BAC

I don't hear anyone saying the tongue wag was a major infraction, just that it was over the line. And it was. Not a big deal, but in a dual with a political rival where perceived disrespect can be magnified, athletes need to avoid stuff like that. Overall I thought the sportsmanship was exceptional on both sides. There were passionate celebrations, but not inappropriate. Some mildly flared tempers at 70kg and 97kg, but just normal chippiness and all outweighed by how respectful the competitors were to each other at the end of each match. Not that competitors should feel obliged to hug it out at the end, but almost all matches ended with embrace and demonstrated respect. Great dual to watch.

You're giving me too much credit. 55kg should have been 57kg, and 60kg was doubly wrong because I meant to say 61kg, but it shouldn't have been included at all since its not an Olympic weight, only worlds.

Just a brief note to acknowledge my idiocy on the weights. Typed from memory, and clearly my memory stinks.

I know no one had "Ethan Laird" on their 197lb NCAA champ bingo card, but we're sleeping on him nonetheless. He's been around forever and just keeps getting better. Won 3 matches at NCAAs in 2019, 3 more in 2020, lost in blood round in 2021 before redshirting last year, when he finished 3rd at 97kg WTTs. Wins over Elam, Gear, Woodley, Beard from his 197 days, then last 2 seasons up at HWT, and now back at 197 and unbeaten. Yes, Dean is a marquis win, but Laird is a load who should be on everyone's NCAA radar.

To be fair, I think there's a mutual respect among US and Iranian soccer players too, just as there is among wrestlers. We saw that before, during and after the game this week. I've always been impressed with Iranian athletes' sportsmanship, and US athletes have generally reciprocated it. If there's a difference, it is in the sports' governing bodies. Can you imagine USA Wrestling sending out a tweet that desecrates the Iranian flag, as did US Soccer? Not in a million years. I'm all for human rights and all, and I'd love to see Iranian women have more freedoms, but what the US Soccer Federation did was beyond disrespectful. USA Wrestling, to its credit, has NEVER mixed politics and sports that I can recall. I guess there was a little dust-up last year about some Iranian staff members being denied their visas and then refusing to send their team to a dual in the US, but I think the Iranians understood that was the Department of State, not USA Wrestling.

Seeing that Penn State just received an award from USA Wrestling for its Olympic support (https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Wrestling/Features/2022/December/01/USA-Wrestling-honors-Penn-State), I got to wondering: How would an Olympic team (if it were in 2022) fare if composed of ONLY current PSU wrestlers? Its a surprisingly strong team -- better than any recent roster of current collegiate wrestlers I can think of. 55Kg: Howard. He's injured now and he wouldn't be a medal threat, but he's made a multiple cadet world teams. Took 5th once and a Youth Olympic gold. A weak link here but could win a match with a good draw. 60Kg: RBY. He has multiple folkstyle wins over world silver medalist Fix, and his style is well suited to freestyle with his neutral prowess. He'd be a definite medal threat. 65Kg: Bartlett. Though he isn't lighting it up in folkstyle, his freestyle background is strong. He's a past junior world medalist and a PanAm champ. Could he medal at the Olympics? Well, not now. But competitive? Yes. 74Kg: Starocci. He made the senior world team last go-round. After JB and Dake, he's already right there in the mix with the likes of Marstellar, Vincenzo and Dieringer. He narrowly lost at U23s this year and took a bronze. Probably not likely to medal but a threat? I think so. 86Kg: Brooks. Has multiple folk wins over Olympic bronze medalist. Heir apparent to DT. A plausible medal threat. 97Kg: Dean. Don't know much about his freestyle background, but the weight class is pretty barren after Snyder. Not a medal threat, but has beaten multiple age-group medalists in folk and could sneak in a win. 120kg: Kerkvliet. 1x Cadet gold, 2x Cadet/Junior silver, 1x U23 5th -- all from 2019 and earlier, before his level jump at PSU. Just beat past U23 champ Cassioppi in folk. Tough to medal at senior level with how good the top 3 are internationally but still a threat with the right draw. OK, so its not like they'd light it up, but nor would they embarrass themselves. Curious to see how many of these guys end up with senior level medals.

Didn't Metcalf get unceremoniously spladled and pinned, and still won the Hodge? If Lee and Yianni win NCAAs they're co-Hodges.

What are you seeing that would make you say that? I agree he looked excellent last night but... Hamiti is good but not THAT good. I think O'Toole's a coin flip at best against Carr (I'd pick Carr), and only slightly better odds against Griffith. He has no senior level credentials to speak of. PFP, I don't see how he's in the same conversation as Lee, Brooks, RBY or Yianni (despite his loss), and personally I'd have at least Fix and Starocci ahead of him too. But I know you've been around the block so I'm curious what makes you put him above all the other multi-time champs and senior world medalists.

My main takeaways: -- Gomez is streaky but for real. He level-jumped big time. When he turned it on against Sasso, he was unstoppable -- 3 TDs in 30 seconds. No one takes Sasso down like that. I see Gomez mailing it in a couple more times this season for a couple more losses but winning a NCAA finals barnburner with Yianni. -- Brooks is as good as any wrestler in college right now. I'd love to see him and Taylor in the PSU room. Toss in Dake and Starocci, and the PSU room is the only place Brooks is going to find any competition this year at all. -- Kerkvliet will win an NCAA title this year. He has the same offense he showed last year, plus extra size and strength. He won't lose to Iowa again and he's now good enough to beat the ASU kid too.

How is this even debatable? Both guys have one loss, but Yianni's is more recent and Gomez one the head-to-head, so he's ahead.

Its fine as long as monetary exchanges are forbidden. You can allow sig bets, maybe even bets for charitable donations, but not actual money exchanges. Individuals can do that on random threads while you look the other way, and you're fine -- but if you're going to set up a whole separate forum designed for "bets," where money can change hands -- and then play an enforcement role for non-payment! -- then you're in the gambling business. Whether or not you take a rake. Lets try to make it through at least the first day before getting shut down by the state Attorney General's office, eh Willie? :]

Shout out to Willie and his team at IM. Appreciate you guys keeping this alive.

He looked amazing in winning a Cadet world title this summer, but then came back to earth a bit when little Ferrari majored him at Who's Number One a couple months ago. He has a dynamic offense and will be a good fit at PSU.