consider when predicting which state champion wrestler will translate into a multiple-time All-American or national champion. Similarly there are a multitude of conclusions to come to if the athletes underperform. How we analyze and predict is often as much a reflection on us as it is on the wrestler.

When I look at changes in performance I tend to think first of weight, next of pressure and third of coaching.

With Gulibon there is a major weight difference between where he was successful in high school and where he currently competes in college. In my opinion his lack of strength and inability to understand the leverage of these taller and stronger opponents has negatively impacted his results. I don't think you have to dig deeper into expectations, and certainly not into coaching.

For Marstellar the weight has stayed pretty close to what he was in college even as his composition has matured. The success of Marstellar in high school had a lot to do with his strength, but in college he's finding that situations where he once used oomph are being rejected. This has crushed his confidence and when you add the weight of expectation from both the wrestling community at large and those in Stillwater, you get a boat with two holes that is taking on water. Even John Smith seems to be having trouble bailing out his star recruit.

Overall, I don't see the parental push as a main factor. NCAA wrestling is very competitive and the line between average and good can sometimes come down to a string of bad luck.

Q: On Twitter, is Mark Schultz overly concerned with the gallery scene in Foxcatcher?
-- @german663

Mark Schultz (Photo/Larry Slater)

Foley: Mark Schultz is quite concerned with many of the scenes in Foxcatcher. While I'm not sure his online tactics are going to elicit much sympathy or change, I do understand that he probably feels misrepresented by the film. The movies, like any multimillion dollar creative production, must make some concessions in order to both tell the story and make money. When that creative production is your life it stands to reason that you may not enjoy the outcome.

In many ways, Schultz is lucky; there is a documentary that he approves of, he's written an autobiography, and he has an online megaphone from which to straighten out the story. Other people who've had their lives put on screen haven't been as lucky.

Nobody blames Schultz for being thrown off-kilter by the re-examination of his life. The movie didn't make him a millionaire or give him closure. It likely only worked to dredge up a dark and unconquerable moment. There is no way to know what type of self-doubt he was left to contend with and how that might affect his current online behavior.

All the best to Mark Schultz in finding his peace. When he clears his head he has a lot to offer the sport of wrestling.

Q: Who will represent the U.S. in the Pan Am Olympic qualifier at 86 kilos? How is that decided? Who will represent the U.S. at the Pan Am Championships at that weight? How is that decided?

Will Jake Herbert necessarily be the No. 1 seed at the Olympic Team Trials as the defending World Team member? Or is it possible that Kyle Dake could get that seed?

Also, as there will not be not a 2015 World medalist competing at 86 kilos in the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, will the final be best 2 out of 3 matches and will it be on a separate day from the rest of the tournament along with the 2 out of 3 matches between the Trials champions and the 2015 World medalists?
-- Scott M.

Foley: For men's freestyle and Greco-Roman the current No. 1 wrestler has first hack at the qualification. The decision at 86 kilos will be a little different, if only because Herbert may not be ready to wrestle in early March, having sustained a labrum tear before the World Championships. If not, then it would go to coach's discretion on who to send to the qualifier.

The women's side is more complicated. Any world medalist can challenge down a weight for the right to qualify the spot. This means that Helen Maroulis can challenge Whitney Condor, Elena Pirozhkova can challenge Erin Clogdo and Leigh Jaynes can challenge Alli Ragan.

Wrestling for all best of three matches will happen on the same day as the challenge tournament.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Move of the Year

Nicest guy in jiu-jitsu and my professor (14:00 min)

These kids have better balance than you

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Posted by Ð¥ÑƒÐ¹Ñ€Ð½Ð°Ð½ Ð¨ÑƒÑƒÐ³Ð¸Ð³Ñ‡ on Sunday, January 3, 2016

Q: As I was scanning the brackets from the Viking-Warrior Open in Nebraska this weekend, I noticed an absolute epidemic of injury defaults. That is, more than one injury default in each and every weight class. I have never seen brackets so riddled with injury defaults before. Any idea what is going on there? Bad officiating? A greater readiness for coaches and wrestlers to default in tournaments? A change in scoring methods? I'm really perplexed. Can you shed any light on this?
-- Carney G.

Foley: Of course I don't know what would've caused each injury default, but I do believe that coaches are more mindful of resting athletes and preventing further losses. In part this is to protect postseason seeding, but can also be a way for them to ensure that a minor injury doesn't burst into something much more dramatic. As for a comparison to previous years, it would seem mostly anecdotal, though the NWCA may have taken a look at the issue.

Q: Dunkin' Donuts finally crossed the Mississippi. What do you think it will take for wrestling to do the same? We've had some real studs out West and some great programs, but we are nowhere near the East and Midwest.
-- Tim M.

Foley: First of all Dunkin' Donuts has satisfactory morning sandwiches and serviceable coffee, but I'm neither a patron nor a fan. Why? Styrofoam cups.

I'm annoyed that these are legal, much less used. I started the Stafford Elementary School Environmental Club in 1990 (still in existence) and am pretty sure that in our school play we mentioned the dangers of Styrofoam, and yet we are still pouring millions of coffee into a non-biodegradable item.

But to be honest, I don't want to get preachy and I don't think of the environment when I order coffee. What I hate, what makes me homicidal, is the way Styrofoam feels against my teeth and the way it sounds when you rub it against the cup holder. I'd rather chew razor blades.

Ultimately to challenge the East Coast in wrestling dominance the West will need more potable water, which would help drive population growth and density. Unfortunately, until that happens there won't be enough people living close enough together to help drive that competition and make the cowboys as dominant as those east of the Mississippi.

Q: What's your take on Andrew Long's performance from the Midlands? I think it was cool to see him back in action, but more so to read that he seems to be squaring away his life off the mat.
-- Nate T.

Foley: If his life is on track then I think we can all agree that is all that matters. He looked incredible at Midlands and just might be the best 141-pound wrestler in the nation.

COMMENT OF THE WEEK
By @WIScanlan

Is this (1992) possibly the most bad ass national champ lineup in history?

118: Jeff Prescott Penn State
126: Terry Brands, Iowa
134: Tom Brands, Iowa
142: Troy Steiner, Iowa
150: Matt Demaray, Wisconsin
158: Pat Smith, Oklahoma State
167: Charlie Jones, Purdue
177: Kevin Randleman, Ohio State
190: Mark Kerr, Syracuse
Heavyweight: Kurt Angle, Clarion

Through circumstance, luck and future name ID there is no better NCAA Division I championship class.

Two Olympic gold medals (Tom Brands, Kurt Angle), multiple World championships (Tom and Terry Brands), WWE superstardom, UFC heavyweight tournament winner (Kerr), UFC heavyweight champion (Randleman), and the first four-time NCAA champion (Smith).

I don't think you could make a better resume from any other championship year.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: January 1, 2016

Fri, 01 Jan 2016 07:10:58 +0000

Happy New Year, wrestling fans!

The Professional Wrestling League of India wrapped up this week with Adeline Gray's Mumbai team taking the championship trophy. I was in India to profile Adeline for ESPN and was impressed with wrestling's newest venture into the professional realm. The in-arena and on-camera production values were second-to-none and the interest within the wrestling community was much higher than I anticipated. Also, women wrestlers were not only prominently featured, but were often the stars of the event as witnessed in the applauses, cheers and media requests.

But that's all I'll report for now. Unfortunately a few days after landing I had an emergency appendectomy. I don't know if India was somehow the cause, but it certainly felt a little too coincidental.

Anyway, I'll keep this week's column shorter to allow me more time to relax, and you, likely in a hungover stupor, to reflect on the decisions you made last night.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Is it just me, or is Kyle Dake simply David Taylor's Kryptonite? And this is from a huge Taylor fan who thinks he's one of the best ever college champs. But he just can't get past Dake. Why not drop back down to 74 kilos where he matches up much better against Jordan Burroughs?
-- Lon S.

Foley: That would be a terrible idea! David Taylor may not have won many matches against Kyle Dake, but there is even less chance that the Penn State grad is going to outwrestle Burroughs two of three times.

I just finished watching "Terry" and couldn't help but see some hope for Taylor in the story of Kendall Cross. All he really has to do is focus on the one guy â€¦

Q: How well do you think Eric Grajales will do in MMA?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Nobody can predict the long-term success of an MMA fighter because there are too many variables figuring into their in-cage and out-of-cage progression.

From a tactical standpoint I think Grajales is well-suited to succeed in MMA. He's extremely athletic, which means he should pick up striking and jiu-jitsu faster than most. Grajales is also talented with upper-body throws, which means he can control where the fight goes much better than a leg-first wrestler. In that way he could be a lot like Daniel Cormier the current light heavyweight champion.

A knock on Grajales is his conditioning. He's gassed quite a few times, though it's not clear if that's from weight cutting, bad dieting, or just a stunted Vo2 max.

As we've seen with Conor McGregor, Grajales may just need to learn how to promote himself for fights. If he can get the media interested and pump up ticket sales then he'll get a chance to fight in the bigger organizations. If he sits back and hopes that results speak for themselves, then he'll be passed over for fighters willing to engage fans and motivate them to push play on a $70 PPV package.

Q: It seems that the Aaron Pico hype machine has been very quiet lately. There was a time when the young kid was the hottest thing in amateur wrestling with speculation that he could beat Brent Metcalf while still of high school age. Since showing himself to not be invincible there is a lot less excitement around the young man. He's kind of blended into the rest of the group on the senior level.

But he is 19! He's handling guys that were multiple-time NCAA champs in senior level freestyle tournaments while being the age of true freshman. My question is do you feel Pico is under appreciated? If he never achieves world medal success before he moves on to MMA he will never be mentioned in the same breath as other great wrestlers who have big NCAA success. Even though it's an easy assumption that he would be a multiple-time national champ. I say "easy assumption" because he's beating old champs right now. The same thing for Henry Cejudo and he even won a gold medal. But since he didn't have a long illustrious college career he fades to the back of our minds. Your thoughts?
-- Dustin K.

Aaron Pico battles Logan Stieber at the U.S. Senior Nationals/Trials Qualifier (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: Pico is appreciated by plenty of fans keen to the international scene. However, I agree that there is less attention on his successes than there are on collegiate stars who have done less in freestyle. That might be frustrating for some, but I don't get the sense that Pico is bothered by that disparity.

As you mentioned, Pico is still young and being developed in a way that is unfamiliar to many in the wrestling community. If you look at the international World champions you'll see that most are roughly 24 years old, or the approximate age of Pico during the 2020 cycle. I think it's fair to assume he'll progress the most over that quad, though nothing is guaranteed, especially with MMA looming in the background.

I've talked with Pico about all of this on several occasions and I get the sense that he's enjoying the opportunity to see the world and meet interesting people. He's confident and mature in a way that almost nobody his age can match. Another four years of bopping around the world to train and learn about the world is (in my mind) to great an opportunity to pass up -- perceptions of his success at home be damned.

Taking everything into account, and assuming he makes a run at 2020, I don't think he'll fade away at all. I think that win or lose Pico is someone who will be talked about for a long time to come because he had the courage to take his own path and has pursued it with passion.

MULTIMEDIA HALFIME

Points for technique

Points for control

Did you miss @WelchTwin1's gator roll to win the #Midlands53 title last night? Wanna see it? #AlwaysAggressive https://t.co/PuZ7wLNwmt
ï¿½ï¿½" Purdue Wrestling (@PurdueWrestling) December 31, 2015

Q: The U.S. has yet to qualify 86 kilos for the Olympics. If Kyle Dake is the one to get that done, will he be given a bye to the finals at the Trials? They have done this in years past. It was offered to Nate Gallick in 2008.
-- Frank C.

Foley: No. Only returning World medalists are given a bye to the finals.

Q: College wrestling: low single, whizzer, funk, stalemate. Endlessly.
-- @wrestlingnomad

and â€¦

Watching Midlands we need rule changes like United World Wrestling. Matches slow. Not enough action. Don't incent riding & no OT.
-- @alliseeiscooper

Foley: The most immediate rule change needs to be the elimination of the four-point and three-point stance. The last time I was excited to watching a 19-year-old shimmy across the floor on his knees was when watching the final scene of Dirty Dancing. Stand up. Wrestle.

The second most immediate should be the out of bounds, which at this point has become the NCAA most noticeable rules failure.

Overall the push against the boredom of folkstyle has been a result of international wrestling receiving more online visibility. With easy Facebook and FloWrestling access to the sport more American fans are being forced to witness the contrast in action.

When dissecting the on-the-mat differences it's easy to see that there are simply more scoring techniques in freestyle. Part of this comes from the premise behind the sport that technique -- not control -- is of value.

That can be hard to digest, so take for example a wrestler on the international level is awarded four points when he nails a feet-to-back throw like a headlock of lateral drop. That same maneuver in folkstyle doesn't account for any points. Only if the wrestler is controlled on landing and held to his back does the offensive wrestler earn a separated two point takedown and subsequent two or four point back points.

That example gives us better understanding why such a large proportion of wrestlers are competing from the four-pint stance. There is no incentive to try, only to control, so the game plan is to draw your opponent close, bring their head down and wrestle in a way that is best mimicked by two cats in heat fighting over a ball of yarn.

Brandon Slay, who has the interests of USA Wrestling in mind, tweeted â€¦

I love wrestling & don't hate Folkstyle (wrestled it for 16 yr). But, Folkstyle should think more internationally for TeamUSA to prosper.
ï¿½ï¿½" Brandon Slay (@CoachSlay) December 31, 2015

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 18, 2015

Fri, 18 Dec 2015 06:00:31 +0000

The Olympic Team Trials qualifiers are this weekend and as usual the majority of the wrestling community is waiting to see how newly minted 86-kilo wrestlers Kyle Dake and David Taylor fare against national competition.

Kyle Dake defeated David Taylor at the U.S. World Team Trials in Madison (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Though their previous bouts have undoubtedly been overdramatized, this year's potential matchup is made compelling by the entry of Taylor's former Penn State teammate Ed Ruth

To review, the top seven finishers in each of the six Olympic weight classes qualify for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials, which will be held April 9-10 in Iowa City. In all likelihood Taylor and Dake will qualify, but who they wrestle and how they wrestle is of incredible interest to wrestling fans.

Since both are coming up a weight class, neither will be seeded, making it possible that they could meet early in the competition. However, Ruth, the 2014 World Team member at 86 kilos who recently made a very impressive run at the Bill Farrell International in November, will forgo his freebie and compete at the Open.

Keith Gavin, a 2013 World Team member and current assistant coach at the University of Virginia, will also be also entered at the weight. Jake Herbert will not be entered.

Though it seems like anyone's tournament, the safe money is that come Monday morning the wrestling community will be talking about the resurgence of a refocused Ed Ruth more than they are the performances of Dake or Taylor.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Has a true freshman ever pinned the defending NCAA champ in his first ever college match out of redshirt or was this a first?
-- Seth D.

Foley:I think Kaid Brock might have grabbed a little bit of history when he decked Cody Brewer on Sunday. I'm sure Coach Smith won't let him lay back and retire. There is a lot of wrestling left this year and he'll see Brewer again, probably multiple times, and it's likely the senior won't give the double overhooks as easily in a rematch.

Q: What is going on at Bloomsburg? They seem to be in an ever increasing free fall since John Stutzman left for Buffalo. They can't keep any new recruits on the team for more than a semester and at this point and time wouldn't be a top 30 Division II program. Is there hope for them to regain relevance, and if so is it under the leadership of Jason Mester?
-- Jake M.

Foley: I can't speak to the validity of the first two statements, but I have received a few emails filled with rumblings.

Truth is, there is almost never enough information available to the public, which would lend to a strong assessment of a team like Bloomsburg. However, like you mentioned, there is evidence of a fall in productivity on the mats. Maybe that's the turnover, or maybe that's culture and coaching. Tough to say. We'll see if any of Coach Mester's young guys can make it through the conference tournament.

If not, then the wrestling community needs to take note and if need be, action to see if there is a problem that money or support can solve. Despite being down this year, the sport of wrestling needs each of their Division I wrestling programs to remain intact and attractive to administrators.

Q: So, a few friends and I decided that we would start our own fantasy wrestling teams using NCAA wrestlers. We had the draft and picked our team members. I was wondering if you would be interested in giving me your opinion of my team? I'm sort of Bo-heavy, but that's not a bad thing. And, although I don't have a lot of No. 1-ranked guys, I think it's a strong team.

125: Joey Dance
133: Ryan Taylor
141: Joey McKenna (I was surprised no one wanted him)
149: Jake Short (OK, maybe not my strongest pick, but I like the guy)
157: Jason Nolf (this one has great potential)
165: Bo Jordan
174: Bo Nickal
184: Jack Dechow (if you are not in the Big Ten, people can forget about you. Dechow is great.)
197: Morgan McIntosh (my only current No. 1)
285: Brooks Black

So, have I got a shot?
-- John G.

Foley: You "having a shot" depends on the scoring system your commissioner implemented before the draft. How many points are you given for taking a lower ranked wrestler? Are you incentivized to take risk? (I think that risk is how a number dweebs at daily fantasy sites like DraftKings make their cash.)

I'd say you are collecting on no better than 20 percent. You have man-children McKenna and Nickal who could do the deed and a top-ranked McIntosh, but the rest seem a little reach-y for my tastes. Joey Dance is a personal favorite, but I don't see him beating Nathan Tomasello or even Thomas Gilman. Bo Jordan would have been a great pick to win had he stayed at 174 pounds.

Jack Dechow is a fantastic wrestler with the unfortunate luck of sometimes being overlooked given his 757 area code. Though I doubt Dechow will beat returning champ Gabe Dean, I do think that he is a favorite to beat Vic Avery and make the NCAA finals. Who knows, once you're in the finals anything can happen.

Also, if you can please post in the comments and let us know how you, or the commissioner, structured the league we'd be very grateful.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Seems like a sweet kid (unless you wrestle at 133 pounds). What an inside trip! YIKES!

So I guess you're getting Netflix â€¦

Classic wrestling match in Lahore, India (now Pakistan)

Wrestling Match (Dangal) in Lahore c. 1944
A Rare Video of Wrestling Match (Dangal) in Lahore won by Mangal Singh c. 1944Lahore - The City of Gardens - Collection of Rare Videos of Lahore: http://goo.gl/8WrFsD
Posted by Lahore - The City of Gardens on Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Guys in Russia are trying to stop people from driving on the sidewalk. A noble cause. Fastforward to the 4-minute mark to see a very nice hip toss.

Q: Two guys who desperately need to switch weight classes: Bo Jordan and Cody Brewer. Why on earth would Jordan go from 174 where he was ranked No. 1 to 165 where he's miles behind Alex Dieringer and would have to wrestle his cousin? Particularly as Ohio State just dropped a meet to Mizzou and didn't even try to wrestle the full squad. Meanwhile, Cody Brewer bumps up at the NWCA All-Star Classic and beats consensus No. 1 Dean Heil. Now he's struggling mightily at 133. Why not go up to 141 where a national championship is a sure thing?
-- Rick J.

Foley: I totally agree that something is off about Cody Brewer, though I'm just as willing to say it's an injury as it is cutting weight. What in the hell Bo Jordan was thinking is well past my pay grade, maybe it's a vendetta, or to help build the team? Or maybe he thought he'd wither away by NCAAs and not have as good a shot as he would at 165 pounds. Willingly giving up a top spot to take on Dieringer takes some stones.

Back to Brewer. Yes, he should move back up to 141 pounds, but not to run from Kaid Brock or anyone else at 133 pounds. I don't know if the weight cut is that difficult (he's obviously a tough human having won an NCAA title), but he is so tall you would assume that he could fill that frame and be healthy. We need more wrestlers to stay in the game, and while there is probably little doubt that Brewer is a lifer I'd hate to see him burn out, or fade away in the years to come because he was sick of the "other" sport of weight cutting.

Q: So Indiana beat Minnesota in a tiebreaker this past weekend, which raises some questions to me for the Big Ten. For as long as I can remember, Indiana, Purdue, and Michigan State have been in a race for who's lowest in the conference. With Indiana beating national powerhouse Minnesota (granted the Gophers are in a down year), and Purdue having success already with their new head coach as far as their current guys improving and the amazing recruits they have coming in next year, how much more scrutiny does Michigan State have coming their way over the next few seasons considering they have shown the opposite of the latter teams' growth?
-- Nick B.

Foley: Michigan State has charted their course with incoming head coach Roger Chandler. How effective will an internal hire be after almost a decade of lackluster results? That's unclear. Chandler may be able to adopt a new vision and hire assistants to improve the team's technique as he pitches big recruits. There is obviously something that Chandler brings to the table that the Michigan State athletic department believes can make them successful in the years to come.

Still, that will be a slow process and there will be plenty of wrestling fans willing to criticize Coach Chandler's every decision, every result.

On the other side of the coin there are plenty of other programs to look at in the Big Ten. As you mentioned, Minnesota is in a down year. How long will that last? What happens if Michigan underperforms given all the support they've enjoyed the last 10 years? How will Northwestern do with Matt Storniolo at the helm?

This Big Ten season will be one of the most compelling in recent memory, if only for the off-the-mat developments.

STATEMENT OF THE WEEK
By Andy L.

While I appreciate the new stalling rules and the officials zeal for following them, I have to question the calls against the bottom man. Time and time again we see the top man straddling, both legs in, or riding parallel not working to score and the bottom man gets called. Both men should be working to improve, but holding your opponent in a position where he is unable to gain his base while making no attempt to score yourself is stalling on the top man not the bottom. The top man should not be rewarded with stalling calls or riding time for simply immobilizing the bottom man.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 11, 2015

Fri, 11 Dec 2015 11:01:16 +0000

When the NC State Wolfpack bested Oklahoma State in a dual meet last week, they didn't just jump in the team rankings and make a front page splash in Raleigh, they made the strongest case yet for implementing an NCAA dual meet championship.

NC State head wrestling coach Pat Popolizio coaching Kevin Jack in the NCAA semifinals against Logan Stieber at 141 pounds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

The Wolfpack, led by head coach Pat Popolizio could, in a dual meet tournament, win the NCAA championship. Maybe that's not the likeliest outcome, but they certainly could achieve it without much in the way of help.

The current NCAA season is just not fashioned to the wants of the television audience. Tournaments don't sell on television because the early rounds can feel meaningless. If the championships are converted to something more modern and television friendly the sport could receive a much-needed bump in televised interest.

Cinderella sells, and unfortunately, for lazy sportswriters around the world, that means a team, not an individual. NC. State, in a position where more was at stake, could have grabbed much bigger headlines. But also the speed at which Popolizio led this turnaround could tell other athletic directors that an NCAA championship in the sport of wrestling is within reach.

The X's and O's on how to change the schedule of the season is difficult and political, but change is needed to keep up with funding needs of the sport and to generate interest among fans.

We've seen the ceiling for the individual tournament system, now it's time to explore how much further the sport can rise under a team-base NCAA championship.

To your questions â€¦

Q: The word is Myles Martin is out of redshirt and will wrestle 174 for Ohio State, with Bo Jordan going 165. Nathan Tomasello is a returning NCAA champion, Micah Jordan looked fantastic in Las Vegas and Hunter Stieber could be returning next semester. Thoughts on Ohio State as a title contender? Too many question marks?
-- Mike C.

Foley: There are certainly way too many question marks to predict that Ohio State will win the NCAA title. Myles Martin, despite early season redshirt success, would be chief among those concerns. While winning in the background isn't easy, there is certainly an added pressure in wrestling as the starter. Martin likely won't be rattled, but we wouldn't know until his first match in a Buckeye singlet.

There are a lot of questions left to answer in the Buckeyes' year, but it's safe to say that after an NCAA team title and a World champion in 2015 you shouldn't underestimate head coach Tom Ryan or any of his wrestlers in 2016.

Q: How highly can a Cornell team with three national championship contenders, (Gabe Dean, Brian Realbuto, and Nahshon Garrett) but possibly zero other All-American candidates (other than Dylan Palacio if he can get healthy) place at the NCAA tournament?
-- Pat S.

Foley: Wow. I can't think of any team that has won three individual NCAA titles but not also taken home another individual All-American honor.

Rob Koll, much like Tom Ryan, is apt to get things done at the end of the year. His programs churn out four All-Americans a season, on average, for the past decade. That's really, really impressive. Playing the law of averages, he may slide in with three, but to think all three win the tournament would be statistically improbable.

Everything considered, Cornell would need a lot of bonus points from their winning wrestlers, a fourth and fifth All-American and probably a sixth and seventh wrestler to score wins in the early rounds.

Q: Is NC State a stepping stone job for Pat Popolizio? Clearly he has taken that program to new heights in short order, but do you see him becoming a head coach at a traditional wrestling power -- or Big Ten program -- when a head coaching position opens up?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm not sure. College athletics are strange in that NC State could offer him as much money as Michigan State or Oklahoma State or Iowa. After a big win against Oklahoma State he's proven that you really don't need that tradition to be successful.

There is no competitive disadvantage to wrestling in the ACC, and looking at it in three years, or four, I don't see why Virginia Tech or NC State wouldn't be in the title hunt. They are already within reach of a trophy in 2016.

The only premier jobs in the country are Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Penn State and Iowa. The rest, even places like Michigan and Arizona State, are probably not marquee enough for a coach to start over.

However, if one of these jobs opens up and they offer Popolizio gobs more money, then of course he'd need to consider his family and his future.

After success at Binghamton and N C State the wrestling world knows that success will follow Poplizio -- just how much that is worth to another school has to be determined.

Q: Henry Cejudo recently tweeted that he's spending time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Currently he has no fight lined up. Following his match with Tony Ramos he said that he may try out for the 2016 Olympic team. Do you think it's likely we will see him at Gallagher-Iba in April or is USA Wrestling spending resources to advance the career of a UFC fighter?
-- Scott M.

Foley: I don't think it's "likely" -- but from what I've heard (and seen) he does seem to have a little more substance to grand plans he proffers to the Interwebs. If he makes an announcement to wrestle off for the team, I'd take him very seriously. If instead they find him a title fight, I could see him taking that opportunity.

Cejudo isn't too old, but he'll be 29 by the Trials and that, in wrestling years, can prove to be a little too long in the tooth for major success.

All that said, I think that his involvement in the event would be a very big positive for USA Wrestling and the media profile of the sport in general.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Fight preview

Weidman interview

Chris Weidman not thinking about 'Jacare,' Romero, New York or...
UFC champ Chris Weidman knows Luke Rockhold is feeling the pressure ahead of his shot at the belt. Why? Well, Weidman now admits that cool exterior previously hid some nerves of his own.
Posted by MMAjunkie.com on Thursday, December 10, 2015

Panda has serious coordination

Real-life "kung fu panda" shows stunning skills
Pandas are clumsy? 7-year-old Meng Meng will not agree. The giant panda demonstrated her climbing skills and performed various stunts on a five-meter-tall tree in snow that recently fell in northeast China's Jilin Province. This is her very first winter in the new home there.
Posted by China Xinhua News on Wednesday, December 9, 2015

Q: Let's hear your UFC 194 predictions on the final three fights â€¦

Jose Aldo vs. Conor McGregor
Chris Weidman vs. Luke Rockhold
Ronaldo Souza vs. Yoel Romero
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yoel Romero is my guy, but Jacare is scary with his submission game. Pretty sure we'll see a late first-round submission by Jacare off a takedown attempt from Yoel. Leg lock possible, arm bar likely.

Weidman will beat Rockhold in a unanimous decision, four rounds to one. I like Luke, but Weidman is much too crafty on the ground and has one of the sport's best coaches in John Danaher.

I think that I want Jose Aldo to win -- and I'm pretty certain that he can submit Conor McGregor -- but there is something about his behavior this week that reminds me of Anderson Silva when he started losing his touch and going batty. He sat down on stage yesterday with his legs crossed and answered questions. I know that he's not as outgoing as McGregor, but it still seemed odd.

I also think at times that I want McGregor to win. He's a watchable human and a big draw for the sport, but I just don't see that complete skillset for him to be a long-serving champion, like Weidman could be. He has zero ground game and in a sport where things go wrong all the time, I don't like his chances.

Aldo by second-round TKO.

Q: I heard Adam Coon is focusing on Greco-Roman this year in an attempt to make the U.S. Olympic team. Do you give him any shot at beating out Robby Smith for the spot?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Any chance? Sure. I'll give him a five percent chance, but I really couldn't ever see him beating Robby.

Oddly, like McGregor, I may have doubted Smith's abilities in the past, but each time he takes the mat I'm more impressed. He has an incredible front head lock, but as he's diversified his attacks, improved conditioning, and tightened up his defense he's won some big matches. I haven't seen that from Coon at the international level, though I'd be interested to see how he develops for 2020 in Tokyo.

By the way, though I disagree that he "won" the match against Makhov, I did hear a story -- through way of rumor -- that Makhov was telling people that he thought Smith was much more talented than he expected. Coming from a Dagestani wrestler, that's a large compliment.

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
By Justin L.

When it comes to generating interest in the sport, especially from outside the wrestling circle, it's been apparent we have some work to do, but after streaming the finals from the Cliff Keen Las Vegas tourney I can really see an issue. As a former college wrestler and now high school coach, there is nothing I look forward to more than Saturday and Sunday streaming the college matches and tourneys to tune into the big matchups, but honestly even after being hyped about the Cliff Keen Las Vegas tourney it was hard to continue watching, not because of the matchups, they were fantastic but the way it was presented. Part of what made the "Grapple on the Gridiron" so successful, in my opinion, was seeing and hearing the crowd and the energy of the stadium. I definitely appreciate the coverage and what Flo does for the sport, but having an overhead view, and only hearing commentary with no other sound during matches honestly turned even exciting matches into snooze fests, and I'm a huge fan. We are trying to attract outside interest, so what does it do for them? I understand that the mainstream won't have a Flo account anyway most likely, but what are we doing in terms of promotion? Even tennis matches, you hear the crowd and feel the energy from the stadium when just viewing on TV. Shouldn't we feel that as we watch? Just a thought, not so much a criticism.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: December 4, 2015

Fri, 04 Dec 2015 07:06:16 +0000

The reaction of the wrestling community to any event or story can usually be based on the principal that the local supersedes the national and simple is more palatable than the complex.

Over the past two weeks FloWrestling has taken issue with the business practices of the NWCA and their main database partner, Trackwrestling. Members of the staff have discussed the issue on radio programs, in articles and through Twitter. Though ostensibly tracking results would seem to be a national topic, the effects of the system are hardly felt similarly by a variety of disconnected subgroups, and the issue is too complicated for 99 percent of even wrestling wonks to fully grasp.

(As a note, the 40K foot view of the argument is that results should be open to fans the NWCA's preexisting partnership with Track inhibits the growth of the sport by limiting the exposure of fans to results.)

Putting aside the details of each side's position, the entire episode has shown the limitations in motivating the wrestling community for non-emergency purposes. The response to Flo's cage rattling has been somewhat muted and at least in my experience somewhat slanting negatively.

The reason for such a non-committal response might be an inherent bias in the Flo position, as noted by readers -- more results could mean a potential for more money. Maybe that's true and maybe it's not, but as one person with a lot of insight told me, "If Flo was in Track's position, they would feel the opposite of what they are saying."

Overall the wrestling community has seemed to shrug about the overall topic, but has been consistent in expressing unhappiness with the manner in which Flo has attacked the NWCA. The words have varied, but the approach on its whole has been more akin to Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr than to Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders. Where there is disagreement from Flo, vitriolic sentiment has followed.

Readers have not liked this angle, which isn't a surprise. The wrestling community abhors in-fighting almost as much as it does Title IX. Given all the sport faces, fans expect a united front -- especially among organizations with common goals. Also, as pointed out by Twitter, the issue seems to be more with Track than the NWCA. Stray bullets can cause very serious damage.

The issue has been raised and certainly there will be more discussions in the future. Ultimately the wrestling world will want a worldwide database with every record of every wrestling, complete with score, video and photo. We aren't quite to that point, but to get there it's inevitable that Flo and Track and USA Wrestling, NWCA and United World Wrestling will all need to cooperate and play a role. How that happens is yet to be seen, but for now the wrestling community doesn't seem as apoplectic about the situation as the more imminent stakeholders

To your questions â€¦

Q: I know it's early, but this year I see four guys -- Cody Brewer, Isaiah Martinez, Alex Dieringer and Nick Gwiazdowski) -- who could likely go undefeated with the most of their victories being major decisions, tech falls or pins. Gabe Dean could also likely go undefeated in arguably the deepest weight class. Who do you like to come out in the end as the Dan Hodge Trophy winner and why?
-- Eric B.

Nick Gwiazdowski works to finish a shot on Adam Coon in the NCAA finals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: Woo boy, Cody Brewer needs to be unleashed onto the world stage. My goodness, can that guy scrap. Given a choice of the above, I'm choosing the Sooner, but can make cases for both Gwiz and Dieringer.

The Hodge doesn't always go to the guy who had the hardest road, or did the most impressive thing at the NCAA tournament, but more to the guy who has a combination of factors. Working in favor of Gwiz is becoming a three-time heavyweight champion in years that were hotly contested and where he won many matches in dominant fashion. Add in a win at the NYAC (as background), his feature in Muscle + Fitness and a style that keeps fans interested and he becomes my leading candidate via PR.

Dieringer is much more difficult since exceptional wrestling at Oklahoma State isn't a new occurrence. However, a shot at the team title could bring his name more to the forefront. Still, he's my No. 2.

Brewer is significant, but when he wins his second title it will only amount to 12 months on top of the NCAA wrestling world, which isn't enough time to outpace the 36 months stint of Gwiz and Dieringer.

Dean, while an amazing talent, is the distant fourth if only because he could acquire a loss and won't be able to put up as impressive of numbers as the other three candidates in terms of total points scored.

Q: I'm a huge David Taylor fan. Initially, I was excited to hear he was bumping up to 86 kilos. I was optimistic that even though at first he might be a little undersized, I thought he'd be much quicker than most of his competitors and that the strength difference wouldn't be that significant. However, in watching his matches in Baku he looked much slower with that extra weight on than I thought he would and all of his opponents clearly appeared to have a big strength advantage over him. The most discouraging match was watching him against the Iranian for third place. While I know he's lost 10-0 before I've never seen him dominated like that. Do you think there's any reason to believe he can make the team at 86 kilos and be competitive in Rio (assuming the U.S. qualifies the weight)?
-- Eric B.

Foley: I outlined the issue with going up in weight in a previous mailbag, and many of those issues seemed to be present in Baku. Ultimately when you go up in weight you have to adjust to pumping the same amount of red blood cells (the ones that take oxygen around) to a lot more muscle. The muscles, when starved of oxygen, lock up and don't perform well. Across and entire day of top-level international competition, it's not surprising to see diminished results.

I don't think there is any reason to panic, both for qualification and for seeing David Taylor have a legitimate shot against international completion. He has the best coaches, trainers and workout partners available and a wealth of experience in his past. He'll be challenged by the old guard and new, but in the long view his performance in Baku was just fine.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

April!

Terry

Q: Do you know what the single season and career record for technical falls are? Would seem Imar has the pace to put both those marks at risk. Who else do you recall being as consistent at throwing up such large point totals match after match?
-- Nathan T.

Foley: I don't know what the season and career records are for technical falls (if someone knows, please post in the comments section), but maybe we should talk about Imar being a Hodge candidate.

Imar has crafted a unique style of dominance where he's constantly scoring, but less often finding a fall. Maybe that's circumstantial, but it may also be a way to get in a little more work on the mat.

Some other big-time scorers that come to mind are Josh Lambrecht and Jesse Jantzen.

Q: In your opinion, between Ben Askren and Henry Cejudo, who is the better wrestler-turned-fighter? Do you think Ben Askren will ever fight in the UFC?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Cejudo is the more talented all-around fighter. Though he lacks the knockout strength of even higher-level boxers he's got incredible skill on his feet. Also, Cejudo is a much more accomplished wrestler that Ben, having won the Olympic gold medal.

Askren will likely ride out his career in the OneFC where he is being paid gobs of money to fight a few times a year, while simultaneously running his wrestling schools. Bellator may be an option again at some point in the future, but the UFC isn't interested. They have enough guys who are much less critical of their organization who can also sell fights to the wrestling community, but also have KO power at the welterweight division.

Q: Everyone is excited about 86 kilos. It would be great to see David Taylor vs Ruth (I'm picking Ruth). But there's another great intrasquad matchup potentially in the works: Kyle Dake vs. Gabe Dean (I'm picking Dake here). Your picks? Does Dean have a chance against the other three?
-- Ronald M.

Foley: Great insight! Yes, I hadn't really thought about the Dake vs. Dean matchup. I imagine that they know who will win, but I agree with you that Dake seems like the favorite given his age and the Big Brother theory.

Given that, and the fact that he's not beating Ruth (again) I don't see him as a strong candidate. However, the one outside factor is that he will have an entire collegiate season in his rearview, which has proven to be beneficial to many recent international wrestlers.

Q: When can we expect to see more big dual events such as the Alrosa Cup and World Clubs Cup?
-- @wrestlingnomad

Foley: I don't know, but the format would need to be improved. The World Cup is highly successful for United World Wrestling, still there needs to be a way to incentivize more countries

Q: What do you make of Eastern Michigan shutting out Michigan State? Does that say more about Eastern Michigan or Michigan State?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Michigan State.

The program had reached rock bottom with their negative half-point at the NCAA tournament, but being shut out by any team is also a significant barometer of a programs inability to motivate.

Eastern Michigan has been well coached for a long time and this was a competent performance by better wrestlers.

Q: I have been impressed with Princeton in the early part of the season! Seems to be a program on the rise. What are your thoughts on Chris Ayres as a coach?
-- Mike C.

Foley: He's always been one of my favorites and after a few years of hard recruiting and culture change the success is coming a little easier.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 27, 2015

Fri, 27 Nov 2015 06:17:35 +0000

Wrestling fans around the nation are rubbing their bellies today, appreciative of the feast they enjoyed on Thanksgiving. Wrestlers, however, are not. They are likely running, or drilling, or watching as their chubby uncle devours a third sandwich made from leftover fried turkey and cranberry jam.

The culture of American wrestling doesn't have to include hyper-restrictive dieting and rapid weight loss. Though better than the international scene where 24-hour weigh-ins create yo-yo dieting, the American mindset is to encourage unhealthy weight loss rather than simple weight management. There are better and healthier ways to wrestle, and ones that would lead to long-term retention of athletes in the sport.

This weekend many of us will watch the Golden Grand Prix from Baku where David Taylor makes his first move up to 86 kilos. The weight is much closer to his natural weight, but after decades (literally decades) of weight cuts it'll be his first chance to compete at a common weight. It'll be a showcase in a late career move up to a more natural competition weight.

Taylor won't necessarily perform any better up a class -- especially in Baku where there is stiff competition -- but that doesn't mean we shouldn't recognize the merits of wrestling at your natural weight, which improves mood, increases cardiovascular health, stabilizes metabolism, and avoids other long term consequences of weight cutting like kidney stones. Not to mention every minute gained back from the sauna, which can now be spent on technique.

Yes, cutting weight makes you feel "tough," but given the opportunity to feel tough at 20 years old or healthy at 35 years old, the wise man would choose the latter.

So for all you wrestlers thinking about a move up in weight, enjoy your leftovers, make the move up and be thankful you did.

To your questions â€¦

Q: If you're Oklahoma State coach John Smith, do you pull your son Joe's redshirt and insert him into the lineup for Chance Marsteller? NCAA team titles are hard to come by, and it seems that having Joe Smith in the lineup gives Oklahoma State its best chance to win at MSG. Thoughts?
-- Mike C.

Joe Smith gets his hand raised after winning a Junior freestyle title in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: I was positing a similar question this week online, but for other reasons. Could John Smith pull JoJo Smith's redshirt so that he could snag a season with him as head coach before maybe heading off to lead Team USA?

That's a far-flung dream, but one worth swirling around your head when thinking of Team USA's already-impressive potential for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.

The decision regarding Smith's progeny can wait until the spring semester, which would give Chance the time to get his weight under control and compete a handful more times. Also, Coach Smith could enter his son and Chance at the same tournament -- maybe the Southern Scuffle -- and see who performs better.

The title hunt is no small consideration for Coach Smith. Penn State has reloaded for the next four-year cycle and while Coach Smith wouldn't cede the NCAA title for the next several years, he does have to consider it's much less likely to occur in two years than it would at MSG in 2016.

If JoJo Smith can prove himself to be a top five wrestler with a chance at an NCAA title then there isn't much reason to hold him back. However, if he's only marginally better than Chance with little shot to win the title, then it would be better for JoJo to make his runs in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 -- assuming an Olympic redshirt.

Q: How hot is Kerry McCoy's seat in Maryland? It seems like a program that's been in a slow but steady program decline since Pat Santoro left. Do you think the Big Ten move will improve the Terps' recruiting efforts to improve their results?
-- Dylan M.

Foley: I don't even think his seat is lukewarm. The program has enjoyed a lot of recent success and even if they are slipping into tough times at the Big Ten you need to look at the body of work and direction he's taken with alumni.

Frigid.

Q: This is a hypothetical, but let's assume Aaron Pico would have stayed with high school wrestling and been set on wrestling in college. He would be a senior this year. Where he would have gone to college? My guess: Arizona State.
-- Mike C.

