scourge165

And the right thing is to lie and say that there was something preventing him from competing(other than actual competition at the weight class)? Is that the "right thing?"

There is SOOO much to this story that you're missing, but...lets just say this. Askren doesn't like UW. He didn't like Davis because he didn't aggressively pursue him. He got into some of the pettiest feuds with Bono and others and...some of the nonsense going on is insane. He's done a great job with AWA(Really, John Mesinbrink has done a great job, he's one of the best HS Coaches I've ever seen)...but he openly trashes UW...and he did it before Bono when Barry Davis was there. He got along with Bono for a split second but...some nonsense about a scholarship(that was very well articulated to the student athlete that it'd be backloaded, meaning if he was still there at the end of 4 years, he'd get a very substantial scholarship). Then the believe that Gross was promised the job and they lied to McDonough and that's why Gross wrestled at UW. It falls apart when you realize Gross was on staff for the RTC and he filled in only after McD left and he would have been there either way making the same money. So it's really down to a visit that Askren didn't believe he was afforded appropriate respect and it really hasn't died down since.

Of course that's entirely possible. But I also think it's possible Beard finishes top 3-5 this year(better chance if he's at PSU of course) and possibly wins it or makes it to the finals and places ahead of Dean. Then I don't think it's a stretch to think he could win a title in the next year or two. They're also going to have a bit of a crunch in those weight classes with a lot of talent coming in. Barr, Ryder, Fricchione. On top of what I believe will be 2 more years of Starocci and 1 more of Brooks after this year(I know Starr suggested he wouldn't go for 5...but it was immediately after saying it'd give him a chance to put himself above everyone else...and it would). Meanwhile, Haines who I already think will be the best Wrestler in his class may well grow into '65, Facundo into '74 and Kasak into '57. I didn't say I thought it'd be the death knell for PSU...BUT I think the difference, particularly in the next couple years, '24-'25 D1, it could very well be the difference in a PSU Title and an OSU Title. And I also think it's...a little weak how SOME PSU fans are going out of their way to undermine Beard. Like he's not among the best in a wide open weight class that Dean won last year on a couple...generous calls.

This is what Askren will rant about if asked...endlessly...for hours.

LOL...even though he "never truly looked like a title contender?" As a FRESHMEN he didn't look like one? And he was a whole 5 years out of HS. So he pretty much followed the EXACT same route as Dean? A greyshirt, then RS, then Dean took an 8th, Beard took a 7th. Second, no, my argument was NEVER they should have "turned away a 2X AA." Read what I wrote. So...lets see if you can crack this riddle. Who was the returning National Champ TWO years ago at '97? Was it either of the two? Or was it Ferrari? So was I talking about not taking two years ago or was I talking about THIS year? And where did I say what PSU SHOULD have done? I simply stated I thought they'd get more out Beard than Dean. And Beard losing 8-7 with Dean getting a last second TD his 7th year out of HS(since now that's super important) is now more important than Beard ACTUALLY beating Dean? And doing so pretty solidly...taking him down repeatedly(what 4 TDs). And Beard just majored Trumble. Seems like he's doing just fine with his 3 years left. Oh...but the "talk of Brooks moving up." Awesome. So why are you so upset and whining over me saying I thought there was more ROI on Beard? When did all these imaginary standards come from? Beard's too far out of HS? Again, on the SAME pace as Dean. Lets see how they work out this year. We'll see if Dean is gifted a couple calls at a weight class above what he should be wrestling at...and then...well, it still won't matter and you'll still be hypersensitive about it.

Yeah, it was just a joke. "The B1G vs everyone." It's like the...forget it.

That's right...I remember hearing about the 1st. Not the 2nd though. Anyway, as I said, the "return on investment," we're talking about 4 years of varsity wrestling vs 2.

You mean kinda like how Dean lost to Beard himself(the stalling points, not the gassing). That said, he didn't gas at all in the Schultz match. He didn't Wrestle smart. tried to keep him down rather than just cutting him loose, didn't move enough on the bottom. Clearly did not gas. He scored the only 2 TDs in that match. He DID give up stalling, not at all because he "gassed," but because he couldn't get out on the bottom in the 2nd. Got a warning in the first for not bringing him back to the mat. Then a stall call in the 2nd. Tried riding in the 2nd, again, stall call. Beard cut him making it 4-2 Schultz(2 escapes and 2 stalling). He then took him down again and they hit him with another stall because he didn't return him to the mat and then he cut him. Beard was attacking and looked fine at the end of the match. He was just wrestled a stupid match. And this year, vs the ACTUAL person we're talking about, Dean, he beat him when Dean did the same thing and he beat him.

