SocraTease

Interesting question and issue. Baseball, football, soccer, basketball, hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, etc. are clearly team sports in the sense that: (a) the players interact (e.g., pass the ball or puck around) on the field, court, or ice during a game with each other (members of their own team) and (b) a score is kept such that there is only a winning or losing team (and not winning and losing individuals). Wrestling (like tennis, gymnastics, boxing, swimming, and golf, for example) seems first of all to be an individual sport in a primary sense (with individuals competing directly against other individuals), and then perhaps a team sport in a secondary sense. In this secondary sense: (a) the participants on the team (if there is one) often train together, travel together, and support one another in significant ways and (b) a team score (winner and loser) is often kept in addition to the individual scores (with winner and losers in matches, bouts, etc.) There also appears to be a third category of a few sports, however, that possess both individual and team dimensions in an important way—a kind of hybrid realm. Here, I'm thinking of track and field, cross country, rowing, and cycling. Often, but not always, the individual works with members of their team in a symbiotic way, both to benefit their individual performance and the team performance (e.g., relay races in track, drafting off of team members in distance races and cycling, setting the pace, etc.). But these sports can also easily become individual events where a team is unnecessary or non-existent. Distance runners and cyclists might train with one another but compete on their own. Given that wrestling is a high school and college sport in the US, it is inevitable that it is going to retain team dimensions and partisanship associated with the matches or tournaments. But at the freestyle level, it seems to become much more individualistic, even if some events (the Olympics, World Championships, and World Cup) have team aspects. Hmm ... Are horse races individual events with the jockey winning or losing or are they team events (wherein the horse is also an athlete teamed up closely with the jockey)?

The next step for Cael? 1. Propose new tag team NCAA wrestling rule (allowing backups to switch into an ongoing match when a wrestler is winning by more than 10 points ... thereby resting starters for the National Championship) 2. Start Inter-gender and inter-generational wrestling league (to show gratitude to others—women, parents, non-binaries, fans, children) 3. Commence eugenic program to breed future NCAA and World Champions and keep dynasty and hegemony going smoothly into the 22nd century (collect sperm and eggs from past and present champs) 4. Train autonomous robots with advanced wrestling AI (to be used as training partners in the room and eventually replace expensive recruits) The next step for other schools? 1. Recruit wrestlers from Dagestan (especially those who have lost or misplaced their birth certificates) 2. Leak fake news about skeletons in Cael's closet (or basement). Ask Gym Jordan to conduct a congressional investigation into the PSU program 3. Initiate balloon spy-ware research to discover "the secret sauce". Surreptitiously replace the secret sauce at Penn State with high calorie, low nutrition food 4. Get religious quick and pray hard

They're in! The @NittanyLionWC has now also registered @__ABALLDAY (86), @carterstarocci (79), and @BeauBartlett (65) for the US Open next week! https://twitter.com/JustinJBasch/status/1649516726554439681/photo/1

I believe Casey Cunningham said there are 12 guys entering total, so they be waiting until the last minute to add a few more names of college guys, perhaps some of them in the U20 category. Lee and Nolf are in from NLWC. This is speculation and hearsay (or maybe heresy) but ... I heard rumors of a Starocci injury. Perhaps Brooks is deferring to Taylor ... RBY seems to be "cloud hidden, whereabouts unknown". Would love to see him at 61KG though. Not sure about Kerkvilet, but given Steveson and Parris are entered and wrestling, he might have found other things to do this summer. I could picture Bartlett still throwing his name in the hat since he enjoys freestyle and medaled internationally. Haines could still go U20. My guess is that we see a few more guys (e.g., Facundo) added before Monday.

Zane Richards has upped his game. Keep an eye on him.

My own view is that billions and billions of people seem to need the comfort or security of some imagined Being (force, entity, spirit, energy, etc.) that they variously call God, Allah, Brahman, Yahweh, and so on, but that less than zero evidence exists for this claim, idea, belief, or phenomenon. At the same time, the last place to get pushy, obsessed, assertive, or dogmatic about one's beliefs is on a national televised stage where sound bytes and memes travel quickly and promiscuously about the country and world. In terms of Penn State finalists: Starocci mostly seems to only believe in himself (and his balls). Brooks believes in something much larger (Jesus and God). (I'm curious what would transpire if he had said something critical of Joseph Smith and the Mormon tradition). Kerk prefers to chill out about such stuff, though he still strutted out tonight in a "Jesus" shirt RBY appears pretty indifferent to it all and realizes it's mostly absurd, fleeting, or silly (I appreciate this view; let's call it "apatheism") Levi Haines thankfully doesn't talk (thus far) about any of this stuff. (Again, props to him, though I wonder how much proselytizing goes on in the PSU room and community.)