Foley: I would think that you're one-hundred percent correct. I wouldn't imagine he'd find any other program as suitable to his wants for development at the international level. That's not to say other programs can't provide the same guidance (Ohio State sure is looking good), but Arizona State would check a lot of the boxes to include Sunkist Kids affiliation, the ASU alumni network of fighters and head coach Zeke Jones.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: Legend vs. Rookie

There is NOTHING cuter on the Internet. Also notice how chill the parents and fans are about youth wrestling â€¦

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Posted by Ð¥ÑƒÐ¹Ñ€Ð½Ð°Ð½ Ð¨ÑƒÑƒÐ³Ð¸Ð³Ñ‡ on Tuesday, November 24, 2015

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Posted by Ð¥ÑƒÐ¹Ñ€Ð½Ð°Ð½ Ð¨ÑƒÑƒÐ³Ð¸Ð³Ñ‡ on Monday, November 2, 2015

Q: I know you have touched on it in the past, but I really thought you were going to use the success of the Grapple on the Gridiron to promote a wrestling as a single-semester sport in the mailbag this week. Practice starts just after fall semester finals with the first matches beginning in January and NCAAs just before spring semester finals. Imagine the NCAAs outside in a stadium in early May with 25-30K Iowa fans in one corner, 20K PSU fans in another, and another approximate 10K from Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Cornell, Ohio State, and Lehigh (many others just know those programs have very loyal fans) spread in giant sections throughout. The different chants and section colors would be like no other sporting event. Think of how marketable an aerial photo would be. Then there is no competition with NCAA basketball and football (half of the current season). I realize it will interfere with senior freestyle events, but it's not like the NCAA cares. All they care about is the dollar and I do not see 80K-100K fans for the quarters, semis, and finals as unattainable if the event is in the right metro area (which after the match in Iowa last week; a strong case can be made for Iowa City).
-- Cary A.

Foley: You make an excellent point. The Grapple on the Gridiron did prove the viability of a large outdoor event, though I wonder how weather may factor into any decision to hold a three-day event outside.

Something to consider is a two-venue operation where the final day would be held in a stadium in front of 80K-100K fans. That would be a logistical nightmare, but may also draw in the type of spectacle that the sport needs to jump onto the headlines around the world. And like you said, that is an excellent photo opportunity.

Maybe another idea would be to pitch the NCAA championships to happen in a retractable dome arena. One that jumps out is Dallas, which has plenty of hotels, airport services and options for regional travel. With that option you might get all three days, and in a city where young professionals would love to visit. Finals could host 100K rain or shine.

The city of Dallas would only need to be convinced to bid for the championships, they wouldn't even need a single semester, though as you stated that would be a priority in hoping to avoid the other major events.

Q: You have been critical of Henry Cejudo in the past. He appears to be on track to get a title shot in the UFC against Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. Can he beat Mighty Mouse?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Maybe 10 percent?

Were Cejudo a power puncher or submission specialist while also being a world-class wrestler he'd have a much better chance at finding a round-winning knockdown or sub attempt. As is Cejudo isn't much of a finisher and with only serviceable boxing, he'll have a very tough time keeping DJ in one spot long enough to rack up points. Meanwhile, I think it's very likely that DJ just kicks Cejudo in the lead leg, parries and finds a unanimous victory.

Q: Jon Jones spoke publicly for the first time since being let go by the UFC. Did you watch his interview with Ariel Helwani? If so, what did you think? Has he changed?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Jon Jones hasn't changed, but I also don't think he needs to in order to become the UFC heavyweight champion.

Jones will grow up and learn to hide his bad behavior a little better, but I don't think he's something evil. I don't even think he's any different than 90 percent of men in their 20s and 30s, he just has a lot more money with which to act on his darker temptations. Heaven knows that if you gave me $5 million at 24 years old I wouldn't have made the best decisions. Add in social media and an interested mainstream media â€¦

Let's be clear that while I appreciate his passion and work ethic, Ariel Helwani is not a journalist and this goodwill hour was brought to you (in some shape) by the UFC PR department. That's fine, but I think that throughout MMA there is very little separation between the journalists and the organizations they cover. This video feels much too crafted to feel real.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 20, 2015

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 07:58:54 +0000

Whether it was a stroke of luck -- or if God the Wrestler (see: Jacob the Angel) decided to give the sport a pass -- last weekend's Grapple on the Gridiron was perfection.

The event was more than the sum of the total attendance, the impressive action on the mat, or the media attention. This was special, unique and while plenty of expertise went into making this match an event, there was an ease to the event that made fans believe it was repeatable.

Let's just let the event sit there, unmolested by overanalyzing details. Let's all act like Michael Jordan hitting some improbable, flawless shot and let the triumph hang in the air. We owe thanks to Iowa, to the fans and to the sport, but for now let's just absorb the success and reflect on what was a groundbreaking moment for wrestling

To your questions â€¦

Q: Jimmy Gulibon moved up this season from 133 pounds to 141 pounds, and this past Sunday took a loss to freshman Solomon Chishko. Is Gulibon too small for 141 pounds? He is scheduled to wrestle Joey McKenna on Sunday. Any prediction on that match?
-- Mike C.

Jimmy Gulibon (Photo/Rob Preston)

Foley: Gulibon isn't too "small" for the weight class, but I think the bump up has been difficult for him. The reason could be, as you were intimating, that the strength of his competitors might've impacted his performance, but it also might be something a simple as a bad match plan, or even a lack of confidence in the new weight class. The match was very close, too, but I think you're also shorting Chishko, who is a tough freshman with some of the best lightweight training partners (and coaches) in the country.

Joey McKenna had an impressive open to his season, beating two-time NCAA All-American and then top-ranked Evan Henderson of UNC. McKenna has plenty of international experience and I'd suspect that his past few years of facing top competitors and sweating it out at top-level training camps have him well prepared for the an NCAA title run.

McKenna 4-3.

Q: I don't understand why as an active fan I can't get informed info on why Drew Pariano or Jeff Buxton were fired. I get the sense that folks in the "inner circle" know the answers but they aren't saying. It honestly feels like the journalists in the industry are more concerned with keeping their "insider status" than they are with reporting the facts more broadly. I know it's hard to keep getting info if you get a rep for "outting" folks, but isn't that journalism? That excuse wouldn't fly at the BBC or New York Times. This keeping of secrets seems crazy to me, especially for services that are for-profit. Thoughts?
-- Bryan R.

Foley: You're right to point this out. The wrestling community is only so big and much of it works off personal relationships. I think that I know the real reasons for those coaching changes and many other things, but at times I choose not to share. I don't not because I'd be scared of the consequences, but often don't think it adds to the discussion. Most of it is speculative and can do real harm to those at the center of the controversy.

Willie and Christian Pyles went after the NWCA this week on their FRL for what seemed to be something similar. They have a product they'd like to be implemented alongside Trackwrestling and are claiming that a "good ol' boy" network has blocked them from fully launching their product. There were further accusations that the NWCA and Moyer held a last-minute vote regarding the National Duals during the 2012 NWCA meeting, which was being held concurrently with the Olympics.

Their beef seems to be reaching into some conflict of interest, but the fact they described the same network you do is compelling.

No matter where you wrestle in the world there is not a lot of money in the sport. When that happens a lot of favors are done to help increase the visibility and viability of the sport. In my experience, those favors come from friends and longtime acquaintances who would then expect something in return. Maybe not a direct one-for-one type situation, but one built on trust and future cooperation.

Can that be bad? Yes. Has it also benefited the sport in America for the past 100-plus years? In my estimation, it has. Regardless of if everyone agrees that a network exists, it's apparent to me that Flo, like many burgeoning media companies, is disrupting the marketplace. So far it's been a positive disruption in the short term, but we'll have to keep a close eye on the development of the sport to see whether or not it will be positive in the long term.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

After the attacks in Paris, an uplifting moment from a Parent of the Year candidate

Father Movingly Explains The Paris Attacks To His Young Son
"They have guns but we have flowers"ï¿½ï¿½"A father movingly explains the Paris attacks to his young son (via Le Petit Journal)
Posted by NowThis on Wednesday, November 18, 2015

Link: Awesome press for Beat the Streets!

Q: Chance Marsteller does not look like himself at 157 pounds. He gassed in a big way against Iowa, and barely held on for the win. It's amazing how much better he looked at 165 pounds last season at the Southern Scuffle. Obviously, with Alex Dieringer at 165 pounds and Kyle Crutchmer at 174 pounds, 157 pounds is the only spot in the lineup for Marsteller. Do you see Marsteller as a potential All-American this season? Or do you think it will take him moving up next season to find the podium?
-- Mike C.

Chance Marsteller hung on to defeat Edwin Cooper at Grapple on the Gridiron (Photo/Mark Lundy, Lutte-Lens.com)

Foley: â€¦ Time to end the reflection. There is work to be done.

Hard to predict how his season will end, but we've seen bad weight cuts turn around by season's end. The issue will be if he can control that weight in a way that will allow his body to recover, because with two hour weigh-ins you simply can't yo-yo diet for five months and expect solid returns.

There aren't many places to hide in the college wrestling room and I'd imagine that escaping critique in Stillwater isn't common. Coach John Smith has seen all types of athletes and guys who battle weight issues aren't anything new to the sport or his coaching career. If the fix is available -- if Chance isn't cutting 20-plus pounds -- then Coach Smith will likely find a way to execute.

I do think that Chance will go to the NCAA tournament and though his performance at Kinnick wouldn't seem to justify the statement, I also think he is an All-American at Madison Square Garden.

Q: Why do you think Logan Storley went straight into pro MMA instead of testing the international wrestling waters? Do you think he made the right decision to go pro right away instead of taking some amateur fights and lastly how successful do you think he will be at MMA?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Logan Storley didn't have a very bright future on the mat. Though an accomplished wrestler in college, Storley wasn't going to beat Jordan Burroughs at 74 kilos -- no matter the circumstances. Add in a stacked field at the weight class and there was almost no chance for Storley to make a living on the international circuit.

As a pro fighter it's likely that Storley will make a decent paycheck for a few years. He'll also have the liberty of not working a desk job, which he'll have the rest of his life to do.

Regardless of his career trajectory in MMA, Storley will make good money, travel a bit and test himself in combat. Bravo.

Q: What do you make of Ronda Rousey losing to Holly Holm at UFC 193?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Rousey has truly awful coaching and when pitted against a professional boxer and kickboxer she needed a more effective game plan and way more detailed striking instruction.

Something else to consider is that judo does not really win championships. Wrestling, boxing, muay-thai and jiu-jitsu are the forms that will win in MMA. Rousey's armbar might have been learned in judo, but it's much more in line with jiu-jitsu -- as jiu-jitsu is the ground combat form of traditional judo.

Wrestling is what threads all those techniques together in the cage and while "judo" throws look cool, you saw how easy it was for Holly Holm to not only defend throw attempts. Also, you saw that because Rousey has never had to defend her legs in judo it was pretty easy for Holm to put her on the mat with a takedown of her own.

Holm wins the rematch and I suspect we are about to see several other fighters upend Rousey now that she's been exposed as having major flaws.

Q: Tough week for Minnesota! Mark Hall commits to Penn State, and then the Gophers go 0-3 at the Northeast Duals! Minnesota has three Fargo champs redshirting, but how quickly can the Gophers return to being a trophy-contending team?
-- Mike C.

Foley: How about the ACC?! To recap Minnesota suffered losses to UNC-Chapel Hill and an outstanding NC State team, while also taking a somewhat fall against Lehigh. The Gophers only "good" win of the season came against the University of Virginia.

The Gophers won't be competing for much this season, but that's not to say they won't be able to coach up the guys they have in the room. J Rob has proven himself as an effective mat coach and motivator, so unless there is an unreported change going on in the program I imagine it's just a year in which the pieces aren't yet in place.

As for Mark Hall â€¦ yeah, that might have affected the program, but one wrestler does a team not make. The team could've used his talents to boost wins and possibly package up more recruits, but alas it wasn't to be.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 13, 2015

Fri, 13 Nov 2015 07:08:12 +0000

For many wrestling fans last week's Bill Farrell International at the NYAC was their first experience with how exciting freestyle wrestling has become. Setting aside past scandals, past rule changes and lots of chatter, what happened on the mat last Saturday was by every account fair and thrilling.

There have been plenty of other freestyle wrestling matches over the past few years, but none included this number of popular American wrestlers. That concentration drove viewership and positive replies on social media. Hopefully it will also drive more change in folkstyle.

First, you have to credit NYAC tournament director Hooman Tavakolian with bringing in FloWrestling for greater distribution, and for working with USA Wrestling to make the tournament the first qualifier for the Olympic Team Trials. That combo helped to ensure that many of the nation's best showed up in the Big Apple.

But the real star of the event was the wrestling itself. Even as the sport's A-List wasn't on hand, the action never lulled and the matchups felt naturally compelling. Little hype was necessary.

Speaking (I think) objectively, most of the wrestlers on the mat will never earn an international medal, but didn't matter much to the fans because the action -- and the sport of wrestling -- was well served by rules that promoted action and kept eyeballs on the mat.

The NCAA had to have seen some of this wrestling, but it's unlikely that they will care to recognize what they saw, but the truth is out there --enforcing a firm boundary and not allowing self-exposure helps create high-scoring matchups.

Thanks to the Bill Farrell International more wrestling fans have seen what a lack of action can mean for the sport. My hope is that the NCAA sees the benefit of positive change and makes the necessary changes this season, because unlike in their matches, there is no time to waste.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Will Mark Hall win six NCAA titles for PSU? Or am I underestimating him?
-- @alliseeis_

Foley: You are very much underestimating his ability. Given the hype he will most likely retire in 2026 as the all-time winningest NCAA wrestler in history. He'll have never been defeated, have won nine national titles and three Olympic gold medals.

This is fact.

Of course, there is a slight chance that he is a two-time NCAA champion and is among the top 100 that have competed in the sport. Though to be honest, I don't think you can assume even one NCAA title for a wrestler until he's had a college match. The NCAA history books are riddled with high school wrestlers from which everything was expected and yet nothing materialized.

All the hyperbole and doubts aside, I think that Mark Hall is a great wrestler and entering the best wrestling program in the nation. Best of luck to the kid.

Q: Replace the singlet. Establish a stepout rule. Sorry no questions
-- @ShogunOfSonoma

Foley: Um, hallelujah.

Though I would never have though this five years ago, I think we are going to see a grassroots movement to the two-piece uniform, and a lot of the momentum will pick up after the Rio Games.

Q: Any idea what the world record is for largest attendance at a wrestling meet?
-- Andrew H.

Foley: Well, kinda. Actually, it's really difficult for many record-setting institutions to distinguish between professional wrestling and amateur wrestling. Guinness currently states that Ric Flair (USA) vs. Antonio Inoki (Japan) was the most well-attended wrestling match in history with over 190K fans packed into a stadium in North Korea.

Major Senegal matches typically draw 60K or more fans

When you look at other nation's wrestling tournaments you would see that Senegal typically draws 60K-plus for major wrestling matchups -- a number that can also be seen in The Gambia and other West African nations. I once attended a match in Chad that seemed to have well more than 20K fans present for the opening rounds. By the finals I was told there were more than 30K fans. And that was Chad.

The match at Kinnick would definitely be the record-breaker for NCAA wrestling, though even there I'd be hesitant to jump in with both feet since I could imagine a scenario in which some 1920s era program packed some stadium. But I have no proof of any Gatsby-era opulence in the wrestling ranks so for now the Hawkeyes and Cowboys seem to have captured a sliver of history.

Oh, and by the way, Muhammad Ali was in attendance â€¦

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

The Inoki vs. Flair Match in North Korea ("Wrestling diplomacy at its best!")

Q: If we move in the direction that you are saying we should then why not just convert all of America to freestyle? I'm not opposed to this by the way. I personally enjoy folkstyle more but that is what I was raised on. If the rules were changed and back exposure was strictly penalized and there was a pushout rule then you have two competition types that are so similar they might as well merge into one (freestyle) and we can join the rest of the world. Do you want to do away with American folkstyle? If rules like these were created then you basically would be, because what would remain would look nothing like the folkstyle of the last 80 years. (You may say that is a good thing.) You refer to the proposals as modest but I feel that is a major understatement. It would be a huge change.
-- Dustin K.

Foley: The rules of folkstyle have already been adapted so many times, and changed to benefit safety and other norms that wrestlers of 80 years ago would hardly recognize what is on the mats.

Freestyle is simply a better product. Fans who have never seen the sport before can be impressed by big moves and a lot of action, while newcomers to NCAA wrestling simply have to watch a couple of guys look like they're trying to hump a doorknob.

That's extreme, of course, but the styles are already very similar and yet Americans are losing on both ends: less compelling product at home and failure to realize potential at the international level.

Traditions are important, but isn't one of America's most important traditions that of being globally dominant in sports? Adaptation and innovation? Those seem like the more important American traditions, not the bastardized NCAA rules that matured from late 19th century catch-as-catch can rules.

Be nostalgic, but stay clear-minded.

Q: Is Andrew Long the best 141-pound wrestler in the country this year?
-- @Robbybobbi

Foley: Absolutely not. Wishing him the best at Grand View, but by no means do I think he is outperforming Dean Heil, Jimmy Gulibon or Joey McKenna.

By the way, McKenna â€¦ Wow.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: November 6, 2015

Fri, 06 Nov 2015 08:00:07 +0000

The NWCA All-Star Classic went off last weekend and if you happened not to watch the event live, you probably did something much more exciting.

Maybe you rearranged your He-Man collection? Perhaps you washed and dried all your old takeout containers? Whatever you chose to do, it was almost certainly more exciting than 90 percent of the wrestling from the collegiate season's kickoff event.

Before this hyperbole goes too far, the athletes and coaches should not shoulder all the blame. Coaches are paid to win and wrestlers aren't going to take unnecessary risks to fulfill the community's desire for action. Also, the event itself was well-conceived and executed, with top matchups and an impressive roll call of wrestling's most important leaders on hand.

And yet â€¦ the actual on-the-mat wrestling was as riveting as watching canned molasses being poured onto a glacier.

The inflated points were in play -- three-point takedowns and four back points added to the 13-12 final score of the Cody Brewer vs. Dean Heil showdown. The new points helped the scores look remarkable in certain matches, but it did nothing to create more action throughout the competition.

With only a few notable exceptions (mostly 197 and heavyweight) stalling won the day.

In what is certain to be a harbinger of things to come in the NCAA season in one 14-minute stretch between 174 and 184 pounds, no wrestler scored an offensive point. To add insult to boredom the 174-pound match ended with a victorious stalling call for interlocking fingers.

There are many rules to blame, but nothing seems to be more at the center of this lack of action than the Ambien-like combination of allowing wrestlers to expose their back while defending offense and allowing a penalty free out-of-bounds.

Saving some outliers, self-exposure in the modern era of wrestling gained popularity in the late 1990s with wrestlers from Fresno State (most famously) using "funk" to wiggle their way out of defensive predicaments. For almost two decades the maneuvers led to increased scrambling, which for many fans was an exciting turn of events.

However nail-biting, the new era has caught up to the tricks and the funk become guys getting caught in on-again, off-again back-point scenarios where no points are awarded.

For some outside perspective, the current funk roll finishes and defense share a large amount of technique with jiu-jitsu/grappling. The position most leg-snatching funks end in is referred to in jiu-jitsu as 50/50, with some looking like leg locks, kneebars and even toe-holds. Unless wrestling desires to include submissions, that relationship does not bode well for fans of NCAA wrestling.

Wrestling in America is also the only worldwide style that doesn't penalize self-exposure. Every other traditional form finds exposure (not in the pursuit of direct offensive points) to be a match-ender. In Turkish, Vietnamese and Indian the entire purpose of the sport is to force just a single back exposure.

The constant rolling about has reached its logical end. No points are being scored, no action is progressing and the attacking wrestlers are not being rewarded for their aggression -- instead having to live through knee bending desperations of their opponents.

While some back points are now being called for wrestlers who get stuck in their rollthrough, referees have been unable to establish any consistency in the area.

The solution is to immediately penalize any wrestler who exposes their back to the mat, so long as they are not in the process of earning their own nearfall points. Once this is eliminated wrestlers will need to work much harder to keep action progressing on their feet and look for their own offense, rather than waiting on their heels to only roll across their back.

As for out-of-bounds, nothing more needs to be stated. Wrestlers play the edge in order to avoid giving up points. If there is a firm out-of-bounds the sport stays in the center and we (gasp) get to watch more actual wrestling.

These are modest proposals that should be adapted immediately. No need to waste another season watching one guy try to lay on top of another guy, or roll around only to go out-of-bounds.

Your move, NCAA. It's about time you bring back some excitement to the sport we all love.

To your questions ...

Dylan Ness picks up a takedown on Mike Kelly at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/The Guillotine)

Q: Thoughts on Dylan Ness returning to competition in Greco this weekend?
-- @CodyOcho5

Foley: Excited. Dylan Ness has fast hips and a dangerous style that could take him far in any tournament. I'm not sure how he'll fare later in the tournament, as Greco-Roman wrestling is next-level exhaustion, but I'm pulling for some big throws.

As for his long term viability, I think too many sleep on the toughness of the USA Greco-Roman squad. Just because they aren't as popular as the freestyle shouldn't be confused with them being pushovers. Those are some Grade A bad asses.

Q: Top five at the Bill Farrell with percentages for making the Olympic Team. I got Ed Ruth, Jennifer Page, JO, Victoria Anthony and Tamyra Mensah.
-- @davidcelias

Foley: I don't think any of those wrestlers make the Olympic team! Ten percent across the board, with the possible exception of Pico, who I won't discount too much even though I think he's still a ways off from beating Metcalf more than two out of ten times they wrestle.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Badass Girl of the Week

Another BAD ASS little girl. #RouseyRevolution
https://t.co/3ZEbdbWXpw
ï¿½ï¿½" Dana White (@danawhite) November 5, 2015

Look familiar?

Q: Does Jan Johnson win a Big Ten match for PSU?
-- @alliseeis_

Foley: I think he does. Johnson is a two-time PIAA state champion and a walk-on football player for the Nittany Lions. That's athleticism and coachability for a guy who also has the ability to work extra hours with one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time.

Johnson will be facing stiff competition up and down the Big Ten, but he is going to finish with several wins and a trip to the NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden.

Q: I'm excited to watch Mark Hall wrestle in the JJ Classic this weekend and anxious for his decision next week. Where do you think he ends up?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The JJ Classic will be a great opportunity for Mark to make one final impression on the fan bases before making his announcement. Every match from the JJ Classic will be streamed live.

I've written about the futility in trying to predict the thoughts of a high school senior and I don't think I'm any more informed than any other forum reader. That said, I don't see why he wouldn't choose Penn State. For me that's the place where you will have individual and team glory and be revered by the student body. Maybe that's true at the other schools, but I just see four years with Coach Cael as the best option.

Q: I have heard that around 30K tickets have already been sold for the Iowa-Oklahoma State dual meet at Kinnick Stadium on Nov. 14. What do you predict the attendance will be?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Congrats to Iowa wrestling for putting together this event. Not easy to pull this off in 2015 and yet Coach Brands got buy-in from the administration. Insane.

I'm going to go with 42,598 fans! Why not? I mean how many students are they expecting to attend? I just can't see why you wouldn't drop by for an event that is so unique. I'll just be getting back from an overseas trip or else I'd attend.

Can't wait to see these photos.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 30, 2015

Fri, 30 Oct 2015 05:02:54 +0000

Northwestern University this week fired head wrestling coach Drew Pariano and appointed assistant coach Matt Storniolo to be the interim head coach for the 2015-2016 wrestling season.

The details around Pariano's firing have tended toward soap opera-like rumors more than anything factual. The reason being that Pariano was fired and as in any termination he was advised to not spill details in public.

What we do know is that Pariano had a very successful five seasons as a head coach in Evanston, coaching several All-Americans and hauling in top recruits season after season. Before becoming the head coach Pariano was also successful as an assistant, helping Jake Herbert and Dustin Fox win NCAA championships.

As for the motivations for termination I can help dispel some of the more eye-popping rumors. There were no major or minor NCAA violations during Pariano's tenure as head coach. There was no precipitating event or altercation with an athlete that necessitated immediate action. Pariano was also not arrested on suspicion of any other type of wrongdoing.

Ultimately the reason may not be known for some time, but it's fair to conclude that with a termination this close to the season Pariano had lost the support of the Northwestern administration.

For now Pariano seems to be hitting the ground running and looking for new opportunities. Since the reason for his expulsion may never be known, if you fall to the side that believes it was a personality conflict then he may yet enter the NCAA ranks again. With a job like Fresno State open there is certainly room to figure Pariano to be a top candidate.

To your questions â€¦

Q: What do you think of high level/senior level wrestlers starting a union forcing companies, like FloWrestling, to pay them higher fees to show their matches under their paywall subscription?
-- Peter W.

Foley: This would be unprecedented and maybe not have much merit.

High school sports are still, in most parts of the country, highly regulated and truly amateur. The dollar figures coming out of the sports are nowhere near the invested amounts. The athletes aren't on scholarships and most have a much stricter rules for attending classes, etc.

While I see your point, Flo is simply a broadcast company based on the Internet and no difference than any other network showcasing a high school athletic event.

With that said, #DeathtotheNCAA

Did you see the Big Ten revenue projections â€¦

Q: Does Matt Storniolo have a chance to get his interim tag removed and become the head coach of Northwestern following the season? If not, who do you see as candidates for the job?
-- Mike C.

Matt Storniolo has spent six seasons on the Northwestern coaching staff (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Maybe â€¦

I'm assuming that Northwestern will outperform expectations this season. There isn't much that Coach Storniolo will need to change heading into the season (since plans are laid out well in advance) and with Tim Cysewski still on staff there is decades of head coaching experience and guidance to help him acclimate. That means that the wrestling and mat motivation will be Coach Storniolo's main charge -- areas I know he's more than capable of delivering winning results.

As someone I once knew very well and had the opportunity to hang out with again at the World Championships in Las Vegas I do wish Storniolo the best of luck this season. I know he's always wanted to be a head coach, but I doubt this was the way he imagined the opportunity.

My instinct tells me that a national search would probably bring out more than a few heavy hitters that Northwestern would need to consider. Storniolo would need a breakout season and detailed five-year plan to stave off the wolves.

I for one am pulling for him and Northwestern.

Q: I am once again looking forward to the NWCA All-Star Classic and would like to see your picks? Who is going to win and what is the most anticipated match up?
-- Jason N.

Foley:See predictions below.

125: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) dec. Zeke Moisey (West Virginia), 12-5
133: Mason Beckman (Lehigh) dec. Rossi Bruno (Michigan), 4-2
141: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) tech. fall Dean Heil, So. (Oklahoma State), 18-3
149: B.J. Clagon (Rider) dec. Alexander Richardson (Old Dominion), 9-8 (Match of the Night)
157: Mitch Minotti (Lehigh) dec. Cody Pack (South Dakota State), 11-4
165: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) pinned Ethan Ramos (North Carolina)
174: Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech) dec. Kyle Crutchmer (Oklahoma State), 3-2
184: Nathaniel Brown (Lehigh) dec. Blake Stauffer (Arizona State), 4-1
197: Max Huntley (Michigan) dec. Conner Hartmann, (Duke), 5-2
285: Adam Coon (Michigan) pinned Ty Walz, Jr. (Virginia Tech)

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: The Human Toll of Corruption

Every press conference ever

Great spot for college wrestling!

Q: Can you give us an overview of the Alrosa Cup?
-- @wrestlingnomad

Foley: The Alrosa Cup is the European Cup of Nations and will feature the top five/six teams in each of the styles from the European Continent. Though competition will be tough in the finals, you can expect Russia to win all three team titles.

Freestyle: Ukraine, Belarus, Russia, Azerbaijan, Turkey
Women's freestyle: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Sweden
Greco-Roman: Ukraine, Bulgaria, Russia, Azerbaijan, Hungary, Turkey

Q: Why don't more foreigners come to college in U.S. for wrestling? Campbell has a couple. Feel quick way to get good.
-- @RobbyHitch

Foley: There are some tough TOEFFL requirements for incoming students. Unless the student is already in an American high school, the transferring process can be extremely difficult. Most of the Mongolian students that have come through over the past decade (and Uzbek) have done so through community college. Only Turtogtokh went straight from and American high school to a Division I program.

I ado agree. Great way to add energy, and results, to a program that isn't yet recruiting top 100 athletes inside the border

Q: What should we expect at the NYAC for the Bill Farrell International Open? Any tips for first-time attendees?
-- @JaroslavWrestle

Foley: Be sure to wear a jacket and tie if you plan on entering through the main entrance! The NYAC is a bit stuffy, but in the way a prize fight of the 1920's must've felt -- intimate quarters, tons of action, and some upper middle class panache to compensate.

The NYAC is back in great hands with Iranian-American Hooman Tavakolian at the helm. A humble and generous family man with a passion for the sport, Mo has been a great ambassador for the NYAC around the world.

Expect compelling matchups and great wrestling in a truly unique venue. Also â€¦ I'll be there!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 23, 2015

Fri, 23 Oct 2015 08:04:59 +0000

Officials at the University of Oregon this week sent a strong, if not rude, message to the Save Oregon Wrestling movement when they responded to requests for funding goals with an outrageous $75 million ask.

As articles about the proposal suggests, officials at the university believed the number to be high enough for them to function without accruing an additional balance for the school and offsetting their Title IX requirements.

Forgiving the fact that the Oregon officials seem to have zero understanding of the rate of return on institutional-level investments, the heave-ho number also certifies that the current administration has no plans to ever add wrestling back to the offerings in Eugene.

Their match, it would seem, is over.

The wrestling community is quick to point to Nike for their role in potentially influencing Oregon athletics' decision to adopt baseball as a Division I sport while shedding wrestling. To many that was an unnecessary infringement by a corporation into the dealings of the university, and that has led to more than a decade of hard feelings between many in the wrestling community and Nike.

But who are we really kidding here? Are we shocked that Oregon would ask for $75 million? Boosters at Bucknell and Arizona State each paid the ransom after their programs were cut. Why not ask for $75 million and maybe land at $20 million.

The larger loss here isn't to the wrestling community, but in what these types of actions say about where amateur sports have ended up after decades of professionalization. Amateur sports were once talked about in the currency of total health of athletes and the charm of hard work. Today the only currency that matters is the dollar. NCAA institutions aren't places to become fit and learn lifelong values, they're the easiest way for a school to build their applicant pool and jack up prices on those looking to learn.

Money corrupts and as you look at sports in America notice that now even the athletic choices of pre-teens decisions aren't being decided by coaches and teachers with physical education backgrounds, but by those hungry for attention and a scholarship.

I'm all for entertainment and making money to survive in the sports landscape, but the real goal, the only one that matters, is to grow sport so that more children around the world can live healthy and active lives.

Right now the goal of amateur athletic institutions is to make more money and that greed is not sustainable, or moral, when dealing with the health of children.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Is it Penn State's NCAA title to lose this season?

Foley: For sure Penn State is the favorite to win the NCAA title, but Oklahoma State also has a lot of firepower this season so "theirs to lose" sentiment might be a dash too strong.

One weight class that could decide the team title is 141 pounds where Dean Heil and Jimmy Gulibon will battle it out at the top. The weight is still shifting with Evan Henderson coming into the season as the top-ranked guy, but Heil's finish and Gulibon's finish will influence the team score.

The only thing I'd add is that Michigan has a team that can make a huge impact on the team race. Maybe the Wolverines can't win the team title, but their Big Ten season might have some impact on seeding come NCAAs.

Q: What do you make of Kyle Dake moving up to 86 kilos and then losing in the first round of the tournament in Russia?
-- Chris J.

Kyle Dake finished runner-up to Jordan Burroughs at the U.S. World Team Trials at 74 kilos (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: The bump up was always meant to be a test for Dake. It's not surprising that he'd run into a few bumps, especially since he hasn't wrestled a lot of freestyle in the past two years against foreign opponents. Certainly losing his first match wasn't a great sign of anything, but within the match I'm sure Dake learned a little more about how difficult a move up might be. I'd imagine that even locking up with an established international 86-kilo wrestler gave him an indication of how he would have to improve his strength.

I'm happy to see that he traveled overseas to compete at all. The Americans aren't known to travel often, but those that do seem to show better growth over their international careers.

Also, I think Dake stays at 86 kilos and turns some heads in his next competition.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Gotta love the dance!

Q: It's been 18 months since you skewered FloWrestling as having an Icarus complex. How have they improved since?
-- @jtothemfp

Foley: You can see the improvement in everything they do from video coverage to broadcasting. Not only are they growing as a into a multi-million dollar corporation, but the feedback from those who deal with them most often report back professional and courteous interactions. Their recent expansion has so far been incredible for the sport of wrestling.

Q: It sounds like Hunter Stieber is returning to Ohio State's lineup in January. Do you think he can win an NCAA title in 2016? Or will the time off from competition be too much?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The time off may have an effect on his performance in January, but eight weeks later he should be prepared for NCAA competition. However, I don't see Hunter wrestling past Jason Tsirtsis. While I've been critical of Tsirtsis in the past for not wrestling an aggressive style, I think that he will change tactics in 2016 and be untouched at the weight class.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 16, 2015

Fri, 16 Oct 2015 06:50:32 +0000

NCAA-sanctioned wrestling practices started this week, and for many in the wrestling community that has meant a timeline filled with photos and videos of their alma mater and favorite wrestlers enjoying their first taste of organized practice.

The NCAA wrestling seasons is certain to be rife with controversy about scoring, anger over new rules, heckling of referees incapable of stopping the #snoreride and a couple rants about ancillary topics. Still, this is the NCAA wrestling season and the eclipsing any negative takes or critiques is the resurgence of the American wrestling community's favorite time of year.

Let us (briefly) be filled with high expectations for our programs, favorite wrestlers and the outcome of the season. Let us chat online about likely winners and losers -- possibly opine about this being the greatest sport (nay, COUNTRY) in the world. Let us chill out, drink a beer and let ourselves be taken with the excitement of action and that familiar tinge of nostalgia.

The self-important musings of the fans aside, a special congratulations should be extended to all the first-year wrestlers stepping onto the collegiate mat right now for the first time.

Good luck, men.

To your questions â€¦

Nahshon Garrett is a three-time All-American at 125 pounds (Photo/Rob Preston)

Q: How do you see Nahshon Garrett doing moving up from 125 pounds to 133 pounds?
-- Mike C.

Foley: My hope is that we see him come off of his knees and wrestle an aggressive style in big matches. He's a national champion-caliber wrestler and with his speed in attacking positions he should give 133-pound wrestlers fits. He really just needs to focus on his offense and not wrestling like a cat pawing their owner for treats.

Q: Who do you like coming out of the U.S. Olympic trials at 86 kilos next year? Will we qualify this weight?
-- @bufhall

Foley: There are a plethora of unknowns at 86 kilos. While we ponder the impact (and endurance) of David Taylor and Kyle Dake, there is still a substantial challenge looming from a bunch of established 86-kilo wrestlers: Keith Gavin, Clayton Foster, Ed Ruth, Jon Reader and returning World Team member Jake Herbert.

There is a lot of excitement about the new faces, but for those guys to get a look at the Olympics will require them besting a slew of talent.

My pick, for now, is David Taylor. I think that he's always relied on being coy and technique-based rather than strength. While I think Dake is much stronger than Taylor, I don't know if that will be true up a weight, and I don't know if that strength will help him blow past those mentioned above.

I have five percent confidence in my pick, but for some reason that's the name that keeps popping up.

Q: Will United World Wrestling's new bidding process keep Worlds in more First World locations? Is that a good thing?
-- @Bloodround

Foley: Not necessarily.

The new bidding process is only meant to streamline the relationships between National Federations, United World Wrestling and the cities that want to host. Most often the NF's would reach out to cities on their own and attempt to coordinate. The new method incorporates the city from the get-go. Those cities will not all be first world, but it should make for a better event since the cities will assist with all the larger issues ranging from internet to hotels to transportation and even such things as airport arrivals.

The new model is untested, but from what I understand the initial interest has been positive. My hope is that wrestling finds homes across the world for their events, which will help grow and promote the sport for years to come.

Q: When can we expect a uniform announcement from UWW? The January changes indicated a new uniform for this calendar year.
-- @gaertnbw

Foley: They are in the works. Wouldn't expect too much drama, but you can certainly look forward to a change for the better.

Q: In freestyle, when a competitor is put on the shot clock, why is the non-shot clock competitor not awarded one point after the shot clock expires if the non-shot clock competitor scores during the 30 seconds? It seems like it would incentivize the non-shot competitor to continue to be aggressive during the shot clock if the non-shot clock competitor was still awarded one point even if he or she scores during the shot clock. Without awarding that point, the non-shot competitor is of course less likely to take risks during the shot clock. If the non-shot competitor were to receive that 1 point in addition to any other additional points scored during the shot clock, he or she would take more risks and create more excitement.
-- Craig T.

Foley: That would eliminate the efforts by the wrestler who has been warned. Why take any risks if you're only going to give up a point anyway? Also, the wrestler who was previously aggressive will play active defensive (more than currently). The incentive here isn't to award points, but to incentivize action and leave the point scoring in the hands of the wrestlers, and out of the direct determination of the referees.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: Excellent piece by Anthony Bourdain on the grip jiu-jitsu has on his life. I agree.

Burroughs looking sharp

Q: Do you think the Flo guys will license the Kolat documentary to get it some viewership outside of us wrestling die-hards? Imagine it as an ESPN 30 for 30 or on the film festival circuit. I recognize my bias but believe it has the makings of a story that people independent of the wrestling community will find inspirational. That, and a cattle prod!
-- Jordan L.

Foley: First of all the cattle prod thing is amazing. Horrible, but amazing. We had a cattle prod in an apartment once after college. More fights started because of alcohol and the cattle prod â€¦ it was a bad idea.

The Kolat piece was beautiful, but there isn't a news hook that's viable for the general audience and the level of assumption of the viewer is high. Like with writing this mailbag (which should ABSOLUTELY be on Grantland or Deadspin!) the documentary assumes that the viewer knows of Cary Kolat. Even though they remind you of his accomplishments the big reveal is what happens behind-the-scenes at international tournaments and within college programs.

Q: I have always wondered if international wrestling could develop an annual international circuit of tourneys with "grand slams" similar to tennis' world circuit of tourneys. Maybe have "grand slams" in Russia, Mongolia or Japan, United States, Cuba and other wrestling hotbeds or even rotate countries with a "grand slam" on each continent. Points would be accumulated from each tourney and then the top overall competitors at each weight would receive prize money based on how many points they accumulate throughout the year. The points could also be used to seed Worlds and the Olympics so you would award wrestlers for competing during the year while also creating additional interest in the sport.
-- Craig T.

Foley: That's the goal. The Golden Grand Prix was the first iteration of that system and is being competed over Thanksgiving in Baku, Azerbaijan.

The points systems, as stated in previous mailbags, will be something that the federation looks hard at implementing in future years!

Q: If I am reading the following correctly regarding athlete change in nationality, "In cases where a wrestler practices more than one wrestling style, the host federation shall indicate to United World Wrestling under which style the change of nationality must be recorded," does that mean a male wrestler could theoretically compete in Greco for country A and freestyle for country B in the same tournament?
-- Dan L.

Foley: No! You can only be wrestling under one passport! This is to say if the incoming wrestlers can't come in as Greco-Roman and freestyle, but then automatically both become freestyle wrestlers. Imagine a country like Italy recruiting athletes in both styles, but with only a freestyle program. It was a way to restrict countries from gaming the system of one athlete per year, per style.

Tanner Hall, an Idaho native, gets his hand raised after winning a Junior National freestyle title in Fargo in 2010 (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: Tanner Hall is expected to be Arizona State's heavyweight this year. Hall was a beast in high school. I remember him beating Kyle Snyder and Nick Gwiazdowski. He took a Mormon mission and hasn't competed much lately. Can he be an NCAA champion this season? Or what are realistic expectations?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I've been fortunate to coach a few LDS wrestlers and have of course seen Matt Brown compete. I don't think that Hall will have lost too much in his two years overseas, but I do think it would be ambitious to put him in the NCAA finals after two full years off the mat!

I think he's an All-American, and if he makes it the NCAA finals it'll be hats off to him, but also to that coaching staff.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 9, 2015

Fri, 09 Oct 2015 07:14:17 +0000

This week FloWrestling released Episode 2 of their documentary film series "Kolat" a miniseries on the life and career of the American wrestling legend.

Where Episode 1 recapped Kolat's upbringing, high school career and college career, Episode 2 focused on Kolat's international career and the controversies that seemed to follow him to three consecutive World Championships.

The episode tapped into Kolat's raw emotions after taking losses at the World Championships which were mired in poor refereeing and perceptions of corruption among the top brass of the international federation, then known as FILA. Kolat's losses weren't just dramatic failures on the mat, they were off-the-mat sagas, which added depth to a story that might otherwise have been scripted in the normal humdrum of wrestling community speak.

The piece didn't focus as much on high crotches and top technique as it did Kolat's humanity, something the wrestling community had never seen up close. Fans across the country identified with Kolat's struggle to understand his losses since they too, in their own career, had felt some injustice, or the proper recognition of their ability or contribution.

The producers, led by Mark Bader, did an excellent job to let the story speak for itself, a testament to their experience as storytellers. There is extraordinary skill in allowing the subject's voice to be heard and the Flo crew did that with precision, allowing Kolat's grieving occupy the episode's emotional space.

This was exceptional and brilliant work.

I'm happy that we no longer live in the era of re-wrestling matches and have the benefit of immediate challenges. An independent refereeing body and improved internal governance have allowed the new governing body to focus on the wrestlers. Still, shining light on these episodes of the past can be important in ensuring the sanitation of the sport for generations to come.

