TobusRex

It's easier to see a guy is jacked than if the guy has that "I can't be beaten" mindset, that's for sure.

Mindset is very important. I have a personal anecdote on this. I started wrestling in 4th grade, and built up my skills and confidence incrementally. It took a long time to have faith in my skills on the mat, and I wonder how many wrestling matches I lost over the years because I wrestled well known dudes and I let it get into my head that "I can't beat this guy, he's too good". But by the time I graduated HS I was an All State wrestler and owned a lot of big wins, even one over a national FS champ (albeit in a folk match). But there was this guy on my team who started wrestling as a freshman (when I was a sophomore). He had no idea he wasn't a good wrestler (he really wasn't that good), but the guy had an almost unbeatable mentality. He had a 27-3 record his first year, or something very near to that. Granted, that was the last year of Jr High back then, and against Jr High kids...but 27-3 in a first year is pretty damned impressive. The guy was a winner on the mat, somehow. His technique was rotten, but he was a great athlete and he thought he was going to destroy everybody on the mat. His success dropped a little in HS, but he was still winning 20 matches or more a year against just a few losses. I don't know how he did his Sr year, I'd graduated by then, but his Jr year he finished 5/6th at state. He didn't realize he was supposed to be struggling and just gave it all on the mat. Mindset is very important.

Is your kid going to PSU? What's his name?

Eddie Woodburn doesn't ring a bell. Was he a Cowboy?

How long has Max Murin been in college? Seems like he's been around forever.

Thanks for the information.

Thanks for answering my questions. Is Fix planning on going at 125 this year, that's kinda what I got from your comments about him? When does he plan on pulling down, and what happens to Mastro at 125? Will he move up? I don't think OSU gains much in Fix pulling down to 125 because Lee is better than Fix (at folk). Finishing 2nd to Lee or RBY seems like a bit of a wash. Regarding Surber he impressed me last year wrestling a lot bigger guys than himself, and acquitting himself fairly well. He won the Big 12 HWT championship, right? I was disappointed he didn't do better at NCAAs because he was coming on pretty strong at the end last year, but I guess the bigger guys finally ground him down.

I'm sure hoping Gfeller AAs this time around. As a Fr I remember him giving that NCAA champ from Rutgers all he could handle, then G just fell apart at NCAAs. I think he had a pretty good seed, too. Has he been battling injuries while at OSU or something, I surely expected him to be an All American by now.

Mastrogiovanni is a RS Freshman, right? What makes you think he's going to crack the starting lineup? I don't know who Ryan Anderson is, guess I'm out of touch.

Rich boy, huh? Well, that helps. Yianni comes from a wealthy family as well. Rich folks can send their kids to wrestling camps where they get hands on coaching from great coaches. When I was a kid my family was too poor to pay the $149 to send me to Cowboys Wrestling Camp 30 miles down the road!! I'll be rooting for young Victor and the rest of the Cowboys. Well, at least until they run into OU, whom they will beat quite handily I'm sure.

Maybe. I think that's so stupid, by the way, making boys pull weight. I saw Gfeller and Sheets in a dual a week or so ago and neither was fat. Do the guys at OSU pull weight because of John Smith, or because they want to?

Yes, the Dixon boys. Last year I was stoked on Drake Ayala. Well, I think Drake at least won a couple matches at NCAAs, and found out today that he was wrestling hurt all year.

Just looked it up. Yeah, he has a 3 time qualifier in Blockhus. If Victor dominates Blockhus, will you jump on the bandwagon?

I always get overly optimistic with Freshmen. Remember those triplets that went to OU a few years back? I was optimistic about those guys, and none of them ever even posted a winning record at OU, and I think only one of them hung around long enough to graduate.

Ohio 2 timer. Impressive. I wish Wrestlestat wasn't hosed up, I'd like to see the results of Voinovich's matches from his RS season.

