SocraTease

Brands is the ultimate homer. The guy has zero objectivity. He reminds me of a chipmunk or chihuahua jumping around on the edges of the mat. To quote Jean Paul Sartre, Brands is a "useless passion"

Yes, this is the real issue. Does one seize the day (carpe diem) or plot and calculate for possible scenarios down the road? Is Haines a DT in the making (I'm doubtful he is at that level) who should be shirted or a freshman Mark Hall (who's shirt was removed as a first year) or maybe a Zain Retherford, who has the capacity to make a long run at NCAAs his first year Folks will certainly judge the decision by the consequences (as opposed to the intentions or the character of the coaches) but that is probably a simplistic and shallow view. We should acknowledge that all sorts of contingencies in this sport exist (as in life) and that hindsight is 20/20. Sanderson has a proven record (and a gift I think) about making intuitive decisions and applying practical wisdom (judgment) so we can second guess him all we want, but who else is in a better position to make the call? My sense: no one. And may the drama heighten our interest in this crazy sport. Maybe we even see Spencer Lee bump to 133 against RBY (doubtful) but it can only be a fan's delight. Hinduism has a curious notion that that the universe is involved in a kind of cosmic play (Lila), a drama of appearance and disappearance, a game of hide and seek. Friday should be fun, and waiting is part of this game. My guess: Haines is on the mat Friday. Sanderson loves these challenges. DT (his coach at M2 and my bet for the next coach at Penn State) will be rooting him on from stands. It's just one of many good battles that will occur in a heated rivalry. Pull up a front row seat.

Reasons to tear up that shirt: 1. Haines will clearly score more points at NCAAs than Bear Claw (and PSU may need them given the possibility of injuries and other contingencies) 2. Cael has said that Haines might not be at 157 too long (given projected growth) and there is a potential logjam at these upper middle weights in the offing so you use him now if you can because Facundo, CStarr et. al. (including incoming freshmen) are there at 165 and 174 for a while. A bird (Haines) in the hand is worth two in the bush (future). 3. Cael certainly wants to beat Iowa, especially at home, and Haines gives them a much better shot at 157. Haines just beat a returning AA (Lewan) while Bear Claw lost to a #15.

And how could you forget the NCAA title of the guy who always brings hips to the party ... Mr. Jim Gibbons, who will likely be barking & Spark-ing with Shane on play by play.

After giving up back points. The point still holds. He's a first period wrestler. The longer you go with him (which folks can very rarely do), the better your chances are, even if they are still slight overall to catch up after a big deficit

Lee is a total and complete first period wrestler. If you get him to the 2nd or 3rd period and can ride, you have an outside chance. He spends all his money in the first period

With his first Big 10 win today, Steen is now plotting to tech Spencer Lee next week. But, curiously, he is planning to wait and do it steathily in SV.

Interesting read regarding returning champs who lose during the regular season the following year: https://www.ncaa.com/news/wrestling/article/2023-01-18/college-wrestling-upsets-thrilling-fun-fans-and-maybe-meaningless-march?fbclid=IwAR0L1X3VtOIJ6eGfXh9CuSt4I9uBhJLej_jZfD3M3at0Rtyy_m5JQnnODVg

Yep, the Ancient Greeks wrestled and trained in the raw (nude). Here's some further information from a Wiki source: Greek athletes were the few athletes in the ancient world who practiced and competed naked. Homer's wrestlers in Iliad wore loincloths, but shortly after the Age of Homer, Greek athletes started to strip. It is not known why. Pausanias says athletes wanted to imitate Orsippos of Megara, a runner who won a footrace at Olympia in 720 BC after losing his loincloth. Dionysios of Halikarnassos and Thucydides credited a Spartan with the custom. Other legends say that a runner tripped on his loincloth and officials banned it as unsafe. Some say that athletes stripped to prove that they were males, or because they could run better in the nude. Other reasons have been given: athletes stripped for erotic reasons, or for cult reasons, or for good luck, or as a democratic equalizer. Some say they stripped because they were proud of their muscular bodies and their tans. The Greeks called the penis a "dog". Athletes sometimes used a cord called a "dog leash" to tie off the foreskin of the penis. It is unknown if this custom had sexual or aesthetic meanings. It appears to have been a matter of personal preference. Tying the foreskin is sometimes a subject in vase painting.