Fifteen years ago Kolat was failed by a system, but this week he seems to have recovered the respect and admiration he was always meant to receive. From here, anything is possible for Kolat -- for the first time in a generation he's the talk of the town, and for all the right reasons.

To your questions â€¦

Q: So far I'm loving the matchups scheduled for the NWCA All-Star Classic. However, I find it strange that it's being held at a university with no wrestling program in a state (Georgia) with a fairly weak wrestling history and background. I kind of felt the same way with the World Championships being held in Las Vegas. I was pumped it was in the U.S., but how many people in Nevada tend to care that much about wrestling compared to some other states? Anyway, any reason U.S. wrestling organizations tend to pick such questionable locations for these types of events from time-to-time? Am I missing something?
-- Ryan P.

Foley: A few years ago I attempted to skewer USA Wrestling for holding the World Team Trials in Stillwater, Oklahoma. I believe I said something of tumbleweed and six shooters, but I couldn't be certain.

Anyway, to learn more I flew to Oklahoma to see Stillwater up close, and since then have learned a lot about the financials of running an event. Though I'm far from an expert, I can tell you that there a myriad reasons for selecting a World Championship and USA Wrestling location.

The NWCA All-Star Classic is a bit of a different beast. For years they've looked to hold the match in areas looking to either SAVE or GROW wrestling. There was an event in Fresno a few years ago, which was poorly attended, but with the recent reinstatement of Fresno State wrestling, may have been a huge political success. This year's matchups focus on Georgia, a state that's enjoying more success in recent years and with a growing fan base. It might be the aim of the NWCA to create some local publicity and give a further push to the idea of wrestling in the south -- an area whose culture and socio-economic status isn't that removed from the culture and SES of almost every other successful wrestling region in the country, nay WORLD.

As for Las Vegas, the city itself is a loss leader, meaning they ensure cheap transportation into and out of the city, as well as cheap hotel rooms for guests. There was no chance that fans would be bored at the event, the arena size was perfect for a wrestling audience, and teams had easy access to the airport. As World Championships go the feedback from international wrestling lifers was that the 2015 iteration was the best of all-time. Subjectivity aside it was certainly the highest-grossing, most-watched, and (maybe) the best participated event in wrestling history.

I'll agree that the event locations are a tricky calculus, but I will also give you a touch of breaking news. Next week the process for bidding on international events will be officially overhauled. The changes, which you can read about on Monday, could mean much more visible and profitable sport.

Q: Bruce Burnett recently said in an interview at the World Championships that 2016 is his last year as the national freestyle coach. He also mentioned that he would like to have the new incoming coach on board during his last year to help with the transition. Who do you think are the likely suspects for this position, and can we expect to see this announcement anytime soon?
-- Scott M.

Bruce Burnett speaks at a press conference prior to the start of the 2015 World Wrestling Championships in Las Vegas (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: Burnett has always said that he was a place-filler for whoever was hired in 2016. What Burnett has given the American team is a strong, experienced and successful voice for the two years running up to the Olympics. He's on track to have a solid Olympic year with two top-ranked wrestlers and five medal threats. He's won before and there is no doubt he'll win again in 2016.

Honestly for what he's done on such short notice, Burnett deserves to have the wrestling center named in his honor. Incredible career and leadership.

There will be no announcement before the Olympics. Afterward I think the process will open up to several big-name coaches to include Cael Sanderson and John Smith. Both have other obligations, but there is at least a chance they bite after the 2016 Games. Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick will also throw their names in the ring along with a Brands or two?

Oh, and â€¦

Q: I like the idea of Cary Kolat becoming the national freestyle coach after 2016. Leading young men to World and Olympic medals could help heal some of the wounds, I would think. Could you see Kolat leading Team USA?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't know that he would LEAD Team USA right off the bat, but I think that they would love to have him involved in the program. Maybe as a national team coach? There are already some talented coaches on staff and there is only so much room, but I think everyone would enjoy having his knowledge on the mats in Colorado Springs.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Babies are CUTE.

Too cute for words
Dad tries to cut daughter's nails. She pranks him by pretending to cry each time.
Posted by The Daily Star on Wednesday, September 16, 2015

That Olympic rematch with Kolat

Kolat backflip (5:50)

Q: Is Lee Kemp the best U.S. wrestler to never win an Olympic gold medal?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Unsure that we could ever answer that question with clarity. Cary Kolat sure seems like another solid candidate. Remember that Lee Kemp faced stiff competition throughout his international career. Certainly the boycott in 1980 hurt his chances, but he still needed to get past Dave Schultz in 1984, which didn't happen. He lost to the future Olympic champion at the Trials at Grand Valley State.

Kemp is in the discussion.

Q: Can Dustin Schlatter make 65 kilos in the Olympic year? Or will we see him at 74 kilos?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Bah! I think he'll go 65 kilos, but only because that is his best chance for making the team. He is a longshot to beat Brent Metcalf, Jordan Oliver and Logan Stieber, but an even longer shot to do anything to Burroughs at 74 kilos.

Q: A persistent question in the wrestling community is how tournament scoring should be done, to try and give the most accurate display of the "best" team was at a given tournament. In the NCAA, we have seen second-place guys score more than the man who beat them in the finals (David Taylor-Kyle Dake in 2013 comes to mind) and A.J. Schopp this year scored 21 points, tying a few champs. UWW uses a very simple 10-1 sliding scale, ensuring no silver medalist can outscore the champ. I like that model, but is there any possibility UWW would move to a model similar to that used by Formula 1? They use 25-18-15-12-10-8-6-4-2-1 as their model. This would ensure more World champs at the World Cup, as using this year's men's freestyle results Italy would've placed 10th on the back of Chamizo's title.
-- The Wrestler

Foley: The scoring is under discussion and President Lalovic said at a press conference in Las Vegas that he is desperate to change it for the better. That said, any scoring changes would also need to lead back to a possible season-long ranking system.

No matter how much people complain, I've seen several proposals and can tell you that the right mixture isn't out there. I also know that everyone is hoping to open an email and find an attachment that solves all these riddles.

Recognition of the Week
John C.

On October 10, six Division III NCAA champions will be inducted into the St. Lawrence University Athletics Hall of Fame. The inductees are Phil Lanzatella, Tod Northrup, Leland Rogers, Mark Shortsleeves, Patrick Conners, and Jason Bovenzi. Let me know if you are interested in more information. The SLU wrestling program won a D3 title in 1988. Unfortunately, the program was discontinued in 1995.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: October 2, 2015

Fri, 02 Oct 2015 07:13:48 +0000

October has arrived and accompanying the crisp air and pumpkin spice lattes is a swing in focus from the freestyle and Greco-Roman season back into 'Merican folkstyle.

There is a multitude of compelling storylines heading into the NCAA season, but nothing seems to be hotter right now than the rule changes proposed by the NCAA. Admittedly, some are fantastic, and others -- while implemented in the spirit of positive change -- will cripple some competitions.

First there are two rules that were implemented in response to the Ian Miller screw-job from last year. Like we'll see in Cary Kolat piece next week on FloWrestling where FILA implemented rule changes post-hosing, the NCAA has followed suit and admitted that the handling of the match (and the involvement of the NCAA suits afterwards) were both regrettable.

The Miller Rules say that all scoring and timing issues can be questioned on the mat without the use of a challenge, and that the issue must resolved on the mat rather than inviting the NCAA administration to assist in the discussions.

There was also an emphasis put on handshakes, which was well overdue. As most fans noticed, in international wrestling there is ZERO tolerance for grumpy behavior and wrestlers are made to not only shake hands and face both sides of the competition hall, but also made to leave the mat via their opponent's corner. This should go some way in eliminating the awkward temper tantrums some wrestlers throw after losing a match. Intensity and aggression are skills, but they don't need to be lifestyle choices.

There were other items (see video), but the major thrust was the out-of-bounds stall calls and guidance on how they might be called for pushing, pulling and backing out of bounds.

There is no amount of written detail that can describe the inanity of what is being asked, but there are two easy takeaways from this change. The first is that the NCAA clearly sees the need and desire to keep the wrestling in the center, and the second is that the NCAA referees need an incredible amount of guidance and rule-based assistance in calling for stalling.

The error with the first thrust is that it stops short of restricting gamesmanship on the edge. The NCAA rarely makes large changes, so this is probably part of a two-year plan to implement a scoring element to out-of-bounds, but for this year there is no doubt that the stalling calls asked by the NCAA will be handed out free of the consistency necessary to make it effective or judicious. The language actually opens the rules up to MORE gamesmanship on the edge. The rule reminds me of the liberty some wrestlers would take in dropping to a knee when their opponent was locking hands from behind. That rule was changed, but that type of one year turnaround can be expected with all the push and pull and step-out interpretations for stalling.

The referees also need to be given a less complicated set of rules. Step-outs in freestyle and Greco-Roman are difficult enough to judge with only a single outcome, the job of deciphering the NCAA step-out rule adds in layers of interpretation that make it unruly. The NCAA referee is currently incapable of making stall calls outside of the one early call and the 15-second-remaining makeup call. There is no reason to believe that referees will begin asserting themselves with these stalling calls.

On a brighter note the Grapple on the Gridiron featuring Iowa vs. Oklahoma State is barreling towards a sellout. So we will now all have the pleasure of listening to 60k+ Hawkeye fans scream "C'mon ref, he's stalling!!" every time the action even flirts with the edge of the mat.

Oh, how wonderful a year it will be.

To your questions â€¦

Q: How would you implement freestyle if we switched? College and high school? Lot of high school coaches are way behind on freestyle. Also, less control = more injuries? I am for the move but think it's a lot harder to do than to say. Possible?
-- @RobbyHitch

Foley: Excellent question. I think that you give it a start date. The little kids can transfer their skills immediately, but to the college kids it's not fair. The best idea is to offer a November 2020 start date and work back from that point. Anyone graduating from high school in 2020 will then know that they should start training for the style. Additionally, you could start training referees on the style and put in place the rule and oversight structure necessary to ensure a fair bout.

Q: How long for David Taylor to adjust to 86?
-- @Eagle_Fan

David Taylor battles Tyler Caldwell in the challenge tournament at the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: The weight jump from 74 kilos to 86 kilos is difficult for a few reasons. The actual poundage (especially at first) probably won't be all lean muscle. That lack of adequate muscle could lead to being out-gunned by opponents.

I spoke with Brendan Weafer, a well-respected trainer at Epic Hybrid in NYC and he outlined the typical drawbacks for guys like Taylor when they rapidly build muscle, but still require vast amounts of cardio. The effect is a learning curve for the body.

Weafer explained that like being at elevation the body has trouble supplying the right amount of oxygenated blood and nutrients to the new tissue. The athlete may be in shape, but the muscles become exhausted much faster.

The big advantage for Taylor -- or Dake if he decides to also make the move -- is that what they lack in strength they make up for in speed. Quickness and agility can win close matches, but the issue of endurance will need to be solved well before hoping to make the Olympic team.

Taylor's given himself a year to make the weight and I trust that he has nutritional advisors at the ready. I think that he'll have a stumble early (at least in terms of fitness) but be winning big matches by St. Patrick's Day.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: An important article on the impact of football deaths â€¦

This is what happens when you can't funk â€¦

Maybe it's time to start looking at the way we look at ourselves?

But first... let us take (lots and lots and LOTS) of selfies.FULL VIDEO: http://bit.ly/1VqCyv9
Posted by 120 Sports on Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Q: Chances of more weights being added back?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: Zero for 2020.

If additions made before the IOC Session in 2017 (when the new host city for 2024 is announced) there will be no chance for additional weights the 2024 Games. After that deadline you are looking at the IOC meeting in 2021 as the hard deadline for the 2028 Games.

Movement can happen before the IOC dates, but you have to read between the lines of sporting politics to understand if/when that might happen. I suggest checking out "Inside the Games" and "Around the Rings" for stories about the Olympic movement and changes on the horizon.

Q: I understand the debate between freestyle vs folkstyle in terms of developing elite wrestlers, but I don't understand the argument switching to freestyle to have more fans. Can't we just do a better job of marketing freestyle without making major changes? Why not have dual meets between elite wrestling clubs? Imagine the matchups between Sunkist Kids vs Nittany Lion WC? Ed Ruth vs. David Taylor, Dustin Kilgore vs. Jake Varner interest anyone? This type of format would usher collegiate fans into freestyle, creating more fans, revenue streams for clubs, and opportunities for non-Olympians to create fan bases. Win for everyone without drastic changes to styles.
-- Josh C.

Foley: The argument for more fans is based mostly in the amount of action seen in a typical freestyle match versus a typical folkstyle match. As Andy Hamilton noted last year, scoring is WAY down on the college level and scoring from the feet has been even more abysmal given the benefits to wrestling on the mat.

I don't think the freestyle folks are hoping to push a new religion of sport onto anyone, as much as trying to help the future outcome at the Olympic level. At the base the argument makes total sense, because training in a thing (given equal season time, etc) is certain to bring about an improved performance. The United States is uniquely suited to bring about the most successful freestyle league in the world by simply adopting the freestyle rules at the NCAA level.

The club teams simply aren't plentiful enough to compete year-round and create the buzz you are mentioning. There are club leagues in Iran and India which are competing this winter, which should be good competition for the Ohio-ROTC, Titan Mercury, NYAC and Sunkist.

As a traditional wrestling enthusiast I'd hate to see American folkstyle disappear completely, but it is worth noting that adaptation to norms is part of folkstyle's history. In that vein there are changes to implement that could compliment freestyle without losing the folkstyle appeal, namely counting points against maneuvers intentionally exposing the back, enforcing an out-of-bounds and moving to two three-minute periods.

Q: Confidence USA qualifies all men's freestyle weight classes for Rio?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: If I were asked to bet, I'd tell you that I don't think the men's freestyle will qualify every weight class. There are too many variables at play and with the Cubans not qualifying at several weights and the South American countries wrestling better than ever (with Cuban coaches) there is less chance of qualification at the Pan Ams.

The international qualifiers will be tough, but the three-allocation Mongolian tournament will be the best bet for the Americans since it's unlikely to draw as many wrestlers and has more spots. Also, the top-three allocation means an extra match, which for in-shape Americans can be very beneficial.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 25, 2015

Fri, 25 Sep 2015 10:09:21 +0000

Mongolian women's freestyle wrestlers Chimdee and Battsetseg enjoy their winnings from the 201 World Championships

Wrestlers from around the planet have been trickling home in the two weeks since the World Championships and many are being welcomed back with open arms and impressive gifts.

In Mongolia, Battsetseg was given a three-bedroom apartment and a two-pound gold bar for winning the 63-kilo crown in women's wrestling. Her teammate Chimdee (silver, 60 kilos) grabbed a one-pound gold bar for her runner-up performance at Worlds. She was also given a sports car since she was given an apartment for winning last year's world title at 60 kilos.

The men wrestlers who qualified Olympic weights for Mongolia earned similar gifts, including Nomin and Unurbat who earned a two-bedroom apartment and one-pound gold bar for taking second at 61 kilos and 74 kilos. Bekhbayar earned a half pound of gold and a two-bedroom apartment.

On the Russian side Abdulrashid Sadualev took home a Toyota Land Cruiser in 2014 and was given prize money in 2015 for his second World title in as many years. Vorobieva was also awarded more than $50,000 in prize money for her World title as did other Russian champions like Roman Vlasov, though the exact amount was unknown.

Jordan Burroughs, Kyle Snyder, Adeline Gray and Helen Maroulis each received $50,000 for their gold-medal victories in Las Vegas, even though Snyder will have to wait until his post-college years to collect the bounty.

Turkish heavyweight champions RÄ±za Kayaalp and Taha Akgul are rumored to have received as much as $100,000 for their titles and have been on an impressive countrywide victory tour where they meet with the underprivileged in communities known to support wrestling.

Ukrainian Zhan Beleniuk hasn't stopped making public appearances, and though the exact amount of his award money hasn't been published he's been seen in photographs holding gifted jewelry and awards.

Rasul Chunayev takes a selfie from the front seat of his new SUV awarded for winning the Greco-Roman World championship at 71 kilos

Azerbaijan's Rasul Chunayev and Haji Aliev will each win more than $150,000 in prize money, though that number could reach as high as $250,000 depending on their pre-tournament arrangements. (Azerbaijan wrestlers made the same for winning the European Games.) For winning the Olympics the money could soar past one million dollars.

All these cash prizes are great for the wrestlers and the countries so apt to promote their achievements. For wrestlers like Battsetseg and Chimdee the money is literally life changing, allowing parents to retire and to go to school. Even for Russians and Turkish wrestlers the money helps family members get medical attention they need and raises their own projection from a life of poverty to one of respect and admiration in the community.

Wrestling is among the best places to witness social mobility through sport and there is no better time to watch that wheel spin upwards than in the weeks following the World Championships.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Kyle Snyder already has a World championship under his belt. If he goes on to win Olympic gold or even medal, what are the chances that he goes back to Ohio State? While it would very fun for us fans and even more so for his teammates, doesn't he have more to lose than to gain? Lastly, have any Olympic medalists gone back to college?
-- Andy S.

Foley: John Smith is the most famous World champion to return to college after gold. The Oklahoma State legend won the 1987 World championship and came back to school in 1988 as a senior where he won the NCAA title and then went in to win Olympic gold.

Yojiro Uetake won an Olympic gold for Japan in 1964 after an undefeated season at Oklahoma State. He then went back to win two more titles in 1965 and 1966 before winning a second Olympic gold in 1968. He was undefeated during his college career.

Regardless of Snyder's performance in 2016 I think it's almost certain that he will return to Columbus. Take it from someone who lived on the road and overseas for more than a year on the wrestling circuit (albeit behind a keyboard) -- that's a lonely go. Snyder deserves the camaraderie of college and the chance to graduate. He'll receive awesome training in folkstyle to keep himself in shape and prepare for his run at the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

The money earned as an Olympic medalist might be tempting, but from my understanding he can recover that money after he graduates since it's not a sponsorship and is instead a pre-established award.

The most compelling reason is that an Olympic gold medalist Kyle Snyder wouldn't WANT to change up his winning formula without reason.

Q: Any chance we'll see the triumphant return of the Backpoints Podcast? I scrolled through my podcast subscriptions and realized that it's been a long time. Is it safe to say that you no longer need to do the podcast because you're now spending the wealth accumulated from the podcast bank roll?
-- Curt H.

Foley: I'm writing this mailbag from the backseat of my Maybach Exelero. Recognize the cash flow of the podcast!

No, I don't think Backpoints will be revived, but I do think I'll try to form something at the international level and will drop in on it every once in a while to discuss the big topics and names. Podcasts are a great way to burn a commute and I'd love to add to the conversation with something informative â€¦ especially in the Olympic year.

Q: Darrion Caldwell fights Shawn Bunch on Fright night in Bellator. Who are you picking?
-- Mike C.

Foley: This has all the makings of a very, very boring matchup. Wrestlers are prone to wrestle and though both are much improved strikers, neither has the makings of a one-punch KO artist (Bunch's last performance being the exception).

I'd have to side with Caldwell who has the length to frustrate Bunch and the ground game to keep him on the mat. However, I tend to think we'll see a lot of clinching by the cage, some great takedown attempts and at least one rear-naked choke attempt, but otherwise they'll go the distance â€¦ from a distance.

Q: How does the U.S. Open for this Olympic year differ from last year's U.S. Open? Rumor has it that competitors who have already qualified for the Olympic Team Trials cannot compete at the Open. Does this mean that the winners of the Open will not get a bye to the finals of the Olympic Team Trials?
-- Scott M.

Foley: The only byes given in men's freestyle in 2016 will be to Jordan Burroughs and Kyle Snyder, who medaled at the 2015 World Championships. Winners of the U.S. Open are qualified and (likely) placed as the top seed at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials.

Winners of the U.S. Open will still need to win the challenge tournament at 74 kilos and 97 kilos to make the best-of-three finals for the Olympic team spot. If they are at one of the other four weights the challenge tournament finals will be best of three against the winners from each side of the bracket.

Q: Where would you rank Adeline Gray in the world pound-for-pound women's freestyle rankings?
-- Mike C.

Adeline Gray with the American flag after winning the World title in Las Vegas (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: This hurts, but not in the top ten.

While Gray has enjoyed heaps of success the past two years, her style doesn't often wow fans, and the competitive depth of the weight class isn't on par with the first five Olympic weights. Also -- and this is worth mentioning -- almost once a tournament she is dead to rights (Qian Zhou at 2014 Worlds and Aline Da Silva Ferreira at 2015 Worlds) but somehow rebounds. That shows her incredible will to win, but keeps her from being mentioned alongside the tactical wizardry of women in the top ten. Still, finding a way to win is probably a skill that I'd take over technical proficiency, especially in an Olympic year.

A women's top ten that doesn't include any backups from Japan or China might look something like â€¦

1. Kaori Icho (Japan)
2. Saori Yoshida (Japan)
3. Oksana Herhel (Ukraine)
4. Eri Tosaka (Japan)
5. Helen Maroulis (USA)
6. Natalia Vorobieva (Russia)
7. Maria Stadnyck (Azerbaijan)
8. Zhou Feng (China)
9. Sofia Mattsson (Sweden)
10. Sukhee Tserenchimed (Mongolia)

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 18, 2015

Fri, 18 Sep 2015 05:45:20 +0000

After Kyle Snyder's gold-medal performance in Las Vegas the question on every wrestling theorists mind seemed to be "Is a folkstyle season the best preparation for international freestyle success?"

Simply put the answer is absolutely, unequivocally, one-hundred percent NO.

The simple math remains that none of the other 30 medalists at this year's World Championships in freestyle competed in a folkstyle season in preparation for the World Championships. Therefore the odds are 16-1 in the favor of those who do not train in the American collegiate style.

Yet those who train in American folkstyle wrestling year-round were two-thirds of the American medal haul. Why?

The training requirements and competition schedule of the NCAA athlete is the most brutal of any combat sport on the planet. Snyder and Green each competed in more than 16 events in five months each competing in 40-plus matches. That's high intensity training that required a mental focus strong enough to be carried over into the World Championships.

The success of Green and Snyder has less to do with the STYLE of collegiate wrestling and everything to do with the scheduling procedures of NCAA and high school sports, which is focused on abundance and intensity. If the season were to suddenly become freestyle instead of folkstyle there is no question -- ABSOLUTELY NONE -- that more American wrestlers would be prepared for their postseason careers as freestyle wrestlers. A kid doesn't play oboe for 20 years so he can one day become a first saxophone for the philharmonic.

I'm a traditional wrestling enthusiast who also loves folkstyle for its connection to our nation's history (19th century Vermont farmers and barnstormers) and my own wrestling past. I don't know that, in good conscience, I could advocate for the removal of America's traditional style, but I do think that if the ultimate aim is Olympic and World medals then serious conversations need to be had.

As of now, collegiate wrestling is a sport that rewards control. That style has helped prepare our best wrestlers for careers in MMA and jiu-jitsu, but has fallen short in prepping them for international wrestling. The simple truth is that the techniques used on the feet (funk) and on the mats (crab ride, lack of locking hands) simply don't translate to freestyle success.

If those who control high school and college sports chose to migrate over to freestyle wrestling the United States would win exponentially more medals at international events like the World Championships and Olympic Games.

The collegiate season, not the collegiate style, is what prepared Green and Snyder for their medal-grabbing performances in Las Vegas.

Q: Do you think any other college studs will follow Dylan Ness into Greco?
-- @815Ryanallen

Foley: Probably, but I wouldn't expect a flood of talent. Remember that just because Greco-Roman LOOKS like a soft entry point for American wrestlers to enter the Olympic squad, does not mean it's true. The current Greco-Roman squad is tenured and talented. While Ness may see an opening at 66 kilos in light of the Saddoris injury, Bisek and Smith have already qualified 75 kilos and 130 kilos for the Olympics, respectively.

Currently that leaves 59 kilos, 85 kilos and 98 kilos as weight classes where current or recently graduated NCAA wrestlers could make their mark. That's limited, and unless there is a crop of talent that we don't know about training away in log cabins all summer I find it highly unlikely that any will join the ranks in 2016.

There is a chance however that some of the younger guys decide to make an attempt at making the 2020 team. They would enjoy a more reasonable amount of time preparing, practicing and competing.

Q: Who deserves OW for the World Championships?
-- @LilJamesDean

Russian Greco-Roman wrestler Roman Vlasov dominated his competition in arguably the deepest weight class of the Worlds (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: If you look across the entire six-day tournament it's normally difficult to choose a single most dominant wrestler. Many champions had to fight their way past World and Olympic medalists and often times do so in a back-to-back to fashion.

The typical parity among champions noted, there is one wrestler who stood out in 2015, 75-kilo Greco-Roman World champion Roman Vlasov (Russia). The uber-talented 2012 Olympic champion went 6-0, outscoring opponents 40-0 and beat defending World champion Arsen Julfalakyan (Armenia) in the opening round and 2014 80-kilo World champion Peter Bacsi (Hungary) two matches later.

Vlasov's wins also came as a result of aggressive wrestling. The Russian lifted each of his opponents, never sitting back to look for cautions or penalties. For style points, Vlasov registered a 10 with referees, fans and fellow wrestlers.

Per style: Men's freestyle is Frank Chamizo. Women's is Kaori Icho and Greco-Roman is Roman Vlasov.

Q: Do you expect the U.S. to qualify all 18 weight classes for the Olympic Games? Seems there is a lot of work to do.
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. I think we will get five from men's freestyle, four from Greco-Roman and four from women's wrestling. Currently there are two from men's freestyle, two from Greco-Roman and one in women's wrestling.

The continental qualification will be brutal for the men's and women's freestyle, with Cuba coming up short at weight classes the USA hoped they would qualify. A similar story goes with the women who have to beat out a strengthening South and Central America. Our Greco-Roman team just isn't at the level to qualify each weight class as of yet.

As a note, attempting to qualify at the last-chance events is exceedingly difficult. All of Europe will be in Istanbul and Ulaanbaatar, as will all of Asia.

Don't worry, no country qualified all 18 weights for London and no country is likely to qualify all weights for Rio.

Q: Who wins: Kyle Snyder or Abdulrashid Sadulaev?
-- @LilJamesDean

Foley: This would be a fun matchup. Considering their success it's tough to know instinctively who would win. However, I've seen almost every match Sadulaev has wrestled the past three years and not once has he been out-muscled. For Snyder to win their matchup he'd have to bully a wrestler known as the "Russian Tank" and even with a size advantage that seems unlikely. Meanwhile Sadulaev is quicker than Snyder and more mobile, both of which factor into a close match where a step-out point could be the deciding factor.

Prediction: Sadulaev dec. Snyder, 5-2

Q: Any thoughts to a UEFA-like coefficient to allocate Olympic spots in 2020?
-- @wrestlingnomad

Foley: No.

If there were any change it would be based on a points system that also demanded minimum continental representation. Wrestling only has 18 spots per weight class, which would create a narrow window with which to create a competitive year-round atmosphere. Though not impossible, there would need to be serious thought put into how a season might look.

Q: Do you think Jordan Burroughs performance at this year's World Championships would have been enough to beat Denis Tsargush?
-- Scott M.

Foley: There is no way to tell for certain, but I think Burroughs looked healthy enough to take all comers, including Tsargush. Burroughs has a knack for winning, even if his competitors are increasingly putting points up early. I think that Aniuar Geduev created a unique style challenge for Burroughs with baiting an overhook throw. Burroughs avoided danger and stayed in position for 99 percent of the match.

Playing it straight, there is a really good chance that Geduev makes the Olympic team. Tsargush fluctuates in his performance and if he can't make it past the first round of Russian Nationals in 2015 it's tough to believe that a one year older Tsargush cruises in an Olympic year, especially with a lot of wrestlers coming up from 70 kilos.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Q: I'm sure you're hearing a good bit about James Green after taking bronze at Worlds. Has he made it known if he's planning on dropping to 65 kilos for the Olympic year? If he does go 65 kilos is he your odds-on-favorite to win the spot on the team? He looked great in Vegas, but I wasn't sure how highly ranked the guys were that he beat throughout the event.
-- Bear Hugs, Ryan W.

Foley: I also thought that young James Green looked impressive at the World Championships. However, I'm skeptical of how well he'll perform at 65 kilos, given that it's an 11-pound drop in weight that is sure to affect his performance.

Unlike Helen Maroulis who will drop a little more than four pounds to take on Alli Ragan and then hopefully Saori Yoshida (Japan) in the Olympic year, Green's drop is much more drastic. He'll need to make the cut a few times before the Open and see how he competes. Obviously 65 kilos is his only option, but I don't think the bronze at a pretty weak 70 kilos is transferrable to a stacked 65-kilo weight class.

Q: P4P best wrestler in the world? Burroughs or Sadulaev or Akgul?
-- @dannyrube

Foley: If I'm not mistaken, Sadulaev hasn't given up a takedown since (re)joining the senior circuit in 2014. That puts him on a 50-plus match win streak giving up no takedowns and only a handful of tactical stepouts. How could the best P4P be anyone but Sadulaev?

Akgul, much like Cain Velasquez seemed to do in MMA, has elevated what it means to be a heavyweight wrestler. The Turk is a scoring machine and is never outmuscled or outhustled. He's also incredibly kind and outgoing. On the personality scale Akgul rates a ten, and though it's tough to rate him best pound-for-pound I do think he'd win a round robin with Sadulaev and Burroughs.

Burroughs is probably in third place, if only because he's lost a couple of times in the past two years where the others haven't.

Q: Did Kyle Snyder have to turn down money for winning a World gold?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. From what I understand his money is in escrow.

Q: I am thinking about planning a trip next year with my dad and brothers (all wrestling fans). Considering it is an Olympic year, what are going to be the three best wrestling events held in the U.S. in 2016?
-- Dave R.

Foley: For an American wrestling fan the two can't-miss tourneys are the Pan-American qualification event in March outside Dallas and the Olympic Team Trials April 9 in Iowa City. As for a third event, I'd recommend taking a trip to Sweden to check out the Klippan Lady Open, which is the very best women's tournament of the year and should be a can't-miss event in an Olympic year since nation's that have qualified their weight cannot compete at their continental qualifiers.

Also, Scandinavia is awesome.

All-In, Drop the Mic, Hot Take of the Week
By Jacob R.

Is it me or are a lot of folks in this so called "wrestling community" lazy when it comes to talking and writing about wrestling. By lazy I mean a lot of people -- and yes this includes myself -- tend to call men's freestyle wrestling simply freestyle. Whereas, we never just say freestyle when women are wrestling. We call it women's freestyle. This is a phenomenon known in gender studies as hegemonic masculinity, which essentially showcases a dominant social position for men and a subordinate position for women.

Yes, folks can say this is just being nit-picky about semantics and "I am not being a sexist pig by giving a shortened naming convention for men's freestyle. It's always been called freestyle." I will throw out a big challenging HOWEVER, to those assertions and say that wrestling and folks in this so called "wrestling community" need to be willing to change their lazy speech and writing habits. Why one might ask? Well for starters wrestling had a big kick in the arse when it was dropped by the IOC a few years back. Luckily it was added back in the Olympics. One thing that I, and I would like to think others believe will cement this totally awesome sport in the Olympics is a focus on gender equity. We added women's freestyle wrestling to the Olympics in 2004, which was important. However, women's freestyle only contested four weight classes, whereas, men's freestyle and Greco contested seven weight classes each. That disparity in contested weight classes in the Olympics has been slightly addressed with the passing of the 6-6-6 weight class scheme that is set up for the 2016 Olympic Games. While the die-hard, death metal fan in me says 6-6-6 is effin metal, I believe we need to go beyond that. Where do we need to go, well adding women's Greco-Roman wrestling and devising an equitable weight scheme between the four different styles makes sense to me. Beyond that another issue that needs to be addressed is the hegemonic masculinity that is so deeply ingrained within this so called "wrestling community." That's a tough one, because it is so deeply ingrained within the society that we live in. But I say what the hell, let's stop referring to men's freestyle as just freestyle. And as a precursor for the upcoming inclusion of women's Greco-Roman wrestling we start saying men's Greco-Roman wrestling. Who knows, maybe media, fans, coaches, and other folks in this so called "wrestling community" doing something as simple as attempting (hopefully succeeding) to speak and write about wrestling in a manner that isn't so overtly biased for men might just make wrestling more appealing to younger athletes, fans, and future leaders of the IOC that want to see if there really is gender equity within international wrestling?

Foley's Friday Mailbag: September 4, 2015

Fri, 04 Sep 2015 07:40:17 +0000

The World Championships are only THREE days away.

Whether you've watched every match this season, tuned in on occasion, or are a total newbie the nation-based rivalry of this worldwide competition should be enough to keep you up late each night watching the finals.

Though ESPN3 is carrying the coverage you can watch every match live and in high-definition at the United World Wrestling event page. That page will also automatically archive all the videos from the day and connect them to the results. So if you have a job that doesn't allow you to watch the day session (1 p.m. - 5 p.m. ET) you can come home, click on the matches you missed and catch up on your favorite athletes.

The event page will have live stream and match-by-match results with video, but also include photographs, highlight films, wrap-ups and other pieces of information. It's really a one-stop shop for everything you need in order to consumer the World Championships. It's also being presented to fans free of cost.

So go out there and make your picks, share them with your friends and talk about the best tournament of the year online using #VegasWorlds2015.

To your questions â€¦

Q: What are the top 10 non-American storylines going into Worlds?
-- @RobbyHitch

Foley: See below.

1. Abdulrashid Sadulaev going for his second straight World title, extending his winning streak and in general being a dominant human being.

2. Will the Japanese women be able to win another World title? Or will the Chinese/Mongolian/Russians be able to make a dent in their domination.

3. Russian heavyweight Bilyal Makhov competing in both Greco-Roman and freestyle wrestling.

4. NCAA transplants competing for Puerto Rico, Slovakia, and Ireland.

5. Mijian Lopez of Cuba making headlines as a massive human being looking to throw other human beings around.

6. Russian men's freestyle team. Are they able to do better than their five gold medals from last year? Will Aniuar Geduev be able to best Jordan Burroughs?

7. India. They've been up and down the past three years and are in the first years of moving past the Sushil Kumar era. Are they able to keep up the medal count?

8. Azerbaijan's Olympic champs competing at new weights with Sharif Sharifov and Togrul Asgarov looking to make an impact.

9. What will the social media traffic be like for the championships. Would be interested to see if there is trending.

10. Georgia. They are on the move again. Excellent Juniors performance might indicate a similar outcome at seniors. Remember they won both styles in 2003.

Q: I noticed you talked about/were emailed how Jordan Burroughs is blocking good wrestlers at his weight class in the U.S. Made me think that Bruce Baumgartner might not be given enough credit for what he did. Burroughs has been blocking people for what, three or four years? Bruce did it for four Olympic cycles. That is insane to think that no heavyweight in the U.S. could win Olympic gold unless they waited twenty years.
-- Tim J.

Bruce Baumgartner

Foley: Bruce Baumgartner absolutely shut the door on the USA heavyweight weight class for almost twenty years. There has never been a more dominant wrestler in the USA system, but there is a difference in the domination of Baumgartner and Burroughs (outside of aggregate time on top).

As you noted, Bruce was a heavyweight and because of that there weren't many wrestlers competing for that position. Burroughs' domination has coincided with weight class changes at the international level and the decrease of one Olympic spot. That pressure, in addition to being at the most popular weight range among American competitors, has made the consequences of his domination more visible.

Also, and this is important, the fact that TWO of the most popular and marketed wrestlers in the sport happened to land at the same weight class has driven a lot of attention. Add in social media and you have a recipe for people showing something like frustration about Burroughs closing the door on the weight.

Baumgartner was certainly tested by his peers, but I think that nobody would argue he had the same level of talent concentration and attention. So in the end it's half-perception and half-reality.

Q: What do you make of Jordan Burroughs picking high school wrestler Mark Hall as his training partner for the World Championships? Is this a ploy to help recruit Hall to Nebraska?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Mark Hall has a kinda-sorta stance and style that resembles Aniuar Geduev, which could be helping Burroughs prepare. He's another body for James Green, too. Finally I think he tests Burroughs' speed, which is something the champ would like to keep sharp.

Burroughs doesn't strike me as the type of guy to use his Olympic qualifying year to help him land a recruit. Doesn't compute.

Q: Are the Sudanese Olympic wrestlers just hype? Do you anything about these guys? Could they really be legit 2020 freestyle competitors?
-- B.

Foley: Not sure about hype, but this is the growth of the sport on the continent and we should really be thankful that the Japanese are trying as hard as they have to make this happen. Real success won't be if one of the Sudanese wrestlers qualifies for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo, just that they will still be wrestling in 2020 and how far along the youth programs have developed.

The style of wrestling seen here is similar to many styles across Africa, including the Nuba and other ethnicities that use the exact same style in South Sudan. The takedown-only rules are simple, but that doesn't mean the sport is easy or that the competitors lack technique.

I'm sure that we will see a lot of growth from Africa in the coming years, whether it's in an Olympic style, or possibly a takedown-only style like beach wrestling.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

World Championship Preview

Link: Sudanese wrestling piece via CNN

Q: Kristie (Marano) Davis' daughter Kayla won a bronze medal at the Cadet World Championships. Kristie is obviously a legend in women's wrestling with nine World medals, with two of those being gold. Is it reasonable to think Kayla could be on the U.S. Olympic women's freestyle team as early as 2020?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Absolutely. She looked great at the Cadet World Championships and is being coached by someone who has been at that level before. While lineage isn't always a predictor of success, it can be helpful to have golden bloodlines.

Kayla is still young. Lets see how she develops and grows. Her weight class will be as much a factor for her ability to wrestle in Tokyo as her technique.

Q: What you think about a 30-second tiebreaker shot clock OT? Wrestler on shot clock determined by criteria?
-- @RobbyHitch

Foley: Among the overtime rules, that's not a terrible idea. Still, that's really just adding 30 seconds for the more aggressive wrestler to play defense. I think the end of the matches would end up being similar to that slow nothingness that tends to preempt overtime at the NCAA level.

Q: How much talking between top high school recruits happens to determine who's going where and how much does that play into their decision?
-- @NathanJohn_319

Foley: "Talking" is really just reputation and (of course) high school recruits talk about the college recruitment process, including what they've heard from their friends at certain schools and their own visits to campus.

The rumor mill is powerful and the wrestling rumor mill is one of the healthiest in sports. Parents, coaches, athletes and alumnus all converge to create a reputation for a college coach and the perceptions of the recruited athlete.

Q: Will Vegas have betting odds for the World Championships? If so, where?
-- @ShogunOfSonoma

Foley: CORRECTION: Yes, they should be posted online around noon on Saturday. Good luck to anyone who chooses to gamble. I'm sitting this one out!

Q: Say there was a wrestler who has never won any major tournaments. In fact, hasn't even competed since the state tournament in 2013. Is there any way within the next year that said wrestler could wrestle his way into a spot at the 2016 Olympic Team Trials?
-- Jesus R.

Foley: The U.S. Open will be held in December with top placewinners earning the right to compete at the Olympic Team Trials in April. The Open is the main point of entry for any wrestlers looking to make a run at the Olympic team.

Wrestlers can also qualify by being the top American placewinner at the Bill Farrell and Dave Schultz, the winner of the NCAA tournament, winner of the Pan American Championships, or the person who qualifies the weight class.

If I were you I'd start training for the Open!

Q: Will Mike Zadick cut his beard now that he's a Division I assistant coach at Virginia Tech?
-- Mike C.

Foley: He better not!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 28, 2015

Fri, 28 Aug 2015 07:27:25 +0000

On Monday, Sept. 7 the Wrestling World Championships will visit the United States for the first time since 2003. The last championships in America -- hosted in part by a New York City Olympic Committee hoping to land the 2012 Olympic Games -- were a successful event for spectators and athletes.

The 2015 World Championships should be a similar success. USA Wrestling is working around the clock to ensure that athletes, fans and press all have access to what they need to enjoy the championships. Based on what was seen at the World Cup the level of production will be extraordinarily high and there is every reason to think that #VegasWorlds will be a top notch international event.

Despite the increased attention to Olympic style wrestling, many watching the World Championships in the United States will be largely unaccustomed to watching freestyle, Greco-Roman and women's wrestling. Save a few spectacular spring matchups many wrestling fans focus almost entirely on the NCAA season.

To better understand the differences in folkstyle and the Olympic styles it's helpful to think of American folkstyle wrestling as more akin to grappling or jiu-jitsu than to any one of the international styles. For starters folkstyle developed from catch-as-catch-can wrestling and had no previous relationship with freestyle -- the closer cousin of the two styles. The schism between catch and folkstyle began at the turn of the 20th century when schools wanted to endorse the sport, but needed more governing rules. Though the split is now noticeable, many of catch's traits can be seen in today's folsktyle, most notably, "riding" opponents and the idea of "control."

As opposed to American folkstyle, international wrestling is based on the idea of rewarding techniques rather than control. For example, exposing an opponent's belly to the sky is always two points in the Olympic styles, where extended control in American folkstyle can be worth as many as four points. The Olympic styles promote action by requiring a new move for each set of points.

The rules can seem confusing to first-time fans, but make somewhat more sense when through the lens of rewarding technique rather than control. For example, Wrestler A will double leg Wrestler B and earn four points for also exposing their back during the technique. That technique is worth four points because it's from the feet to the back. However, there will be scramble-like takedowns with follow-up exposures from the same position (no gut wrench, etc.) that may only score two points. One technique results in one set of points.

