Poll: Who is the GOAT American wrestler?

[ionel]

4 hours ago, bnwtwg said:

All of you are still wrong.

Adeline Gray is the US goat. Her arithmetic is simple: titles X longevity = GOAT

She has it all. And if she brings home more hardware this year then it further distances her from the field.

But she has 3 bronze, hasn't won even 1 Olympics so certainly not 6 in a row, correct? 

Smith never got bronze or silver at World or Olympic correct?  

 

Edited April 16 by ionel

[bnwtwg]

1 hour ago, ionel said:

But she has 3 bronze, hasn't won even 1 Olympics so certainly not 6 in a row, correct? 

Smith never got bronze or silver at World or Olympic correct?  

 

Smith won golds while losing at the Olympics. Maybe if she got the same opportunity I would have a different opinion. I also care significantly less about the Olympics versus worlds than most people due to the 4 year nature of the beast and don't even get me started on the lack of weight classes where Smith may have taken even more losses if he had to choose to go up or down.

[ionel]

1 hour ago, bnwtwg said:

Smith won golds while losing at the Olympics. Maybe if she got the same opportunity I would have a different opinion. I also care significantly less about the Olympics versus worlds than most people due to the 4 year nature of the beast and don't even get me started on the lack of weight classes where Smith may have taken even more losses if he had to choose to go up or down.

Yeah he never scored a push out point either.  The rules were different then, he knew he didn't have to have that match.  Also Olympic Games were much tougher than Worlds.  

[bnwtwg]

2 hours ago, ionel said:

Yeah he never scored a push out point either.  The rules were different then, he knew he didn't have to have that match.  Also Olympic Games were much tougher than Worlds.  

He knew he could lose. Call me old-fashioned when I want my GOATs to win.

[scourge165]

3 hours ago, bnwtwg said:

He knew he could lose. Call me old-fashioned when I want my GOATs to win.

Cool. Well, John Smith won an Olympic Gold. Grey didn't. By YOUR own argument, Grey isn't the GOAT.

 

This was also the era where Cary Kolat had about 19 matches overturned on bullshit calls, but there's neither here nor there.

 

Also...this is just silly. Why are we comparing Men and Women? There are a 100 different differences here, but this was obviously the greatest Men. This just feels like a contrarian take. 

[bnwtwg]

4 hours ago, scourge165 said:

Cool. Well, John Smith won an Olympic Gold. Grey didn't. By YOUR own argument, Grey isn't the GOAT.

 

This was also the era where Cary Kolat had about 19 matches overturned on bullshit calls, but there's neither here nor there.

 

Also...this is just silly. Why are we comparing Men and Women? There are a 100 different differences here, but this was obviously the greatest Men. This just feels like a contrarian take. 

1) I said Olympics are not worth more than worlds so learn to read before you use ten cent words with your penny keyboard.

2) Kolat has never been in GOAT discussion.

3) If you can't appreciate greatness because of the hardware downstairs then do you but Adeline Gray is the best American wrestler in my opinion. And you know what they say, opinions are like you.

[ionel]

51 minutes ago, bnwtwg said:

1) I said Olympics are not worth more than worlds so learn to read before you use ten cent words with your penny keyboard.

2) Kolat has never been in GOAT discussion.

3) If you can't appreciate greatness because of the hardware downstairs then do you but Adeline Gray is the best American wrestler in my opinion. And you know what they say, opinions are like you.

You are intitled to your opinion.

[HungusMungus]

For my money its Bruce Baumgartner, Dude had an undefeated streak against other Americans for well over a decade. 

He was always a threat to medal at every world/Olympics, just a beast of a man! 

 

I was at a Mike Deanna wrestling camp in Edinboro in 1991, Bruce was a counselor. Some camps the counselors take it easy on the participants, not Bruce, he wrestled everyone like they were the top Russian. It was a pleasure to take a beating from one of the greatest ever.  

[LIV4GOD]

On 4/11/2024 at 10:06 PM, wrestle87 said:

A question I’d love to find a way to craft some criteria around would be “who was the best in their prime?”

Internationally, I think the best American to take the mat was probably ‘72 Gable, followed by 2011-12 JB.  100% unstoppable outmatching everyone in the weight by a country mile.

Domestically, ‘02 Cael by a country mile. I’m a bit too young to be able to speak to what it was like watching Gable in college, that would be really cool to hear about if anybody on here was around for some of that.

 

I was young, but I think I remember 25 pins in a row in college.  It was the level of domination that was other worldly.  

[scourge165]

On 4/16/2024 at 8:41 AM, bnwtwg said:

1) I said Olympics are not worth more than worlds so learn to read before you use ten cent words with your penny keyboard.

2) Kolat has never been in GOAT discussion.

3) If you can't appreciate greatness because of the hardware downstairs then do you but Adeline Gray is the best American wrestler in my opinion. And you know what they say, opinions are like you.

1-You said you can't be the best if you lose in your prime, no? So...if you've NEVER won the Olympics in your prime...you must not be the best. Again, your own flawed logic.

2-I never said he was. Maybe work on your own reading comprehension there sport.

3-Did I say I "can't appreciate the greatness," because she's a she?

It's just a silly, contrarian take.

But, carry on!

[boconnell]

On 4/15/2024 at 7:05 PM, bnwtwg said:

Smith won golds while losing at the Olympics. Maybe if she got the same opportunity I would have a different opinion. I also care significantly less about the Olympics versus worlds than most people due to the 4 year nature of the beast and don't even get me started on the lack of weight classes where Smith may have taken even more losses if he had to choose to go up or down.

If you are going to talk number of weight classes while comparing men's and women's wrestling, then you're not being serious.  The number of weight classes argument has to do with number of competitors and countries being squeezed into smaller groupings.  The number of competitors and countries in women's wrestling is far lower even if the men split into 20 weights instead of 10.  It's an absurd argument you just tried to make.  

[NM1965]

I think I'd put Cael at the top of the list of American GOATS. Undefeated 4 time NCAA champion, gold medal at Olympics, and soon to be the most successful D1 wrestling coach in history, if he's not already. Obviously many of our wrestlers have exceeded his results at the Sr level, but I think his college record and coaching record puts him on top. I don't know who the GOAT is at this time just counting Sr international results (probably JB), but I think Taylor and Dake both have solid shots to surpass him. 

Edited April 19 by NM1965