Didn't Dean beat Beard on a last second TD like...was it 8-7 in their wrestle off? 9-8? It was a 1 TD match. I don't recall exactly, but it was an extremely competitive match. One was a Freshmen with 4 years left. So that was a year earlier. And Dean The other had 2 years left. Keep Beard in that room, in the NLWC with the chance to Wrestle with Brooks, Snyder, Starroci, the best Wrestlers in the Country and I think you're going to get more from him in 4 years than Dean gives you in 2. Just an opinion, not meant as a slight against either Wrestler. Dean won an NCAA Title. And yes, I watched Dean Wrestle Laire and Beard. He wrestled two much bigger 97 pounders. Laird is a very good Wrestler. He was one helluva HWT who competed with some very good Wrestlers and he's a BIG '97(as is Beard). Dean...more of an '84, but when you go onto a team with Aaron Brooks, you don't wrestle '84. On top of that, Beard starts out with clean TDs(should have had another). They wrestle the 1st period, Dean is desperate to get the riding time...taking multiple stalling calls to do so. He also gets about 2 minutes off when Beard's coaches challenge a locked hands. Dean's smart. He gets a TD in the 2nd, rides him out. But again, Beard gets to his feet and takes him down with clean TDs. And again, Laird was bigger. So no, I don't think gassed because he was sick, I think he gassed because he's probably 3-4 inches shorter than the two, they've each as thick as him and Dean just ALWAYS Wrestles close matches. The Laird match came down to a SPLIT second where Dean's hand touches, but Dean had plenty of gas in the tank to go there after he got behind. And yes. He beat Bastida. It's not rare for elite Wrestlers to go back and forth. Bastida is also giving up a point going into every match. For the record, I didn't actually bring up Laird, you did. I simply said I thought they could get more out of Beard than Dean. But if you want to bring up Bastida, he's a Cuban. He's a couple years into Wrestling Folkstyle while Dean is particularly savvy. So what? So lets say Dean wins it each year. Beard takes...5th and a 3rd? That sound fair? Feels like he could easily win it, but...for the sake of argument. Beard has 2 more years left. I'll reiterate. I think the ROI was higher on Beard than Dean.

This was my opinion. My feeling even at the time. I wanted...35 or so matches. I KNEW I wasn't going to be anywhere close to where I needed to be early in the year. It'd take getting down, making weight, going through that season and getting those matches in, the whole grind...I always thought I needed that to get myself ready. It's been a while, the RTCs were not on the same level, so I may feel differently, but I wanted those 7 minute matches, ESPECIALLY against Wrestlers I was a little better than where I was pushing for bonus points or just in a real, life go that meant something, a chance to test myself, my lungs, legs...maybe some OT matches. Make sure I could Wrestle any period without getting tired. The long grind matches were helpful in practice, but that's teammates(again, the RTC being a larger part of the equation may change things). I think you'd see some drop off in the Wrestling in the NCAAs and more upsets as we've seen the past couple years with the limited tournaments due to Covid. But, maybe that was my own issue, I don't know.

Yeah, I wonder if they could have let Beard wrestle off for the spot or if it was kinda promised to Dean? Not that I think those two losses Dean suffered mean...much(particularly the first as that was SO close to not being 2...though it was the right call) but Beard was the younger guy, he was more suited for that weight, longer. Just seemed like the ROI was higher on Beard than Dean. Also feels like it'd be pretty hard to tell a defending NC he's not gonna start for you. AS for Haines, I said last year when I watched him Wrestle, he'd be the '57LB champ this year. It was obvious his learning curve is not just steep, it was...straight up. Now I guess I'll see if I was right or not. Maybe I'm being influenced too much by Hall...but I don't think so.

Wha....what in the hell did I just watch?

Starocci kinda said that right after he'd just intimated that he was looking forward to doing something nobody else had ever done, be a 5X Champ(he was asked about it and he said absolutely a chance to put myself kinda in my own group...I'm paraphrasing) and then beating JB the "Greatest American or whatever," using air quotes. Confidence is great. Disrespect is...obnoxious. ALSO, he spoke about how he'd be cutting down to 163.5 during the NCAA's preparing for the Qualifier just a couple weeks after the D1s as that's really not a priority. Kid came off a little annoying in that interview and all over the place...but I suspect he'll end up going for that 5th(if he gets 3 and 4...which are NOT guaranteed...hell, Gomez just dominated Yianni, Mekhi could certainly beat Starocci).

Isn't this just called the D1s? Takes place in March?