There is a pushout rule in all three styles, though no push -- defined as arms at full extension -- should be rewarded. This is strictly enforced in Greco-Roman but is more lax in freestyle and women's wrestling since there is more action on the mat re: leg attacks and tougher to distinguish intent.

Challenges must be registered within a reasonable time frame of the action in question -- roughly five seconds depending on if the call in question was the final action in the sequence or in the midst of a flurry of action. You cede a point for losing a challenge. You retain your challenge if you win and are allowed a subsequent challenge. These rules are why many tight matches will end with an angry coach tossing out the challenge block. There is little to lose and sometimes those last-second calls can be complicated.

There is no overtime. The criterion for deciding the winner of a match with the same numerical score is 1. the highest value of holds; 2. the least amount of cautions; 3. the last technical point(s) scored. The criteria is always known throughout the match with the winning wrestler enjoying an underline under their score on the scoreboard.

Technical falls are 8 points in Greco-Roman and 10 points in freestyle and women's wrestling; repechage is a follow-the-leader style of wrestleback; full results, video and wraps are available on UnitedWorldWrestling.org via a dedicated event page. InterMat will also be providing coverage throughout the event.

There are plenty of other differences in the styles, but as a general introduction this should get you started. Be sure to follow the action and join the conversation with the hashtag #VegasWorlds!

To your questions â€¦

Q: Correct me if I am wrong, but there has never been an individual who has won four Olympic gold medals in any of the styles. I am curious if Saori Yoshida (Japan), Kaori Icho (Japan), or Artur Taymazov (Uzbekistan) have any plans to compete in Rio 2016. It certainly would be a treat to see one, two, or three individuals achieve such an amazing accomplishment!
-- Jacob R.

Foley: Yoshida and Icho will both compete in the 2016 Games and are each heavy favorites to win their fourth Olympic gold -- something has never been accomplished in the sport of wrestling.

The cool thing is that Yoshida will almost certainly go for her fifth in 2020 as the Games are being hosted in Tokyo. Icho is less certain to compete another four years, but were she to attempt a fifth title would also be the favorite. She hasn't lost since the 2004 World Championships and is on a 153-match winning streak.

As for Taymazov â€¦

Artur Taymazov (Photo/Andrew Hipps, InterMat)

Q: Every Olympic year some past stars come out of retirement and make one last run at Olympic glory. Who do you think you think we might see come out of retirement in 2016?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Artur Taymazov from Uzbekistan is the most likely candidate. He's still large and though Taha Akgul has been dominant for a few seasons I think Taymazov sees little downside to throwing his name into the Olympic competition.

Uzbekistan's current heavyweight is not nearly as talented and the idea that Taymazov could win a fourth Olympic title must be compelling many within the Uzbeki ranks to compel him to compete.

His comeback would be a huge news story for the sport of wrestling.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Kaori Icho highlights

Artur Taymazov vs. Tervel Dlagnev at 2012 Olympic Games

Q: Ronda Rousey is the biggest star in MMA. Do you think a women's freestyle wrestler will ever be USA Wrestling's biggest star?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'd like to believe it was possible for a woman to be the biggest star, but unfortunately there aren't yet enough opportunities for women to be seen before reaching the international stage. Where Jordan Burroughs had four years to make his name at the NCAA level, even the top-tier women like Adeline Gray don't enjoy that same exposure.

For a woman to be the most marketable entity for USA Wrestling would require an undefeated record, brash personality, and (sorry to say) beauty. I think our current women are incredibly talented, well-marketed and beautiful. But for them to overcome the NCAA head start that Burroughs, Ramos and others enjoy is a bridge too far.

By the way, in terms of superstardom Ronda Rousey now says things that make NyMag. Can any female athlete do the same? No.

Q: What is your prediction for the Bulgarian 74-kilo wrestler who wrestled for Boise State? I can't his remember name.
-- @Will_J_157

Foley: Georgi Ivanov the Bulgarian Nightmare. Talented, young and well-prepared for international competition. Should he end up making the trip I'd expect him to give some of the top ten guys a challenging match, though I doubt he's on the level of Jordan Burroughs or Aniuar Geduev.

Q: If you were an AD starting a new Division I wrestling program and you had the choice of any current coach to lead your new program, which coach would you pick?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Cael Sanderson and whoever he chose as his top assistant. You can't argue with his success on the mat, relationship with alumni, public image, etc. There are myriad qualified candidates (Zeke Jones) but Coach Cael is as surefire a choice as there is in the collegiate coaching ranks in any sport.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 21, 2015

Fri, 21 Aug 2015 07:14:33 +0000

With the Junior World Wrestling Championships in the rearview and the Senior World Wrestling Championships looking on the horizon the wrestling community had a lot discuss this week.

So with no further ado, let's get to your questions â€¦

Q: Has there been any consideration of eliminating the double bronze medal in order to increase the number of weight classes from six to eight? Eight weight classes with three medals per weight class is 24 medals; six weight classes with four medals per weight class is also 24 medals. If the IOC wants to limit the number of medals, this seems to be a good compromise.
-- Alex R.

Foley: I think that a reduction in the number of bronze medals was considered during the movement to Save Olympic Wrestling, However, the IOC wasn't as interested in reducing medal counts as much as they were ensuring gender equity and stabilizing the overall number of athletes to 10,500.

In the hopes of creating a powerful partnership the sport of wrestling delivered on the promise of a 6-6-6 format for men's freestyle, women's freestyle and Greco-Roman. That move and the positive reaction, subsequently led to the Super 8 campaign, which again brought an immense amount of positive attention to role of women in wrestling.

As for weight classes I understand that eight weight classes feels like it would be better for the sport because there are more opportunities for weight class competition. But the reduction in the number of weight classes actually offers wrestling a myriad benefits.

Contrary to the idea that wrestling has crowded national fields at many weights (e.g., 74 kilos in USA and 65 kilos in Russia), no country, including the United States and Russia, was able to fill every Olympic qualification spot in 2012. That means that no matter what the funding, training system, or location near the Caspian Sea there was no nation able to fill an entire Olympic roster.

The ability to fill a roster is something that the IOC considers in their quadrennial reports, along with just about every other metric of worldwide success and popularity.

To accommodate growth, wrestling also sticks with two bronze medals because the average number of medaling countries at the Olympics and World Championships with one bronze is 22, but is 29 when there are two bronze medals. That seven nation difference results in a tidal wave of potential funding to wrestling programs from their NOC's. More money means more travel and more training, which means a more worldwide sport.

For now 6-6-6 with two bronze medals is a working model. Almost certainly there will be changes made to the format of wrestling in the future, but this is not the top concern.

Q: Since Stevan Micic won bronze at the Junior Worlds in Brazil, how does this impact his first year at Michigan?
-- David C.

Foley: I don't think it will have much influence outside of any personal confidence he's acquired in reaching the status of international medalist. Micic looked tough in the repechage, but his semifinal matche was a bit of a letdown. The youngster was winning 8-4 against India late in the second when he seemed to tire and possibly panic.

That loss will be a good learning experience for Micic and something he can carry with him as he embarks on his career at Michigan.

Q: I read about a little league softball game being thrown in order to eliminate a tough competitor (Iowa) they had already beaten. By losing to another team, Washington would still advance but eliminate one of its toughest challenges (Iowa) in the process. The coach from team Iowa protested and the board of directors made these two teams play again. Iowa won and advanced. Washington went home. The board said that Washington "did not play with the effort and spirit appropriate for any Little League game." Huh? I'm not sure there is even a rule about that anywhere and if I were Washington I would appeal but I digress.

This long intro leads me to my question. Have you seen this in wrestling? I'm pretty sure that I have. After coaching midget wrestling for years, I know that I've seen some pretty good wrestlers get 'upset' by lower ranked kids to not face one of the top seeds. Then, come storming back through the loser's bracket by winning against the supposed easier half of the bracket. Knowing the child probably couldn't win against the top dog, the strategy is to have an easier consolation route to the highest place possible.

I've never done this, but I see the strategy. What are your thoughts? I'm sure the comment section will have some opinions on this one.
-- Brad H.

Foley: I've never seen this. Like ever. Has anyone else? What are some anecdotal stories? We have a kid on my team at Virginia who took third a bunch in high school and people joked that he felt more comfortable wrestling in the consolation rounds. That was a joke and the implication was that he wilted under pressure, not that he intentionally took a dive.

Compelling question!

Q: Is Aaron Pico done wrestling after 2016? I'm hearing mixed reports.
-- Mike C.

Aaron Pico battles Teymur Mammadov of Azerbaijan in the semifinals of Junior Worlds (Photo/Martin Gabor)

Foley: Pico is a great kid, and after speaking with him in Brazil I have no idea what he'll do in the future. My opinion is that 21-22 is too young to enter MMA and that with a few more years of experience he'd be the favorite to make the 2020 Olympic team.

My prediction isn't worth much, but if you look at the average age of American medalists it tends to be much higher than other countries. Pico has a lot of money on the table that he'll also need to consider before making his decision, but in speaking with him I know that the only decision he made is the one he made two years ago, and that is to go full throttle at the 2016 Olympics. No matter if he does or does not make the team the way in which he's attacking his dream is an admirable.

Q: Assuming Coleman Scott makes 57 kilos, he has to be considered a strong favorite to win the Olympic Team Trials in 2016, right? Or do you think the weight cut and his duties with UNC hinder his chances?
-- Mike C.

Foley: That's a big cut, but if he's well fed and rested up he could be dangerous at 57 kilos and give Ramos some trouble with that size. Scott is a super talented wrestler and especially well-disciplined human. If he wins the spot it'll be another great accomplishment for his career. If he falls short, then you have to assume that the pressure he puts on Tony Ramos and the rest of the 57-kilo division will add up to a better roster for Team USA.

Q: If UWW was able to double the number of weight classes and expand the Olympic freestyle competition to a 32-man bracket, would it be worth sacrificing Greco? It seems that if we put the best Greco and freestyle guys together in one tournament, the differing styles would result in more high amplitude throws in freestyle and perhaps more scoring and fan appeal.
-- Matt C.

Foley: That is a wild idea. It would never work, but it sounds REALLY fun and entertaining for at least one year.

There might also be a few too many injuries!

To give you some indication of how that turns out, I wrestled a touch of freestyle. The video team for United World Wrestling is Serbian and one of their guys is/was an accomplished Greco-Roman wrestler. Both past our primes we chose to see what would happen if we split periods. It was ugly.

Multimedia Halftime

Freestyle vs. Greco-Roman

EXCLUSIVE Wreslting Match FS/GR - FOLEY T. VS DOKMANAC S.
EXCLUSIVE AND UNOFFICIAL Wrestling Match FS/GR(2x2minutes... like cadets/veterans)Timothy Foley (UWW Press Officer) VSSlaven Dokmanac (UWW Serbian Competition's Results Manager)ASIAN GAMES 2014 - Incheon
Posted by SÃ©bastien Guenat on Monday, September 29, 2014

Junior World freestyle action

Junior Greco-Roman action

Junior World women's freestyle wrestling

Q: One gold medal and four medals for the U.S. Junior World Team in men's freestyle. Did the team underperform? Or were some expectations unreasonable?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Underperformed. That team was good enough to win three gold medals.

As seen by many, Pico should have beaten Teymur Mammadov save that first-period leg cutback and wacky last-second scramble.

Joey McKenna not making weight was a huge blow.

Zahid Valencia could have beaten the Russian, but because they battled so hard the Russian quit (literally QUIT) against the Iranian in the next round, eliminating Valencia from the repechage.

Mark Hall also fell asleep at the end of his match, giving up a last-second takedown versus an opponent who was several steps below him in talent. The issue in Hall's match seemed to be playing for the win and overcommitting to the collar tie, rather than staying active on his feet.

As discussed before, Micic SHOULD have made the finals, but blew a later lead. I think he still loses that matchup in the finals, but it would have meant an improvement to silver.

Overall a subpar performance for Team USA, but with young wrestlers it's about the learning experience and a hiccup in Brazil in 2015 may prevent similar errors in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2020.

Q: Do people really doubt Isaiah Martinez? I saw him in person at the Big Ten tournament and he blew me away with his power and quickness. I spoke with Mark Perry about him and he had nothing but good things to say about Martinez.
-- Curt H.

Foley: Yeah, I was also flummoxed that anyone would doubt him! The guy is on his way to greatness, whether that will be at just the NCAA level or also the international level has yet to be determined, but it would be foolish to predict anything but gold for Imar.

Q: Joey McKenna missed weight at the Junior Worlds, which really hurt the U.S. Did you ever miss weight in a competition?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I did not, and I know that there are many wrestlers who pride themselves on never missing a cut. That said, I don't have a quarter of the medals that McKenna does and I'm sure he'll outperform me on the college stage.

McKenna tried very hard to make weight, but he was obviously too big for the class and ill-prepared for the cut. For the sake of his career (and health) it looks like now is the time to enjoy a higher weight class and see how he competes with a better year-round diet and exercise regimen. Stanford might be the best place for him to reanalyze things and make a smart decision about his future competition weight.

McKenna is one of America's best young talents and there is no doubt he bounces back from this failure a little bit stronger than he was before.

Q: Care to update your thinking about Spencer Lee vs. Tony Ramos? We recently saw what someone who won a Junior World title while in high school could do to an Olympic champion.
-- Ronald M.

Foley: Spencer Lee is a buzz saw and after seeing him wrestle at the last two World championships I'm CERTAIN he will be an NCAA champion and make a World team. However, given his lack of size I don't see him challenging Ramos at the senior level in 2016. There is a chance that we see him mature into a full 57-kilo wrestler for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, but as of yet he has a lot of learning to do.

Also, should Lee land in Happy Valley I think that the chances of him making an Olympic run are greatly improved since he'll have a room full of young talent and Franklin Gomez with whom he can roll and learn.

I was in Brazil for the Junior World Championships and like many fans I spoke with, I really enjoyed watching Lee wrestle at Worlds. He was dominant, but it came to be not because he's physically talented, but because he scores in bunches -- something that shows other athletes, coaches and press that he's mentally tough and never satisfied. Team USA has a lot to look forward to with Lee.

Q: Mason Manville is attending Wyoming Seminary for his senior year. He is from Virginia and has attended Apple Valley (Minnesota), Blair Academy (New Jersey) and now Wyoming Seminary (Pennsylvania). What do you make of all this transferring?
-- Mike C.

Foley: He wants the frequent flier miles?!

I'd only be speculating, so I'm fine with leaving this question alone.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 14, 2015

Fri, 14 Aug 2015 07:02:13 +0000

The Wrestling World Championships start Monday, September 7, in Las Vegas. With Olympic qualifications on the line and the ease of travel into Sin City, the 2015 championships could be the most well-attended and competitive championship in the sport's history.

If you are thinking about going for a day, or two, or six then you need to get busy on buying airplane tickets, tournament tickets and reserving your hotel room for the event. Book your tickets now at www.vegasworlds2015.com.

This is your assignment for the week. (No, I make no extra money if you attend.)

Q: Zero medals for the U.S. at the Junior Worlds in Greco-Roman. The lack of success for the U.S. Greco-Roman program on the senior level in recent years is well documented. What needs to change to make the U.S. more competitive internationally in Greco-Roman?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The USA is a top 15 nation at the senior level in Greco-Roman, but junior-level success has been fleeting at best.

There are efforts to develop all levels of the program. Matt Lindland is just outside of his first year and anything he is looking to implement -- from culture to technique -- will take time to mature.

The larger question is what the expectations should be for the U.S. Greco-Roman team. Do we think they'll ever compete with the Iranians, Azerbaijanis, Russians, Hungarians and Georgians when there is no support at home? Those other nations wrestle Greco-Roman YEAR-ROUND from age 5. They compete in the club system within their country and travel to events in Europe 4-5 times a year and attend 1-2 training camps.

Can the United States afford the ramp-up costs to compete? With attention and resources focused so heavily on folkstyle, freestyle and women's freestyle, there is significantly less available to the Greco-Roman team than in European countries.

Everyone wants to be No. 1, but when it comes to Greco-Roman and the coming years there should be more attainable goals for Team USA, such as multiple medalists at this year's World Championships and to qualify all of the Olympic weight classes.

Q: What do you think about the Virginia Tech hiring of Mike Zadick and Derek St. John?
-- @takedow1

Foley: There is a lot of talent that comes from Iowa and I don't think it's surprising a few of their best guys end up coaching with fellow alums of the program. Virginia Tech has been powerful over the past five years and if Coach Dresser feels that this duo can pack an added punch, I tend to trust they will.

Overall the ACC has been acquiring a lot of top talents. Remember that U.Va. has NCAA champions Jordan Leen and Keith Gavin on staff and Coleman Scott just signed on as UNC-Chapel Hill's new head coach.

Good luck to the Iowa guys in Blacksburg. I'm sure they'll find the culture in that part of Virginia is similar to that what they enjoyed in Iowa.

Isaiah Martinez celebrates after defeating James Green in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/Rob Preston)

Q: Isaiah Martinez beat James Green multiple times during the college season. Should we look at Martinez in a more favorable light now that Green is on the World Team?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Who was looking at the undefeated freshman NCAA champion with any light other than favorable?! Imar is a generational talent and what you saw this year is just his opening act.

Want a guy who can challenge Jordan Burroughs in 2017? Imar might be your MAN.

Q: I really need the slip rule explained! I don't like it, but I also don't understand it so I need it clarified.
-- @wrestlingnomad

Foley: In order to promote action, wrestlers who attempt and miss a throw are not penalized. There are wrestlers who will be losing position (especially in Greco-Roman) who then try a bad throw in an attempt to draw a slip. That behavior is almost always caught and takedowns are awarded.

It's a weird rule for sure, but without it there may never be a big throw attempt, and in Greco-Roman there needs to be as many incentives as possible in order to promote action.

The rule is also present in men's freestyle and women's freestyle, though you see it much less frequently given the ability to attack legs.

Q: What are your thoughts on David Habat representing Slovenia in wrestling? See others do it just so they can be an Olympian, World Team member.â€¬
-- @nathanjohn_319

Foley: "â€¦ just so they can be an Olympian."

You miiiiight be underestimating how difficult it can be to make the Olympics. Remember that you must qualify from your continent or at a last-chance qualifier. Those are stacked tournaments with every country entering their very best athletes to each competition. If Habat qualifies then he deserves to be in the Olympics, regardless of what nation is on his singlet.

David Habat (Photo/Rob Preston)

Habat and others are well within their right to fight for a spot on the Olympic stage outside of the USA. Many of us have been watching too much NBC coverage of wave-flagging Star Spangled Olympic footage to see that wrestling, and many athletic events in the Games, are individual, not nationalistic. Does nation vs. nation drive viewership and interest? One-hundred percent.

Does Habat owe his entire future to the fact that NBC sells beers and cars to millions of viewers based on national pride?

No.

Q: Who takes over as head coach of Team USA's men's freestyle program after 2016?
-- Mike C.

Foley: My top candidates:

Cael Sanderson
John Smith
Tom Brands
Brandon Slay
Sean Bormet

Q: How likely is it that we'll see Tervel Dlagnev on the mats again?
-- @ShogunOfSonoma

Foley: I don't know the extent of injury, but the answer is one-hundred percent.

After Rio, or the qualifications? Zero percent

Q: What are your thoughts on Coleman Scott becoming the new head wrestling coach at UNC? Does this mean he's done competing? Or is he still training for the 2016 Olympic Games?
-- Mike C.

Foley: From all accounts Coleman Scott is a talented coach. His success on the mat will play a large role in his recruitment of future athletes and with a stable of active alumni I think we'll see the program expand in several meaningful ways.

I assume that this signals the end of his competitive career. Keeping up with Brent Metcalf, Logan Stieber and the rest of the stable at 65 kilos is not an easy task if you train year-round. It is significantly more difficult with an 80-90 hour-a-week job. If Scott wants to compete then he'll have blessings all around.

If he chooses to spend his little bit of downtime with the family nobody will cast a doubt. If they do, I recommend he just hold up that Olympic bronze and shh' them from the room.

Q: World Championship preparation. Few questions!

1. What countries will be represented in Vegas?

2. Does the U.S.'s entire squad get to wrestle? The guys didn't have to qualify, did they?

3. Who besides our guys should we be looking out for? I'm not familiar with the foreign wrestlers (much). Who do you think is really exciting to watch?
-- John G.

Foley: Answers below.

1. All. The only qualification for the World Championships is that you enter a wrestler at that weight class during the continental championships. The motivation for this year's bloated continental championships was that the top six finishers at the World Championships automatically qualify their weight class for the Olympic Games. For many countries that is their best shot to qualify for Rio.

2. Yes. All of 'em.

3. Men's freestyle: Every Russian is entertaining to watch, as are the Iranians. Each has their own style, but they are equally active and beautiful in their execution.

Women's freestyle: Japan dominates, but also look out for Azerbaijan, China and some of South America's wrestlers. Sleepers are the Cuban women who are love-to-throw former judokas who compete at one-hundred percent for six minutes.

Greco-Roman: Georgia is looking solid, but Russia and Iran are more likely to win matches with moves that get your blood going. However, the No. 1 most entertaining wrestler in the world right now is world No. 1 Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) at 71 kilos -- a throw a minute. Incredible to watch.

Q: Can you dive into the Corey Mock decision and how this affects C.D. Mock's future? Also, since there are many high school coaches and wrestlers that read your article, please address the issue that males will always be assumed guilty before innocent in issues of sexual assault. I think this is an issue we need to address with our athletes and the ramifications it can have on someone's life (ex. Corey Mock and Jordan Holm).
-- Tim H.

Foley: The decision of the court to rule that Corey Mock was denied due process has no bearing on C.D. Mock's choice to publish blog posts about the sexual assault crisis on college campuses. Corey may have been denied due process and the court overturned it, but that wasn't because of C.D.'s public relations campaign. It was because the judge saw the legal argument.

Disparaging women is juvenile. Yes, they make mistakes and of course one-hundred percent of accusations are not true, but to use the court's ruling to buoy some knuckle-dragging theory that some tiny percentage of women are ACTUALLY sexually assaulted and that the rest lie is bogus.

C.D. was fired because he wasn't protected by academic freedom to espouse any belief he wish. He was hired as a wrestling coach, not a sociology professor. He represented the university in his role as a coach and when he embarrassed them he was shown the door. He also wasn't winning enough matches.

But again, to be clear, this ruling does NOT exonerate Corey or C.D., it simply says that the former was denied due process on a college campus, something that many advocates on both sides have pointed to as a weakness of prosecuting sex crimes on campus.

Q: I have a question. How are you doing on this fine day?
-- @maggiehendricks

Foley: I woke up in Brazil, watched wrestling and got to write. Today was a great day!

RANT OF THE WEEK
By Jacob R.

Aside from Flo's immature shenanigans and their extremely biased reporting of U.S. wrestlers, I would have to say the organization provides a good service. I usually only pay for Flo Pro when the U.S. Open and World Team Trials are underway. Doesn't really make sense to pay money to watch ESPN matches from the NCAAs that are dubbed over with their screaming.

Anyways, I have noticed that a lot of the matches on their pay-per-view service involve a lot of our youth and amateur ranks. I am curious if the youngsters competing in Fargo, the Junior World Championships, and other events that are within the Flo Pro umbrella get any of the profits. I would assume no, which leads me to ask, "Shouldn't a high school athlete who competes in an event that is broadcast over a pay-wall network get something from her or his hard work?" Similar to college football and basketball, if it wasn't for the athletes and their abilities there really would be no need to broadcast an event and have people pay money to watch it.

Now this leads me to ask if the senior level wrestlers get any money from Flowrestling covering their events. Obviously, Flo has some sort of deal with USA Wrestling and I think they even struck a deal with United World Wrestling to do coverage of Junior Worlds and the Senior Worlds. My question is shouldn't the senior level wrestlers get a cut instead of the governing body?

It appears that wrestlers, both in the U.S. and worldwide and dare I say athletes in many of the non-professional uber popular ball sports are relegated to a weird limbo in which they are kinda sorta amateurs who will get paid if they win World or Olympic gold, but likely get very little from the revenues yielded from the broadcast of their triumphs. While I dig the confidence that is exhibited from Burroughs and the plethora of other senior level wrestlers in the U.S., it sure would be nice if they approached Flo with a "Show me the money!" attitude. I would probably be more inclined to pay for a full year's subscription to Flo Pro knowing that the wrestlers are actually benefiting from it.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: August 7, 2015

Fri, 07 Aug 2015 06:37:51 +0000

In what could be the most important dual meet in NCAA history, Oklahoma State Cowboys has agreed to wrestle Iowa on November 14 at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City.

The match will almost certainly become the most well-attended college wrestling match in history and could become one of the most well-attended single-day wrestling events in history.

There are some obvious caveats when it comes to establishing world records, but those aside, this idea is the most original -- and gutsy -- in the history of the sport.

Spectacle sells, but it's always difficult to know just how much to utilize in selling an event. Where there was previously an explosion of individual matchups in Agon and Flo Premier League, this is a team matchup in a spectacular setting that is certain to draw media.

Though weather will almost certainly be a factor, it seems that the coaches and administrations for both schools felt this was a surmountable problem. That Tom Brands and John Smith were able to pull this off -- or go along without major protest -- is a testament to their commitment and love for the sport.

Wrestling subculture can be a cynical place. Politics at the local level can frustrate young wrestlers and their families. There are competitive jealousies, longstanding rivalries and all types of mini-dramas among competitive parties.

But with the Iowa-Oklahoma State dual everyone wins. We can all agree on the importance of the moment and the potential impact on the sport. This is a bright moment. A big moment.

Thank you, Iowa. Thank you, Oklahoma State. And thank you, wrestling community. We deserve this.

To your questions â€¦

Q: The U.S. is sending a strong team to the Junior Worlds in freestyle that includes Mark Hall, Aaron Pico, Joey McKenna, Spencer Lee, Stevan Micic and Zahid Valencia. How many gold medals are you predicting for the U.S. in the eight weight classes? How many medals?
-- Mike C.

Foley: The American junior team is talented and given competitive draws they should come back with at least four medals among the six wrestlers you mentioned. There is an opportunity for more, but you have to remember that the junior level wrestlers on the international circuit are NOT in high school or college. Most are on club teams and they compete year-round alongside the senior level wrestlers. There are starters on the Russian team and the Iranian team who only a year ago were at the junior level. Russian monster Abdulrashid Sadulaev was a Cadet in 2013 and is now an undefeated defending world champion at the senior level.

This group does represent a bright future for the Stars and Stripes and I think that when all the bags are packed you'll see two gold medals coming home, which is a monster haul for such a competitive tournament.

Q: Please give us a little more detail regarding scholarships at big-time programs. I'm sure it varies from program to program, but walk us through how the 9.9 might be divided up in a leading program. Do All-Americans always get full rides? National champs? Do they combine academic scholarships, financial and athletic awards? How does it work?
-- Bryan R.

Foley: This is a big question, but I'll do my best to break it down and give some insights.

First, very few graduating wrestlers are given a 1.0 allotment of scholarship. More likely the coaches and administration will ask that they pay some small portion, which will then allow the schools to recruit even more talent. For example, the nation's No. 25 overall recruit goes to Virginia Tech for a visit, wants to sign, but is offered eighty percent. Assuming he's out of state he'll be covering about $9k in costs his first year. That's a deal.

Now, this wrestler has opened up .20 for the coach to allocate to another wrestler, maybe even a talented backup. If the kid on eighty percent earns All-American status then maybe he'll be bumped up to a full ride in his sophomore season. Maybe he goes to ninety percent.

That's one way for schools to save money -- to make the athlete feel as though they have chips in play for the team. If they are "selfish" and want a full ride then they have to understand it will cost them quality teammates. Also, by not handing out full rides there is a real financial incentive to perform on the mat.

I used the example of eighty percent for a guy in the top 25, but the more likely scenario would be sixty percent for a kid in the top 100.

In addition to the scholarship angle there are a multitude of financial aid packages available to incoming athletes. Normally the only catch to these wrestlers is that they must be able to get into the university without assistance, which for some wrestlers applying to non-Ivy League programs with big endowments for financial aid (Stanford, Duke, Michigan) could be difficult. However, if they get in unassisted that money doesn't count against the total amount of scholarship.

There are other tricks floating around. One is to have your athlete establish in-state residency to drop their dollar amount and then subsequently change the percentage, while maintaining the amount of money the athlete pays.

One note is that if you combine financial aid with scholarship from the same school it will (normally) still count as scholarship since he was a recruited athlete.

Brent Metcalf gets his hand raised after beating Jordan Oliver at the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: How is Brent Metcalf ranked No. 2 in the latest UWW rankings? Top 20 maybe, but certainly should not be No. 2! Yes, he has some decent wins, but he has zero world medals.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Metcalf has been a beast this season and just knocked off Franklin Gomez. Previous World finishes don't influence this year's rankings and to be honest I think he is somewhere in the top five and will earn a medal at this year's World Championships. I actually predict he'll make the finals.

Don't sleep on Metcalf.

Q: With the news that Otterbein is adding wrestling, does it make sense that the growth of the sport should focus on establishing Division III, Division II, NAIA and women's programs? It seems like there is less pushback to adding these programs, and possibly they are cheaper to operate than the Division I schools. Also, has anyone ever considered (especially some of the smaller schools) having one coaching staff do the women's and men's wrestling programs?
-- Nick D.

Foley: I think that one coaching staff is almost certainly how these programs will need to develop at the Division I level, but not necessarily at the NAIA, Division II and Division III levels.

The growth of the sport at the smaller schools is in response to a growing need to increase enrollment among colleges. Most students take out loans which are dished by the government, meaning the schools get their cash up front and the government holds the note of the loan. Because of that, smaller colleges and universities are essentially trying to market their schools to boost enrollment. If you accept and attend that means you are paying them between $20,000 and $40,000 either out-of-pocket or through loans.

Either way the boost in the number of programs means that there are more wrestlers on the mats and that our community is growing. Some colleges are adding women's wrestling programs and seeing results, too. That's a positive thing, but it will still take a Division I program adding women's wrestling to help legitimize the sport in the eye of the common sports fan.

Q: What's one thing about training or nutrition that you know now that you wish you would have known in college?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Eat a balance of protein and carbs immediately after a workout. You need to get your insulin pumping to deliver the proteins to your muscles and begin repair. I missed out on that in college and suffered the consequences. Most wrestlers at big universities now have nutritionists, which is a positive development.

I'd eat WAY less processed foods and spend more time focusing on drinking water during the week before the cut. I'd also had never wrestled 157 pounds. I was way too thin and the mood swings associated with weight cutting and nutritional deficiencies wreaked havoc on my school and personal life. I weighed 195 pounds in the offseason, which meant that even the bump I made up to 165 pounds showed massive gains on the mat and also in the classroom and my personal life. If I had to do that part over again, I'd have started at 165 pounds and gradually tried to wrestle 174 pounds.

Q: Looking at the success of Ronda Rousey makes me wonder if we might ever be able to get that kind of support for women's wrestling. Or does wrestling just not offer the opportunity to project the level of absolute dominance over the competition that MMA does? Also, is there any chance that there is an Olympic level women's wrestler who could give Ronda a run for her money in the cage over the next year or two? Anywhere on the globe.
-- Bryan R.

Foley: I think we'll see some women float into the sport after the 2016 Games and that includes many from South America and Russia. Rousey is impressive with her throws, but that won't work against the better wrestlers. Where Rousey is focusing and improving is with her hands and that is something that takes most wrestlers considerable time to master.

Rousey's background in judo is very helpful in her being able to secure armbars in the cage. Against another judoka that might not be as easy, but against a wrestler unfamiliar with the ground game it will be equally devastating.

However, when Ronda Rousey loses it will be to a wrestler, and that wrestler is probably not training MMA now and the loss won't happen for another four years.

Q: What's a good age for a young wrestler to be concerned with winning and losing?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Day 1. Win you live, lose you die.

RANT OF THE WEEK
By Larry S.

I just watched some of the matches from this year's World Team Trials. I know a month late, but I have been busy. Would someone tell these officials that Zeke Jones is now a college coach and no longer the U.S. freestyle coach. Every match that I thought the scoring was ridiculous he was the coach of the wrestler receiving the benefit of these terrible calls.

Coaches Zeke Jones and John Smith give instruction to Jordan Oliver at the U.S. World Team Trials held in Madison, Wis. (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

One of the greatest things about wrestling over other sports is that it is among the fairest of sports. You have to win a place on the team by wrestle-offs. No coach arbitrarily gives you a position. I know that officials, like everyone, make mistakes, but holy crap! I just watched two matches in which PA kids that I always root for were both just given the matches. I love the sport, but am not privy to the politics or personalities that exist within freestyle wrestling or any wrestling for that matter. So when a casual fan can easily pick up on tainted officiating going one way, it is very obvious. If all the coaches have to wear Zeke Jones masks to assure that your wrestler gets fair shake then something is wrong. I do not know Zeke. Never met him and certainly do not have anything against him, but these men who try out for the World Team are not only training but in many cases putting their lives on hold to chase a dream. They deserve better than the officiating I just mentioned and they certainly deserve a little outrage for their efforts. They provide us with great entertainment and you with a livelihood.

Well that is my every-three-years rant. If this strikes you as too absolute it is probably because in today's world everybody wants to be seen as open-minded and fair. But fair means NO CHEATING, and you do not have to have a referee's license to know that the GUY DOING THE MOVES GETS THE POINTS.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 31, 2015

Fri, 31 Jul 2015 06:37:19 +0000

Last weekend James Green saved the wrestling community a week's worth of drama when he handily defeated Nick Marable in a best-of-three wrestle-off at the FARGODOME.

James Green celebrates after a victory over Nick Marable (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

The Green-Marable drama is common knowledge by now, but what shocked many outsiders was that an outside body -- in this case an arbitrator -- ruled against USA Wrestling, a national federation.

Though the circumstances surrounding the incident and the validity of the appeal have been brought into question there was no supporting evidence brought forward in the public domain with which to doubt Marable. That being the case if nothing was presented at the arbitration (How does one prove something like a concussion "doesn't" happen?) then the arbitrator made about the only decision they could.

Though it's highly unlikely it's not totally impossible that Marable did fall and hurt himself before weigh-ins. Because he was dehydrated? Maybe, but what if he slipped in a puddle of someone else's sweat form their plastics? I tore an MCL that way in college. Unlikely but not impossible.

USA Wrestling was within their right to deny Marable his wrestle-off and Marable was within his right to appeal. The process is meant to protect an athlete from the personal agendas of those with political roles in national federations. As such it skews towards second chances and that's a good thing.

Green won the wrestle-off in large part because he is wrestling better at this moment. He beat a VERY talented Frank Chamizo and has a better than 50 percent chance of placing at the World Championships. Support Green and choose to trust (or if you must, forgive) Marable. These are this nation's finest athletes and as always they deserve our love and support no matter their circumstance.

To your questions ...

Q: What are your thoughts on Iowa potentially having an outdoor dual meet at Kinnick Stadium in November? It's going to be freezing!
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't know all that much about these things, but the weather forecast for Iowa in mid-November has to be chilly. There is a press conference scheduled for next week so I have to assume they'll make their plans known then.

Wrestling outdoors is probably not all that crazy. The wrestlers can wear large jackets and I assume they'll have something to cover the mats to make sure they don't become frigid and stiff.

Who will they wrestle? Unclear, but it seems unlikely to be Penn State or Ohio State since both are off the schedule. I'd like to see it be Minnesota and since the best weekend to do it might be the Minnesota football game there is a possibility of a big splash.

Kudos to Tom Brands and whatever team comes into Iowa for this spectacle as it will be a great promotion for the sport of wrestling.

Q: What do you think of Logan Storley and Ed Ruth entering MMA? With only three amateur fights in high school, do you think Storley is turning pro too early? Why or why not?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Support their endeavors. Wrestling is tough and if you are on the outside looking in at a weight class like 74 kilos you don't have many other options in terms of how to use your body to earn money. Ruth I'd still prefer to see compete through 2016 since I think he could regret having never made it through a cycle.

MMA is not a bad first career choice. You're young and you like to work hard, why not throw hands and use God's blessing to make some cash and maybe travel a bit more. Young guys, like most, will eventually end up in an office chair for the majority of their working life. Why not give your body a spin or two before your expiration date.

That said, I wouldn't think that you want to be in the fight game for more than 10 years. After a while you need to protect your noggin and think about a sustainable future.

Q: I read an article from the Des Moines Register a little while ago about how Tony Ramos and Matt McDonough rarely train with each other. Is this odd that these two studs don't reap the benefits of training together? I understand they have Thomas Gilman, Cory Clark, Daniel Dennis, and others to train with and they both have the same goals, but it just seems odd to me.
-- Justin H.

Foley: That makes total sense to me, though I wonder if it's totally true. There is always something to these stories that seems likely, but not enough of the story is being told. I see both these guys training hard to win, but maybe that's driven some separation between the two. Ramos' success could be motivating McD and to make friends might jeopardize that reserve.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

This kid gets what sports are all about

Q: Is wrestling a lifetime sport? Can it be?
-- Mike C.

Foley: For most, wrestling can only be a lifetime sport as a spectator. Crashing into the ground and having your head pounded on by a 19-year-old is not something men in their 50's should be doing with any consistency, or likely at all.

We are passionate group and like most I'm sure that you and I will continue to follow the action on the mat until our blue hairs tumble onto the ground.

Q: Why are schools limited to 9.9 scholarships? It's kind of crazy that top 10 teams only have 4-5 guys on full rides.
-- @alliseeis_

Foley: The 9.9 rule is a limitation by the NCAA that ensures gender equality and is in line with the number of starting wrestlers on each Division I, II, and III squad in competition. The rule has been in place for decades and has worked fine since most schools can cobble together financial aid packages from wealthy endowments and are allowed to cutup and divide those scholarships in any amount they choose.

Also in the current system (Death to the NCAA) most graduating seniors don't merit a full ride. Some do, but the majority should have to earn their way up from 60 percent to a full ride based on performance, though with some guarantees it doesn't go down.

Q: Cael recently talked about David Taylor, and gave this quote in an article on Pennlive.com: "He (Taylor) has to decide what he's doing. I'm not so sure we won't be seeing him move up a weight because he is a big kid. He doesn't have trouble but he's big enough and it might be better for him in the long run.''

Do you think we could see Taylor at 86 kilos as early as 2016?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yes. I think that statement teases what is coming. Taylor goes to 86 kilos and tries to take on Jake Herbert for the World Team spot. I think that for Team USA to field him up a weight would be a coup and it's rational for him to go somewhere he fits, but also somewhere he can represent his country and maybe medal at the Olympic Games.

Q: Will wrestling be a part of your honeymoon? Does your fiancÃ© know how to score a match yet?
-- @WrestlGreatness

Foley: Not yet, but I have her watching full dual matches and am standing overtop screaming in disbelief when she mistakenly marks the scoring maneuvers out of order.

As for the honeymoon, I am trying for a wrestling trip to Mongolia but so far the response has been tepid. She's been very understanding of my insane travel schedule so I think I'll reciprocate and be understanding of her need to sit on a beach or explore some new country.

Happy wife, happy life.

Oklahoma State signee Joe Smith dominated in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: Joe Smith, John Smith's son, dominated in Fargo and was named OW of the Junior freestyle competition. What are reasonable expectations for Joe Smith at Oklahoma State?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'd predict a two-time NCAA champion and four-time All-American. Given the recent performances of true freshmen, however, I don't think a third title is out of the realm of possibility. His dad is John Smith.

Maybe we can get Muir to make some lines?

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 17, 2015

Fri, 17 Jul 2015 07:38:34 +0000

This week last summer I wrote an entry about the failure of youth wrestling culture and the overabundance (and unrealistic expectations) of tournaments for wrestlers aged 5-14. In response I was sent a photo from John Smith on the floor of the FARGODOME with my surname written on a white piece of paper accompanied by a large circle and X through the letters. Everyone had a good laugh.

This year I'll choose to be optimistic and wish the young scrappers a successful and healthy tournament. Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling are challenging, but fun and for many the dream of an Olympic gold medal starts on those mats. Compete hard, play fair and always be a good sport. Otherwise, kick ass and have fun.

On a personal note, this past Wednesday I tricked my girlfriend into getting engaged. She's not familiar with the wrestling world, but has been a quick study and allows me to wear my Abdulrashid Sadulaev T-shirt on lunch dates with her friends. That's pretty cool, and sufficient enough a reason to lock her down for the rest of my life, but she's also intelligent, generous and kind.

Anyway, we will be celebrating the union over vacation, which means I won't be filing a mailbag next week. However, I'll be certain to get an impressive tan whilst holding a fruity cocktail and post plenty of European themed photos to my Instagram.

To your questions â€¦

The FARGODOME in Fargo, North Dakota serves as the venue for the Cadet & Junior National Championships every summer (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: When you were Division I assistant wrestling coach, how much stock did you put in Fargo when recruiting? It seems like for a lot of young wrestlers it defines their year.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Some, but no one tournament defined how we viewed an athlete. I was at Columbia University in Manhattan so there were a number of considerations to make including if they qualified for financial aid, how they performed in school and how their coach felt about their contribution to the team.

Fargo is a big deal and success there is indicative of talent and/or hard work. Still, as a coach you wouldn't throw too many resources at an athlete based on one week of wrestling in the summer. State tournaments and national events (Ironman, Beast of the East) are more indicative of folkstyle success.

Q: Other than the official World Wrestling Championships ticket exchange is there another place to look for tickets? Also, if you had to choose between attending Day 5 or Day 6, which would you choose?
-- Jeff M.

