meZYNbrink

I can't stand watching the Ferrarris. Marcus Blaze either techs his opponent or goes to TBs. Joey Blaze used to be extremely fun to watch but became almost unwatchable this year, to the point I was convinced he was injured. I guess that's dispelled by his RAF scheduling.

I wouldn't say I'm a hater, and to be honest I think this is the first time we've had any kind of disagreement. I don't even think that Chittum wasn't the problem, that much has been bore out in his transferring history. My point is that they are both problems, and the Ferraris were moreso proven at the time. Everyone says Angelo is a good kid, and obviously a college coach would take the chance. But I don't think TnT showed the other two Ferraris the door, that by all accounts was the AD. If I had a kid at that level, I'd push them to consider Ivy and service academies.

Tom does things the right way and shows loyalty to his athletes in a time where you can only find that in coaches of Ivy schools and service academies (not like those coaches have a choice!). I've never been a Buckeye fan but he's the type of leader you'd want in a program. Success ebbs and flows and we judge so harshly based on one tournament a year. At that, the tournament that serves as a benchmark of job performance awards only 1.5 pts for a blood round appearance, so I think our perception of team strength is extremely skewed. tOSU will continue to attract top recruits and Tom Ryan & Co will continue to train up the horses in their stable, much to the chagrin of this Hoosier. PS, still cheesed we couldn't keep Mendez in the state. Or Reece Humphrey.

Couldn't agree more with you. TnT showed their priorities when it came to the Ferraris. Just because Chittum didn't pan out doesn't mean they made the right decision. If my kid was D1 caliber, can't say I'd encourage them to go to Iowa City.

Regardless of whether Jax comes in this year or next, what does the future look like for RR? He looks like he'd definitely need to find a new home, but I've been wrong before.

After NDI and Figueroa's performances at the tournament, alongside the breakout performances of Ronnie Ramirez and OK St's depth at the lightweights, do we see Figs get benched for the rest of the year, transfer out, compete for the spot, or slotted back in permanently? Curious as to y'all's thoughts. Any inside info is obviously appreciated.

Cauliflower ear is cool, singlets are cool, and 2-pieces are cool. Maybe makes more sense to make it the de facto uniform for youth and then once you get to high school have the option for singlet or 2-piece.

Grow a pair and take it off.

Agree, the classic hwt muffin top might require my girlfriend's Skims bodysuit to keep in check. But for everybody else... lol My main point is that while clubs and schools have the option to wear a 2-piece, it often doesn't come down to the individual level. And we all know what being a kid is like - no one wants to be the odd one out, especially if they are insecure to start. Match simulations are important IMO for kids to understand what a match is going to feel like. Now just imagine if they didn't have to change their uniform for it from what they wore the other 90% of the time.

I see "CONDOM DEPOT" branding not only as a win for the sport but a personal victory...

I agree. BJJ's rise has brought many kids to combat sports, but also has perhaps cannibalized wrestling's participation rates. Can't help but think some kids view BJJ as more approachable due to the uniform.

I've been around the sport long enough to have seen multiple pushes in the last 15 years to move away from the singlet and to the 2-piece uniform. For the life of me, I can't understand why we can't get there. I understand the nostalgia element of the singlet for many, as well as the fact that most of us are creatures of habit. But why can't we move to a more comfortable, less revealing uniform? A few points: Wrestling is one of the only sports that doesn't practice in the competition uniform. 2-pieces would largely solve this. Why prepare for competition in a different uniform? Growing wrestling is a major point of emphasis for many, namely USA Wrestling. We all want to see the level of competition in the US at the highest levels (college/senior), and how can we do that better than by lowering the barrier to entry for kids at a young age/increasing retention rates? 2-piece would help this factor by being less revealing and more practical. There is a stigma, though I obviously disagree, that combat sports (especially wrestling) are inherently homoerotic. We can increase mass appeal of the sport by simply being less naked during competition without compromising range of motion, flexibility, and utility by implementing the 2-piece. There are many other reasons why I think the 2-piece makes all of the sense in the world, but I'd like to hear the board's thoughts on why we are stuck with the singlet. It seems to me that the efforts to switch uniforms in the past were worthwhile, even getting as far as allowing it as a 1:1 option for athletes.

I love the "any 6 wrestlers" schtick, very reminiscent of Quintet and now CJI (both BJJ competitions). However, I don't know if the format will be as adaptable to wrestling as it's been to BJJ. Not sure how much I love the actual ruleset, but it's interesting for sure. I think once I see it in action it will make more sense. I wish them all the best, wrestling needs a professional league (or a few), but we aren't positioned for one the way other sports are. I hope they can build something cool.

Our hardest battles are often against ourselves.

Gold at an oversees tournament as well, looks like he might not be done competing.