Jason Bryant

I mean, this is the stuff early Flo did when Martin was driving around in a van. I welcome more content … but if people think no one is doing this, they aren’t actually consuming much wrestling content.

Division I didn’t exist until 1974. I’m still in the midst of actually quantifying program totals prior to 1981-82 when the NCAA started tracking participation statistics. Issue is counting dual affiliates, etc. The NAIA didn’t track participation stats until recently. I have a list of known dropped and added programs on my almanac site. I’m still trying to confirm all the schools in that list. Some were counted multiple times on the first list I was given in 2005 (due to name changes and poor research).

OKC is pretty high on my list of great places that have hosted. Enjoyed it both times I’ve attended. Facility was top notch, clean, food open late for those who work late, solid night life, much of it was walkable. I wasn’t yet working in my current capacity the last time through, but I had minimal issues, other than the limited flight options like Tulsa (only not as extreme).

That’s quite the leap and isn’t what I said or implied.

St. Louis the last two times definitely wasn’t what it was in 04-05 and 08. 2021 was an outlier since nothing was really back up to speed yet. I hear STL is getting an update, but the last time it was there with fans was full of issues the location hadn’t previously had. NYC was fantastic on a number of accounts. Checked most of the boxes I look for in an event, venue, etc. But those who are used to driving next to the arena, parking and not moving for 4 days didn’t like it. I’ve been going for over 20 years … been to 51 college wrestling national championships across all divisions. People also tend to b*tch at me about stuff that’s wrong anyway … so maybe I’m catching more of it than most? I mean, one example is fans texting me that the brackets in the concourse aren’t updated. That sucks, but not something I can fix … I’ve heard every complaint under the sun about nearly every facility and location we’ve been in … and STL isn’t immune to that criticism either.

... sobriety surely won't if you play the game.

I'm not justifying any location. I'm speaking from experience on how we as a fanbase will never be satisfied with anything.

If you don’t know the rules, how can you even know?

You could always play the Magomed drinking game …

I may be there throughout, but I'm in meetings or heading into our staff room to eat once that last whistle blows and we close the session. Three long days and we have to use our breaks accordingly. I know I did see mats being mopped this year, but can't tell you how frequently. There's other things I've got to keep an eye on.

Been posted (either on this thread or the other and on twitter) that nothing has changed on how often or how they clean the the NCAAs. So as far as I can tell, they are doing the same thing they did in previous years.

Pick any location - we will complain about it.

I’m not a doctor or a scientist. I am, however, aware that the NCAA doesn’t do anything fast. Highly doubt this was just tossed in without some degree of research.

Per Bud Hennebaul, who works on the site logistics and such at the NCAAs, the mats were mopped and cleaned before each day and between sessions as they have been for years. Combined with the UV treatments and no reported issues from the 2021 and 2022 championships, this seems like it is something a bit bigger and it seems like there’s a lot of assumptions being passed along as facts on social (shocker, I know).

This is also the third year the Sterilasers have been used at NCAAs. Did we have any of these issues in 21 or 22?

The old building VMI used to wrestle in, Cocke Hall aka the Thunderdome, was one of the most unique experiences I've ever seen. Ancient old building with overhangs and it got loud in there. Compact and awesome. They have a new facility now, but the old one had some mystique to it.

After years of my HS finishing second at the state tournament (and in some cases, it wasn't close to some of those monster Grundy teams Kevin Dresser had), a friend of mine said, "It's easy to win with class. It takes a while to learn how to lose with class." Not sure how real it is or who came up with it, but that always kinda stuck with me. I want to know how our best act at their worst moments sometimes.

If I recall correctly, "Heart" used to be one of the criteria, which has seemed to have morphed/blended itself into the sportsmanship part of it. I misspoke there.

100% fair point, but how can you quantify sportsmanship and heart? Gable, for example, never lost a team point, never was disqualified, he might have been a bit flashy and loud at times, but nothing that any rational human being could describe as a knock on his sportsmanship - and if people disagree with his sprinting off the mat, that's on them. Not to mention, we don't know the "heart" he had to push through when he was fighting to clear his name (not getting into that any further). I feel like Sportsmanship/Heart is an added criteria created to eliminate people we don't like. That's not exactly an objective criteria. I'm for removing things that can be viewed as biased outside of what happens on the mat.

I'm glad they took the completely subjective "Sportsmanship" (or was it heart?) out of it. If you're the best wrestler that year, and you're a jackass, that shouldn't disqualify you from winning something that's based on results that season. News flash, not every Hodge winner from the past is of high moral/ethical fiber or high character people. That's just the nature of people. If Starocci has the stats to validate the #1 next year for this, I'll have no qualms putting him on the #1 line.

I hope not. It used to be 4, max 5.

How long did you think about your schtick before registering for this forum?

If this isn’t the script to the reboot of Brewster’s Millions, I’m not interested.

The tie with Lee-Steveson was the first year it was worth 5. Lee won the fan vote.