Foley: I'd choose the day with Jordan Burroughs. Pay to see greatness. You won't be telling your grandkids about how you saw a bronze medalist in Las Vegas, but you will tell them about how you saw one of the world's greatest wrestlers ever win a World title.

The ticket exchange really is your best option, but I'd still cruise Stubhub to see what's available, and maybe even see if there are scalpers outside. Could be a thing.

Q: Please bring up the FloWrestling bro culture attacking the high school kid who posted their video. They do the same thing yet call out a single high school kid. Are they worried at Flo that membership is down? Not living up to their funders? What gives?
-- Peter W.

Foley: Well â€¦ I don't want to get into a "thing" with Flo right now, but because you brought it up and I have something nice to say, I will capitulate to your demands.

Flo has seen a big turnaround over the past few years in terms of production value and quality of coverage. Their social media operation is fully evolved and they tend to allow more people, not fewer, watch the sport that they love. Flo Radio Live is pretty entertaining, taking from a model of First Take and other morning shows that have ramped-up ratings on sports channels around cable.

The incident you mentioned is actually really interesting to consider. A high school wrestler took an iPhone video of Flo's impressive trailer for Fargo. He then posted that video on his Twitter and thus sparked a debate about stealing content (The wrestler failed to air the end cap of "Flo" and wasn't promoting their service.)

Flo employees barked at the student and claimed he was continually taking their content without permission. In a black and white world they are correct -- creative content (music, movies, books) shouldn't be taken for free. However, the issue is thornier with Flo because Flo started their business with little to no regard for ownership rights. That culture is what attracted many to the sport, since most of the time the tournaments they chose to cover would not have been seen otherwise. Flo began to rub organizations the wrong way when coverage was secured and they came through to film and post anyways.

The developing tension with the wrestling community comes from Flo's ideological shift from scrappy startup to a multimillion million dollar company with 50-plus employees. The changes have included an increase in fees to users, and the aforementioned pushback when their content is ripped.

The "bro" culture isn't as much to blame here as the culture of corporations looking to protect their assets. Flo (2015) acquires much of their content through purchasing access. That's good for wrestling. As for fighting back against illegal pirating? I'm sure that they will start to realize there are some battles worth waging, and others that are better to ignore.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

The Stache goes big!

OMG -- Mission Impossible Rogue Nation

Q: What happened to Chad Mendes against Conor McGregor at UFC 189? I realize he fought on two weeks' notice, but he was absolutely spent in the second round. Did he take a hit in the first round that affected him? Or was it just the short training camp that hurt him?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Man, I should NOT make prognostications. There is an article on Fightland (mind you a publication funded by the UFC) that makes the argument for McGregor's opening round of body shots contributing to Mendes' lack of gas.

I'd tentatively agree, though I think a 10-day "camp" was much more responsible for his lack of gas. The reason everyone thought Mendes was in shape was that he was in shape, but "shape" is more indicative of how many abs he can flare and less about his ability to stand in a cage and pummel another human for 25 minutes.

And still, he kinda-probably-almost definitely should have won the fight! Conor McGregor is absolutely atrocious on the mat. Terrible is not a strong enough word to describe the utter incompetence he showed on the mat. The UFC knows they have a PPV homerun with McGregor and will juice up any fight he takes with Aldo. I'd expect north of 800k PPV buys.

But also be warned that whoever does win that fight will likely meet Frankie Edgar shortly thereafter. If McGregor is that winner he'll be put away fast by someone who is a both a better pure boxer and jiu-jitsu fighter than McGregor. Also, a guy known to never give up.

Q: This marks the third year in a row that a wrestler has received an ESPY nomination for Male College Athlete of the Year (Kyle Dake '13, David Taylor '14, Logan Stieber '15). What are the chances that Logan Stieber wins this year?
-- Shohei T.

Foley: Unfortunately Stieber lost to Marcus Mariotta, which is a completely legit place to go with that award. Wrestling is all type of awesome, but give credit where it's due. I heard about this guy all season and 1) I don't know much about football and 2) he plays football in Oregon, which is a 6.5 hour flight from NYC.

Congratulations to Logan Stieber on being nominated. Quite the honor.

Q: Obe Blanc just returned from a two-year suspension for testing positive for a prohibited substance. Do you see him as a frontrunner to make the U.S. Olympic Team in 2016 at 57 kilos?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. The 57-kilo weight class is Tony Ramos' spot for as long as he wants to wrestle. He's becoming world class and I believe that on his current trajectory he could be a threat to medal in Rio. Blanc's time off will affect almost everything about his career, though I do hope that he finds success on the mats and as a coach. I've heard great things about the latter.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 10, 2015

Fri, 10 Jul 2015 13:31:41 +0000

Leading up to UFC 189 Conor McGregor has been hyper vocal that he is the greatest fighter in the world. The lanky Irishman has gabbed about his significance and he's had others write about his journey. To his credit he's seemed genuine McGregor has also proven that he truly doesn't care if you love him or hate him, so long as you talk about him.

McGregor has a surplus of chutzpah, but he also has an astonishing lack of a ground game. Having never fought a collegiate wrestler McGregor is a throwback to four years ago when the fighting public still bet hard on the strikers of MMA. That changed when those who owned flashy knockouts and cage-rattling theatrics were being taken down, beaten and submitted by a legion of collegiate wrestlers.

There is a simple philosophy as to why this happens. You can teach someone to duck a punch and block a kick because that's a skill, that's a technique. You can't teach just anyone to wrestle because that's a lifestyle. It's measured in years not "classes."

Like Chris Weidman beat Anderson Silva and T.J. Dillashaw destroyed Renan Barao, Chad Mendes will defeat Conor McGregor on Saturday using his wrestling, aggression and heart.

And it won't be close â€¦

Q: Future UFC champion and 2014 Greco bronze medalist Bilyal Makhov just made a successful return to freestyle wrestling at the very tough Ali Aliyev tournament, beating his fellow transplant from Kabardino-Balkaria in the finals, former Russian national champion Muradin Kuskhov. Do you think three-time World champion in freestyle will attempt to wrestle both styles in 2015 or 2016? He says he wants to but his coaches seem to want him to focus on one style. Is it even a possibility to do both under UWW rules?
-- Coleman M.

Foley: I like the "future UFC champion" introduction. The man is one of the most gifted big men on the planet. A UFC title wouldn't fall outside the realm of possibilities. The only issue would be the UFC's acceptance of another dominating Russian. They already have their hands filled with Khabib Nurmagomedov

Makhov may compete in both styles. United World Wrestling certainly doesn't have any regulations against it, and I assume that if the Russians really think that he'd win both styles then they wouldn't hesitate.

That said I doubt the Russians would blow past Gatsalov for a guy who will then need to compete in two styles. Doubtful, but not impossible. Gatsalov had a tough European Games, which I realize forces some questions about the starting position.

Semenov, a Junior World champion, also performed poorly in the Greco-Roman portion of the European Games, failing to place. That also adds a bit of intrigue to the possibility of Makhov stepping up.

As for Makhov's viewpoint it seems that he'll be focused on Greco-Roman, but will take the call up to freestyle if the coaches request. That's unlikely, but to know that he's ready is certainly appealing.

Mark Hall won his fifth state championship this past season (Photo/Jeff Beshey, The Guillotine)

Q: Is there any chance Mark Hall doesn't sign with the University of Minnesota? Seems like a done deal from everything I have heard from those very close to the situation.
-- Mike C.

Foley: Of course there is a chance Mark Hall won't sign with Minnesota. He's an 18-year-old boy being wooed by every major college wrestling powerhouse. Most 18-year-old's I've known are predictably unpredictable, and while Hall may be the best wrestler in all the land, I doubt that title precludes him from making a shocking choice for his college career.

Still, you are right that the rumor mill has been chirping with the idea that Hall will head to Minnesota. That's as excellent a choice as the Minnesota native could make.

Q: Any chance Jake Varner hangs up the shoes before the year before the Olympics, just like his coach Cael did in 2011?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Yes. If he loses at the Olympic Team Trials then he would almost certainly retire. I don't think that there is much motivation to give up before the Trials being that it's so close to the Olympic Games. Also, consider that he sells a popular shoe and has the support of the Penn State wrestling community. Also, he's an Olympic champion and though he's struggled, there is nothing like disappointment to motivate a return run to gold.

Cael was a much different circumstance. He'd been out of serious competition for seven years before the 2011 cycle and whatever urge he was looking to scratch seemed to find relief from that tournament.

Multimedia Halftime

Boston youth wrestling

Quick look at one of the rising stars of jiu-jitsu who also happens to love wrestling

Link: Wonderful feature on Conor McGregor with video embed too

Q: I heard a rumor a while back that Russian bear Khadzhimurat Gatsalov was contemplating an MMA career. Have you heard anything lately?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Nothing as of late, but with the end of his wrestling career in sight, I'd imagine he'd start training for a career in the cage. There are plenty of training opportunities around the world, but with the high numbers of Russians training in Thailand, I'd see him bolting to Asia.

Q: Which five wrestlers after they are currently wrestling could join Ben Askren and Henry Cejudo and make an easy transition into MMA and why?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Easy? Meh. I don't think there is ever an easy transition to MMA. There will be a flood of interest after the 2016 cycle and I'd imagine these five could be among that group that tests the cage after a life on the mat.

1. Dustin Kilgore
2. Daniel Dennis
3. Jordan Oliver
4. Ed Ruth
5. Kyven Gadson

Q: I follow mostly college wrestling throughout the year. When following freestyle and Greco internationally, I enjoy seeing the names I recognize from the NCAAs. While most of the non-American wrestlers are usually unknown to me, it is cool to see a wrestler from another country with a familiar name. Franklin Gomez would always pop up for Puerto Rico and I recently spotted Boris Novachkov (Bulgaria) and Bekzod Abdurakhmonov (Uzbekistan) in the UWW rankings.

Who are some of the most recent/notable NCAA wrestlers to find success internationally with another country? Any wrestlers rumored to be going this same route eventually?
-- Matt F.

Foley: Former Northern Iowa wrestler Alex Dolly placed fifth for Ireland at the 2014 European Championships, which was that country's highest finish ever at a major tournament.

Those you named are kind of the top names and were already citizens of said country. There are others lingering about like Turtogtokh Luvsandorj and Ganbayar Sanjaa of Mongolia who need to settle into a country affiliation and get more mat time.

For the serious American wrestler there is the opportunity to transfer. However, most associate Olympic glory with national pride, but for those who might find separation there are countries that would love to welcome more talented wrestlers to their roster.

Q: Why won't UWW award one point past the 30-second shot clock and let the action continue during a shot?
-- @kreat30D

Foley: I don't know why this rules has become so confusing to follow. Think of it like basketball and you'll better understand. There are 30 seconds to SHOOT, not 30 seconds to score. In about 1/50 cases a shot at the end of the 30 seconds continues for a few moments after the clock, but only when the attacking wrestler is pressing.

In your scenario there is a reduced incentive to wrestle hard for 30 seconds since the action will continue after the whistle. This rule, along with the pushout rule, has been a keystone to the success of freestyle wrestling the past two years. Matches are high scoring, wrestlers are aggressive and the over-tactical gamesmanship has been eliminated. Tweaking that now would only cause unnecessary confusion, and almost certainly a return to hyper gamesmanship.

Q: What are your thoughts on redshirting after a year or more of experience? Any stats on doing better/worse after the redshirt year?
-- @dmarble33

Foley: There are a variety of reasons for starting a freshman. There are an equal number of motivations for sitting them out. One of the best reasons I've heard for starting a freshman is that most will stay as serious in college as they had been in high school. Drop off in college happens when wrestlers find drinking, dining hall food and robust social calendars. For some it's a side distraction, while for others it becomes a main focus.

In my opinion there are many more wrestlers in need of a year on the mat as a freshman than in need of a year in the bars. College is about learning how to learn and one of the great benefits to competing young is that it reduces the amount of time youngsters have to goof off, and when they do it comes at a cost. Time management and learning the true consequences of partying, staying up late and eating unhealthy are best witnessed under pressure.

Unless you're certain that the redshirting freshman will stay out of trouble and on the mats I'd recommend that most join the team in year one and feel the pressure of a season as a college wrestler.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: July 3, 2015

Fri, 03 Jul 2015 06:22:58 +0000

The coaching carousel went for another, albeit abrupt, spin this week as Michigan State announced that longtime head wrestling coach Tom Minkel would resign at the end of the 2016 season.

While the news came as a welcome surprise to many in the wrestling community (he had two years left on his contract), the announcement that associate head coach Roger Chandler would be taking over left many nonplussed. The question many readers asked this week was simple: How can an 18-year veteran of the Sparty program be expected to make improvements?

I'll agree that from 10k feet up the hire doesn't get me excited. Chandler is a very well-respected coach and his work with the lightweights at Michigan State has produced results. Still, we are used to coaching changeovers that are much more dramatic, and ones that include a national search. Without that search many are left to think that the officials in East Lansing don't care.

Maybe.

But there is an argument to be made for Chandler. First and foremost he knows the administration, the alumni and the local recruits leaving the ramp-up time to success to be very minimal. Second, he's also seen where the program may have drifted from and what has made others successful and in seeing that up close (and knowing institutional shortcomings) could be best positioned to get them fixed. Finally, he's a proven coach with a lot of experience who would be in the running for other head coaching positions.

No, this is not the type of hire that gets the wrestling community in a tizzy of excitement, or speculating when Michigan State will challenge Iowa or Ohio State or Minnesota. However, it does provide a pulse and a chance at growth. Chandler has done nothing wrong, of course. If anything he's shown passion for the sport and loyalty to a friend and school. That's a wrestler quality and one that should earn the initial support of wrestling fans who wish to see Michigan State be a successful program for years to come.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Where does David Taylor go from here with his training? Seems that gap is growing, not shrinking. Seems like something needs to change.
-- @Eagle_Fan

David Taylor battles Kyle Dake in the 2015 U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: Jiu-jitsu.

Think I'm kidding? I'm not. There is another world out there for him to dominate on the mat and from which he can bring a multitude of new fans. Winning a World title probably won't happen, and though it would be devastating for him to shift focus he will be inspired by a world filled with new techniques and new problems.

Face it, Taylor is a chess player in a sport still dominated by those who play checkers. His ability to learn, background in wrestling and body type could make him one of the greatest American grapplers to ever live.

Let me know if he's looking for a gym and I'll find him the right spot.

Q: For a Fourth of July BBQ, who on the current World Team (men or women, freestyle or Greco) would you pick for your 6-on-6 volleyball matchup?
-- Josh C.

Foley: Jordan Burroughs and Adeline Gray are my first two choices since they're both incredibly gifted World champion athletes. Next, I'm going with Andy Bisek because the mustache plays. I'd add in Brent Metcalf for intensity and the sneaking suspicion that he'd play in jeans and put athletic tape around his wrists. To round it off I'd add Helen Maroulis for emotional support and I think she'd be talented at digging out spikes. I'm playing the sixth man and I feel confident that group is winning a yellow medal.

Q: Any chance they start letting two guys per county per weight class go to Worlds (not Olympics, just Worlds)?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: No. That system is used in judo, and though I think wrestling will take on the judo ranking system in years to come, I don't think it benefits the growth of the sport to add another wrestler from each country. Wrestling earns about a quarter of what judo does from participation in the Olympics, which means we have to be very strategic about our worldwide development. Things are looking up with that office now humming along on four continents, but with limited funds you can't risk giving up a huge portion of national representation at the Olympics and World Championships.

Q: What do you think of the idea to change the name of beach wrestling to sand wrestling and hosting some competitions along with "mat wrestling" at indoor venues? Think U.S. Open with three to four mats, and a side competition with sand wrestling also going on. If it's logistically challenging to bring the sand indoors, then do it outside the venue (in Vegas, baby!). Basically bring this fringe sport within a fringe sport to the wrestling people who might be interested in seeing it live but don't plan a special trip to the East Coast to watch it. Any chance UWW is planning an exhibit of sand wrestling in Rio?
-- Tony R.

Foley: I agree that beach wrestling should have a higher profile and think that over the next several years it is a sport that might find its way into more international competitions. The naming is more in line with that of volleyball and because it's part of the World Beach Games the name also appeals to those organizers.

There is no exhibition planned, but with the Olympics only 13 months away there might be time to set something up on Copacabana!

Q: Any chance Kyle Dake, Nick Marable or anyone else is wrestling for another country in Worlds?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: No. They wouldn't be eligible until after the World Championships and they would still need to go through a process of repatriation and application through United World Wrestling.

It will be interesting to see if any Americans make that leap.

Q: It's camp season, give me a list of 10 to 15 guest coaches/clinicians that would make a camp a "can't miss" event.
-- Josh C.

Foley: In no particular order â€¦

1. Jordan Burroughs
2. Cael Sanderson
3. J Rob
4. Steve Garland
5. David Taylor
6. Sean Bormet
7. John Smith
8. Dan Henderson
9. Zeke Jones
10. Bruce Brunett

Q: Are you taking the odds on Chad Mendes? I'm sure it will be something like 2/1 favoring McGregor.
-- @coach133

Foley: Mendes is a 'dog anywhere between +115 and +130. How someone would justify taking Conor McGregor is beyond me. This is free money. No, I'm not TELLING you to bet, but I do think that an Irishman with no history of wrestling and a terrible ground game is going to be humped up and down the octagon for 25 minutes ... if he lasts that long without being submitted.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 26, 2015

Fri, 26 Jun 2015 07:07:59 +0000

The Wrestling World Championships are September 7-12 in Las Vegas, Nevada, and if you aren't already planning to attend you should rearrange your schedule.

While in past years it's been easy to get invested in the NCAA season, the international scene has been closed off to most fans. Results, photos, videos and recaps were nearly impossible to find. Today, that's changes. With the United World Wrestling site updated with event results and daily recaps with photos, highlights and full matches it has never been easier to get involved.

Much like college sports are outstripped by professional, the level of wrestler at the World Championship is simply stunning. We are used to our brand of wrestling, but seeing some of the world's most talented freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestlers compete can be heart-stopping.

As an added bonus, supporting this year's World Championships directly benefits USA Wrestling and puts them in a better place to fund athletes for 2016 and beyond.

Go to http://www.vegasworlds2015.com and look for tickets and hotels. It's Vegas, you'll have a great time no matter what happens on the mats.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Outside of Jordan Burroughs, which U.S. wrestler is the most marketable?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Tony Ramos has quickly become a social media darling and given the rise of the Hispanic population in America there could be some growth potential (as it was show to work with Henry Cejudo).

Brent Metcalf is incredibly engaging as well. Over the past few seasons the increase in his media presence and the revelation that he's a complex, intelligent and thoughtful guy has really helped his popularity. Also, he's really, really good at wrestling and is a threat to medal at this year's World Championships. I predict silver.

Aaron Pico has already proven to be a popular figure, though it remains to be seen if he can get past Metcalf and own the spot for an Olympic cycle.

Helen Maroulis (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Maybe the most marketable future star is Kyle Snyder. He's on a World Team at 19 years old, has maturity and is in hot pursuit of an Olympic team. Having already been in the media eye for several years he has the established relationships that are necessary to grow a brand. Still, with Varner as an Olympic gold medalist in 2012 it would be optimistic to think he could usurp his popularity and steal an Adidas shoe contract.

The dark horse is Helen Maroulis, who generates a ton of social media traffic, earned a medal at the World Championships and has good odds of placing at the Olympic Games. She's beautiful and camera-ready, which make her marketable. With the growth of women's wrestling an HM-branded line of wrestling gear could catch on with youth and collegiate wrestlers.

Q: Do you believe the call in the first Brent Metcalf-Jordan Oliver match was correct that allowed BM to score after shot clock expired?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: Yes. If the wrestler attacks before the end of the 30-second clock they can continue until there is a completion of action. What you saw is exceedingly rare, but you have to incentivize the wrestler on the clock to attack. If 30 seconds is a must-end then they will shut it down at 15 seconds, or worse still they'll engage in a shoving match.

I know it's not as clean as basketball, but remember that they too have continuation from the hand. If it's clear then it can travel towards the basket. Though knowing when the attack is over can seem subjective, I've yet to see an egregious offense by international referees.

Q: Kyle Snyder says he's returning to college wrestling in 2016-17, but I'm a little skeptical, especially if he wins a World title or World medal. I understand wanting to get a college degree (he can do that online or later), but it seems like it would be a waste of time for him to wrestle folkstyle if he's already the best U.S. freestyle wrestler in the world. Thoughts?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I think you shouldn't be too skeptical. Snyder is getting a free education and will probably learn more competing every weekend over the course of 2016-2019 than he would traveling the international circuit. Snyder is crazy young and it's important that he have the life experiences necessary to turn him into a full adult male. (Yes, Pico isn't in school, but that fits his personality.)

Being around teammates and Coach Ryan has paid immense benefit to Snyder and having three years to grab 150 matches in preparation for the 2020 Games is a rock-solid plan.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

LOOK AT THIS MONSTER

One of the best matches you'll ever watch

Q: Please rank the following 2016 Olympic Trials potential upsets, from most likely to least likely:
Aaron Pico over Brent Metcalf
Cael Sanderson over Jake Herbert
Spencer Lee over Tony Ramos
Alex Dieringer over Jordan Burroughs
Mike McMullan over Tervel Diagnev
J'den Cox over Kyle Snyder
-- Ronald M.

Foley: While NONE of these strike me as likely, I will play your game, sir. Not that there is much of a chance Alex Dieringer wrestles Jordan Burroughs, making that the least likely by default. Also, I don't think Coach Cael is strapping on his shoes in front of a crowd ever again.

1. J'den Cox over Kyle Snyder
2. Mike McMullan over Tervel Diagnev
3. Cael Sanderson over Jake Herbert
4. Aaron Pico over Brent Metcalf
5. Spencer Lee over Tony Ramos
6. Alex Dieringer over Jordan Burroughs

Q: Euro crowd was awesome! Thoughts on merging all combat sports for yearly WC to build up atmosphere like that vs. current format?
-- @Rob_SwagginU

Foley: The Euro crowd was intense. The Azerbaijani's HATE the Armenians, which led to a bevy of melodramas, not the least of which was a gaggle of teenagers double birding athletes as they walked off the mats. That scene, along with another three dozen similar, made the sportsmanship of their cheers less attractive.

Still, the Azeris know their wrestlers and with so much winning by the locals and their cousins in Turkey the event was always packed with fans who were knowledgeable, engaged and cheering with passion.

Good idea! Unfortunately it's already been done and it was called the World Combat Games. Successful to a level, but they are probably no more as Marcus Vizer, the president of the Sport Accord -- who ran the Combat Games -- took on the IOC in a very public way two months ago and lost his entire constituency of International Federations. Part of him losing his position was Lima, Peru, pulling out of their commitment to host the 2017 World Combat Games.

Who knows, though. They could be revived by the new president, so long as he stays in line with the IOC.

Q: Why didn't Kendric Maple challenge at end of the Daniel Dennis bout? Did he and coaches not know tiebreaker criteria rules?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: Must not have known the rules. However, I also don't know if the scoreboard in the USA reflects who is winning on criteria. At the international level the program used by the scorekeepers is automatically programmed to reflect who is winning with an underline. That goes wrong every once in a while (I have seen it once this season) but even still the coaches are told to know for themselves.

One thing that has to be recognized is that most guys wrestling at the U.S. Open and World Team Trials don't have a mastery of the rules since many don't compete more than once or twice a year. Yes, the rules have been tweaked, but overall the rules today are the same they've been for two years. Also, all rule changes are announced on the site. More could always be done to promote the rules and any questions or changes, but for the most part the criteria rules are easy to know and quick to calculate.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 19, 2015

Fri, 19 Jun 2015 07:31:37 +0000

The coaching carousel has finally been spun, but the push came from an unexpected source.

C.D. Mock was fired last week from his position as head wrestling coach at UNC-Chapel Hill. Mock had been at the school for 14 seasons and though he'd enjoyed little success, the program had improved in 2014 with a freshman All-American and the school's third top 25 finish in three years.

The stated reason for Mock's firing was his lack of performance on the mat, but many, including Mock, suspect that his firing came as a result of his recent campaign to discuss the issue of sexual assault on campus.

C.D. Mock (Photo/Jeffrey A. Camarati)

To be clear, Mock should have been fired for his lack of performance as early as five years ago. That he wasn't is a testament to how hard he worked politically within UNC to keep his job -- promising a turnaround plan, big donations and an improved coaching staff. He made those promises but had yet to make a decisive push to the front of the ACC even as NC State has made an immediate turnaround under new head coach Pat Popolizio.

Mock's undoing was his recent and outspoken criticism of the debate surrounding sexual assaults on American campuses. As many people know, Mock's son Corey was expelled from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga after on-campus disciplinary hearings found him guilty of sexual assault.

Sometime after the ruling was handed down, Coach Mock began posting on the website CoreyMock.net, which included the oh-so-subtle sub-header "FALSELY ACCUSED OF SEXUAL ASSAULT IN COLLEGE." The blog included rants about the Columbia University student who carries her mattress in protest of how sexual assault cases are handled on campus, videos of women who have falsely accused men of rape and other diatribes about men who have been "victimized' by women. There is even mention about how many beers it takes to make a woman capable or incapable of consenting to sex.

There is a certain amount of understanding you can extend to Coach Mock for working on behalf of his son. A father will always want to protect his child and he believes he needs to correct the public perception of his son and his actions. If Coach Mock came out in vehement defense of his son and promised to fight to clear his name then we all could appreciate his desire as a father even if we disagreed or held suspicions. However, Coach Mock's argument extended well past his son's case and began to unravel into a hysterical blog seeming to shame women who are victims of sexual assault.

In light of these viewpoints it's the wrestling community's job (and athletic department's job) to clarify and distance themselves from bigotry, sexism or anything short of the full and complete protection of women on college campuses.

In choosing to start a blog and grant interviews about how sexual assault claims on campus are false or harmful to men, Mock made himself public fare. You are always free to say what you want, but when you work for a company, public or private, you represent that company and if you choose to speak out then you risk your employment. Spoken plainly, his firing is in no way a violation of free speech. Mock was fired because he was working at the pleasure of a college administration and when failed to head their warning and/or uphold the standards they demanded he was fired.

Mock's actions and statements are also not representative of the wrestling community's larger views on women. His reductive, thick-browed analysis of the sexual assault issue on campus has proven crass, irrational and out-of-touch with how modern men -- and modern wrestlers -- view women.

Most in the American wrestling community want to embrace women competing in our sport. Most in our community abhor the idea of violence against women. Most have the perspective to understand that sexual assault is a crime that takes from its victim's innocence and trust in men. That Mock represented himself as a warrior for a cause that has a dwindling army of troglodytes is fine, but I, like the UNC administration, don't want him doing it in the name of wrestling.

The wrestling community is better than to be represented by hate, or any idea short of compassion and inclusion. There will never be a way to know exactly what happens in the bedroom, but as a wrestling community we can focus on making certain women will always be protected and that their interests, their safety and their health are also our top concern. Mock's continued assault on progress is out of line with that viewpoint.

Wrestlers have proven to be progressive in the past. Hudson Taylor's Athlete Ally helps create a better community for LGBT athletes and the recent Super 8 campaign by United World Wrestling has helped form new international sports policy regarding development programs for women.

Wrestlers are often at the front of change. We are bold and decisive and never quit. We are strong enough now to stand in the face of cultural bullies, even one that has been our own, and tell them to take a seat.

To your questions ...

Q: What was up with Jordan Burroughs' "shame on you" tweet? What set him off? Overall he seems like a humble guy but ruffled a lot of fans' feathers with this one making it seem like he uses a social media persona.
-- Peter W.

Foley: I flatly disagree that Jordan Burroughs has two different personalities -- one for social media and one for interpersonal communication. That is just not defensible, not based on one tweet or from any other feedback of him as a person.

Jordan Burroughs defeated Kyle Dake in the finals of the U.S. World Team Trials (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Taken from Burroughs' perspective the recent hubbub and message board discussion around the other 74-kilo wrestlers must have been infuriating. Not many people realize that when Burroughs wrestles overseas he is slapped, twisted, poked, bitten, and head-butted while representing our country. Despite all these very personal and infuriating moments Burroughs has kept cool and become arguably the most popular and respected wrestler in the world.

The international sports community tends to be bitterly anti-American and yet the most anti-American individuals, fans, coaches and officials seem to think Burroughs is everything that's right about wrestling. Yes, he confounds them, but he's won over fans in Iran, Russia and even Belarus. Hell, even the Russians have come to respect him and his talents in private.

If I'm Burroughs I'd be pissed off, too. Shame on all those people who thought that because Kyle Dake got a three-point throw he somehow could outperform a two-time World champion and Olympic gold medalist. David Taylor? Sure there is an argument that he might have been able to pull off a match. But two? Beat the rest of the world for four years straight? Andrew Howe matches up well, but still lacks the international success. America has the best pound-for-pound wrestler in the world -- one who represents the country with grace -- and because a few guys look the part of an American hero he somehow earns doubt? Hell, I'm mad on his behalf.

Support Jordan Burroughs. Support greatness. Let's stop trying to find reasons to tear down or minimize his accomplishments and start paying more attention to how well he competes and has become an American ambassador for good around the world.

Q: What do you think of the World Team Trials qualifying system? Seems unfair to those who are behind world I believe the process of determining the representative from the USA in the World Championships should be reviewed and revised so that the process for naming the USA wrestling representatives for the Olympic Games next year is more fair to the challenge tournament winner.
-- Barry M.

Foley: This dovetails into the above point. The main thrust of the complaints regarding qualification came from Kyle Dake who about a month before the U.S. Open tweeted, among other things, "If you win the Super Bowl the previous year, should you receive and automatic bid to the playoffs?"

While asking questions is always welcome, I think that the passive-aggressive self-assured tone made the inquiry seem self-evident, which of course it's not.

I understand it's frustrating to be a 74-kilo American wrestler -- backups around the world undergo the same struggle -- but for Dake to prime the American wrestling crowd into complaining about the Trials format because a change would directly benefit his cause is disingenuous. It's also not especially forward-thinking or big-minded.

As for the World Team Trials system itself and why the USA system is exceedingly fair â€¦

I've been at the European Games the past week and was able to ask some team leaders about their current systems for selecting individual World Team members. Overall, I think that Iran, Russia and Azerbaijan are the most compelling comparisons for how open and fair a process the USA wrestlers enjoy.

Until this year the Iranian Greco-Roman national team was hand-selected by head coach Mohammed Bana. Year-in and year-out there were no wrestle-off's for the most successful athletes -- many of whom were from Bana's club. This year, with Rasoul Khadem as the president of the wrestling federation -- and Bana fired -- all wrestlers were asked to enter a national selection tournament. The idea was to eliminate the political drama and give everyone a fair shot.

Hamid Soryan (six-time World champion, one-time Olympic champion) is the most successful wrestler in Iranian history and though he weighed-in, refused to wrestle, citing that in ten years he'd never been asked to wrestle off and he wasn't about to start.

Omid Noroozi (2012 Olympic champion) did wrestle and actually lost in this year's tournament. Noroozi believed his loss came as the result of a bad call and responded by breaking a chair and charging the head table with one of the legs held high over his head. On the freestyle side, four of the top wrestlers in the world lost in the tournament and will not represent Iran at the World Championships -- Esmailpoor and Taghavi among them.

The Iranian press told me that a single elimination one-time tournament was an over-correction since some wrestlers began preparing only for their expected opponents, not international competition.

Russia has used this single-elimination national tournament as an ultimate qualifier for a couple years, save extraordinary circumstances. This year three-time World champion Denis Tsargush lost to a relative nobody at Russian Nationals and is being replaced by three-time European champion and Yarygin winner Anuiar Geduev. The rest of the team remained relatively unchanged minus the musical chairs at 57 kilos and 65 kilos.

As a reminder of how biased selections can become, the Azerbaijan national team has a tournament in December, which puts the wrestlers in a ladder, but wrestlers for competitions throughout the year are chosen for a number of reasons. Winning does not make you No. 1 with a bullet. For example, if a wrestler is Azeri and is on par with a Dagestani transfer then the Azeri might get the nod. It's as political a system as exists in wrestling, but for them it seems to work.

Russia, Iran and Azerbaijan have incredible resources and depth which allows for their cutthroat style of selection. Nobody would argue that Russia and Iran won't perform well in Las Vegas even given the elimination of some of these established wrestlers. They have talent, a proven system and great coaching to assist their young wrestlers and new World Team members.

In the past eight years America has won 12 World and Olympic medals. Burroughs has won four of those medals, Dlagnev has two, Varner has one gold and one bronze, Scott, Herbert, Cormier and Cejudo each have a medal a piece. By comparison Russia has 43 medals, Iran 24, Azerbaijan 19, Cuba 15 (they missed three competitions), and Ukraine and Uzbekistan are tied with 13.

Save the perception that our 74-kilo weight class is filled with three World champions (it's not) overall the USA does not have enough quality backups across 24 weight classes to warrant a single-elimination tournament. It seems that only Russia does. To compensate the USA is forced to incentivize returning World medalists to keep competing and the best way to do so is to give them this slight advantage to the finals of the challenge tournament.

The other issue being presented is one of rest. While we can complain about what we think would happen under a variety of rest-based scenarios the truth is that it doesn't apply to the 2015 team. Take for example 86 kilos where I believe you had a perfect iteration of the system. Jake Herbert wrestles at the U.S. Open, wins by beating returning World Team member Ed Ruth, gets a bye to the World Team Trials finals and then beats Ruth two more times in that final. Yes, Ruth wrestled two more matches, but at the World Championships it's just as likely that you could wrestle one more match than your opponent and you could wrestle three times in sixty minutes if you get a loaded repechage bracket.

Herbert wrestled Ruth three times and recorded three lopsided wins. No matter the conditions that is pretty damn definitive on who is the better wrestler right now. (Note: Jake competed at the Paris GGP and Yarygin tournaments while Ruth only made an appearance at last year's GGP in Baku and the World Cup.)

Similarly, Tony Ramos won the U.S. Open in dominating fashion and went 2-0 at the World Team Trials. He wrestled six matches and was rarely in danger (He competed at the Yarygin, Paris GGP and World Cup.)

Kyle Snyder beat an Olympic champion, wrestled in last year's Junior Worlds and then competed a collegiate season. He went 3-0 against Olympic champion Jake Varner.

Same with Brent Metcalf. (Paris GGP, Yarygin, World Cup) 3-0 against Jordan Oliver.

Tervel Dlagnev even went 3-0 against a very powerful Zack Rey.

At 74 kilos, Kyle Dake chose to qualify through the regional system, giving him fewer looks at top-ranked competition than that of Andrew Howe and David Taylor who both qualified at the U.S. Open and had a season wrestling overseas. Dake did not compete overseas in 2015 and hasn't competed in a meaningful freestyle tournament since taking fifth at the Golden Grand Prix in 2013. (He won a watered down Granma Cup in 2014.)

While the popular perception is that Dake is a fantastic shot to medal he hasn't wrestled enough to prove that he can be effective in international competition.

Prior to the Trials, any of the feelings about Dake's potential seemed to be rooted in his NCAA success, which is not applicable to the Trials discussion. The other source seems rooted in his Global Wrestling Championships win over Andrew Howe, which of course in no way should count since it didn't follow international rules.

For perspective, over the past two years Jordan Burroughs has gone undefeated at two World Cups, won two Medved prizes, the Sarsygian and a World Championship. He finished in bronze at last year's World Championships, beating Rashid Kurbanov (Uzbekistan) who won the 2014 Asian Games, Golden Grand Prix, Paris GGP, Asian Championship and is a World bronze medalist. Burroughs also pinned Rustam Dudaiev (Ukraine) for bronze, a wrestler who has been ranked in the top ten in the world.

Should all of Jordan Burroughs' international successes be risked to a single elimination tournament for which his opponent could choose to prepare for only him? That's highly irrational when considering USA Wrestling wants to incentivize our best to compete overseas throughout the year without having to worry about one guy sitting at home training for one opponent.

It's also worth mentioning that once they did compete Burroughs had no issues dismantling Dake, which essentially muted his personal appeal.

The current process still allows for others to win the starting spot, and the elimination of the international tournament placement post-World Team Trials was the right call, but in no way should the USA step away from their system which has been lauded by other NF's for its fairness and for producing results.

For wrestlers that don't think it's fair and that they could win a best-of-one series, there are plenty of other nations with money looking for quality wrestlers. The immediate transfer policy available from United World Wrestling makes that a viable option for 2016. Is that right for Dake or Taylor? Maybe, but maybe not. Their motivation might be to represent the United States, but their motivation may also be to represent their own best interest.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: Panda video to unwind

I mean â€¦ game, set, match. Right?

Q: What are your thoughts on the angry birds being thrown out instead of the cubes?
-- Tim H.

Foley: That started at last year's European Championships in Vantaa, Finland, the home base for Roxio, the makers of the game Angry Birds. The USA Wrestling officials see the comedy in it and chose to adopt it. Bravo. Wrestling is a sport that is supposed to be entertaining. I love it.

Q: Why does Joey McKenna get a special wrestle-off?

Foley: I honestly don't know about McKenna, but he did wrestle a ton of overseas matches and took the year off to train for international competition. Given his success overseas, the legitimacy of his appeal and the hope that more wrestlers will take the risk to follow his lead would all seem to be indicative of a positive result.

Q: How much fear does Jake Herbert's mullet strike into the hearts of his opponents? Is it as much as Lincoln McIlravy's mullet did?
-- Ryan P.

Jake Herbert earned a spot on the U.S. World Team at 86 kilos (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: Fear? I'm not sure that his mullet is making Abdulrashid Sadulaev shiver in his ASICS as much as he's confounded why such a handsome man would handicap himself so severely.

I will say that Herbert's mullet is only part of a much bigger story. Talent without hard work is bound to fail and for a few years there Herbert dabbled in wrestling. Now, with clear focus he isn't just the best in the country, but a threat to make an impact on the world stage.

McIlravy came by his mullet honestly, which is much, much more terrifying.

Q: Is Kyle Snyder the first college freshman to make the senior World Team? The only two people I can recall that made the World Team while still in college were Cael Sanderson (but USA didn't send a team with tourney in Iran due to safety if recall) and John Smith. But both of them were upperclassmen.
-- Frank C.

Foley: Yes, Kyle Snyder is the first enrolled college freshman to make the U.S. World Team in freestyle, a feat that is unreal especially considering he needed to beat an Olympic champion three times to make that happen. In 2009, both Dustin Schlatter and Jake Varner made the U.S. World Team in freestyle before their senior seasons of college wrestling.

Snyder is special. We've known it since high school, but as he's matured he's seemed to embrace development rather than fear loss. The comments on his personality (I've never met him) seem to indicate that his focus is unbreakable and his mentality one of light-hearted but complete dedication.

I don't know how he will fare at the World Championships as 97 kilos. The weight class is loaded with former World and Olympic champions. Though I think gold is ambitious, I fully expect Snyder to beat ninety percent of the international field. He will need a nice draw, but only Gadisov (Russia), Gazymuv (Azeiberijan) and Yazdani (Iran) feel like heavy favorites. Valerii Andriitsev (Ukraine) isn't much better than Snyder, but could give him an issue as he's quite the bully.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 12, 2015

Fri, 12 Jun 2015 06:10:10 +0000

"He's stalling, ref!"

The most famous of wrestler chants might soon become more objective. The NCAA Wrestling Rules Committee this week passed the first iteration of the pushout rule. In this version the referee will determine if a wrestler is being passive on his way out of bounds and should be called for stalling. In summary the referees can now call one of three ways when the wrestlers leave the competition area: They can call stalling on one or both wrestlers for leaving the mat; call stalling for pushing or pulling an opponent out of the competition circle; or not call anything because there is a wrestling action underway.

This probably won't be called too often. The reality is that the NCAA coaches and athletes will adapt to the calls, circle in and take a crappy shot on their way out of bounds. Also, NCAA referees are traditionally AWFUL at calling stall calls and unless the referee heads actively prompt their refs to make this call. I have a strong suspicion we won't see this called more than a dozen times in a weekend.

I still prefer one point every time no matter the circumstances, but this could be the first step to a more sensible and enforceable rule.

To your questions â€¦

Q: How can the committee watch a college wrestling match and not say "Gee, this riding time might be an issue. We should look at that." Maybe it's too drastic of a change to include with the rest, but come on.

It's an easy fix. Track riding time for the entire match. Keep it as a tiebreaker. But you only award a point for riding time if the wrestler has scored another offensive point (takedown, near fall, or reversal -- no escapes. One can argue that earning a stall call is an offensive move, but I would debate that. Eliminate the matches that end 1-0 and 2-1 on riding time.

The other option is to incorporate a "riding clock." Something like, you get one minute to try and turn someone. After that, you go neutral, but no escape point.
I just don't get how the committee doesn't see this as an issue. I think the rule change in college might actually help out when the wrestlers get to the senior level.
-- Nick D.

Foley: You make valid points regarding riding time and the committee's oversight of the larger problem plaguing college wrestling. Riding time was NOT addressed even as it is the largest time consumer in college wrestling â€¦ all for ONE point.

The committee might have thought that adding a shorter count to gain more points -- four count for four points -- would help generate offense, but that's only the perception of offense. In terms of fan experience, there is almost nothing attractive about back-to-back cheap tilts for four points. In a matter of ten seconds a wrestler can accumulate eight points? For what? What wrestling action is on display that is so difficult as to warrant EIGHT POINTS.