I'm not trying to diminish their accomplishments. They have wrestled at extremely high levels and should be commended and celebrated. Yianni had 2 years off though, right? Dake won so many close matches. He was nowhere near as dominant overall as DT, whom (yes) he beat in close matches. But Taylor (who won 2 titles) is absolutely a better wrestler overall than four timers like Pat Smith, Steiber, and (so far) Yianni. In fact, I would say he has surpassed even Sanderson. Same thing could be said about Boroughs, who "only" won two titles. Or even Spencer Lee. Much more dominant than Yianni. Cornell doesn't wrestle the level of competition that the Big Ten faces. My point: the four timer focus is not the sole or absolute measure of greatness. Yes, luck figures into it. A very large swath of people (especially religious, conservative, anti-scientific folks) like simple solutions and explanations. They over-emphasize personal control (responsibility) and downplay or ignore all the conditions and contributing factors that are outside our control. Wade Schalles (a great wrestler and very creative, fierce mind) recently pointed out (honestly and frankly) in an interview with Mark Bader that wrestlers are not the smartest lot as a whole. They are like football players academically (or worse) and in other ways. And he was right in terms of the data. And, I would add, my own observations for what small worth they might be. Yes, there are exceptions, but they prove the rule.

The 4-timer stuff is so compromised and fetishized. It doesn't account for the level of competition and other variables. A 3-timer like Nolf (who only barely lost in the finals to an NCAA champ his freshman year whom he earlier pinned) is actually better than a 4-timer like Yianni. And he was absolutely more dominant than Yianni or Dake. Steiber won some finals he arguably should not have given the calls. Luck, draws, and other factors play so much of a role. Most people are only capable of thinking in terms of simple causality. The world doesn't work that way. It's a mental blindness of the worst kind and attributable in large part to evolutionary psychology.

RBY didn't show his lightning speed that much tonight. He wrestled more tactically and was put on the defensive too much. I'm looking forward to see the two tango again in freestyle at 61KG

A few of the finalists seemed to cast their vote for wrestlers named Jesus or God. One gave a penalty point to a fellow named Mohammed (Brooks). One voted for his balls (Starocci). One voted against himself (Yianni, who said he has to get much better). Several voted for their parents or the genetic lottery. One or two gave a partial vote to their coaches. One may have voted for his losing opponent (O'Toole). And a celebrity with body guards in the stands voted for himself. In fact, I think he gave himself a dozen or so votes. And said they are still looking for the rest of the ballots.

They would probably settle for Griffith of Stanford or a rejuvenated Fecundo.

Very, very rarely does an athlete (or celebrity) say anything interesting, especially immediately after a performance. They are mostly known for their bodies, not their minds or creative tongues. There are a few exceptions, and those often involve the use of humor and light heartedness or just the expression of gratitude. Being silent is frequently a good option: it at least generates mystique or mystery or the illusion of profundity.

Hey Q: Just because guys are good athletes doesn't mean they can or should get into any school they want. Academic standards should be (and sometimes are) even higher than athletic standards.

Sasso needs to find his inner assassin tonight.

I just did the dishes, laundry, and made a sandwich during this toooooooo loooooooooong review

He can't. He's a 5th year senior. He already got the extra Covid year. Finished 8th I think as a freshman, then first, first, and now second.

A strange thought: Ramos might conceivably be remembered longer over time as the guy (a la "Larry Owings") who took out Spencer Lee than Glory who ending up winning the weight. At least he might be more likely to become a "Jeopardy Question" on wrestling boards 20 years from now.

Who you got at 125? The wild upstart from Purdue or the Prince(ton) going for Glory yet denied his vision quest?

The 285 match might have unfolded differently if Kerkviliet had gotten that first takedown instead of being taken down. Yea, I know, what ifs ... or "counterfactuals" as they are technically called. What if a bullfrog had wings ... he wouldn't hit his butt on the ground when he lands

He's the un-Starocci. Goofy and free-spirited. Both are PA guys, though, I think.

Yes, self deception can become a positive psychologically in competition. If you believe you are the best, it can motivate you. In other walks of life and life more generally, it is usually a negative for you and especially others

In his post match interview with Q, Nino is looking like a flesh eater ... who just got out of the blood round

What is Ferrari likely doing right now? Pumping weights and shooting at the TV while claiming he should be in the Finals? Hanging out with PD III?

I will look for the tape of it later. He was speaking quickly.

Yep.