CHROMEBIRD

We'll see about the bonus points. Last year it felt like PSU wasn't getting after it like they usually do at Nationals. The year before too, I think? I don't remember but am sure someone has the data to prove or disprove.

For sure. Nolf-Hidlay also comes to mind. But it's not PSU catching breaks. I think the officiating has been a bit uneven this season. PSU just gets the most attention when a call goes their way because they're PSU. I'm not blaming the refs, either. It's hard to develop "refereeing muscle memory" when there have been so many rules changes over the past 5 or so years. At least it feels that way.

Will the 13-year old will AA at this point? Looks like we're seeing him regress to his mean, not just with the losses but with the WBQCs (wins by questionable calls) also. He's a good wrestler and has good mat awareness but doesn't have the firepower as a TF. Smith just horsed him around yesterday with good old fashioned grown man strength.

Davis, Nagao, Kasak, Truax will fall short of the lofty expectations some fans have for the team. At least one of Bartlett, Haines, and Mesenbrink are ripe for an upset. But PSU and PSU and March is when the magic happens.

That's pretty interesting with the ticket bundling. Sounds like a good way to get people to attend and develop interest in lesser sports, but I figure even the most niche sports would sell out on their own during the Olympics.

I'd be fine with Hidlay taking the Hodge if (big if) he beats Brooks at NCAAs. The committee might be tempted to give it to Starocci if he wins 4, but Hidlay actually wrestled a full season and took on all comers. KOT, maybe due to quality of competition. Fix, possibly, but also an abbreviated season. It would be well-deserved by Hidlay if he can get past Brooks.

Highlight of the dual. Cael hesitating with the brick toss like, "do I really want to waste a brick on Kasak?"

I'll add a twist to your comment: he may have gotten the biggest scholarship from Cal Baptist. At least it may have been a factor in his decision. By the time Mes wanted to reopen his recruitment he might have had to settle for 0.2 scholarship money or something similar whereas CBU probably opened their wallet wide to try to reel in him and Gaitan early. Again, just a guess.

You go to the NCAA website for wrestling updates?

I wish Hamiti, for one, was a bigger part of the conversation in who will win it all this year. In years past, I thought he needed to lift in the offseason. Now, I don't know. Maybe it isn't fair to expect more from someone competing in one of the toughest weights but do you all think he's hit his ceiling at Wisconsin? What does he need to do to bring home a title?

Didn't he commit to Cal Bap his junior year of hs? He honored his commitment but was a much different wrestler then from when he decided to go to PSU

Purdue also has superior lawns and landscaping by a mile

Northwestern? Seriously though, programs like Princeton need a little slack to rebuild. They're not like Iowa or PSU who can reload year in and year out.

This. As much as I'd like to see Askren coach a college team, I don't see him enjoying working within the guardrails of a D1 college program. He'd need to have a lot of freedom to do things his way even as an assistant. Expanding AWA's offerings and developing partnerships with MMA leagues and sponsors might be more fruitful and fun for him.

ESPN has been promoting wrestling and putting out a good product, but I agree that they could be putting a little more effort into it. They've been hyping WBB with first-segment broadcast commentary and front page content on their website, and it's really moved the needle. Fans are paying up to $3100 for tickets, average going price was around $400 a pop, to see Caitlin Clark make history tonight (probably). Is that in the ballpark of what folks shelled out to see Cael during his senior season?

Was that the NUCA MMA club? It looks like the teams were Arizona ASU GCU OhioU St. Peters SUNY-Albany UCF UNF West Chester Western Illinois But it sounds like the league shutdown during the pandemic and only announced plans to reestablish itself last August. The NUCA MMA website looks pretty bare, so who knows if it's still running.

Isn't there a club level college MMA league? IIRC, ASU and tOSU both had teams. I forget who else. I wonder if Sac State will join and compete with those schools. It's interesting that the Athletics Dept is providing support and funding for the program. I'm conflicted about the idea of a possible NCAA MMA. Two sport athletes could be good for wrestling but if MMA blows up, I could see it siphoning a lot of money or NIL opportunities that might otherwise go towards mens and womens wrestling.

It's a winter sport. Sometimes people get sick. The exact same thing can be heard in basketball, with all the upsets going on these days.

Oh man, I really thought you were calling it brilliant, then I followed all of those dots and saw "NOT!!!!" - you totally got me! Then I thought the story really wasn't more than 6 months old but again... dot dot dot dot dot dot dot... bam! Turns out it was! You got me again!!

Agree, Beau seems like a good guy. Always has something interesting to say. Very high EQ. Hard to hate on him. Nick Lee and Jason Nolf, too.

Would love to see it happen, but I think there's zero appetite from the new schools and little pressure from the conference to add D1 wrestling. There's been pretty good interest among students at the nonvarsity level, but I don't know if it will change anything. UCLA athletics in particular has been in some financial trouble for a few years now so it'll be an especially tough sell. I think all the incoming Pac schools will pour the new B1G money back into revenue sports, facilities, contract buyouts and give wrestling and the nonrevenue sports a pittance as per usual.

Yeah, don't hold your breath. What a surprise that Jimmy still doesn't honor his bets

What if Spencer Lee asks him and stares at his watch waiting for an answer

Hard to know exactly what Coleman has been up to, but there's a "day in the life" video of him running the Okie State practices