When compared to a wrestler earning an inside trip for a takedown and a two count, or a set of two takedowns the action of two cheap tilts is FOUR TIMES as much when factoring in escapes. That's insane. Totally bonkers. Wrestling needs to promote action, not me trying to expose my opponent's back for eight seconds with the same move. Even in Olympic wrestling styles, where continuous gut wrenches have been disallowed in Greco-Roman, there was only ever two points given for the act of an exposure.

What we are learning to cheer for is the slightest, almost inconceivable advantages. Hold someone on their back for two counts (1-2 seconds) longer should in no way be worth twice as much as holding them there for a single two count. There is no new action!

The wrestling committee botched this rule change. More points will be 'scored' but there will, as seems to be the recent trend, less entertaining wrestling action.
To improve they should look at simple solutions to eliminate riding time -- anything more than a distance criteria for judging the winner. Even allowing riding time as a tiebreaker might be too too generous since coaches and athletes may just find a way to eliminate risk and game the system via the ride-time criteria. (This already happens in double overtime.)

The NCAA Committee seems to be hopeful that an adapted pushout might help generate action on the feet and keep wrestlers in-bounds, and I commend them for making the effort. However, the NCAA Wrestling Committee needs to find rules that disincentive inactivity on the mat. Doing so will help wrestling action, and hopefully continue to build the sport.

Q: What are the chances of the two non-Olympic weight classes being added in the future. New IOC member is wrestling-friendly I thought I read.
--@jeffsilveira75

Nenad Lalovic (Photo/T.R. Foley)

Foley: Yes, United World Wrestling president Nenad Lalovic has been nominated as the next new member of the International Olympic Committee. This is a lifetime position and should he be approved at the full meeting of the IOC in Kuala Lumpur he would be the first wrestling federation president to be a member of the IOC.

That will mean more influence for wrestling, but I doubt he would wield that power in order to grab six more gold medals in the current styles. I don't know what role Lalovic will assume within the organization, but there is a thought that beach wrestling could be a well-watched, profitable new discipline.

Lalovic's most important role will be as someone in the room when it comes time to make a decision about the future of sport and how that might effect wrestling. Lalovic will have the voice of wrestling and that is an enormous advantage the sport has never before enjoyed.

Q: According to the new rules, "While officiating the drop-down rule, the referee will immediately begin a five-second count for stalling once the offensive wrestler positions himself with one or both hands below the buttocks of the defensive wrestler."

What happens if the top man is using a turk? Or bow-and-arrow to produce "improving" positions from top? Can these no longer be used?

Also, according to the rules, "When wrestlers interlock fingers in the neutral position, the referee will stop the action and call it stalemate, and any subsequent offenses would require the referee to call stalling on the wrestler who initiates the interlocking."

How is the referee supposed to determine which wrestler "initiates" the interlocking?

The first question can be answered. Speaking as a former referee, I have no idea how they are supposed to answer the second question. It is pretty difficult to "force" one's opponent into interlocking fingers.
-- Ronald M.

Foley: We talk about this all the time on the international scene and the best indicator of who is interlocking fingers seems based on score and momentum. Most of the time cautions have been called for interlocking fingers when one wrestler is trying to maintain their lead late in the match. Other times when a wrestler is pouring it on the defensive wrestler has been cautioned for gripping the fingers.

You're right, though. There is almost no way to decipher who is initiating the action. However, the problem was far from rampant this year and I think this type of correction should stop any burgeoning trend from becoming part of the NCAA wrestling aesthetic like it has at the international level.

As for turks, the rules state that if the offensive wrestler elevates the turk the count is stopped as it is considered action.

Q: Who is your USA World Team in men's freestyle?
-- Brian K.

Foley: My picks are below.

57 kilos: Tony Ramos
61 kilos: Reece Humphrey
65 kilos: Brent Metcalf
74 kilos: Jordan Burroughs
86 kilos: Ed Ruth (Pulling for Old Man Herbert)
97 kilos: Jake Varner
125 kilos: Tervel Dlagnev

Foley's Friday Mailbag: June 5, 2015

Fri, 05 Jun 2015 07:22:57 +0000

The Greco-Roman World Team Trials were contested on Thursday, and the team coming in was the same as the team coming out, save the addition of Patrick Martinez at 80 kilos.

What does that mean?

It might not mean anything at all, but it does show a large disparity in the talent levels of the first and second teams. The opportunities for Greco-Roman wrestlers in the United States are much more restrictive than those of freestylers. Our national style mimics that of freestyle and for a multitude of reasons Greco-Roman just hasn't taken off.

That might soon be changing. Coach Matt Lindland has been aggressively recruiting talent and sending them overseas to experience new challenges. Recently Gabe Dean traveled to Chile and placed second at the Pan-American Championships. Was he a threat to win? No. But work and dedication to the classic style should show results.

Coach Lindland is doing a wonderful job of creating energy and excitement around the program and as the USA team grows in number and reaches new fans there is certain to be an increase in viewership and participation in America.

Good luck to our loveable bunch of Greco guys. I was a doubter, but am quickly becoming a believer and a fan.

To your questions â€¦

Q: Now that Daton Fix just beat Spencer Lee twice, do you see him as a sure thing to win a UWW Cadet World title?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. The Cadet World Championships is a very, very tough tournament to win. I watched Spencer Lee win his title last year in Slovakia and though he looked dominant on paper there were plenty of wrestlers that could've found the edge.

To understand how tough of a tournament the Cadet Worlds can be look at the 2013 Cadet Worlds in Serbia where Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia) won the title after only three minutes on the mat. The next year he won the Senior World Championships and hasn't lost a match since.

Obviously Sadulaev is the exception, but there are plenty of 18-year-old wrestlers in Europe in Asia who can compete for each and every title up for grabs in Bosnia.

All that stated â€¦ Man, Daton Fix is a stud. He looked great at the Youth Olympic Games in Nanjing, placing second, and I think that if he avoids the Azerbaijan hammer that got him in China he has a chance at a World title.

Q: Which U.S. Open champ is the most likely not to win World Team Trials? Who beats him?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: Kyle Snyder. He's got the title, but he'll likely be facing Jake Varner again in the best-of-three finals. Winning once is impressive, but can he pull it off two more times? I'm suspicious. I would love to see him make that type of leap in his game, but I'm aware that at his age and facing an Olympic champion he'll face the toughest test of his career.

Still â€¦ I like Snyder and LOVE the reputation he's created for himself in the wrestling community. It would be wonderful to see his hard work and good attitude payoff in a trip to the World Championships or even the Olympic Games.

Q: How much longer do you expect J Robinson to coach?
-- Mike C.

J Robinson talks to heavyweight Michael Kroells at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

Foley: Wonderful question! He makes A LOT of money on his summer camps, has been an innovator in the sport for 30 years and is in the national title hunt most years. I can think of no monetary or institutional reason he would retire in the next five years. J Rob has had an incredible track record and the trust of wrestlers, alumni and the wrestling community.

We want J Rob to stay as long as possible. Hell, we may need J Rob to stay for as long as possible. Wrestling needs innovators and J Rob has always been one for the sport of wrestling.

Q: Who is your pick to face Jordan Burroughs in the World Team Trials finals at 74 kilos?
-- Mike C.

Foley: David Taylor.

While I respect Kyle Dake and think he has the talent to win the close matches, Taylor has progressed so well in 2015 that he has to be the favorite. That statement assumes that Dake makes it past Howe, which I wouldn't predict right now given Howe's performances at the international level and Dake's lengthy layoff.

I'm only going to dip my toe in this, but I do think that in a matchup with Burroughs it's Taylor who is likely to snag the first win. I won't go overboard and claim he will get another victory, but I do think that Burroughs has a habit of coming into matches flat and that Taylor's excitement may lead him past the first six minutes with a lead in hand.

However, I find it tough to think Taylor can keep that momentum into the second and third matches, though I think he will keep it close, competitive and fun for fans.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Creative throw

Michael Jordan dunks on Dikembe Mutombo

Link: Worth a watch, and a laugh

Q: Lee Roper is moving on to coach in college. Do you know where?
-- @Smitty7474

Foley: University of Northern Iowa.

Q: A freestyle match ends 1-1. The first point scored is on passivity. The second point scored is on a pushout. There are no cautions other than ones from the passivity point. Who wins?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: Two passivity warnings creates a 30-second shot clock. If no wrestler scores within that 30 seconds then the wrestler on the clock is given a caution and the opposing wrestler a point. The order of criteria in a tie match:

1. Highest value of holds
2. Least amount of cautions
3. Last technical point(s) scored.

In this situation the wrestler who has the caution would lose.

I think it's important to note that I'm certain that I've never seen this condition, and almost as certain I haven't seen a 1-1 score in freestyle. Even at heavyweight the action tends to conclude with a pushout in the 30-second shot clock. Also, wrestlers typically push the pace with time winding down and many times that creates scoring actions.

Q: Do you think Pat Downey earns All-American honors this year at Iowa State with all the All-Americans returning at 184 pounds? What year is he eligibility-wise?
-- @Rob_SwagginU

Foley: First, a quick rundown on where he's been and what he's accomplished, from the InterMat release.

Downey, a Maryland native, spent time at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs after high school. He started his collegiate wrestling career at Nebraska in 2012. He then transferred to Iowa Central Community College, and this past season won an NJCAA title at 197 pounds.

Downey is an accomplished freestyle wrestler. He captured a Junior World silver medal in 2012. This past weekend he finished fourth in the University Nationals freestyle competition. He picked up wins over 2015 NCAA Division I qualifiers Sam Brooks (Iowa), Lorenzo Thomas (Penn) and Aaron Studebaker (Nebraska).

Nebraska's athletics website Huskers.com only had projections on Downey for 2013-2014, and it looks like he has three seasons of eligibility left, assuming that his partial season at Nebraska was a redshirt.

As for All-American honors in his first year? Meh. I don't like the jump to end in hardware in the first year. Wrestling is tough and the Division I tournament is going to test every athlete, and after a hard year on the mat it could challenge Downey. I'm always hopeful for an athlete and I trust that he can make the improvements necessary to be successful, but I'm not placing a ton of money on him climbing the podium in his first year back in Division I.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 29, 2015

Fri, 29 May 2015 06:05:25 +0000

FIFA's executive committee will vote today on whether or not to retain Sepp Blatter as that body's president. Prior to this week's bombshell allegations of $150 million in accepted bribes from a dozen or so officials, that vote was almost certainly going to be won by Blatter.

After the allegations? Blatter will still win his fifth term.

For all the drama surrounding wrestling's Olympic missteps culminating in the 2013 removal from the Olympic Games, at least the president was fired. However, to give some idea of how tough it is to remove a president of an international federation, that decision was made by one vote -- a fact I still find incredible.

Most anyone with a pair of eyes and a rational brain can rightly assume that Blatter was on the take as well. How entrenched and for how much is the only question remaining, but with Russia and Qatar winning consecutive World Cup bids, you can be certain his patronage didn't come cheap.

Wrestling made changes and most agree they have been for the better. Soccer, like wrestling, is a worldwide sport that can lift individuals from poverty and provide a better life to those willing to put in the work to excel.

Let's hope that at some point in the future FIFA follows wrestling's lead and makes positive changes for the betterment of the organization, but also the larger sporting world.

To your questions ...

Casey Cunningham coaches Matt Brown at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: Why isn't Casey Cunningham a head coach?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: For this year, see below. As for years past I'd assume that he applied for the Arizona State job when it opened, but maybe not. Cunningham is an extraordinary coach who seems to have a very positive impact on the lives of his athletes, but that doesn't mean he's jonesing to lead his own program.

There is honor and skill in being the second, especially to a coach as talented as Cael. Casey might just be happy as is, and if that's the case then I applaud the outlook. If not, then I'd advocate for him to be considered for a job big enough to capture his wealth of talent.

Q: It's almost June and still no Division I head coaching changes. Do you think that means we are going to see none this offseason? Is this the first time you can recall that happening?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't think it has happened, at least not since I've been following college wrestling. There is no way I can manage all that data, but I know that every year the carousel spins, but this year there is no oil in the gears.

Wrestling needs change every year. This sport drains the energy from coaches and if you analyze the entire Division I program structure as one company then at least one of the (roughly) 80 employees is probably in need of replacement. How many companies retain the exact same 80 executives year-to-year? Not many.

There still might come a time for change, but with graduation past and the summer starting it would be the latest start I'd ever seen, too.

Maybe there is one AD out there still looking for the oil?

Q: Has there been any update or dialogue about uniform change and if so will it be applied in Rio?
-- @jamill_kelly

Foley: The outfits will almost certainly NOT change before the 2016 Olympics. Obviously, the federation doesn't want to spring new uniforms on athletes without plenty of testing. From what I understand there is development and due diligence still to be done.

2017? Yes.

Q: I thought overall the U.S. wrestled well against Cuba. Which U.S. wrestler had the most impressive performance at the Beat the Streets event in NYC?
-- Mike C.

Foley: David Taylor. Wow. That he beat a World and Olympic medalist is a real thing, even when you factor in the home court advantage and the fact that the Cubans were not on their best performances. Still, Taylor looked sharp and I was absolutely impressed by his aggression and ability to score in bunches.

Jordan Oliver finished runner-up to Brent Metcalf at the U.S. Open (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: Do you buy the notion that Jordan Oliver will have more success internationally than Brent Metcalf if he can get past him?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: No. He's only won the Dave Schultz Memorial and placed third at Yasar Dogu, and that was at 70 kilos. There is nothing to keep him from going overseas more often to prove he's better than Metcalf, but that hasn't happened.

Meanwhile, Metcalf finished runner-up at Yarygin and was third at the Paris Grand Prix. He also went undefeated at the World Cup and won last year's Golden Grand Prix.

Oliver is certainly talented, but he's not anywhere close to as accomplished as Metcalf, nor as much of a threat to medal at the World Championships or Olympics.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

The new UFC light heavyweight champion is super charming. Watch as he reacts to WWE's Seth Rollins' win at WrestleMania

Q: Who do you think will be Iran's rep at 86 kilos in Rio next year? Very, very competitive weight class right now.
-- @DefGrappler

Foley: World No. 2 Meisam Mostafa Joukar won the Takhti Cup and could be the guy come Vegas. To get there he has to get past World No. 4 Mohammad Hossein Mohammadian, who took bronze at last year's World Championships.

The Iranians pick their team at the national tournament. With the exception of an injury to a World medalist, they go down the line (now) and take the best guy. If it comes down to a heads up battle I'll take Joukar, but not by a lot and with almost no confidence.

Q: Is Logan Stieber too small for 65 kilos right now? If there was a 61-kilo weight class at the Olympics, would he be down there?
-- @Eagle_Fan

Foley: I don't know that he would be down at 61 kilos. That's pretty svelte for the 141-pound NCAA champion to hit. Besides, this really isn't a conversation since that weight class won't make it into the Games anytime soon.

However, I don't think he's too small for 65 kilos. I just think he needs more time to train freestyle and dedicate himself to the gamesmanship necessary to compete at the international level. He's got the talent and the results are sure to be coming soon.

How awesome is 65 kilos for the USA?

Q: Zahid Valencia just won a gold medal in Turkey and earned a technical fall over a wrestler who dominated Bo Nickal in the same event. Who do you see having a more successful collegiate wrestling career, Zahid Valencia at Arizona State or Bo Nickal at Penn State?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Freestyle results can be tricky. Right now I'm torn. I think you have to look at that result and the Valencia bros.' recent performances and say that the latter would have the advantage. Still, I think all three are NCAA champions by the time they put on the cap and gown for their respective schools.

Q: Should freestyle change its rules to more closely resemble folkstyle?
1. More fans.
2. They'd then understand the convoluted scoring.
-- @jammenjammenz

Foley: No. Freestyle is much more exciting and American collegiate wrestling does NOT translate well overseas.

Scoring is pretty straightforward in freestyle!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 22, 2015

Fri, 22 May 2015 07:46:41 +0000

In his UFC farewell last week in Manila, UFC veteran Mark Munoz told the audience that he intended to help his native Philippines establish the sport of wrestling.

Munoz, who won the 2001 NCAA title for Oklahoma State, has remained a constant figure in the wrestling community during his long in-cage career.

That Munoz, who's known as an affable and intelligent fighter, wants to move into more of a public service role in the Philippines is not surprising. He's a talented orator (as you can see below) who attracts good people and is wildly popular in the Philippines -- a country with a high-rate of English fluency and the need for progressive thought.

Munoz's announcement abuts the annual Beat the Streets match and fundraiser in New York City hosted by financier Mike Novogratz. The match, which this year featured Team Cuba and Team USA in the billed "Salsa in the Square" will raise millions of dollars for youth wrestling in NYC. That, of course, is a great thing.

To develop wrestling around the world the actions of individuals like Munoz and powerful non-profits like BTS will need to continue and expand. How best then to grow the sport?

One idea being floated is Wrestling Corps, a program that could mimic the government's Peace Corps program that sends young post-grads to economically needy areas around the world. Wrestling could essentially do the same using college students in countries around the world

There is no need to dwell on the specifics, but the idea that many of America's thousands of NCAA wrestling graduates could travel the world, make money and help support the growth of our sport seems like a no-brainer.

Wrestling Corps is certainly an idea that someone like Mark Munoz or Mike Novogratz could support and endorse.

To your questions ...

Kyle Snyder (Photo/Anne Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Q: Kyle Snyder recently said he's considering taking an Olympic redshirt season. Do you see this as a smart decision for Snyder? Also, if he does take an Olympic redshirt, does Ohio State still have a chance to repeat in 2016?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Snyder should absolutely take an Olympic redshirt, but only if he plans to travel and train internationally.

There is no benefit in the year off if he stays in Columbus and treks to Colorado Springs for two-week spurts. Snyder needs to go overseas and see as much international competition as possible. He needs to approach the international calendar like a collegiate program tackles the NCAA season.

Ohio State would not be able to repeat without Snyder's team points. Great program, but to win without Logan Stieber and Kyle Snyder just won't be possible.

Q: Last week's discussion of Kyle Snyder got me thinking ... In Vegas, the freestyle 97-kilo bracket included seven (please, correct me if I'm wrong) individual NCAA champions, across NCAA Division I and Division II. Nineteen-year-old Kyle Snyder was not one of them. Snyder is obviously a wrestler of that caliber, but can you think of another instance where someone (with remaining collegiate eligibility) won the U.S. Open in men's freestyle the same year they were not an NCAA champion?
-- Ethan S.

Foley: I don't know if Henry Cejudo had already accepted sponsorship money, but it would seem like the last and certainly most well-known wrestler to match your criteria. Although he slips in on a technicality (was he ever going to try college?), the answer is not apparent to me, nor to the experts I asked.

Readers? We need your powers!

Q: Who is the most exciting wrestler in the world across all genders, countries and styles?
-- Mike C.

Foley: There are several answers to this question, based on what you find exciting, but for me there are only two: Rasul Chunayev (Azerbaijan) and Abdulrashid Sadulaev (Russia). I have included match videos below.

Chunayev is the world's top-ranked 71-kilo wrestler because he's incredibly adept at matching styles with some of the best wrestlers in the world and coming out on top. However, what makes him the most exciting wrestler in the world is that in the flips of his hips he can headlock anyone on the planet. There is almost nothing more exciting that waiting in anticipation as the backup from Greece waddles onto the mat, shakes hands with Chunayev and tries to avoid the inevitable. It almost never works! Chunayev is not only an incredible headlock artist, but he's danced and marched his way into the wrestling community's good graces with his post-match humor.

The only competition in terms of excitement comes from Sadulaev, whose youth, talent and size reminds me of Mike Tyson. Sadulaev crushes opponents, and at 19 years old has taken a simple move -- the fireman's carry -- and made a game of tossing fully-grown men around the mat by the elbow. Watching his greatness and potential for more always draws my attention.

My final entry is Elmurat Tasmuradov (Uzbekistan), who recently won the 59-kilo Greco-Roman Asian Championships in Doha. He's the type of Greco-Roman wrestler you want to see promoting the sport. He's tough, athletic and never backs down from a position.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Mark Munoz speaks from the heart

Rasul Chunayev gets down

Rasul Chunayev marches

Abdulrashid Sadulaev wins the World championship

Tasmuradov cartwheels to gold

Q: Do you have a prediction on Daniel Cormier vs. Anthony "Rumble" Johnson this weekend at UFC 187?
-- Mike C.

Foley: DC is the man! He has worked hard and is part of the wrestling family. There is no way I can bet against my heart ... or those takedowns.

Q: Any word on where JimmyKennedy has been hiding?
-- @Robbybobbi

Foley: The last I heard was that he was recovering from a leg injury and would be try to be ready by the World Team Trials in Madison. Will that happen? Unclear. Remember that being on the World Team won't do much for his Olympic dreams except put him through the grinder at 65 kilos and the USA will want to make sure he places in the top six and qualifies for the Olympic Games.

Q: Why is arm wrestling on ESPN right now and not real wrestling? I just watched a match. Not real exciting.
-- @alliseeis_

Foley: Probably because "Over the Top" was an incredible movie? I'm sure that we don't do a good enough job of marketing collegiate and international wrestling, but no schedule should be so open that the arm wrestling championships are being aired online.

Please remember that there is a lot of ESPN and other national media for the sport of wrestling on the cable channels and living online. We are not THAT poorly marketed or covered overall, there are just moments like watching a fake Stallone grunt it out that makes it seem that way.

By the way ... who won?!

Q: This year Tanner Hall is enrolling at Arizona State after returning from a Mormon mission. The plan is for him to wrestle heavyweight. Is he an immediate national title contender at heavyweight?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I was fortunate to coach a few LDS wrestlers after they came back from their missions, including heavyweight Kevin Lester.

There is nothing keeping Tanner Hall from competing at the top level, but like I saw from Lester and LDS wrestlers, there tends to be a brief readjustment to collegiate life and the intensity of a collegiate wrestling room.

Wish Arizona State the best of luck, though with their talent and coaching I'm not sure they need an NCAA champion heavyweight to carry them through the tournament.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 15, 2015

Fri, 15 May 2015 05:03:48 +0000

At first glance last weekend's U.S. Open seemed to lack the type of intrigue most wrestling fans have grown accustomed to over the past several years.

Gone was Jordan Burroughs, who earned his World Team Trials appearance last year in Tashkent. Absent too was Kyle Dake, who won the Northeast Regionals qualifier the week prior and chose that event to qualify for the World Team Trials. With that duo gone the dream of a 74-kilo showdown with Andrew Howe and David Taylor wasn't to be.

And still the U.S. Open delivered.

Though the United States is not the most internationally successful wrestling nation, we do enjoy a depth that allows for excitement at domestic tournaments like the U.S. Open, World Team Trials and even smaller events like the NYAC Invitational.

That depth is important to remember as wrestling fans begin their discussion of Ed Ruth signing his developmental contract with Bellator -- and not only because he lost to Jake Herbert. Ruth, and any other wrestler who wants to pursue MMA should feel glad to go forward with the full support of the wrestling community. It's unrealistic to think that everybody in the room matters to the overall success of Team USA when we already enjoy one of the deepest programs in the world.

Ruth will likely have another crack at Herbert at the World Team Trials and if he wins his developmental contract will seem like nothing more than good business, but if he loses the rematch, or in an earlier round to Keith Gavin, then the community is likely to blame the cage.

Don't.

Fighting is just another job, and for men who have lived their life wrestling it's a natural fit for their talents. The benefit of MMA is that it can cut loose those who no longer have the drive to compete in wrestling. That's a blessing for a sport in a constant struggle for financial resources. USA Wrestling hosts these tournaments for a reason -- they want to see who is the most talented AND the most dedicated of their flock.

Ruth has given a lot to the sport of wrestling and he should be supported fully by the community whether he decides to transition to MMA, run a car dealership or pursue coaching. Our best should be cheered for any career they choose after they leave the mat -- no exceptions.

To your questions ...

Q: Now that Kyle Snyder has won his first U.S. Open title, do you see him being the man in the U.S. at 97 kilos through 2020? Or am I getting ahead of myself?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I do. I expect he will need to hold off Jake Varner during the finals of the World Team Trials, but predicting he's able to repeat that performance I think he will be in a great position to be "the guy" at 97 kilos for 2016 and 2020.

Standing in Snyder's immediate way is his lack of size. By international standards Snyder is a pretty stout, even small, 211.5 pounds. When comparing Snyder to Abdusalam Gadisov or Reza Yazdani you can see that there is some size for him to add before he can zero in on a gold medal. Big boys at the international level aren't one dimensional, and neither is Snyder, but the pounds still matter.

Given that he continues his progress, I'd expect Snyder's first gold medal on the senior level to come at the 2018 World Championships.

Q: I had the amazing opportunity to attend Worlds last year in Tashkent, my first international wrestling event. I'm looking forward to Vegas this September as well, but am confounded why UWW awards two bronze medals and fifth-place awards instead of the traditional 1st-6th or 1st-8th places.

Maybe it's because I'm from the U.S. but I am glad they still place it out to eighth at last weekend's U.S. Open. I'm used to this at NCAAs and high school state tournaments as well, but it really seems odd to me to see four guys on the podium at international events.

I remember watching the last Olympics with some non-wrestling friends. We caught a highlight of Jordan Burroughs and Jake Varner on the podium and they were totally weirded out by the double bronzes. I had no explanation for them and had to chalk it up as one more confusing thing about our beloved sport.

Is the rest of the world used to this? Does this happen in other sports? I know you're involved with UWW. What's your take?
-- Andrew S.

Foley: Wow. You made it to Tashkent?! That's incredible. Good on you!

I'm immune to it at this point. Wrestling was given the extra medal spot in order to follow a repechage and save time at the Olympics. The average number of nation's medals per games increased to 29 in 2012 up from 22 in 2004. That is a significant increase that allows national federations to appeal for funding and grow the sport. The sport is so hard and the margin for error so tiny that I don't think it's a terrible precedent to follow (was established by judo).

Yes, the Olympic community is familiar with the practice, but I don't think they'll be taken off the stand unless there are more weight classes given, or possibly a two-day format figured out for Tokyo 2020. I also don't think that the IOC has asked wrestling to change their double bronze situation. Until that happens, nothing would occur.

Assuming Victoria Anthony makes the World Team, how does she stack up against the world at 48 kilos? Do you view her as a medal threat?
-- Mike C.

Victoria Anthony claimed her first U.S. Open title at 48 kilos (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Foley: She's currently ranked No. 12 in the world and though there is a fairly objective criteria used I think she can do much better on the world stage.

Right now I see her as a 50/50 to make the bronze medal match at the World Championships in Vegas. Unfortunately, she's behind two-time world champion and World No.1 Eri Tosaka, Azerbaijan hammer Mariya Stadnyk (Azerbaijan), No. 3 Sun Yanan (China) and who ever Russia sends, but likely Valentina Islamova (Russia) who ranks No. 4.

Maybe she knocks off Islamova, but those top three are tough, tough, and unbeatable. For example, two years ago Sun Yanan won a World championship but then ran into Eri Tosaka the following year and lost a tight bout. Their follow-up match she got teched at the Asian Games.

I do enjoy watching Anthony wrestle and think she's developing a lot under the closer coaching of Valentin Kalika, who also coaches Helen Maroulis, Aaron Pico and Elena Pirozhkova.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

The pitch is back (today)

Cartwheels.

Seriously, the world gets pitch slapped

Q: What do you make of Denis Tsargush losing to Aniuar Geduev at the Russian Freestyle Wrestling Championships? How, if at all, does this affect the United States?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Ahhhh, but Tsargush actually lost to Iakub Shikhdzamalov who eventually lost to (very talented) Khabib Batyrov in the bronze-medal match. Aniuar Geduev won the Russian championship and the starting spot.

Russia will almost certainly sit Tsargush. He lost in 2013 and they kept him on the bench, so there is little reason to think that he would leapfrog Geduev, even if they felt he might beat Burroughs. Russia believes in the system more than the individual -- as well they should given their success.

This is GREAT news for Team America in the short term. I think that Burroughs will be much more likely to cruise to a World title than if he had to battle Tsargush again. However, the big wrench might be if the Russian doesn't finish second place and then Tsargush wins the Olympic spot in 2016.

By design the gold and silver medalist countries from the previous year are separated at the following year's championships or Olympics. That won't happen if Geduev doesn't make it to the finals, and it could be Burroughs who beats him before the finals.

Lots of ways this can play out.

Q: I saw you rank your top four four-timers. What are your top four three-timers; top four two-timers; and top four on-time NCAA champs?
-- MC

Foley: For the sake of argument and intrigue I'll focus this on the modern-era wrestlers (1980-today) and I won't go down the long, dark hallway of one-time champions!

Three-timers:
Ed Ruth (Penn State)
Stephen Abas (Fresno State)
Joe Williams (Iowa)
Tom Brands (Iowa)

Two-timers:
Ben Askren (Missouri)
John Smith (Oklahoma State)
David Taylor (Penn State)
Donny Pritzlaff (Wisconsin)

Q: Anthony Valencia and Mark Hall were very impressive in Las Vegas! Hypothetically speaking, if Valencia, Hall, Alex Dieringer and Bo Jordan were in a four-man tournament in freestyle, what would the final placements be?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Good grief that's one terrifying bracket. I think that Valencia's recent U.S. Open performance proved he's the leader of the group. Following him up would be Dieringer, Jordan and Hall.

I think. Hell, I don't know. Those four are pretty evenly matched, but I do think in terms of freestyle Valencia proved he might be on a different level than his age group.

Q: Who do you think will win the 86-kilo spot for Team America in men's freestyle?
-- Theo P.

Foley: Jake.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 8, 2015

Fri, 08 May 2015 13:49:17 +0000

Jordan Burroughs published a piece in WIN Magazine this week that offered a number of recommendations on how to improve NCAA wrestling. Some of the ideas were ones readers here have read before -- including the need for a pushout rule.

However, one item that Burroughs harped on that I haven't touched on too often is the lack of effective refereeing at the NCAA tournament.

In his piece the Olympic and NCAA champion bemoaned situational stall calls and consolation stall calls -- both are items largely absent from the international stage, but ingrained in refereeing culture at the NCAA level.

The situational stall call, as described by Burroughs, would be when one wrestler is the aggressor for six minutes against a defensive wrestler, only to have his opponent come to life with only seconds remaining. Referees note this action and call the once-offensive wrestler for stalling.

That call is similar to Burroughs' other complaint -- that referees often make conciliatory stall calls with 10 seconds left with no intention of ever calling the second and pushing the match to overtime, or deciding the match. Burroughs posits this hesitation is due to a strong reaction from the crowd.

We are fortunate to have referees write into the mailbag with some consistency and Burroughs' comments remind me of their constant complaint: that the wrestling officials are too scared to help create action because they are fearful of looking as though they are getting too involved.

The truth is there isn't much action in a typical NCAA wrestling match, another point made by Burroughs in his article. Right now the typical NCAA match strategy is to avoid any points in the first period, escape quickly in the second period and then earn a riding time point in the third. With this as your typical match the NCAA obviously NEEDS the referee to get involved and shake up the formula.

Wrestlers have to choose to wrestle once they step on the mat. Burroughs has seen on the international stage that the rules promote action and that referees are forced to have one wrestler come out of the first period with a point. The referee is a constant presence in the match because otherwise the wrestlers would choose to limit risk -- a losing proposition for fans.

The time for change has come to NCAA wrestling and that will start with rules, but needs to continue with the increased presence of referees in the match. More stalling calls earlier in the match will create much more action -- something that should have taken precedent over the new initiative to have four points for a four count on your back (Why are we rewarding double the points for the same action that only lasts two seconds longer?)

Burroughs has seen what an active referee can do, and it's time that the rest of the American wrestling community sees it as well. NCAA wrestling fans deserve more action, not snore rides and conciliatory stall calls.

To your questions ...

Q: What do you make of high school freshman Cade Olivas committing to Arizona State? Do you see a problem with a wrestler that young committing to a college?
-- Mike C.

Cade Olivas (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: I don't think it's all that surprising when you consider the context. Cade Olivas is a hugely talented lightweight who enjoys a positive relationship with the former national team head coach who happens to now be the head coach at an up-an-coming college program littered with California friends. Who wouldn't make that decision?

The bigger fear is if we see too many freshmen making the choice to wrestle somewhere in college. That might not become an issue since most coaches want to see how their wrestlers develop in high school before handing out the promise of a large scholarship.

Olivas' case is probably not indicative of a widening trend, and is much more likely to be an outlier making a pretty calculated decision about his college path.

Q: Is Logan Stieber the only wrestler to win four high school state titles, four NCAA titles and the Dave Schultz award? Or did Cael Sanderson do it before him? If he is the only one how does that rank him among the other four-time college champs?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: Yes. Cael Sanderson was a four-time Utah state champions, but was not a Dave Schultz High School Excellence winner. The winner in 1997 was Jeff Knupp, who wrestled at Walsh Jesuit High School in Ohio. So Logan Stieber is the only four-time NCAA champion to win four state titles and become a Dave Schultz Excellence winner.

As far as ranking the four-time NCAA champions, there are arguments to be made for 2-4, but the top spot is almost certainly secured by Cael.

My order would be Cael Sanderson, Logan Stieber, Kyle Dake and Pat Smith. Obviously the fact that Cael was undefeated makes him an easy No. 1. When choosing between Stieber and Dake, I went with the more aggressive and offensive wrestler. Dake won at four weight classes and bested a talented David Taylor, but Stieber was consistently more aggressive in big matches and owns an NCAA finals victory over Jordan Oliver, who like Taylor was a two-time NCAA champion.

Q: Should we be concerned that men's and women's wrestling in college use completely different rules? Are there any other college sports that the genders play by completely different rules? The only one I can think of is baseball/softball, but even there the scoring is the same, balls and strikes are the same, etc. If we are going to advance the sport, we need to have a united front and push for women's programs as well. I'm not sure how easy it is when the sports use such different rules.
-- Josh C.

Foley: No. I don't think that the differences in rules would be considered by any administration thinking of adding women's wrestling. The USA has plenty of coaches and referees who understand the freestyle rules and the media at large wouldn't focus on the difference in rules as much as the addition of new female sport to the Division I level.

The push for women's wrestling at the NCAA Division I level has to come from a major program, or a program that is looking to be reinstated. The NCAA may never sanction the sport at the Division I level, but until a major wrestling powerhouse has a team and an administration pushing for equal coverage the change won't happen.

Not many people remember the story now, but Mike Burch was fired from UC Davis in the 90s for trying to give scholarships to women. He later won a Title IX lawsuit, but by the time everything was processed the momentum for change had been suffocated by the courts and UC Davis eventually lost their program.

We need a leader like Burch, at a secure national powerhouse, to make the stand for women's wrestling to appear at the NCAA Division I level.

Q: South Dakota State landed a top 25 recruiting class this year. A.J. Schopp was recently hired as an assistant coach. Chris Bono really seems to have that program moving in the right direction. What's the ceiling for South Dakota State's wrestling program? Top 15? Top 10? Trophy team?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I'm way too intimidated by Chris Bono to put a limit on what his team might accomplish. However, as a betting man I'd think that you'll start to see the trickling out of All-Americans by 2017 and a top-15 finish by 2020.

Good luck to Coach Bono!

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Death to the singlet

Get More: Comedy Central,Funny Videos,Funny TV Shows

Fun back-and-forth match this morning in Doha. Zhou Feng is ranked No. 2 in the world at 75 kilos but has cut down to compete at 69 kilos.

Q: From best team in years to dropped to reinstated to a new Junior World Team member, @CSUWrestling is riding a crazy storyline. #Mailbag
-- @NHoughSnee

Foley: Yes! The Cleveland State saga has turned into a feel good story that should serve as a warning to other athletic administrators about doing what is in the best interest of your school. The personal agendas of college administrators shouldn't be allowed to take hold at the Division I, II or III level. There needs to be more institutional equality, not less.

Q: Gabe Dean won a silver medal at the Pan American Championships in Greco-Roman. Do you expect Dean to focus on Greco as opposed to freestyle on the senior level?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Not necessarily, but I think that diversifying has probably improved his wrestling significantly. I don't know Dean, but having watched him in Santiago it was apparent that he's a good natured guy who loves to wrestle.

Having Dean's energy around the USA program, Greco or freestyle, is nothing but a net positive for the Stars and Stripes.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: May 1, 2015

Fri, 01 May 2015 06:58:43 +0000

It has been six weeks since the last whistle blew at the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships in St. Louis and no head coaches have been fired or asked to resign.

There are just under 80 Division I wrestling programs and it's unlikely that each of these coaches is doing a perfect job. We know that there are programs in desperate need of change, and there is likely at least one or two coaches secretly hopeful that they can move forward into other careers.

For anyone who has wrestled or coached at the Division I level, there has been a noticeable increase in what is asked of most coaches. No longer are they just teaching outside singles, setting the schedule and doling out per diem. The modern coach is coaching, recruiting, fundraising, marketing AND running the daily operations of their program. There is little time for relaxation and the pressure to win is always present and ever-stressful.

Still, six week after the NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships none of the almost 80 coaches have left their post.

Tom Minkel has served as Michigan State's head wrestling coach for 24 seasons (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

Change is needed in several programs. It's no secret that Michigan State finished with negative points at the national tournament, and that their placement was less a fluke and more the result of years of apathy and malaise. Tom Minkel has served the sport for more than 50 years, but the time has come to usher in a new era, and yet still there is no change. (Minkel signed a three-year extension at the beginning of the season.)

The character of the Michigan State head wrestling coach has never been in question and he elicits vehement support from alumni -- most who graduated in the 1980s and 1990s. I know their loyalty to Coach Minkel because they are always eager to email, a fact that I appreciate, even if at times their threats have become physical. I have respect for Coach Minkel, and yet the fact remains that change is needed in East Lansing.

Six weeks after the NCAA tournament and still no change at the top of any programs. That's apathy, plain and simple, and for a sport run on passion nothing could be more dangerous.

To your questions ...

Q: What are your thoughts on last year's medal winners at the World Championships getting byes to the finals of this year's World Team Trials? Should they have to prove themselves every year? Is sitting out the mini tournament too much of an advantage, especially at some of the deeper weight classes?
-- Scott M.

Foley: USA Wrestling wants to win the most medals possible at the World Championships and Olympic Games. At the core of that mission is the ability for wrestlers to defeat foreign competition, while also remaining the best in the country. While making it past your countrymen is important, the balance struck by USA Wrestling seems to reflect the want to get the right wrestler in front of the foreign competition.

USA Wrestling has done a great job with this model. There should be considerations given to previous World medalists since they've proven to be able to achieve the ultimate goal of the organization. Still, they will need to beat the best local opponent to have that option.

I think we can all agree that putting Jordan Burroughs into the mini tournament doesn't reveal much about his ability to beat foreign competition. Yet Burroughs won't be given a free pass (as is the habit of other countries) and will need to defeat the very best of the mini tournament, which as you recognized will likely be a formidable opponent.

Yes, sitting out the mini tournament is an advantage in that it reduces risk of injury and potential exhaustion, but to be competitive worldwide the USA should ensure these minor advantages to its performers.

Q: I'll be the first to admit to being ignorant in regards to the structure and bracketing of international wrestling tournaments. That being said, how did Andrew Hochstrasser manage to win Pan Ams with "only" two matches? It seems like a lot of training, traveling, and (what I'm only assuming) was a less than enjoyable weight cut for very minimal mat time. Looking at the performance as a whole, over half of the matches that the U.S. wrestled were won by large margins. What does that say about the depth of the Pan Ams, or was the U.S. freestyle team just THAT good?
-- Ethan S.

Foley: The USA men's freestyle team is probably the third deepest in the world behind the Russians and Iranians. The advantage seems to come from the number of matches wrestled in a lifetime (albeit not all freestyle) by such a large number of wrestlers willing to compete into their twenties. While Azerbaijan and Turkey pour resources into their teams, the programs don't seem to have the same depth as the American side.

As for the Pan American Championships, many of the nations were only concerned with qualifying for the Pan American Games in Toronto, which led some nations to send backups, or nobody at all. Some of the weight classes ended up thinned out and in Hochstrasser's case he also ended up with a first-round bye.

Look for the Pan American Games in July to be a much more competitive tournament.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: A funny and eye-opening look into the world of kid's MMA

This is how to finish a double leg

Baby panda falls out of a tree

Q: Which 2014 World Team member has the greatest risk of being unseated in Greco and freestyle?
-- @CodyOcho5

Foley: It's tough to say since so many are performing well at the international level. My initial reaction was Tony Ramos, but he's been wrestling so well that I'd hate to see him miss another year on the roster. Still, he might be vulnerable to guys like Angel Escobedo and even Zach Sanders who can find a way to knock him out early.

I'd keep an eye on 48 kilos in women's wrestling where longtime rivals Alyssa Lampe and Victoria Anthony are set to do battle. Lampe has owned the majority of the matches, but Anthony has the last win, catching Lampe on her back.

The Greco-Roman team probably won't see much upheaval, though I'd expect Ellis Coleman to have the advantage versus Bryce Saddoris should the two meet in the mini tournament.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 24, 2015

Fri, 24 Apr 2015 07:35:58 +0000

Have you seen Horrible Bosses 2?

I recently saw the first half, which included very suggestive comments about little boys wrestling in singlets. Never mind the details, the entire setup was about the outfits and the message wasn't about the sport, but about some other qualities comedians wanted to attach to the sport because of the outfits.

Shiny lycra is no longer the only or best outfit choice for our sport. Time to make the change. Waiting costs our sport participants, fans and dollars.

#KilltheSinglet

To your questions ...

