Maxwell Smart

This topic has been brought up several times in the past 2 years, and each time the responses are more in depth and make for great reading.  Thanks for all the excellent points made by all.

Don't the Hawkeyes get excellent recruits and AA transfers? Amazing they have 1 guy in the finals, I thought Real Woods would win at least 1 title, he seemed to plateau. Ditto for other transfers, disappointing for sure. Seems like a trend.

All part of the training and preparation. PSU is 56-7 in the semi finals under Cael. Pick it apart or make fun of it, the numbers speak for themselves. PSU's not the only one team sending this message and have wrestlers bring up a higher power. Perhaps that's what helps them get through the grind of being a wrestler at this level.

Absolutely understand his point, he's calling out the system that allows this to happen. Don't know the answer,

but his wrestler would probably go 0-2. 

Nelson Brands uses the same strategy as Lewan. Great defense and very little offense. Both look bull strong.

Was just pointing out the fact that out of 9 wrestlers, 5 went undefeated and 4 had 1 loss. Unfortunately, a previous post was included. Not saying the Brands brothers should be replaced, it goes back to the adulation of the writers and posters on this web site and forum who put them on a pedestal. They haven't developed the amazing talent that's been recruited or transferred in, yet you'd think they produce individual champions and championships like Dan Gable. They get way more credit than they deserve based on the results. They're driving an exceptionally fine race car and they can't seem to get it all working to place first. Just an opinion.

The nine PSU wrestlers either went undefeated or lost one match in the Big Ten Tournament.

No individual titles with 1 wrestler in the finals. Michigan and Nebraska finish ahead and several teams have more in the finals. Ohio State's team is young and talented. National talent at an all time high with 5-6 year seniors and incoming freshman ready to go. Teams are passing the Hawkeyes, they were once trying to catch up. IMO

The first post on this forum pointed out that the Hawkeyes haven't had near the success they had after the first 3 years of the Brands brothers and the brothers get all the raves about how they develop talent. Look at the program after that 3 year run; 14 years - How many NCAA titles?  How many individual champions? Several teams have more individual champions, and don't compare them to PSU, it's very obvious who has the teams ready every year.   Lehigh, Cornell, Ohio State and others now compete with the Hawks for a trophy. I knew this was a Hawkeye dominated forum. If someone opines their thoughts on the Brands brothers, the sick-o-phants(sp) come out in full force.

Props to T&T, are you serious? You're headed to 3-4th every year, and that's just theBig Ten. 

No individual titles with 1 wrestler in the finals. Michigan and Nebraska finish ahead and several teams have more in the finals. Ohio State's team is young and talented. National talent at an all time high with 5-6 year seniors and incoming freshman ready to go. Teams are passing the Hawkeyes, they were once trying to catch up. IMO

Yeah, that's been their secret all these wins and titles.  Totally explains everything.

Props to Glazier, great job. Pop the champagne, the Hawkeyes got a wrestler in the Big Ten final! 

All about the coaching. 

Watch out for Lou Deprez from Binghampton at 197.

A picture of the Ferrari family after the big win by Angelo. The Father's wearing a shirt with "findyourballs" on the front. The lack of class starts at the top. Hope Angelo can achieve the success he works so hard for.

Hawkeye's are getting better at stalling. The fans love to cry about stalling when their guys are stalling. Hope Nelson doesn't come back, he's the king of stalling. He has no offense. In the age of the tree point takedown, you've got to have offense.

This point was made months ago and, of course, was attacked by the many Hawkeye faithful. The number of national champions produced by the Brands brothers since taking over a stacked team and having initial success says it all. Don't see an individual champion in the line up this year either.

Things started out great when he took over the program, but has been treading water the last 14 years. A lot of top recruits did well but didn't win individual national championships. How many Hawkeyes won a match over an opponent during the season only to lose to the same opponent in a rematch when it counted? It's happened too many times over the past 10 years. The separation from the top program is growing and other programs are gaining and pulling ahead. Iowa would have no problem getting top coaches to take over, everything's there for more success. 

Falling further behind the leader, having other programs catching up, betting suspensions including your nephew, AJ Ferarri's crazy flipping off the Iowa faithful. Tick Tick Tick 

They were the pinnacle of wrestling under Dan Gable. The pressure to perform has been getting to the Brands brothers and program for years. The lack of individual champions over the last 10 years is shocking considering other programs like Cornell, Nebraska, Missouri, and N C State recruiting and developing talent.  Unfortunately, they aren't THE program everyone wants to go to and they're falling behind the previously mentioned programs. It will be interesting to see how this shakes out. This behavior isn't agreeable to Iowa fans or wrestling fans.

Why's anyone worried?  The Brands brothers are known for taking talent and making it better every year.  

Killdozer put out stats responding to the 5 best teams in the last 10 years post that help make the point of underachieving. No conference titles and 6 national champions. Mr PeanutButter made some excellent points in his response. Yes, there are injuries we don't know the full extent of, but the 4 wrestlers listed that were highly touted recruits and came up short could easily double with some thought. Didn't opine that the Brands brothers needed to go, just don't understand the adulation from the Intermat writers. The rabid fan base is understandable.

There's no hate for Iowa. The Brands brothers are held in high regard even though they underachieve with the talent they bring in. The statements made in the preview laud their ability to motivate and get results, I don't believe their record reflects the adulation. They should have more individual champions with the talent they've had since the brothers took over the program. There's no doubt the Hawkeyes are one of the best programs, they're not just "the best" like the good old days. The amount of coverage isn't the point, it's the constant praise of the coaches who don't get the most out of their athletes. It's been my opinion for years and that opinion doesn't make me stupid.

The first topic I addressed in this forum was how intermat is in love with the Brands brothers and I didn't understand the adulation based on the lack of results in the last 13 years. Kevin Claunch writes they "THRIVE off your negative vibes" and "they get STRONGER with every negative thought about Iowa and are MASTERS at motivating their athletes when it's THEM against the world." The staff gets the best out of their talent, which is generally seems to be why talent goes there. Look at their record! No NCAA team titles in 14 years, finished 3rd and 4th several times, top recruits and transfers never became individual champions, several years with NO individual national champion. The fan base readily accepts that they're the 2nd best team and crow about it. There was a time when what Kevin Claunch wrote was 100% accurate, but it hasn't been that way since Dan Gable. The Brands brothers are entertaining but aren't the great coaches they get credit for being. IMO.

When does it ever end?