I kinda wish Fix had moved up to 141 this season. He's not beating RBY, we all know that. 141 lost it's champ, Nick Lee, and I think Fix would roll right through 141 this year. The question with Carter Young is if he can even make it back down to 133. Didn't he go at 141 last year? I think Surber AA's at 197 this year. He's going to horse most of the guys he wrestles, he's used to wrestling 260 pounders, those 197 pound guys will be nothing.

Ah...didn't know Ayala was injured. I thought he was an impressive FR last year, all the more impressive if he was competing hurt.

What new RS rule? I can see Brands getting his scrubs all the work he can in the matches Iowa should easily win. That's just good decision making from the coach: why risk my A list wrestler in a dual match we'll easily win? Might as well get the backup some work so he can improve and get a little more confidence. What happened to Drake Ayala? I thought he was Lee's backup, is Drake injured or taking a RS or something?

Why is Lee out?

I don't think Paul is paying them to lose. They just aren't very good boxers, and he's better.

Hey Art, long time no see! Paul is a pretty good boxer. I think he'd do "okay" as a pro boxer, but nothing special. On the other hand, even an average pro boxer is a much better boxer than nearly anybody in MMA. Paul keeps challenging MMA guys, and not only that, but washed up past their prime MMA guys, to boxing matches. And he makes bank on every one of them. He's a brilliant self-promoter, no doubt about it.

Started taking BJJ classes a couple weeks ago. I'm 57 and have at least 20 years on the next oldest person in class. I was completely gassed by calisthenics at the beginning of practice and by the end of rolling 45 minutes later I was sweating like a pig. The next day I felt better than I'd felt in years, despite a few sore spots. Man, I sure missed rolling. The teacher seems like he's okay with me being old and fat, hehehe. Any tips on where to get a good value gi?

Aside from having the name of a Russian serial killer, what can you guys tell me about this kid? I remember him winning "Who's #1" awhile back, so he's an elite wrestler. Does he have the skills to be a 4 time All American?

The Philbrook is pretty small. It won't take more than an hour to take it all in. I was disappointed when I finally made it there after all the talk I'd heard for years. There's some cool stuff, but not a whole lot of it.

Try to avoid North Tulsa. That's where most, not all, of the gang activity and murders occur. Oklahoma has the 11th highest gun homicide rate in the USA, so be careful. The weather in March is pretty mild, mostly. Occasionally you'll have fluke cold snaps in March, but by late February winter is pretty much over in Oklahoma. Be sure to pack a decent sweater and gloves and you'll be prepared just in case a fluke snowstorm or something hits. Public transportation...lol. Oklahoma is a very backwards state beholden to the oil industry. You won't find any convenient buses to ride to sessions, so be prepared to pay for taxis, uber, or to drive yourself. Food wise Oklahoma has the same fast food places as any other American state. There are some regional brands you won't find anywhere else. I highly recommend Hideaway Pizza. They make the best pizza in the state by a country mile. One time I was in Stillwater and saw Dieringer walking out of the Hideaway over there. I said "Hey Ringer", and when he looked at me I said "What would coach Smith think if he saw you walking out of there?", and I "tut-tutted" him. He laughed. If Hideaway is good enough for a 3 time NCAA champion, it's good enough for you! Supposedly the fish restaurant "Molly's Landing" is one of the top 10 seafood restaurants in the USA. Don't ask me how a landlocked state has a top fish restaurant, I've never eaten there. There are many steakhouses in town. My favorite (The Fatted Calf) went tits up years ago, but there are many more and they are all pretty much the same. Avoid Mexican food in Tulsa, it's almost uniformly bad. I'm talking "EL Presidente" TV dinner bad. Maybe you'll get lucky and find someplace with good Mexican food, but it's pretty unlikely. If you are bringing the entire family to Tulsa, Mohawk Zoo is a great zoo in Tulsa. Seriously, best zoo in the state. If you are hankering for a (cough) "Gentleman's club" then I'd recommend Lady Godiva's. I've been there a couple times, most recently about 30 years ago. On the other hand I just read a Yelp review about Lady Godivas and from the reviews it sounds like the same girls that were dancing there 30 years ago are still there!