Q: Will Isaiah Martinez compete on the senior level in freestyle this year and be a factor at the U.S. Open and/or U.S. World Team Trials? Or he is still too young and inexperienced to make an impact?
-- Mike C.

Isaiah Martinez defeated Nebraska's James Green in the NCAA semifinals (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)

Foley: I don't think Imar can be called anything except "incredible." He's an enormous talent with every chance to make the U.S. World Team at 20 years old ... were he not to wrestle at 74 kilos. That might signal a problem.

Imar will likely miss the U.S. Open because he's taking exams. However, if he does compete I think he's your third-place finisher. I know that means one of the Big Four (Jordan Burroughs, David Taylor, Kyle Dake and Andrew Howe) would have to lose, and that's what I'm predicting, Imar earns an upset over one of these guys.

Should Imar make 70 kilos I think he challenges Nick Marable for the spot on the World Team. He's dynamic and strong and though I like Marable to win any best-of-three series, I think it's close. Also, with fewer entries as everyone flees the non-Olympic weight (sans 61 kilos and 70 kilos) he will have a considerably easier path than he would at 74 kilos.

Q: We ascribe much hoopla to the national rankings of high school wrestlers. But what we never know is how well they do/did in college. Has anyone done an analysis of the success of ranked wrestlers? Going back eight years this would be an interesting guide to recruiting.
-- John A.

Foley: We do it every year! I agree that this is a great guide to understanding who are the effective coaches and just how much the HIGH SCHOOL HYPE MACHINE plays into our perception of real talent.

Q: Could you explain those new NCAA rules? A guy gets called for stalling if he pushed opponent out? Did I read that wrong?
-- @German663

Proposed rules here. In shorthand (with my snarky comments in parenthesis) ...

Back points are now 2 for a two-count and 4 for a four-count. (This won't promote anything except more points on the board and a much-reduced chance that the kid that gets caught early can mount a comeback. Throwing someone to their back should never be for SIX POINTS! That's ONE technique!)

No more four-point technical fall in dual meets. (OK, sure. Not a huge impact since dual meets don't mean anything to the final outcome of the season and this effects 1/100 dual meets. Might as well make pins count 6.5 points)

Interlocking fingers will be stopped (You're welcome)

Pushout rule from neutral. Both feet go out and you get hit with stalling. (FINALLY)

Three-point takedown (Why does this make ANY sense? If you don't want to reward escapes then don't reward escapes. If you want to quicken the return to the feet then eliminate riding time)

Q: What, if any, rules-scholarship-structural-cultural differences vs. today in NCAA wrestling do you see that allowed for Iowa to be so dominant during the Gable era vs. the programs/situations that are currently present?
-- Jimmie D.

Foley: Big question, but you have to assume that these things are at the center of wrestling's recent parity, and the "downturn" in Iowa wrestling:

The first is that there is significantly more money in the sport in 2015 than there was in the mid-80s. The fundraising at major college athletic programs is highly sophisticated and generates hundreds of thousands of extra dollars in spending cash annually for teams across the top forty. Also, more schools have more scholarships.

The second is that a reduction in the number of programs has allowed for more talented wrestlers to concentrate at a variety of programs, making the culture of any one program less effective since it's not backed up by all-stars. The rising number of teams loaded with talent also means there is a larger chance for upsets since guys who might've once ridden pine for Iowa get time to wrestle at (insert your school's name here).

The third is social media and the unwillingness of modern kids to take gruff from superiors, especially if they can get praise from their online friends and family. Iowa wrestling is a strong culture and you either fell in and succeeded or you left. Social media and having friends to comfort the afflicted makes it difficult to enforce an all-or-nothing mentality.

The fourth is a change in the rules to avoid harmful or injurious situations and a re-focus on top wrestling. This benefits more technical wrestling, which has traditionally favored teams like Oklahoma State and now Penn State.

Q: How long until Zeke Jones has Arizona State in the hunt for team trophies? With the Valencia bros. coming in and other top recruits, it doesn't seem like it will be long.
-- Mike C.

Foley: With arguably the best recruiting class in the history of college wrestling you'd have to assume that he could get them into the top four in three years and title hunting in four. He knows how to coach champions, has all the resources he needs and now has the most talented class of athletes in the sport. They're making a title run.

Q: I watched the World Cup last weekend and to me the wrestling sucked, especially among the bigger guys who just hang on to each other and do push outs. It's almost sumo-like to a degree. Overall, it's pushouts, takedowns and if a guy's back is exposed in any way, they reward backpoints and the refs are too involved (who by the way all look like they'd be gassed if they ran a mile). I don't have a proposal but seems these rules need to change to make it better and more exciting.

And didn't they just change the rules last year and do a reorg to get with the times and stay in the Olympics?
-- Paul E.

Foley: Not too many people complain about the freestyle rules (save the lack of overtime)! This is a good mixture. I disagree about the rules overall, as I think they produce a lot of action. However, if you aren't used to the out-of-bounds rule I guess it would seem kind of funny. As you may know, I work in the media department for the federation -- the numbers of viewers have never been better. Also, the IOC seems to enjoy the improvement of the sport's watchability, while Greco-Roman is still in question!

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 17, 2015

Fri, 17 Apr 2015 06:23:36 +0000

Cleveland State this week announced the reinstatement and continued funding of its Division I wrestling program. Less than a month after being nixed in favor of a new lacrosse team and women's program, the university hosted a referendum asking if students would increase their fees $1 per credit hour in order to support the wrestling team. That's about $15 per student a semester.

The reinstatement of the program should be celebrated. The wrestling community mobilized, made headlines, stayed respectful and pointed to the flawed logic AD John Parry used in asking for the removal of a sport endemic to the greater Cleveland community in favor of one not sanctioned by the high school state athletic association. Jason Bryant's interview also proved to be helpful in helping the wrestling community understand Parry's thinking, and it seemed to help him understand that counter argument to the elimination of the program.

One negative note to consider is that wrestling is being hijacked on college campuses and held for ransom, with few guarantees of long-term stability. Programs, both healthy and those that have been reinstated (Bucknell, Arizona State, Cleveland State) are doing so under conditions similar to a hostage-taking. Pay and you can have back your life, don't and you are no longer viable.

Wrestling should continue to fundraise ahead of these incidents, but something needs to be done to curb this behavior by athletic directors. This is no longer a matter of discussion of if they are holding the sport for ransom, but how many programs will be dealt with before something is done to stop the behavior.

The concerning part is that if wrestling were free of the university system there would be guarantees that the monies raised by each program's fundraising base would have direct oversight by the program. In places like Arizona State where large sums of cash were raised, the athletic directors have first dibs on the whole kit and caboodle. How the money is spent will never be something left solely to Coach Jones, or any of his counterparts.

The concern of course is that as the NCAA is pressured to pay players, sports like wrestling will face more of these ransom situations, be asked to pay up, but eventually be cut anyway. In the circumstance that schools begin axing large numbers of "non-profit" teams the club model seems much more effective in preserving the tradition and competition of traditional American wrestling.

For now the option of moving to a club system is only a thought, but with powerful alumni groups, media in place and traditions secured the move to an independent model might not be far off.

To your questions ...

Q: What moves in the other martial arts translate well to wrestling? Best moves from judo, BJJ, karate, etc.?
-- @alliseeis_

Foley: This question had me a little stumped when it came to karate, but I'm going to give this my best.

The first thing to recognize is the separation of sports styles between striking and non-striking. In your example are judo and jiu-jitsu, both of which are non-striking grappling arts that have been extended over time from traditional wrestling, mostly out of eastern and Central Asia. As such, there are a myriad moves seen across all three styles.

The move most frequently being transitioned (back) into freestyle wrestling is a simple kimura, or key lock. The move, which was just used by Henry Cejudo against Tony Ramos at Agon, and Reineris Salas versus Ed Ruth at the World Cup, is not illegal unless taken far outside the shoulder and exerted for pressure. Last year at the Golden Grand Prix Jake Varner used the same defense (unsuccessfully) against Azerbaijan's Khetag Gazyumov. No penalty was called because there was not intent to harm.

From judo the upper-body clinches and attacks from overhooks are brilliant. Though there is a loss from not having the gi to hold wrestlers have seen some great crossover at even the highest levels.

Karate is a striking sport so the crossover won't exist, though I suppose the speed and agility with which athletes strike and avoid strikes could be helpful to wrestlers from neutral.

Q: Why in the world did the finals between Iran-USA start before the TV broadcast?
-- @Rob_SwagginU

Foley: I was all dolled up for a wedding this weekend and therefore wasn't on site for the World Cup. My guess is that there was only room for seven live matches and they wanted to ensure that they captured the final action in case it had team implications. I know that is was annoying, though there was live stream available at the United World Wrestling site.

Logan Storley celebrates after defeating Kyle Crutchmer (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: What are your thoughts on Logan Storley announcing he will train and fight MMA instead of wrestle on the international scene?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: I could see Logan being a very good grappler and with a frame like his and maybe even a powerful striker. I wish him the best of luck in choosing his path, and I tend to think that it was the best one for him given the concentration of talent at 74 kilos in men's freestyle.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Jordan Burroughs looking sharp in win No. 101

Excellent comeback by Haji Aliyev

Q: Why the cheap shot at Duke? Do you have data to substantiate this claim (of grade inflation)?
-- @stollio3

Foley: There was nothing meant in the comment, but I appreciate that Duke feels attacked. Apologies to the wrestlers who work hard on the mat and in the classroom, and to the staff who comes to their defense. No harm meant in pointing it out, but I can see that it was misinterpreted. I'll do better next time.

Q: Do you think MMA will ever be a college sport like wrestling?
-- Gregg Y.

Foley: No. Absolutely not. And it will never be an Olympic sport.

Q: Did you see this? Wyoming will honor scholarship to Trout, who lost left leg
-- Jared H.

Foley: Total class move by Wyoming!

THOUGHT OF THE WEEK
By Chuck P.

I would like to see collegiate wrestling adopt the Olympic-style mat with a one-meter "zone" provided immediately adjacent to the out-of-bounds line. The reason for this will become apparent shortly. I would also repeal the current out-of-bounds rule and restore the previous rule. Again, why even have boundaries if we can wrestle outside of them and even utilize them as a protection against getting taken down. Too any wrestlers just run away to the out-of-bounds area rather than actually compete in the center of the mat. Additionally, I would eliminate riding time. As currently utilized by most wrestlers, this activity simply awards competitors with an extra point for being able to hold your opponent in your control for one minute. In current usage, it has nothing to do whatsoever with the offensive wrestler trying to turn his opponent for back points and/or a fall. Let's get real. The sport is not called "holding" or "riding." It's called "wrestling." Too many matches are determined by one wrestler just being more adept at holding onto his opponent.

There has been much talk in recent years about collegiate style wrestling adopting the pushout rule from Olympic-style wrestling. I would oppose this too. Way too many international matches are determined by one wrestler being more adept at pushing than the other wrestler. I'd hate to lose a match 1-0 just because my opponent was a better pusher. Again, the sport is not called "pushing," it's called "wrestling."

So where does that leave us? We need to make just one more simple adjustment. We need to reinterpret stalling! With the new mat, as defined above, any time either wrestler in the neutral position wanders into the "zone," the mat official would point at the wrestler, call out his color (red or green) and say, loudly, "ZONE." If the wrestler so identified works back to the middle and begins wrestling offensively again, no problem.

If he does not leave the zone and move back to the middle, he immediately gets a stall warning. When we see, below, how stall warnings are penalized, I daresay, wrestlers will not wander into the zone.

How do we score stalling in my new interpretation of the rule? Simple. The first warning is just that . . . a warning. The second warning provides one point to the aggressive wrestler. The third warning provides two points to the aggressive wrestler. The fourth warning results in disqualification of the passive wrestler. And here's an added proviso that will change everything. If you are disqualified from any match in a tournament, you are also disqualified from the tournament. No further bouts for you and no further points from you for your team. This is pretty simple stuff. Change the mat to include the zone. Eliminate riding time.

Repeal the current out-of-bounds rule and replace it with the former rule, actively call stalling in all positions, as defined above, and change the point awards and disqualification for stalling. I'm betting that within no time at all collegiate wrestling will graduate from its current state as a "yawner" for fans and return to a vital, exciting, thrilling sport replete with major decisions, technical falls, falls, and very very few bouts that proceed to one or more overtimes with 1-1 scores and no stalling calls.

Let's get on with it.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 10, 2015

Fri, 10 Apr 2015 07:30:54 +0000

With the NCAA Wrestling Championships done many wrestlers and fans are shifting their attention to the upcoming freestyle and Greco-Roman seasons. This weekend is almost a launch event for the upcoming season at home, with the World Cup for men's freestyle being hosted by USA Wrestling at The Forum in Los Angeles.

Present at the World Cup will be perennial players Russia and Iran, countries where the Olympic styles are practiced en masse by the nation's top athletes. While there are traditional styles in both these countries, neither consumes anywhere close to the time and energy that collegiate style does in America. Most are relegated to summertime festivals held in the fields rather than large gymnasiums and year-round competitions.

The World Cup will offer viewers (you can go to UnitedWorldWrestling.org for the free live stream) an incredible showcase of talent from these Olympic-focused nation's best wrestlers. The Iranians have brought what will likely become their world team, while Russia has sat their first (and second) teams in the hopes of giving more wrestlers a chance to compete against the best in foreign competition. But as was learned at the Women's World Cup in St. Petersburg when the Japanese third team took team gold, a dominant nation like Russia can win it all even with backups.

Why the disparity?

Well, consider that for fans of collegiate wrestling the talent level and athleticism of the freestyle wrestlers will seem other-worldly. There will be flips, splits, leaps and contortion on a circus-like scale. These athletes, their strategies and their coaching having always been focused at success in the art of freestyle wrestling and that focus had bred incredible success up and down the ranks.

The Americans will likely be successful on the mat and earn bronze or better as a team, but be sure to take note of the body types, the match management, and the focus on aggression over technique and if/when it affects outcomes. The American style may never change, but when analyzing the long-term success of the USA program it's important to consider the impact a life of collegiate style wrestling has had on America's 20-something first-team athletes.

Should collegiate wrestling be dropped in favor of freestyle? Maybe not, but this weekend does provide America's new freestyle fans a peek into what a life of year-round training in freestyle looks like.

To your questions ...

Q: This year we had four undefeated national champs (Logan Stieber, Isaiah Martinez, Alex Dieringer and Nick Gwiazdowski), with three returning next year. Last year there was only one (David Taylor). How does this number stack up against previous years? What is the highest number of undefeated champs in a season? Was it 2013 with six (Logan Stieber, Jordan Oliver, Kendric Maple, Kyle Dake, Ed Ruth, Quentin Wright)? Of the three returning, who has the best shot at repeating?
-- Sean M.

Foley: I looked back and didn't see any recent NCAAs with more undefeated wrestlers than the 2013 season. We've developed a nice number of readers who are incredible at statistics of this kind, and if our "research" is incorrect I'm sure they will correct our years and numbers.

Should AD and Imar stay at separate weight classes they are the clear favorites to stay undefeated another year, as they are simply much better than their competition. Gwiz will likely repeat, but wrestling heavyweight is tricky business and with Adam Coon on his tail it's plausible that Gwiz may drop one or two on his way to the March championships. Remember he did lose to Mike McMullan at the NWCA All-Star Classic this past season.

Kevin Jackson at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: What do you make of Iowa State extending KJ through 2018? The Cyclones are coming off a 14th-place finish and haven't been in the top 10 in five seasons. Seems like the program could benefit from a new coach leading the program. Thoughts?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Kevin Jackson has a lot of loyal supporters among his former wrestlers, and having an NCAA champion in the parity-filled NCAA tournament of 2015 was no small task. While I can see that a top-10 finish is desirable, I don't think KJ has done anything but improve the Iowa State wrestling program over the past few seasons. I'd argue that a two-year extension is about the correct length. Should he keep improving the team's performance and creating individual champions then he can stay longer. If not, then maybe he doesn't continue. Overall, I think this was a fair and just extension for both coach and university.

Q: Hey, do you have any idea why Campbell University did not wrestle in their conference tournament? Do you think Cary Kolat has any chance of improving this team?
-- Joe C.

Foley: Unfortunately, the Campbell program was ineligible to compete in the postseason due to a low APR rating by the NCAA. Buffalo also suffered the same fate in 2015 and was held out of the conference and NCAA championships.

Both programs are looking to become eligible for the postseason in 2016. As for Campbell I find it difficult to believe that Kolat won't improve that program significantly over the next several seasons. There is talent in the program and talent on the way. Two-time NCAA qualifier Nathan Kraisser transferred from UNC to Campbell. Nathan's younger brother Austin (ranked No. 40 in the Class of 2016) also committed to Campbell.

Q: Do you think wrestling, collegiate or international, is going down a slippery slope chasing mainstream acceptance and the elusive TV dollar?
-- Matt C.

Foley: Chasing might be an issue, but the profitability of a well-produced live sporting event is unquestionable. Men aged 18-35 tune in to watch live sports. Because they are forming lifelong brand loyalties, sponsors love to target them heavily. Wrestling, by getting on TV, adds itself to the offering and should get a small, but proportionally sizable, chunk of revenue.

Also, the Olympics is launching a cable channel within the next year, which means even more exposure and competition for sports like wrestling.

From a purity standpoint, however, I can agree that fans might be worried that the product will become too professionalized, though in the end I don't know if that fear will be realized. Olympic and NCAA wrestling will almost certainly remain a sport, not a spectacle.

Q: I have heard Nico Megaludis might take an Olympic redshirt season in 2015-16, which would allow All-American Jordan Conaway to finish out his career in the PSU lineup. Have you heard anything about PSU's plans with Megaludis?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I have not. However, if we are assuming that Megaludis does sit out I don't think he is any less likely to make the team at 57 kilos than Ramos was to make it in 2014. There will be all sorts of characters in the lineup (new and old) and I think Megaludis' style is favorable to most in terms of international wrestling success. He's impossible to take down, savvy and well coached. I'd say go for it.

From PSU's perspective it's also a nice move since you'd still have Jimmy Gulibon at 133 pounds and Zain Retherford at 141 pounds.

But I'm certainly not paid to coach. I think we should leave this one to Cael ...

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Greatest image of all-time: Bobcat catches and eats a shark

Q: I understand in principle why it's important that Mike Pucillo is out. But as a person who has been to the WCWA tournament and observed women's wrestling for years, many women have been out for a while and it doesn't seem to bother the women athletes at all or their coaches (which are mostly male and very conservative) at all. It's never bothered me as a coach.

My question why is does appear to be a bigger story when male athletes come out vs. female? Athletes like Martina Navratilova, Brittney Grine, Sheryl Swoopes and Megan Rapinoe have been out for years, but not as much attention is given to their sexuality as men. There are plenty of women who currently wrestle or who have wrestled that are out and I haven't heard of an adverse reaction by the wrestling community. As member of the media please explain this to me because from an outsider it appears to be a display of sexism by both media and male members of the LGBT community.

I totally understand if you don't answer the question in your mailbag, but it's a question I've asked for a while but it became more amplified when Michael Sam came out. Believe me I am not trying to be inflammatory at all. I just really want to know why there appears to be a double standard when it comes to covering male athletes who are openly gay?
-- Marcus R.

Foley: Media begets media. There is a cycle of coverage that surrounds male coverage that is not present for female athletes. Many, and this isn't to say it's correct, almost expect elite female athletes to be lesbians, whereas men are presumed to by hypermasculine.

From a media perspective there is the adage that "dog bites man" is not as powerful a storyline as "man bites dog" and in the coverage of homosexual athletes that almost certainly seems to be the case. Whether that tendency is actual sexism, I'll leave up to individual assessment.

For wrestling, Pucillo's story is powerful because the sport is very entrenched in conservative beliefs. Like women wrestling with men, the future of gay men in wrestling has yet to be written. Pucillo's courage will likely become the first chapter in the first draft of that book of change.

Q: My friend Paul Diefenbach of Okemos, Michigan, did some research and found that this happened once before -- Slippery Rock in 1984 also scored -0.5 points. I'll bet Slippery Rock never thought their record would me matched. It is a very rough time to be a Michigan State wrestling enthusiast, but it is apparent that a successful wrestling program is not of any interest. Perhaps they should just drop the sport altogether.
-- Jim C.

Foley: Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let's not go overboard. They can fire the coach well before they are forced to cut the program. Cancellation of the program is the nuclear option!

GOOD IDEA OF THE WEEK
By John K.

As a long time wrestler, wrestling coach, and special ed teacher I have written this before, but not really gotten much headway from people. I don't understand why on a national level we do not use the federal law to protect wrestling as one the few sports that allows people with disabilities to compete at the NCAA level. We applaud and cheer Anthony Robles (and many others) for competing at the highest levels. But let's take it further and use anti-discrimination legislation to keep wrestling. As a sport, we have blind, deaf, and other disabilities competing where they cannot compete on almost any other sport. Title IX used it to make the gains women's sports did. Let's do the same. I am sure we have enough knowledgeable people to make this case. Just a thought.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: April 3, 2015

Fri, 03 Apr 2015 11:35:45 +0000

In case you missed it, last week Mike Pucillo announced to the world that he's gay.

Pucillo, who won the 2008 national title as a member of the Ohio State Buckeyes, became the first former champion to broadcast his preference of men. To come out in any sport is a bold proclamation, but the revelation from within the sport of a wrestling -- one drenched in the verbiage and imagery of masculinity -- is almost unparalleled.

While Pucillo's sexual preference is of little concern to most individuals, it's unique in that it comes from within a highly closeted combat sports community, which tends to entertain less-than-progressive views on what happens in the bedroom.

Ohio State's Mike Pucillo defeated Iowa State's Jake Varner to win the NCAA title in 2008 (Photo/Danielle Hobeika)

Still, from Pucillo's recent comments since the announcement it appears as though the wrestling community rallied around the former champion and flooded him with love and support. While the online community can be wretched and narrow-minded, it's now evident that the wrestling community at large has protected and promoted Pucillo's courage.

My hope is that Pucillo's leadership will prompt more young men to face anti-gay discrimination on and off the mats. Sexual preference has nothing to do with physical toughness and that you happen to be gay should in no way affect teammates. It certainly doesn't affect the athlete. Mike Pucillo is one of the baddest men on the planet. Period.

Congrats to Mike Pucillo on the announcement. We are all looking forward to witnessing the positive changes he will no doubt inspire in our community.

To your questions ...

Q: I thought the announcers during the Division I tournament were circumspect and somewhat reticent about criticizing the NCAA in the aftermath of the 157-quarterfinal bout. Are announcers asked or contracted not to be critical? I can imagine such might be the case, since it is an NCAA-hosted event.
-- Charles W.

Foley: I was hired this year to work on ESPN's "Off the Mat" program and at no time was asked to avoid the Ian Miller-Brian Realbuto controversy. In fact, the talking heads discussed the situation before the broadcast and wondered aloud to each other if it had been overdone by the earlier coverage. Everyone agreed that if it came up in any way we'd talk about it as long as necessary. As I recall we were critical of the NCAA for not having better procedures in place, but we didn't want to distract from the action and the incredible performance of Isaiah Martinez.

Censorship isn't a non-issue. There are certainly ties between broadcast networks and the companies with which they have distribution agreements. As you might recall, ESPN killed "Playmakers," a show about the dark home lives of NFL football players after the league quietly threatened their contracts. When asked directly about pulling the show then-president of ESPN George Bodenheimer said that they must respect the wishes of their partners.

He also said, "We don't do anything if it doesn't make money. If wrestling is on TV more it's because we are making money."

That was 2008. The sport is doing well for ESPN and the NCAA.

Q: Do you think the fact that California only has one class hurts the sport of wrestling? I think wrestling is missing out on a huge possible fan base. California is the biggest market in the country with 38.8 million people. Yet the attendance at the 2014 CIF state tournament was only 18,887. Nebraska has only has 1.8 million people but had a three-day attendance of over 50,000. There are 896 kids that make it to the Nebraska state tournament. Those 896 kids are followed by family and friends who create a huge buzz, which attracts the media. These family and friends also bring a lot of money to Omaha. It's a huge moneymaker for the NSAA and the City of Omaha. Universities and businesses look at the attendance and financial numbers at the Nebraska state tournament and they see opportunity to gain more students and more customers. Because of this Nebraska has a total eight four-year institutions that offer wrestling to California's seven. I think if you have 2-3 classes in California the sport's popularity would grow there by leaps and bounds. Just think what kind of buzz having a 2-3 class tournament at the Staples Center would create.
-- Mark B.

Foley: I'd always assumed that having one state championship made the tournament more spectacular and the winner all that much more unique. However, I think you changed my mind.

For just a moment let's put aside the attendance and the media buzz of three California state tournaments and look at the theory of grade inflation. Duke University famously inflates grades as part of their desire to look prestigious. For whatever reason when someone looks at a resume that includes a good school they likewise want to see a good GPA. It reinforces the idea of the school being exemplary. For example, all other things being equal, what is more attractive, the Princeton grad with a 3.5 or the Duke grad with a 3.9?

California is respected as one of the top wrestling states in the country. If they can produce 28 more state champions that will mean 28 more kids being recruited from California as state champions. No, not all will be equal, but given the opportunity to make the march to the highest tournament, I don't think there would be a significant drop off in talent between divisions, but there would be an increase in recruited athletes.

#MoreCaliChamps

Q: With Michigan State ending up with negative team points at the NCAAs, has that happened before? I just don't remember that happening.
-- Jim R.

Foley: Michigan State is the first Big Ten wrestling program to ever finish with negative points at the NCAA tournament. Nothing more profound can be written than simply seeing that score at the end of three days. Not good for the old guard at Michigan State.

Q: You were correct! It's pretty simple. If you don't give Ian Miller an escape, you can't give Brian Realbuto a takedown. Argue all you want about the one point ... doesn't matter! The argument should be over the two-point takedown! (You can't get back points without first getting control, one follows the other.) You cannot award a takedown if you don't award an escape first! Miller wins 9-7 (without escape) or 10-9 (with escape). This is not debatable. No escape given, then you can't give a takedown! Terrible situation but the NCAA had given themselves a way to make it right! They didn't! I don't get it!
-- Dana B.

Foley: Your frustration is understandable. This doesn't make sense because it can't make sense. Numbers are numbers, and for an organization so hell bent on the objectivity of numbers in the seeding process, you'd think they'd honor the objectivity of numbers when used in scoring.

But, then you'd be wrong?

Q: What were your thoughts on finals at 174 pounds? I have two issues. First, while I agree with the shot clock, it appeared to me that Tyler Wilps was attempting to work up and did back around the waist both times he was called for stalling. With the abundance of non-action, fleeing the mat and general backing up that goes uncalled, I get a little upset when calls like that are made, just because the refs feel they have to. Secondly, I would never want to win a match on a penalty point like that. If it is called it's called but to challenge to get it seems cheap. Especially considering it was a flurry of action and Matt Brown came to his feet then was brought back down. The slow motion replay shows locked hands with one second left. Isn't he allowed any reaction time? When you watch it full speed he barely has his hands locked before time expires and Brown has both feet under him at the two-second mark. I think Brown would have won in overtime, but to get those last two points the way he did seems cheap. While I would love to win a national title, I don't think I would be showing that highlight reel to my friends.
-- Nick K.

Foley: Fair enough point. Matt Brown's highlight film might not have made for a personal highlight reel, but it did make the front page of Deadspin, though mostly because of the lunacy you mentioned.

Brown can't really be blamed for the calls and I disagree that they shouldn't have been called. Wilps was stalling and had he not he would have given up the escape point. That's clear. I wish there was a cleaner finish to the match, but once the challenge was called the referees had no choice but to make the correct call.

Unlike the NCAA, they can't just engineer outcomes for PR purposes.

Q: With Cleveland State announcing they are no longer funding wrestling, how many schools do you think need to drop the sport before the NCAA has to adjust the 330 individuals making the tournament? At some point you can't take everyone, can you? Eliminating the pigtails should be the first to go. And just an observation, on the cover of the bout sheet this year it still shows Boston as having wrestling, I love the attention to detail.
-- Jim R.

Foley: They should adjust the tournament this year. Pigtails serve no purpose.

Q: Last year I asked a question that you addressed in your April 4 mailbag, which I will ask again this year. Less than week after the 2015 NCAAs have wrapped up, who are your 2015 NCAA finalists at each weight class and your top five team finishers?
-- Nick M.

Foley:
125: Nathan Tomasello (Ohio State) vs. Thomas Gilman (Iowa)
133: Cody Brewer (Oklahoma) vs. Cory Clark (Iowa)
141: Dean Heil (Oklahoma State) vs. Brandon Sorensen (Iowa)
149: Jason Tsirtsis (Northwestern) vs. Hunter Stieber (Ohio State)
157: Isaiah Martinez (Illinois) vs. Ian Miller (Kent State)
165: Alex Dieringer (Oklahoma State) vs. Bo Jordan (Ohio State)
174: Taylor Massa (Michigan) vs. Zach Epperly (Virginia Tech)
184: Gabe Dean (Cornell) vs. Blake Stauffer (Arizona State)
197: J'den Cox (Missouri) vs. Kyle Snyder (Ohio State)
285: Nick Gwiazdowski (North Carolina State) vs. Adam Coon (Michigan)

Top five teams: 1. Iowa 2. Ohio State 3. Ohlahoma State 4. Penn State 5. Cornell

Q: Was NCAAs in Philadelphia considered a success? What are the chances it returns?
-- @HezekiahWilcox?ack

Foley: Tough to know what the overall financial success might have been, but from a fan's perspective there were some big positives in terms of transportation, hotels and nightlife.

Overall, I think it's unlikely that the NCAA will continue to float the tournament around the USA. The next bidding cycle will likely be for a ten-year chunk or more now that gate revenues have stabilized. If that is the case, I don't see Philly being as attractive as St. Louis.

Q: I know it's early, but looking ahead, Cael has a passel of redshirt freshmen coming in, plus Nico Megaludis and Zain Retherford coming back after redshirt seasons. Looks like one year of laying low has PSU poised to move back up, especially in those weight classes where top Big Ten competition graduates. What are your thoughts?
-- FoxWit99

Foley: I'm not sure what will happen with his class of studs. There is a bevy of talent in State College, but very little of it has been proven on the mat. Should the recruits and redshirts pan out -- and I tend to think a higher-than-normal percentage will -- then the NCAA title could head back to Pennsylvania.

The larger issue at play is just how talented Iowa and Ohio State will be at those same lower weights. Other schools will have incredible lineups as well. Cael is the best coach in the nation, but even he will have a lot of work to do if he's to recapture the NCAA title in 2016.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: Cleveland State AD John Parry talks to Jason Bryant

Q: What did you think of the FloWrestling Radio Live Episode 18 with Jason Borrelli explaining the seeding process? The Flo guys also said coaches panel rankings don't matter and shouldn't even exist, and basically someone from Flo should be on the seeding committee because they are plunged into the national landscape. Your thoughts?
-- Frank C.

Foley: Well, of course nobody from Flo should be on the seeding committee since they are broadcast partners with the NCAA. That would be a major conflict of interest. However, they are correct that some outside minds, those that aren't marching lock-step to the beat of Oz, need to be part of the process.

While every outlet would claim that theirs are the best rankings, I think that taking a look over the past several years you would find the InterMat's rankings are the most accurate in depicting the week-to-week landscape. They never seem tilted toward anything wildly subjective, largely because they are done by committee, but also because there is a long institutional memory of how to rank wrestlers.

That's the issue the NCAA faces -- a lack of know-how about the sport which directly affects their outcomes. If we can stymie that, or limit the bleed of incompetence with someone entrenched in the sport itself, then we have chance to avoid the disaster that was the 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships.

Q: In the course of checking the Dapper Dan's website I came across an interesting note on Carlton Haselrig. Apparently he is the only six-time (yes, six-time) NCAA champion (three in Division II) and a two-time PA state champ but with no regular season record. How are these feats even possible? Why is he not a bigger deal in college wrestling history? Side note: tons of awesome matchups if you browse the yearly results on that website. Think they'd ever be able to do an alumni-style dual meet? Some of those matches would make for great post-college rematches
-- Ryan P.

Foley: Wrestling is hard!

We once had an alumni match at the University of Virginia and one of the alumni tore his patella tendon. Old and fat does not always make for fun, or safe, matchups!

Q: How much money did Ohio State's athletic director make when Logan Stieber won his fourth national title?
-- Nick

Foley: Yes! I looked for this answer but came up bupkis. Comments section?!

Q: Is there some unwritten rule in Iowa, Oklahoma and Minnesota that says that high school wrestlers in those states are never to wrestle at Pennsylvania colleges and universities? Pennsylvania kids do their college wrestling in every state you can imagine, but I can't think of any kids from the aforementioned states who attend and wrestle at any Pennsylvania colleges. Do high school coaches in those states intentionally discourage their kids from attending PA colleges?
-- Brian J.

Foley: The in-state competition to make it onto one of those collegiate programs is so intense that there leaves little room to recruit out-of-state student-athletes. Tuition prices in state affect the wrestling programs. Money is money, so to pay $35k in full scholarship to a kid from Oklahoma is instead spent on a couple of $15k scholarships.

Also, because Pennsylvania does produce so many of the nation's best wrestlers it keeps recruiting cost at bay to keep your eyes in state. Less coaches travel and less chance that your favorite blue chipper misses Mom's casserole and banks the plane left to make it home in time for supper, forever.

Q: After watching the NCAAs, it would appear that St. Paris Graham produces wrestlers that are most likely to be successful in college. They had a number of All-Americans and by my observations, way more than any other high school (even Blair, whose kids continually seem to disappoint.) Is SPG's success a trend or just something whacky that happened this year? And why does this happen?
-- Tyler H.

Foley: It's tough to nail down exactly what leads one high school's alumni to do better at the NCAA level than another high school's alumni, but I imagine a lot has to do with the success of Ohio State and the talent of the Jordans and the leadership they showed in their prep days. All are factors, but at the core, yes, Jeff Jordan is an exceptional coach who creates All-American-caliber wrestlers at St. Paris Graham.

Re: Cleveland State
By Ronald M.

I'm as disappointed as everyone else about the Cleveland State decision. But let's not be too hard on the AD. He's on the record: Parry said lacrosse would be part of a plan to attract "particularly more students from suburban, private schools that CSU doesn't normally have access to," he said.

He's doing it for the same reason so many other schools are doing it: universities need affluent "full pay" students to enroll. These students are so interested in being able to say (for the rest of their lives) "I was an NCAA athlete," that they'll pay more to go to a lower quality school, just for the opportunity to play their desired sport.

And most of the previous talk has been about liberal arts schools using this strategy. Do you think that Cleveland State has seen increases in its state appropriations? You need to understand that adding lacrosse is potentially a NET REVENUE POSITIVE proposal for Cleveland State.

Now, this doesn't mean that wrestling has to be dropped, if they could add a women's sport to offset the men's lacrosse increase. But it's just consistent with the overall craziness of having our 18-22 year-old athletes trained through universities. And my (unsolicited) suggestion to the wrestling community would be to start thinking about options outside of the NCAA/universities, along the lines of your "club" suggestion a few months ago.

ARGUMENT OF THE WEEK
By JM

I found that I was at a disappointing disadvantage attending the NCAAs in person when it came to knowing what was going on. In particular, the people in the stands were given no information from the PA announcers at all about the HUGE controversy regarding the Realbuto-Miller match. Only those people who had access to external communications were made aware of the situation during the quarterfinal round. Was this because the announcers in the arena were not aware of the situation? Or were not compelled to voice their knowledge of the situation? Or were forbidden by the NCAA to inform the live audience? Most of the attending fans were unaware of the controversy until leaving the arena and only later found out by talking with the few people 'in the know.' Surely, not a fan-friendly environment.

Similarly, the fans in the stands have to sit on their hands and wait to find out the results of video reviews of certain contested portions of matches. Why not show the replay on the mega-screen to all in attendance? Is this another NCAA regulated attempt to keep the paying customers in the dark?

I believe the wrestling powers-that-are need to re-examine the fan-friendliness of the NCAAs and make the necessary improvements that 21st century ticket-buyers are expecting.

NEW IDEA OF THE WEEK
By Mike T.

The NCAA wrestling tournament is the greatest thing in the world. It seems that the current college wrestling format puts all the emphasis on this tournament. If we are going to keep it that way, why not go all in?

All 10 starters on every Division I wrestling team compete at the NCAA tournament.

Possible benefits:

1. Boost attendance at NCAAs
2. Increase TV viewership at NCAAs
3. More teams scoring points -- less teams with 0 or 1 point
4. More pins at NCAAs, fans love action and the first round would be a bloodbath (in a good way)
5. Another session at nationals means more TV time, more revenue for host/NCAA.
6. Shorten/rearrange the season -- conference no longer needs to be the last tournament of the season
7. With conference no longer at the end of the season, National Duals now has a better chance of being successful
8. Incentivize schools to add wrestling -- No matter how small the schools market, they get 10 athletes at the big show with a chance to get on TV and brand their school
9. Better chance for Cinderella story at NCAAs
10. Less athletes in redshirt -- coaches fear pulling redshirt if wrestler can't make nationals and contribute to final team score, this is no longer a risk

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 27, 2015

Fri, 27 Mar 2015 06:48:58 +0000

The 2015 NCAA Division I Wrestling Championships were the most watched in history. More than 700k viewers tuned into the finals and over the course of three days Watch ESPN clocked more than 21 million minutes of wrestling consumed on the site.

Those are impressive numbers for a once-a-year event with little to no outside promotion.

However, the 2015 NCAA Championships won't be remembered for its successes as much as its failures, namely questionable refereeing, arrogant NCAA oversight and a lack of on-the-mat action.

Since this is one of the largest mailbags yet, here are 10 (quick) solutions for improving the NCAA Championships for 2016.

1. Video reviews should be broadcast to the in-arena network. International wrestling allows for this to ensure that fans can see the disputed action. If 18k people are in the arena and the NCAA finals endure back-to-back challenges isn't it silly to keep those attending in the dark? When asked the NCAA responded, "No other sports do it, so wrestling can't either."

2. There should be an active student-athlete and a member of the press (or other outside mind) on the NCAA Championships and Wrestling Rules committees. The current committee is too detached, too bureaucratic and answers to powers not knowledgeable of the sport. Wrestling is not an easily scored contest and needs subjective solutions when mathematical formulas fail.

3. Going to a knee before contact is made from neutral should result in an automatic stall call and point. Falling to your hands and knees blocks action and is the ultimate in stalling. Not a difficult fix, but an epidemic in the lighter weights.

4. Interlocking fingers should be a warning, and then a stall call.

5. Back exposure for a two count under any circumstances is counted against the wrestler. This will prevent wild scrambles of questionable control. Exposing your belly to the sky is an infraction in almost every style on earth, including Americas. Why allow for such a widening gray area?

6. One referee should be present at every scorer's table. Their job is to monitor the scoreboard. They don't leave the table. They watch the match and make sure that the table workers (volunteers) get the score right.

7. A referee committee should be formed OUTSIDE of the NCAA. There is no reason that the NCAA member should ever be involved in on-the-mat issues. The international federation has separated these roles and so should the NCAA. This avoids corruption and making decisions for the sake of PR, instead of pursuing what is right and just.

8. Scoreboards should be updated to include names, schools, records, etc. We are well past the days of light bulb numbers. As great a presentation as the NCAA and ESPN provides to viewers at home, the in-arena presentation is woeful.

9. Pushout rule. Stop running out of bounds.

10. True out-of-bounds. These are tied to each other.

To your questions ...

Q: The Brian Realbuto vs. Ian Miller quarterfinal match was a doosey. I still don't know what to make of it. Did the official award an escape point? My review of the match doesn't answer the question. If the ref erred and didn't award a point then as much as I hate to say it the fault of the outcome is on Kent State coach Jim Andrassy for not challenging. Now, if the ref did award an escape point it appears there was an error with the table or the computer system. If that's the case I don't fully understand how a video challenge applies in the situation. That is unless there are dedicated cameras on the scoring table to determine an error. Regardless of our views on this I feel it is safe to assume that there will be some adjustments made to the rules regarding these types of rare scenarios.
-- Jacob R.

Foley: A series of adjustments will be made by the NCAA, but as many are pointing out online, the rules in place put the onus for the correct score on the referees. However ...

The first and most important improvement would be to remove the NCAA from the situation. Why are wrestlers at the NCAA appealing their decisions to bureaucrats who have spent three hours all season watching wrestling? Also, doesn't their position in the organization corrupt their ability to make the right decision for the wrestler? Of course it does. The winner of the Realbuto-Miller match was Miller, but due to their set of faulty rules, the NCAA took the win from Miller. Why? PR. Throw the head coach under the bus instead of admitting that your whole review system is a poorly thought out sham with only one master -- the NCAA.

Scoring should not need to be challenged by a coach. That's simply ridiculous. Scoring is always an objective outcome of fair play, and coaches are meant to challenge the subjective nature of refereeing. Counting is not a judgment call.

What if Kent State didn't have any challenges? How then would they have challenged the score of the match? How did the referees pushing the coaches back to the corner influence their desire and ability to challenge a call?

Nose-diving an airplane into the Alps is also rare, but it will result in changes. The NCAA should take note and get off the mat and reestablish true and honest means of scoring their matches.

Edinboro coach Tim Flynn talks with A.J. Schopp at the NCAAs (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

Q: I don't think people realize how small Edinboro is and what the budget is. It really is unreal. Tim Flynn is amazing. Plus, Ohio State didn't get really good until Lou Rosselli got there. (How he isn't a head coach I have no idea. Maybe taking over for Flynn?).
-- Tim J.