Men's Freestyle Nick Suriano, 57kg Quarters: 9-0 over Valentin Damour, FRA Semis: 8-2 over Giorgi Gegelashvili, GEO 57 kg: Akhil Vega, 57kg Quarters: 10-2 loss to Guesseppe Rea, ECU Repechage match 1: 10-0 loss to Karamjeet Holstein, GER Shelton Mack, 61kg Quarters: 6-3 over Daniel Popov, ISR Semis: 10-0 over Kyle Mills, CAN Finals opponent: Austin DeSanto, USA Austin DeSanto, 61kg Quarters: 6-3 win over Giorgi Goniashvili, GEO Semis: 14-13 win over Nahshon Garrett, USA Finals opponent: Shelton Mack, USA Nahshon Garrett, 61kg Quarters: 10-0 over Levan Metreveli, ESP Semis: 14-13 loss to Austin DeSanto, USA Bronze opponent: Daniel Popov, ISR Pat Lugo, 65kg Rd 16: Fall over Aminjon Sadulloev, POL Quarters: 4-3 over Nico Megerle, GER Semis: 6-2 over Matt Kolodzik, USA Finals opponent: Kizhan Clarke, GER Ridge Lovett, 65kg Rd 16: 15-4 over Nariman Serikbayev, KAZ Quarters: 4-1 loss to Kizhan Clark, GER Repechage match 1: 5-3 over Khamzat Arsamerzouev, FRA Repechage match 2: 8-2 over Agustin Destribats, ARG Bronze opponent: Matt Kolodzik, USA Matt Kolodzik, 65kg Rd 32: 10-0 over M'bunde Cumba, GBS Rd 16: 10-7 win over Niklas Dorn, GER Quarters: 10-0 win over Marwane Yezza, FRA Semis: 6-2 loss to Pat Lugo, USA Bronze opponent: Ridge Lovett, USA Evan Henderson, 65kg Rd 16: 7-6 over Khamzat Arsamerzouev, FRA Quarters: 12-7 win over Agustin Destribats, ARG Semis opponent: 10-8 loss to Kizhan Clark, GER Anthony Ashnault, 65kg - Did not place Rd 32: 8-6 loss to Agustin Destribats, ARG Repechage match 1: 6-5 win over Quentin Sticker, FRA Repechage match 2: 13-3 win over Nariman Serikbayev, KAZ Repechage match 3: 6-5 loss to Agustin Destribats, ARG Cody Chittum, 70kg Quarters: 10-10 loss to Kevin Henkel, GER Alec Pantaleo, 70kg Quarters: 10-0 over Arnaud Mambou, CON Semis opponent: Leon Gerstenberger, GER Joey Lavallee, 74kg Rd 16: 11-0 over Stefan Kaeppeler, GER Quarters: 10-0 over Szymon Wojtkowski, POL Semis: Pinned Saifedine Alekma, FRA Finals opponent: Vincenzo Joseph, USA Vincenzo Joseph, 74kg Rd 16: 6-0 over Mitch Finesilver, ISR Quarters: 12-0 over Lucas Kahnt, GER Semis: 16-6 over Collin Purinton, USA Finals opponent: Joey Lavallee, USA Josh Shields, 74kg Rd 16: 10-0 over Lautaro Seghesso, ARG Quarters: 15-1 loss to Saifedine Alekma, FRA Repechage match 1: Pinned Stefan Kaeppeler, GER Repechage match 2: 11-0 over Raul Zarbaliev, ISR Bronze opponent: Collin Purinton, USA Collin Purinton, 74kg Rd 16: 10-0 over Jasmit Phulka, CAN Quarters: 11-9 over Rasul Altemirov, FRA Semis: 16-6 loss to Vincenzo Joseph, USA Bronze opponent: Josh Shields, USA Alex Marinelli, 79kg Rd 16: 10-0 over Callum McNeice, CAN Quarters: 10-0 over Gabriel Ramos, ESP Semis: 3-2 over Evsem Shvelidze, GEO Finals opponent: Evan Wick, USA Evan Wick, 79kg Quarters: 14-3 over Ansgar Reinke, GER Semis: Pinned Taylor Lujan, USA Finals opponent: Alex Marinelli, USA Taylor Lujan, 79kg Rd 16: 10-0 over Kevin Spiegel, GER Quarters: 15-5 over Max Kasperovich, ISR Semis: Pinned by Evan Wick, USA Bronze opponent: Callum McNeice, CAN Owen Webster, 86kg Quarters: 8-7 over Daviti Koguashvili, GEO Semis opponent: Taimuraz Friev, ESP Eric Schultz, 92kg Round robin match 1: 8-1 over Jay Aiello, USA Round robin match 2: Aimar Eguinoa, ESP Round robin match 3: Adlan Viskhanov, FRA Jay Aiello, 92kg Round robin match 1: 8-1 loss to Eric Schultz, USA Round robin match 2: Adlan Viskhanov, FRA Round robin match 3: Aimar Eguinoa, ESP J’den Cox, 97kg - Did not place Round robin match 1: 11-0 over Ricardo Baez, ARG Round robin match 2: Forfeited to Ilja Matuhin, GER Round robin match 3: Forfeited to Lukas Krasauskas, LTU Morgan Smith, 97kg Round robin match 1: 8-0 loss to Merab Suleimanishvili, GEO Round robin match 2: 3-1 over Johannes Mayer, GER Christian Lance, 125kg Round robin match 1: Pinned Catriel Muriel, ARG Round robin match 2: 11-0 over Krzysztof Cieslak, POL Semis: 5-1 over Gennadij Cudinovic, GER Finals opponent: Nika Berulava, GEO

Anyone know what occurred -- why he forfeited? J’den Cox, 97kg - Did not place Round robin match 1: 11-0 over Ricardo Baez, ARG Round robin match 2: Forfeited to Ilja Matuhin, GER Round robin match 3: Forfeited to Lukas Krasauskas, LTU

One Captain America (Kyle Snyder) was thrown to his back and pinned by Gadson in the NCAA finals.

