Penn State sit outs / breaks from comp

[Caveira]

5 hours ago, Gantry said:

Disagree here, Dake and especially Taylor used to attend all sorts of events they didn't have to.  As DT got older he competed less but was pretty active for a good chunk of his career.  Lest we forget the Spanish Grand Prix jokes?  

Easy to forget that which doesn’t support our own personal narrative.  

[AgaveMaria]

On 4/20/2025 at 10:00 AM, Former158 said:

As much as I would like to see all the stars compete for the benefit of fans---it Seems like the Penn State system is working well---perhaps others should adopt it.

Unless we adopt some financial incentives for winning tournaments, there is no glory in going to something just to wrestle when your body has already endured sometimes 20+ years of competition.

 

Are you sure Cael isn't just protecting 159-0?

With their reduced schedule many will have a tough time hitting even 100 matches unless they start all four years and don't skip a match.

[Wrestleknownothing]

47 minutes ago, AgaveMaria said:

Are you sure Cael isn't just protecting 159-0?

With their reduced schedule many will have a tough time hitting even 100 matches unless they start all four years and don't skip a match.

I am sure

[VakAttack]

Breaks don't protect from testing.

[Le duke]

Breaks don't protect from testing.

How do people NOT know this?

It’s 2025, guys.

It’s very likely that one or two of our 2024 Olympians had a USADA tester show up at their house at zero dark thirty this week to administer a wiz-quiz.


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[WrestlingRash]

2 hours ago, Le duke said:

How do people NOT know this?

It’s 2025, guys.

It’s very likely that one or two of our 2024 Olympians had a USADA tester show up at their house at zero dark thirty this week to administer a wiz-quiz.


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it all depends. in some cases it can prevent you from getting tested. however, drugs and masking agents are generally far ahead of the testing so it doesn't really matter. 

[Hammerlock3]

1 hour ago, WrestlingRash said:

it all depends. in some cases it can prevent you from getting tested. however, drugs and masking agents are generally far ahead of the testing so it doesn't really matter. 

what do you base that claim on?

[Le duke]

it all depends. in some cases it can prevent you from getting tested. however, drugs and masking agents are generally far ahead of the testing so it doesn't really matter. 

Unless Brooks has retired, and notified USADA in writing, he’s in the RTP.

If he IS retired and decides to un-retire, he’d need six months and at least two passed tests to compete again.

https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-Clean-Sport-Handbook.pdf


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[WrestlingRash]

15 hours ago, Le duke said:

 

Unless Brooks has retired, and notified USADA in writing, he’s in the RTP.

If he IS retired and decides to un-retire, he’d need six months and at least two passed tests to compete again.

https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-Clean-Sport-Handbook.pdf


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Do you remember when all the UFC guys were getting therapeutic use exemptions for testosterone? This is still allowed under USADA. 

[WrestlingRash]

16 hours ago, Hammerlock3 said:

what do you base that claim on?

There is far more money in creating the PEDs than there is in the testing. Do you remember the BALCO scandal? 

 

https://www.usada.org/announcement/dates-associated-with-the-balco-doping-conspiracy/

 

There are MANY such groups out there. I suspect Casey Cunningham and David Taylor's bro to be one of these designer steroid guys. Sam Calavitta. 

 

 

As one poster states: "here are drugs that flush EPO out of your system immediately, and although there are quantitative methods for them, the half life is so small that I doubt USADA has a proper protocol in place for such methods based on how they bust doors down for random samples. This scenario is ***ducked** on a lot of levels because it's EPO and not a traditional steroid."

 

testing sucks, smart people are dead set on cheating, and they know how to get away with it. there is a massive EPO issue going on in wrestling. 

[Boring]

On 4/20/2025 at 12:27 AM, pokemonster said:

It's clear that Penn State has the general philosophy to compete as little as possible whether that be freestyle or folkstyle. Aaron Brooks is slated to be out an entire year as he bulks up, no competition during this time. Very odd. One has to wonder, are these freestyle comps, national duals, etc interfering with something else, perhaps cycles of known performance enhancers? Less competition = less opportunities for testing. Hard to argue that it doesn't make you wonder. 

They know what they are doing. Cael figured out the right number of matches for his guys during the regular season: about 20-25, and the closer to the bottom of that range the better. He figured out that wrestling is hard and guys bodies start breaking down after awhile (duh!).  I don't think we'll see the days of 2 guys with 35-0 type records battling in the finals again. Stands to logic that the same reasoning would apply on the Sr level, maybe even more so. 

[Wrestleknownothing]

A lot of you guys are acting like load management is a PSU-only thing.

Going into the NCAA tournament there were nine undefeated wrestlers.

And none of them had a shot at 30-0.

[Wrestleknownothing]

And the guys with 30 or more matches had something in common.

A lot of loses.

63 of them took 586 loses (and probably 2 more each during the tournament) to average 9.3 per.

[scourge165]

On 4/22/2025 at 7:19 PM, Le duke said:

 

Unless Brooks has retired, and notified USADA in writing, he’s in the RTP.

If he IS retired and decides to un-retire, he’d need six months and at least two passed tests to compete again.

https://www.usada.org/wp-content/uploads/2025-Clean-Sport-Handbook.pdf


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This...is a brilliant post! How'd we get this far into the conversation without someone pointing this out!

[scourge165]

10 hours ago, Boring said:

They know what they are doing. Cael figured out the right number of matches for his guys during the regular season: about 20-25, and the closer to the bottom of that range the better. He figured out that wrestling is hard and guys bodies start breaking down after awhile (duh!).  I don't think we'll see the days of 2 guys with 35-0 type records battling in the finals again. Stands to logic that the same reasoning would apply on the Sr level, maybe even more so. 

Yeah...I don't think Wrestling lent itself to as many injuries back when Cael Wrestled. Not that it's even that long ago, but Wrestling was a lot simpler. Shoot, heavy hips. There were scrambles and re-shots, but you didn't put yourself in danger by twisting your knee the way MOST guys do. 

Just look at how Starocci hurt his his 4th year. It kinda just seemed dumb, but it's how guys do things. 

 

I think you're losing a lot more guys over 40 matches. I'll bet the knee injuries are up 200% or more and shoulder injuries are likely down. 

 

[GV4444]

Quote

On 4/22/2025 at 1:15 PM, AgaveMaria said:

Are you sure Cael isn't just protecting 159-0?

 

The answer is simple.  Cael has created his seasonal protocol in order to achieve his primary goal and that goal is as many NCAA championships as possible.  He may care about the dual record, but only as a secondary achievement on his way to the career record of season championships.   Isn't that what we would all want in his shoes?   The Collegiate Duals interfere with his seasonal protocols, therefore he has no interest as he sees it as detrimental to his primary goal.

Once he gets criticized for not participating (I would love to see them in the event), he points out that the tournament can still be a great event without them, which is true.  Even as a Penn State fan, I found the Nebraska vs. UNI, OSU vs. Iowa duals quite compelling.  

My hope is that if the Collegiate Duals continue with a fixed date, Cael will adjust his seasonal plan to incorporate the event.  I would love to see Penn State wrestlers wrestle 30+ matches a year.  I would also love seeing my favorite running backs carry the ball 40 times a game and my favorite pitchers start 36 games a year like the old days, but I get it.