Foley: Tim Flynn is the most underrated coach in the NCAA. EVERY SINGLE YEAR we write the same thing about his coaching prowess and every year the big schools fail to pick him up. I'd guess that when the coaching positions begin to open up in a few weeks we'll see his name floated for the top jobs. Should he land one of the big jobs (maybe he doesn't want to leave Edinboro?) then I'd expect Rosselli to apply and probably land the Edinboro job.

Q: I'm sure you are buried in rants about frustrations with the video review challenge system at the NCAA tournament. One match I noticed that I haven't been able to get over is a lesser known match that most people probably overlooked. First-round wrestleback at 197 pounds, Jake Smith of WVU vs. Zach Nye of Virginia. The match was in its final ultimate tiebreaker with Nye on top. Nye had Smith on his belly flattened out with maybe 10 seconds left. Sammie Henson runs over to the table and starts screaming for a challenge of locked hands. The ref stops the match! While one wrestler has put himself in a position to win, a coach runs over and gets the action stopped. Of course there was no overturned call, but Henson got his wrestler off his belly and a minute to rest for one last push to escape, which he did. Henson works the system and his wrestler wins. Good for him. Bad for Nye. Are there any rules about when you can challenge? Break in the action? End of the period? They could have reviewed locked hands at the end of the period and put time back on the clock if that was the case.
-- Dustin K.

Foley: The Nye-Smith match is an excellent example of a referee being outmatched by a witty coach. I don't blame Henson for stopping the action. However, the referee is supposed to let the action play out and review locked hands after a stalemate, out of bounds or other natural stop in action. If there had been locked hands the referees can go back and set the time to the moment of the infraction. As you mentioned there was no infraction and the match restart cost Nye the win. In the future, I'm sure that Pat McCormick (national coordinator of officials) will make this point very clear.

Q: With the ridiculous failure by the NCAA to properly keep score at their own national tournament, my question is this: Did all of the coaches know before the tournament began that it was one-hundred percent their responsibility to challenge scoring errors? Not challenge a referee's call for points (or failure to do so) but actually challenge the people at the table keeping score?

In the future, will this be the norm: That all coaches are to be kept accountable for keeping track of the score during the match in case of an error and any inconsistencies must be argued BEFORE the referee raises the 'winner's' hand?
-- Brad H.

Foley: The coaches I spoke with were split on whether they KNEW it was their responsibility. Most thought that a table challenge would be enough to clarify any mistakes. The NCAA certainly had no problem blaming the coaching staff, but when you're used to pimping out players for profit you can see that they may lack the moral clarity to overturn a decision that might cause some controversy.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Death to the NCAA

Q: A lot of comments and questions about boring matches and points not being scored this year, yet the NCAA finals matches pumped out over 113 total points scored. I think there was 63 points scored in the 10 finals matches last year. Do you think that has more to do with the new rules (flash takedowns, five count below the waist, etc.) or the wrestlers in this year's finals? Maybe a new mindset of score as many points as you can and don't sit on a lead?
-- Mike F.

Foley: There are a number of reasons, but flash takedowns, mismatches and well-paired opponents lent itself to more scoring this year. The lightweights were especially aggressive in the finals.

No. Gabe Dean definitely sat on his lead, as did Matt Brown and Gwiz. Stalling and sitting on a lead are NOT going way unless there is a solid out-of-bounds that prevents the eventual backup and using the edge as safety zone. The only way to keep wrestlers wrestling is to incentivize scoring and limit the opportunity for wrestlers in the lead to skip out on action.

What's more difficult and exciting -- an escape point, or taking a grown man and driving him out of bounds? The latter. Definitely the latter.

Q: I don't know if this has been discussed before, but the group of guys I go watch nationals with every year were talking when we were in St. Louis. We, along with many fans, are very upset and concerned with the lack of takedowns and action, particularly in the first period. We were wondering if perhaps a good solution would be incentivizing takedowns in a decision the same as nearfall points are for a tech. For example, if a guy wins with a takedown he gets 1.5 points on the front side whereas a decision with no takedown only earns the 1 point. Backside could work the same but awarding 1 point and .5 points. Initially we thought about making the front side .5 for a decision with no takedown, but weren't fond of what that could mean for the backside. This idea is obviously also applicable to dual meet competitions. It seems some of your ideas for improving the action and making the sport more watcher-friendly are, I suppose, more radical, but do you think something as simple as changing the scoring of team points could help?
-- Matt W.

Foley: I could see team points incentivizing the top teams, but that might be a limited edge. Many coaches equate aggression to risk and while they'd like the extra half point, I don't think that it would carry into the wrestler's action.

However, I think that a change of the rules to aggregate scoring of dual meets could result in more scoring. For example if you win 8-3, then you pick up eight points for your team and your opponent earns three. There are some major obstacles to overcome, but in all that type of scoring system might incentivize an increase in action.

I like where these ideas are headed.

Q: A lot of people say Iowa underachieves at the NCAAs. I believe that they work harder during the regular season and peak then, while others are peaking come tournament time. What is your philosophy on Iowa? Do they underachieve at NCAAs, or do they overachieve during regular season?
-- Jordan B.

Foley: Parity. Iowa is one of the best teams in the nation and while they no longer win the NCAA title every year, they are almost always in the top three. That's not easy to achieve in an NCAA tournament that allows for teams like Edinboro to sprint out to a third-place finish.

There are more good wrestlers, an abundance of talented coaches and more support in more places. The days of Iowa collecting multiple championships is in the past. Too many Isaiah Martinez-like wrestlers and too many Cael Sanderson-like coaches.

RANT OF THE WEEK
By Ryan R.

I'm sure that your mailbox is full of stalling complaints, but here's one more. The lack of action is killing the fan experience. I watched dozens of matches where a wrestler with a one-point lead backed up, blocked, and circled for the entire third period. It's not the wrestler's fault, though. Why take a risk if you don't have to? There is no need for a rule change either. It simply needs to be called as written. Here are a few excerpts from the rule book that aren't really enforced:

5.9.2 Neutral Position Stalling. Each wrestler must attempt to work toward the center of the mat and continue wrestling in an attempt to secure a takedown, regardless of the time or score of the match.

5.9.2.3 A wrestler shall be called for stalling if kicking out from a lower leg hold when this action results in the defending wrestler going out of the wrestling area.

5.9.2.4 Fleeing or attempting to flee the wrestling area as a means of avoiding being scored upon. (See Rule 5.13.)

5.9.3.2 Either wrestler pushing or pulling the opponent out of bounds to prevent scoring.

I understand that we don't want referees "deciding the match" with stalling calls, but they are currently deciding the match by not calling it. I have done a little refereeing myself and understand how difficult it is to make these calls in a high school gym. It would even harder when you know 5,000 fans from the represented school will reign boos down on you in a national televised event, but for the good of wrestling, somebody needs to call stalling.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 13, 2015

Fri, 13 Mar 2015 13:17:01 +0000

On Wednesday night, much of the wrestling community and the NCAA committee responsible for seeding must've shared the same thought: Where did this all go wrong?

By now most wrestling fans have been through the brackets and seen the multitude of head-scratching seeds offered by the committee. Some, when looked at closely defy any and all explanation. For example the NCAA committee's formula simply cannot explain the seeding at 141 pounds where Devin Carter (Virginia Tech) sits behind Lavion Mayes (Missouri).

The formulas used were created in hopes of formulating an objective way to analyze the yearlong performance of more than 1000 wrestlers around Division I. When handling a massive amount of data this "objective" formula can help sort the majority of wrestlers into their general place, kind of like making sure all your playing cards are facing the right direction.

However, formulas -- drafted by a version of this same committee -- can NOT be solely responsible for the seeding of athletes. In sports like international judo, which uses a points system, points do result in ranking.That's public and known year-round In wrestling that doesn't exist and by nature a discussion must still occur. However that discussion seems to be artificially limited, and there is an outward refusal to analyze specific known data.

Two great examples of this emu-esque approach is to not consider prior year performance, or if losses are avenged.

Two-time NCAA champion Jesse Delgado of Illinois picked up three wins at the Big Ten Championships last weeekend in Columbus, but it still didn't earn him a seed at the NCAAs (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)

In the case of prior year performance, the NCAA adopted the rules of basketball and other seeded team sports. In those cases, not bringing forward historical data can make sense because teams can change dramatically from year-to-year, and sometimes -- as is the case with Kentucky basketball -- may have NONE of the previous year's players.

In wrestling the athletes remain the same year-to-year. Take for example Jesse Delgado. There is zero sense in not seeding a two-time defending NCAA champion who has had an injury-riddled season inside one of the nation's toughest conferences. To try to exclude him based on any part of the formula created ONLY for perfect scenarios is treason to logic. To make the finals Delgado will now likely need to wrestle the No. 8, No. 9, No. 4 and No. 1 seeds, a reality that's equally unfair to those seeded wrestlers.

Why even bother to seed a weight class if you knowingly create an imbalanced bracket? Where is the objectiveness in disregarding facts?

NCAA's Seeding Criteria

1. Head-to-Head Competition 25%
2. Quality Wins 20
3. Common Opponents 10%
4. RPI 10%
5. Coaches Rank 10%
6. Qualifying tournament placement 10%
7. Winning Percentage 10%
8. No. of matches at weight class 5%

The other point is earning back wins against opponents. Wrestling creates matchups that are sometimes won by creative wrestlers. And unlike many other sports, wrestling is unforgiving of mistakes. Does a wrestler losing a first matchup really not earn back his keep when he earns revenge in a future matchup? How can ignoring this scenario -- the one in which Jason Tsirtsis was pushed to the No.2 seed -- make any logical sense?

For the die-hard fan the NCAA tournament will be an exciting display almost no matter the seeding. But for the athletes who have worked their whole lives for this tournament, an evenly and logically seeded tournament should be guaranteed. What happened this week in Indianapolis let down those wrestlers who expected a fair hearing of their accomplishments.

To your questions ...

Q: Do you believe that past NCAA credentials should be used when seeding the national tournament?
-- @Rhino184?

Foley: Yes. If the wrestler is an All-American or national champion from the previous year, that should be taken into account. Yes, it seems more subjective, but it can, especially in situations like Stieber's and Delgado's, eliminate a wackadoodle bracket.

Q: Did the Big 12 having only four teams, and thus taking some at-large bids, leave some good wrestlers at home?
-- @Will_J_157

Foley: Unlikely. The Big 12 has plenty of the nation's top wrestlers. Any of the quality wrestlers who would have been on the bubble had the Big 12 received two dozen automatics, now qualified a weight in their conference. In that way they may have even benefited from such a system.

The Big 12 does not have enough teams to qualify as an automatic qualifier conference. They will appeal for full membership, but probably won't be granted anything unless they can pick up a fifth team.

At 149 pounds, the champ didn't qualify, but the third and fourth-place finishers did.

The champ was Shayne Tucker of Oklahoma, who beat Gabe Moreno and who outplaced Josh Kindig, but Tucker stays at home.

Why would a kid like Tucker even want to compete?

From my understanding the Big 12 teams will be combining with the Western Wrestling Conference in 2015-2016. That might be a good move, it might not, I just don't know how it'll all play out. But I do know that I feel bad for Shayne Tucker more than I do anyone sitting on the bubble in another conference.

Q: Keeping in mind your relationship with United World Wrestling, and looking at the NCAA brackets, are decision-making processes more transparent in the organization formerly known as FILA, than NCAA wrestling? I mean, are they now more transparent? Cause the issue is transparency and in other words, FILA has been this great bugbear for the American wrestling fan, but now is the NCAA wrestling component worse?
-- Mike R.

Foley: I'd agree that United World Wrestling is simply a different organization than when it was called FILA. That there is a communications department is evidence enough that there has been progress in keeping the wrestling family informed of changes to the sport and administration. Are we perfect? Absolutely not. But the aim is for transparency.

One hindrance is that much of what goes on in international wrestling takes place among a decentralized system of federations and political power makers around the globe. For example, the quality of refereeing is difficult to maintain when there are 1600 worldwide and sometimes rule changes (a la "near takedown") are not being applied correctly.

The NCAA does not have that excuse, and I think you're right to see that they resemble FILA much more than UWW. The seeding issue has been well stated, but the bidding process of cities to host tournaments, rule changes and a multitude of other bureaucratic decisions never get parsed out by the communications department, ostensibly by directive.

Seeing as how all the NCAA Division I programs are in the USA, there is little that would ever be lost to cultural misinterpretation. However, there is plenty ceded to the established power brokers and the power of those who unwind the red tape.

Q: What do you think of the parity in the Big Ten Championships this year? I can't remember a time when there were champions from eight different schools and have (one of) the team champions win it without a single individual champion. Is this kind of parity good for the sport? I know everyone likes dynasties and dominating performances attract viewers. Can this kind of parity hurt the sport?
-- James F.

Foley: I think it's difficult to argue that more teams winning titles is bad the sport. Wrestling is reliant on donors and the accomplishments of programs big and small can help drive fundraising and friend-raising. Results at the conference and NCAA tournament can often mean the difference in thousands of dollars in donations, if not tens of thousands.

When it comes to popular perception, I DO think that too much parity can hurt the sport. There is a laziness that permeates the journalism world, and it has nothing to do with hours logged, but a lot to do with "How is this interesting to my readership?"

Should ESPN want to run a preview of the NCAA championship, what would be their title? I'm asking, because I'm pitching this exact thing right now. In 2013 I wrote an article on the Dake vs. Taylor finals. That was easier than not and did insane traffic for ESPN. This year? The team race is so wide open it might require a lot of faith on the part of the editorial team to allow me to craft something. Now imagine you are a writer who knows zero about the sport outside of Cael, Gable, Penn State and Iowa. Grasping for straws.

Overall, I like the parity, even though the spreading out of talent makes the sport more difficult to follow for the common fan. I guess the hope is that the spread will bring in more fans from individual programs and help the growth in that all politics is local kind of way.

(Go 'Hoos!)

Q: I was watching the EIWA tournament noticing MANY sudden victory matches not wrestled by heavyweights. They often went into the third overtime (Rideout after rideout forcing more OT)!! I was hearing the commentary saying, "As a referee you can't determine the match." We have referees call FALLS, stalling and fleeing the mat. Understood, the counter argument is, "In the rideout you are allowed to stall." Which is true according to the rules. Should refs call more stalling calls? Should they be the "deciding factor" if a wrestler's first move off the whistle in neutral is STEPPING BACK?

I think I have told you this before, but in Judo, the referees call "Shido" if someone is bent over or is fleeing any type of grip as long as the criteria is met. It doesn't matter if it is 30 seconds with a tie score. They call it as they see it. Judo is not in trouble (Olympics) because the more upright rules and stalling calls pretty much ensures someone goes flying! However Judo has strict rules on what coaches can say.

Time for a culture change in wrestling officiating?
-- Dan C.

Foley: Fans on Twitter and those in the media have reiterated the chant we started here on the mailbag a few months ago: #KillRT

The rule has backfired and caused the sport to turn to molasses. Like any unintended consequence, the desire to produce a sport with more falls by incentivizing control has now turned into a game of competitive leeching.

But will the NCAA listen?

SHIDO!

Q: What is your perspective on adding stats to wrestling's media presence (reporting, online team pages, season duals, season tournaments, postseason duals, tournaments, etc.)? While I believe rule changes are inevitable for college wrestling and making it more exciting, what about appreciating and finding new ways to enjoy/compare/discuss our unique sport? Similar to baseball, would be great to look up stats (creating more engaging internet experiences with our sport) pre and post duals. Pins, takedowns (per period), back points (per period), escapes (per period), takedowns scored on reshot, etc. I think establishing a base of the right stats could help our sport further. Great coaches discuss these things with their wrestlers. Extend this to the fans!
-- Mr. J.

Foley: There is room for stats! I know that there have been attempts by plenty of people to get this done, but there would need to be a widely accepted scoring system that could immediately feed into a central database. Without a central system it's just not possible to know who gets how many takedowns at the Reno Invitational.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: Podcast with Coach Steve Garland after Virginia's unlikely ACC tournament victory

Match of the 2015 Women's Wrestling World Cup (wait to see how this ends)

Q: One of the biggest stories not talked about in the wrestling world is the reinstatement of the Fresno State program. Usually, wrestling only gets noticed when a program is cut, but with addition of Grand Canyon University in 2017 after completing its transition and Fresno State targeting 2018 for a restart, what team will be next to join the Division I ranks?
-- Rocco L.

Foley: My fault here. I haven't really been jumping as high as I should for the Fresno State addition. This is a monster sign for the growth of the sport and more should be made of the commitment by former head coach Dennis Deliddo, who has been relentless in pressuring the administration.

Coach Deliddo will always be best known for what he's accomplished on the mats, what he's done in helping orchestrate this comeback should be larger than a footnote. I'm thrilled there will a monument to this man's commitment to the sport of wrestling and the university he loves so much.

As Fresno State alum and Cal Poly head wrestling coach Brendan Buckley said, "Deliddo is THE REASON that Fresno is coming back. He's the epitome of the school's mascot -- A BULLDOG!"

Q: I should have asked this last week but being a PA guy I can't help but wonder what happened to the Alton brothers, namely Dylan?
-- @Robbybobbi?

Foley: Brother, I don't know. Nothing told to me was salacious, just some talk that they were beaten out for their positions and battled injuries. I'm disappointed that they didn't finish their careers on top. There was always a lot of pressure on them to succeed and with weight cutting, stamina issues and a team filled with doers, it just never came together for the home-state guys.

I wish them the best in the future. Hopefully they stay in the sport!

Q: I can't stand seeing a growing trend in high school wrestling where the winning or losing wrestler is running off the mat before the winner's hand is raised. I'm thinking this started with Iowa and the trend is continuing to grow. Every wrestler knows that when the match ends, the winner must get his hand raised. I don't know why wrestlers are trying to get off the mat before this happens, especially when they win. Sometimes the ref has to force the winner to stay out there. As a coach, seeing the losing wrestler sprint off the mat only leads me to believe they did not leave it all out on the mat. In freestyle and Greco, the winner or loser never is allowed to run off no matter what happened during the match. I would love to see a rule change in high school where the wrestlers are not allowed to leave the small circle before the winner's hand is raised. Thoughts?
-- Tim H.

Foley: My favorite story from wrestling is watching the Navy coach Bruce Burnett walk up to a wrestler in the midst of a hissy fit after being eliminated at NCAAs. Coach walks up with his hands behind his back as this wrestler screams and cries and punches walls and kicks headgears. Coach looks at him and says "Where was all this energy a moment ago, John?"

Then just walks away.

You're right. You must stand there for two turns as your opponent's hand is raised. You are also mandated to exit via the opposing coach's corner. This happens 99 percent of the time and when it doesn't or if there is a flagrant misconduct the wrestler (and nation) is given a yellow card. Guess what? Those can cost your team $5,000!

The running off the mat thing is totally obnoxious, and though it might have started with Iowa it's now a part of too many team's emotional aesthetic. Forget that they should be a little more tired, but where is the sportsmanship in running away like a spoiled brat? Losing stinks, but that's not anyone's fault but your own. Coaches, parents and other wrestlers should do a better job and ask their teammates who run away, "Why are you acting like such a loser?"

Being a man requires staring down failure and it's about time we start instilling that lesson in our young athletes.

RANT OF THE WEEK
By Ismael M.

I went to our regional tournament last weekend and was totally disappointed by the wrestling. The finals matches began at 145 pounds. Between 145 pounds to 285 pounds there more hand fighting than takedown attempts. It wasn't until 106 when the dancing stopped. I then watched the early rounds of the states and it was much of the same. There were multiple overtime matches where the score was 1-1. Many could barely ride, which made it worse when you saw them on their feet.

The only time you saw shooting was when the wrestlers became desperate. Then I watched the Big Ten finals and watched Nathan Tomasello do a great impression of Mike Jackson's moonwalk, not that Thomas Gilman was doing much but pushing.

Tomasello didn't shoot again after he got his takedown. What made it even more of a joke was during his interview he was asked what he did to win and he said, "I kept up the pressure throughout the match." It's a shame to watch. I also don't understand why refs let a guy hold on to a single leg while doing absolutely nothing but trying to get riding time, not even attempting to come up, yet if he went up to his feet he would get banged for stalling (maybe).

Foley's Friday Mailbag: March 6, 2015

Fri, 06 Mar 2015 08:57:43 +0000

With the conference tournaments coming this weekend there isn't much to do but embrace the spectacle and enjoy the storylines as they unfold.

Wrestling fans who align with schools will feel jubilation and disappointment throughout the weekend as the underdogs find upsets and the favorites tumble. The media attention given to the sport has increased significantly over the past few years. Where I was watching bootlegged Iowa Public Television dual meets on VHS in 2000, the wrestling fan today can watch on their computer, iPad and even phone.

So sign up for some premium services, join the online discussions and have a tremendous weekend filled with watching the world's best athletes compete in the oldest and greatest sport.

Q: Cousins Bo Jordan and Isaac Jordan could meet in the Big Ten finals on Sunday. If they do meet, who are you picking?
-- Mike C.

Wisconsin's Isaac Jordan has a 19-2 record this season

Foley: I choose the Jordans. I choose the Jordan family gene pool.

Goodness can that little slice of Ohio scrap, or what. How much of their talent is learned and how much just exists in their DNA? The Gracie family may claim jiu-jitsu dominance, but anyone familiar with the sport knows that theirs is now mostly just a marketing scheme (and plenty of willingness to assume maternal naming structure when beneficial).

Increasingly, it seems like the Jordans are becoming a defensible first family of wrestling. Not only did the last generation get it done on the mat, but they have raised children who love to compete and do a damn fine job of winning.

But in the end I think I'll choose Isaac. Not sure why, don't know that there is a defensible reason to choosing either. I just dig on the name!

Q: What's your take on Nike investing more in wrestling with the sponsorship of the Hawkeye Wrestling Club?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Massive move. This mimics what we see in other international sports, where the club is the driving force behind athletics around the world. Those clubs are supported by sponsors (many of them local), which is how they travel and host events.

Nike coming back to the wrestling scene should push more competitiveness among the brands to provide services and cash to clubs. What does Nike see in the sport? I'd imagine they see a chance to tap their loyal fan base within wrestling -- the same business model that has helped Flips Wrestling and other wrestling-centric brands (no pun intended) turn a profit. With a major brand on board with the sport, arguably the most influential, the funding of all clubs may soon experience an upturn.

Overall, I'm happy for the Hawkeye Wrestling Club and hopeful for the sport at large.

Q: What do u think about the Tennessee state tourney being wrestled at a venue with a dirt floor, uneven mats, no showers and no warm-up area?
-- @codylcleveland

Foley: The American South is struggling to get their wrestling act together in 2015. First the VHSL shortens an already ridiculous Virginia state wrestling tournament, and next Tennessee apparently held their state tournament in a poorly lit, exceptionally dirty barn.

I looked for the photos that I'd glanced past on Twitter this week, but was unable to find them. Needless to say the tournament was hosted in conditions not on par with how athletes in 2015 should be treated.

Maybe the worst offense is that the tournament was dirty AND there was nowhere for athletes to shower. In the age of pernicious skin diseases and 1-800-LAWYERS, not maintaining a health-conscience facility is a large financial liability to the state high school association.

Another issue is that there was no place for the athletes to warm up before their matches. How this is allowed to happen defies description.

The Tennessee athletic association should be held accountable. Unfortunately if they are anything like that in Virginia that will act, and almost certainly be, above the law.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

New deal for the Hawkeyes

Trailer for the Women's Wrestling World Cup

Big Move of the Week

Q: With Logan Stieber graduating, who do you think will be the biggest star in college wrestling next season?
-- Mike C.

Foley: That will depend on who wins the NCAA championship this season. Right now J'den Cox of Missouri and Jason Tsirtsis of Northwestern would be heading into their junior seasons as two-time NCAA champions. Should that happen it would be tough to argue with other wrestlers gaining more attention.

However, no matter how he does in 2015 the nation is ready to embrace Kyle Snyder, much like they did David Taylor. Snyder has received more than six years of hype and in a media age his friendliness off the mat and success on the mat have made him a highly marketable star.

If Isaiah Martinez completes his freshman season undefeated and hoisting the NCAA trophy ... then he very well could become the toast of 2016 in Madison Square Garden.

Q: When will we see the new freestyle and Greco-Roman uniforms?
-- Luca M. from Italy

Foley: I suspect we could see them as early as the end of 2015. There will be plenty of testing both in tournaments and with audiences. There is no particular rush and given the importance of the change nobody wishes to speed up the process for false deadlines.

Q: Any chance the NCAA adds a light heavyweight weight class that would reflect what high school wrestling did by adding a 220-pound weight class? It seems there is no easy transition weight class for top 220-pounders in high school to go to in college. They're either a very small heavyweight or they have to cut 23 pounds to get to 197. Something like a 210 or 225-pound weight class in college would be interesting.
-- Ryan P.

Foley: Absolutely zero chance.

College wrestling would benefit from fewer weight classes, not more. More concentration of talent would help shorten dual meets, bolster competitiveness and provide teams ample opportunity to fill out their lineups. No more forfeits and a better chance (not worse) for Johnny High School to earn a college scholarship.

Think of Olympic wrestling, which has argued for more men's weight classes. Until a country sends a wrestler in all 18 weight classes to the Olympics there is no over-concentration of talent. Yes, we all know about 74 kilos in men's freestyle with Burroughs, Howe, Dake and Taylor, but one weight class in one country doesn't support the argument for adding two more Olympic weight classes worldwide.

College wrestling is in a battle for resources. Better to prune the fat than to lose all the meat.

Q: In your opinion, what are some of the greatest mismatches that we have seen in the NCAA finals in the last 15 years? Criteria would be the skill level differential, not necessarily the score or a pin. For example, I wouldn't consider Bubba Jenkins vs. David Taylor or Dustin Kilgore vs. Clayton Foster mismatches even though both of those matches ended in pins. An example of the type of mismatch I'm thinking of is David Taylor vs. Brandon Hatchett.
-- Gil S.

Foley: Mitch Clark vs. Vertus Jones didn't read on paper like a mismatch, but within a minute it was obvious that Jones had no answer for Clark's top game. That was the first time, though not the last, where I felt a cringe of embarrassment for the opponent.

Readers: What are some of your favorites? Comment below.

Q: Would you have disqualified Thomas Gilman for the slam on Alan Waters? The match was chippy (Waters got his shots in too), but that slam was blatant with intent to injure, even though waters was OK. Maybe at the least they should have lost a team point. There is no need for that behavior.
-- Nick D.

Foley: Gone.

In jiu-jitsu you are tossed without a moment's hesitation. If you pulled that bullshit in the room you'd have your arms ripped off and be kicked out, possibly for good.

Wrestling does a TERRIBLE job of self-policing. Yes, we complain with the best, but when kids act out they need to be put in their place. That it's an institute for learning and coaches aren't able to discipline like they could in a private club is noted, but there should have been a much more significant punishment for that type of action.

I like Gilman and don't mind some chippyness, but all the energy poured into displaying that type of bravado would be better spent learning how to get out of legs.

Q: Did you see Mark Schultz is selling a bunch of stuff on eBay? What are your thoughts?
-- Mike C.

Foley: I don't know why he would want to sell his belongings, but I can imagine that he either wants psychological separation from the events of Foxcatcher (post-movie and post-book). He may also be hard up for cash and wants to cash out on the popularity of the film and his book. If so, I think that can be a sad reminder of how much wrestling can take from some individuals.

Regardless of your personal thoughts on Mark, it would be troubling to see someone with so much talent be left without a safety net deserving of the inspiration he provided millions of wrestlers.

RANT OF THE WEEK
By Nick D.

For those people that don't like freestyle, you need to embrace it. I never wrestled past high school, my brother wrestled in the Big Ten. We went to London for the Olympics in 2012. It was one of the all-time experiences I have ever had, and that was under the old "3 separate matches" rules (Jake Herbert got screwed -- just saying). If you think that Iowa and Minnesota fans are intense, go to an international wrestling match and listen to the Iranians, Azerbaijanis, Russians, etc. They are crazy. It's not even political. Iranians actually cheered for Americans when we wrestled the Russians because it affected the mythical team title and overall medal count. Seriously, everyone should do themselves a favor and either go to the World Championships or the World Cup in 2015. They are both in the States.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 27, 2015

Fri, 27 Feb 2015 11:00:05 +0000

Sympathies go out to the family and friends of Clarion wrestler Nick Gavazzi who died this week in a motor vehicle accident. Link

Well, Missouri has made a liar out of this year's Iowa-heavy prognosticators.

Winners of the 2015 NWCA National Duals, Missouri upset favorite Iowa 18-12 in Sunday's finals, and in doing so also challenged the popular perception that the Hawkeyes would walk away with the team title in St. Louis.

Though Iowa is likely the favorite to win the NCAA tournament, it's obvious that teams like Missouri, Ohio State and Minnesota have the talent to challenge the Hawkeyes and nip at their heels throughout the three-day tournament.

Though the upset matters as a stand-alone event, the big question coming out of a drama-filled weekend of pushing, flapping and shooshing is how anyone could mount a substantial argument against the National Duals and their impact on the future of college wrestling.

I was in Tehran covering the Greco-Roman World Cup and despite the poor Internet and time difference, the buzz around the National Duals was so loud online that results and storylines were easy to follow even when flying back through timelines of other journalists. Upsets in the first round and a lineup packed with schools with broad name recognition to both wrestling fans and those outside the sport.

That's media gold and a way to drive attention and viewership in your product.

While there are years in which selling wrestling to major publications is easier than others (Kyle Dake vs. David Taylor), the stories wanted by the press tend to start with colleges -- something that every sports reader can know with ease. Cornell is Ivy League. Iowa is a dominant power. Penn State has Cael Sanderson as coach. These are pretty basic items that maybe half the sports world knows heading into March.

That's why the Missouri-Iowa upset became a story with resonance in and out of the wrestling community. Because it was Missouri -- the school, the colors, the everything -- who performed this upset feat, not an individual with a more difficult back story. School successes and failures are easier to follow for fans and therefore are preferred by the media.

Overall, the National Duals format has a ways to go before it can be the most meaningful competition of the NCAA season. Much of the discussion of duals will center on scheduling and how the competitions might impact the proven money-making NCAA tournament, but the writing is on the mats -- in a rapidly changing athletics environment money and interest are necessary for survival.

To your questions ...

Q: Missouri coach Brian Smith wrestled collegiately at Michigan State. Any chance we could ever see him replace Tom Minkel in East Lansing?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Absolutely. The Missouri wrestling team is currently ranked No. 1 in the nation in the dual meet rankings, something that nobody would have predicted even with the Askren brothers in town. After 20-plus years of hard work Coach Smith has a contender.

Brian Smith (Photo/Clayton Hotze)

So why leave?

Well, maybe he wouldn't (there is no opening as of now), but the argument for why he would is the same for why college basketball coaches love to take over dynasty programs that are in the dumps. First there is the challenge of the turnaround, which can be a confidence building exercise in and of itself, but also there is an institutional and professional admiration that is extended to coaches who perform such turnarounds. Next, there is the idea that Michigan State, competing in the Big Ten, has a better chance of winning the national title and that they'd have more institutional support at-the-ready. Finally, he may want a change and to take over at an alma mater he loves (if he does).

Who knows if he'd apply, but taking Missouri to No.1 in the nation is a huge feather in his coaching cap and should he want another challenge, either in the Big Ten, Pac 12 or the ACC, there aren't many athletic directors who wouldn't give Coach Smith an interview.

Q: What do you make of the debacle with the VHSL?
-- John T.

Foley: To clarify for those who don't know the back story: Last week during the Virginia state wrestling tournament the VHSL was facing pressure from schools to reduce risk during an impending snowstorm. The tournament was meant to run Friday and Saturday, but with the storm the VHSL chose to make it a one-day tournament with no first-round wrestlebacks. With everything squeezed into a single day of wrestling the finals were late at night and had no public awards ceremony. The wrestlers were given their medals behind the bleachers.

Sooo ... Bing. Boom. Out. Wrestling started late and ended around 10 p.m. No pomp and very little time for celebration.

The VHSL was embattled well before this decision. Last year the organization decided to create additional state tournaments and classifications (to help with football) and forced wrestling to an eight-man bracket. This was of course strange, not only that there were eight state champions in a state that used to have three, but also that half as may wrestlers qualified.

The resulting chaos of last week's decision has been horrible publicity for the VHSL, and for good reason. Though there is always room for caution their actions seemed rushed and in part ruined the wrestling seasons of many young high school students. With no seeding at the state tournament the two best wrestlers might've met in the first round and left the loser out in the cold (literally) with no medal. With all the money being spent by individuals and families on the athletic careers of their sons and daughters, this type of slight could be perceived as irreparable.

The VHSL, like many amateur athletic organizations, seems to operate outside the jurisdiction of any larger authority, which for parents causes even more heartache since there is nowhere to point their frustration.

Wrestlers deserve the opportunity to compete in the fully bracketed tournament they were promised at the beginning of the season. Would they have played only three quarters of a football game? Of course not. The VHSL should make a public apology and look to make serious changes to the way they govern individual sports.

Q: United World Wrestling is doing a lot better than FILA. Still a ways to go, though. How is Arena coming along? What are some of the features we can look forward to once it goes live? This has a lot of potential for our sport.
-- Dan L.

Foley: Arena is cruising right along! The major improvement is that we can now have up-to-the-minute results embedded on the site as the tournament is happening. The results will come in an easy-to-read format that is fan friendly and allows for better use by the media.

The United World Wrestling site has been updated and is now filled with photos, videos, results and stories. The big events now have their own pages where users can find the live stream for the event, important matches and even same-day highlights. That multimedia can be a painful process when trying to navigate the troubles of hosting events in places like Iran or Cuba or Myanmar, but the structure is being created. Those are all kinks that can be ironed out over time, but it's important to understand that for wrestling to be grown worldwide, it's vital for a variety of countries to host tournaments.

Of course not every tournament will be covered the same. There is a range of competitions on the calendar, but each of the United World Wrestling branded competitions (Continental Championships, World Cups, World Championships) will have the full available treatment. Video is also now being treated as a priority.

Wrestling deserves to be in front of the fans. Though we started with 12k Facebook fans in February 2013, the growth has been immense. For example, more than 1.8 million people saw the United World Wrestling page last week during the Greco-Roman World Cup. Those are insane numbers for no Facebook advertising and only 220k Facebook fans.

The content is perfect for sharing and the passion of the fans ignites a ton of outside interest over platforms like Facebook and Twitter.

The media operation will continue to expand, but that will take time and money and of course demand patience from the wrestling community.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Best match of the 2015 Greco-Roman World Cup

Ben Askren takes on the culture of the Iowa wrestling culture's love for "He's STALLING, ref."

Post by Ben Askren.

Link: What's bugging Andy, support Iowa wrestling

Link: Wrestler invents fire extinguisher that uses sound

Link: Utah gymnastics sets record attendance

Link: Save Bishop Eustace wrestling

Q: Which freshman has a better chance to finish this season as an undefeated NCAA champion, Isaiah Martinez or Bo Jordan?
-- Mike C.

Foley: Isaiah Martinez is just not being threatened and that makes me think that he's on the level of Cael Sanderson as a freshman. The tough part about being an undefeated four-time NCAA champion is winning every match, and that's especially true the first two years when hiccups are much more common.

Given his desire to score a lot of points and wrestle to the pin, I think that Martinez will be the favorite heading into Big Tens, and if he makes it through THAT weekend unscathed then he can likely make it through the NCAA tournament without a blemish.

Either way, it's exciting and special to have two undefeated freshmen near the top of the college rankings and heading into the NCAA tournament capable of joining recent greats in making history.

Rant of the Week
By Patrick S.

What happened to respect in wrestling? Where did silent intensity go? Why does it seem like there are multiple incidents of disrespectful behavior in every dual that I watch? I'm so sick of people writing off childish post-whistle behavior by saying something to the effect of: "Well if you don't want any intensity go watch figure skating!"

The extracurricular activity and constant showboating are simply embarrassing. You're representing your school, coaching staff, and teammates poorly. If you're not mature enough to compete without standing over your opponent and flexing after every win or without taunting the opposing crowd after a hard fought victory, then good luck getting along in life after sports.

In my opinion, these kinds of shenanigans add nothing to the sport. They don't add entertainment value. I don't watch wrestling for the soap opera angle of who's mad at who or to see student-athletes play dirty. I want to see guys compete in the actual sport that they're supposed to be participating in and I want to see them do so in an intense and mutually respectful manner.

Do you know what does add entertainment value? Takedowns. Throws. Pinning combinations. Exciting wrestling offers entertainment value. Do you want to put on a show for the crowd? Go after your opponent for seven minutes and quit it with the cheap "boxing weigh-in stare down" style dramatics. It's tired. It's played out. You're not a badass because you shushed a crowd or you cheap-shotted an opponent. You're a child. Your effort inside the circle should speak for itself every time. If you have to punctuate it with antics, you're doing something wrong.

Foley's Friday Mailbag: February 20, 2015

Fri, 20 Feb 2015 06:04:48 +0000

The NCAA released their first RPI of the season this week and if you watch Twitter then some of the rankings came as a surprise to wrestling minds.

I won't weigh in on which seemed odd, but I think the first rankings do offer an opportunity to discuss the validity of building an RPI system in college wrestling.

Subjective criteria the NCAA once used to decipher the number of allocations per conference was replaced (for good reason) by the objective criteria of the RPI system. Math over instinct. Each wrestler is assigned points and those shift depending on the strength of who he wrestles, defeats and loses to over the course of the season. The top wrestlers are divided into conferences which then gives each conference their automatic bids.

Though the system does seem to take out the shifting sands of the "who is better now" criteria, there are flaws. The people who created the system saw value in certain achievements and milestones more than others (ex: the number of wins to make a wrestler eligible for ranking) and those subjective decisions do dictate some of the variance we are witnessing in the first rankings. The benefit is that at least they are known before the seeding meetings in March.

The RPI might be a bit wonky in tight weight classes, but the system seems to give credit to those who perform all year while also allowing for the conference tournaments to remain an important event.

To your questions ...

Q: What was wrong with nine-minute matches that pitted the endurance of the wrestler along with the technique needed to win? My husband was a part of that era and I referred many of those in the popular video "Greatest Wrestling Highlight" and we can call most friends. It shows what our sport was and how much we have lost over the years. That is what we want our sport to be again! That should be the goal of every coach in the nation.
-- D.R.

Foley: Good gravy. I don't know that wrestling nine minutes would be very appealing to the YouTube generation. One of the appeals of the current format is that it can be displayed online and on television without much interruption.

When you consider that an American football game is only 14 minutes of combined actions over the course of four hours, you can see that nine straight minutes of wrestling may bore viewers and scare off sponsors.

Wrestling can be packaged in a variety of ways, but as a spectator sport it's important that it appeals to spectators -- and that will almost always mean action. You made a point in our email exchange that wrestling has changed since appealing to money, and I'd agree that from my perspective it's becoming a more professionalized and mature product. That can have negative side effects, but overall it allows for more individuals around the world to enter the sport.

As for the highlight it is thrilling. I think that seeing that much red, white and blue will jazz up the base and that's not a bad thing, either.

Q: Can Missouri, Ohio State, Minnesota or Cornell beat Iowa and win the National Duals this weekend?
-- Mike C.

Foley: No. Iowa has backups beating top ten wrestlers and I feel like this year they have backups of backups who Brands could slap on the rear and have them win a national title. I like all these other teams, but I just think Iowa is in the "Iowa gear" and nobody can catch them.

MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME

Link: In New York, Uzbek immigrants invigorate high school wrestling

Link: Sport works to stay relevant in changing NCAA

Q: What do you think of Ed Ruth moving from Penn State to Arizona State to train for 2016? Do you think it's for MMA?
-- John R.

Foley: I do think it's for MMA ... in the long run.

From what I'm told Ed would love to wrestle in the 2016 Games but that he has his eyes firmly set on entering the cage. That Olympic success might be a springboard to an MMA career is obvious, but I also imagine that almost everyone he spoke with, from manager to friends to coaches, has told him that he's put in way too much work into the sport of wrestling to walk away with the Olympics in sight.

Ed Ruth won his first U.S. World Team Trials title last summer (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)

There are always grumblings about relationships and jealousy, but that aside a move to Arizona to train with Zeke Jones is a pretty smart move. No matter what his relationship with Cael, there is no question that Zeke can prepare Ed for any and all opponents. He's a helluva coach and if those two connect, then there isn't much more to the story.

Should Ruth hunker down in Arizona it's plausible that MMA would be in the cards come October of next year. That's still a bit away, but with cross-training opportunities he could pick up some skills and start the slow build to his first cage fight. However, he should take caution. Not every talented wrestler that ventures into MMA is a household name or holding a belt.

The fighting landscape is now littered with guys who almost made it to the top and I'd bet at least a few wishes they had another chance at Olympic glory.

Q: Missouri and Illinois wrestle in the National Duals quarterfinals. Jesse Delgado vs. Alan Waters. Who are you taking?
-- Mike C.

Foley: This will be the big test Delgado has been missing much of the season. Coming off of a long injury to face a nails Alan Waters and the No. 2-ranked team in the country will be tough for Delgado.

Still, as I've written before, many coaches compliment Delgado on his toughness and I'm sure he won't get on the mat unless he is 1000 percent ready for the challenge.

I think Waters plays a smarter game than Delgado and earns the 4-3 victory.