Perhaps there is a strange Seinfeldian reverse psychology going on here. A kind of George Castanza "Pick the Opposite" kind of reasoning of some kind ... involving a belief that PSU guys will do well if he picks against them. Or this way one isn't disappointed if they lose. Or, come to think of it, maybe it is more like George Santos thinking whereby J.C. is actually someone like Jordan Conaway or a former PSU wrestler having fun. I will give him some credit for not striking back too much at criticism. Maybe he just enjoys pulling other folks chains.

I think Hardy had two back points on the roll under takedown in the first period. Iowa ref cooking

Levi Haines looking good. Great defense and can score when he needs it. Looking forward to seeing him again on Sunday at MSU

Penn started on Jan. 11. Yes, University City (or as us locals just call it, West Philly) is grooooovy

Anyone know what happened to Kennedy Blades? She pinned one opponent, then was pinned herself and forfeited the third match. Hope she isn't injured. That girl has some talent, though she is up a weight class or two now. Kennedy Blades, 76kg - Did not place Round Robin 1: Pinned Taylor Follensbee, CAN Round Robin 2: Pinned by Elmira Syzdykova, KAZ Round Robin 3: Forfeited to Laura Kuehn, GER

Nolf as freshman also pinned IMAR when IMAR was an undefeated NCAA champ. Snyder pinned by Sadulaev. Taylor pinned Yazdani Kade Brock in his first match in college pinning defending NCAA champ Codie Brewer.

Socrates, of course, didn't write anything. It was Plato (his student) who put it all down in dialogue form. And Plato was a wrestler. As a distance runner myself and former wrestler, I'm not sure I fully agree. In any event, here is a brief account: Plato was an athlete, particularly skilled as a wrestler. His given name was Aristocles, after his grandfather, but the coach under whom he trained is said to have called him “Plato” — from the Greek for broad, platon, on account of his broad-shouldered frame. It stuck. So good a wrestler was Plato that he reportedly competed at the Isthmian Games (comparable to the Olympics), and continued wrestling into adulthood. Ensconced at the academy, he spoke strongly on behalf of the virtues of physical education. He felt that one should balance physical training with “cultivating the mind,” exercising “the intellect in study.” The goal “is to bring the two elements into tune with one another by adjusting the tension of each to the right pitch.” Equal parts thought and sweat, so to speak.

"There's no drama like wrestling." -- Andy Kaufman There's a few gems in this soliloquy by Andy Kaufman, Inter-Gender Wrestling Champion of the World

Christian Pyles (of FLO) interviewed the Penn State Coach after his team won Southern Scuffle in 2015. PSU won with Jason Nolf, Zain Retherford, and Bo Nickal, among others, as redshirts. Sanderson turned a question/suggestion back on CP about the plan for the season. As someone at FLO put it at the time, "If you listen close enough, you can hear CP shaking in his shoes.": https://www.flowrestling.org/articles/5051366-the-top-5-scariest-things-in-wrestling

If Lee loses, he is likely out of the Hodge race. Maybe it doesn't matter to him since he has two, but who knows. I think that two things might also need to occur: (1) T & T would have to offer idea as an option (not a requirement) to Lee and Lee would need to accept the challenge; (2) the dual doesn't start at 125 or 133 but rather finishes there (or close to there) so that a good portion of the team score is known ahead of the match. If Iowa can't win with a Lee decision or even major, it doesn't make sense. Finally, my money would be on RBY. Lee is strong as an ox, but RBY is quick as a mongoose (or maybe lightning). (In all my years of wrestling and watching the sport, I've never seen anyone faster.). Lee can be taken down and he gases in the third period. RBY does not run out of gas. PS: I think practically everyone in the sport would love to see the match, however. Two multiple-time NCAA champs going at it. The only recent comparison might be Dake vs. DT.

I believe he has also lost several times to two fellows with the initials A.C.L.

Well done with the stats! Kudos. Now ... is there a MoneyBall for wrestling (a la the Oakland A's)? And has Cael already discovered ... or invented it? What would it entail besides "Just go out and score points" Oh, and "Have fun!"

"I shoot, I score. He shoots, I score" - Dan Gable "You got a plan?" - Cael Sanderson to Christian Pyles “Wrestling is ballet with violence." - Jesse Ventura “A tie is what you get after ice cubes have wrestled with hot water.” ― Mokokoma Mokhonoana