CHROMEBIRD

Would that essentially be Nationals limited to just 12 teams? No thanks..

Elam.

I will lose some serious fan points for this, but unless I'm tuning in to something specific the perfect way to watch matches on Youtube is with the playback speed on 1.25 (sometimes 1.5).

I have high expectations for Ayala but don't think he could pull big NIL money (yet) no matter how stupid donors are. Unproven is one thing; damaged goods (shoulder) is another level of risk. Another downside to these types of NIL deals is that now you could have athletes hiding injuries or prematurely returning from rehab.

You mean for wrestling specifically, or across all sports? Or youth sports at the highest level? Not giving the guy a pass by any means, but it's crazy how much pressure is put on kids these days.

Deaugustino has to be thinking about his professional career. He wants to get his MBA and is already at the home of the Kellogg Graduate School of Management. Also isn't he an intern at the Big Ten Network studio in Chicago? Makes sense for him to stay if so.

Even if Nagao was offered more and left, it wouldn't stop him from transferring to another school after next season. It's a mercenary's market.

Delay of Match rule already exists

I like the full beard rule proposal

Sheesh, that's the stuff of nightmares.

Burrr-wiiikkkkkk! *shakes fist at the sky*

Portal closes in just over 2 weeks, right? I suppose grad transfers and NIL-only wrestlers will have more time, but things should resolve themselves pretty soon.

Young Alan Alda

Doesn't matter whether it was intentional or not. Head injuries are a serious concern these days. Football players will get flagged for helmet-to-helmet no matter how accidental. Knock someone out and they'll probably get tossed, too. Aside from not being the most effective technique, the head bounce is a pretty dumb thing to coach. Leaves your positional advantage up to the whims of the refs, who will be looking to blow the whistle if there's a possible head injury.

Do you have a video example of this?

I too was hoping it was the John Meeks we know. It's good to have ex-wrestlers as ADs.

I'd like to see Spencer do well, but don't think this is his year. Not nearly enough recovery time from the college season, plus he will only have had a few weeks of mat practice. He's listening to his ego and not his body.

As the only Big Ten school on the quarter system and very tough academics, did you ever feel like you had it tougher at Northwestern than wrestlers at other schools? Did the season typically span 3 quarters? Kids at Stanford might be in a similar boat, minus the unpleasant winters.

I was surprised that his eligibility clock hadn't already run out. If Steveson's considering a college return because there's NIL money, he seems like the type that would want to get something that includes his teammates also. That would be a win.

It's been said before, but great wrestlers aren't always great managers or administrators. Can you imagine the weird sh!t Dake would make his wrestlers do? It would be funny if an AD popped in to a practice and saw the team standing out in the sun building their solar calluses and being told to sleep far away from their cellphones. And Taylor is just awkward in front of the media. They would eat him alive.

Did Jimmy assume he was returning to college wrestling because the interview was at Minny?

I think you'll get better looks in one of those old school freestyle singlets from the 80s

I meant the actual singlet, not the sport, and was talking in terms of commercial viability for wrestling. Basketball gets a ton of money because bball shoes, shorts, jerseys, warmups, and other gear are worn by athletes, fans, and even non-fans. It's just normal fashion for many. On the other hand, no one goes out or lounges around at home in a wrestling singlet and headgear (well, I can think of a few here who might, lol). Embrace the shorts and shirt combo, normalize it into something people will want to exercise or train or even lazily lounge (social media influencers, I'm looking at you) around in. Might as well give it a go and see if it brings more money to the sport.

That's more than what your average professional MMA fighter makes in a year

Shoe and apparel companies have been funneling kids to specific schools for years. The most obvious is basketball where the biggest retail money is. They tried to get around the NCAA by setting up teams, relationships, and programming at the AAU level. That's why elite kids from specific AAU programs or bball academies get labeled as "Adidas players" (destined for Adidas sponsored schools like Kansas, Louisville, or Indiana), Nike players, Under Armor players, etc. Happens also, to a much lesser extent, in soccer, volleyball, and tennis. Probably even less than that in wrestling, but I would expect more attention given to the sport with its link to MMA. Another reason to ditch the singlet, btw.