Will Jordan Burroughs make the 2014 U.S. World Team?
Answer: Yes.
Though he was threatened like never before, it was obvious in Burroughs' post-match interview that he knew his technical shortcomings. On the mat it was obvious that the indescribable "it" factor that has made him a champion for three years is still very much intact.
What Burroughs does need to control is the early pace of the match. Against a more seasoned wrestler on the international scene -- or one willing to wrestle from an underhook and knee -- Burroughs' three-point disadvantage might be difficult to overcome.
Taylor exposed a creativity gap in Burroughs' finishes, but in addition to staying away from Taylor's right leg, it's likely that Burroughs's coaches Snyder and Manning will work to find new finishes from underneath lanky opponents. His offense will always be potent, but without better finishes, and maybe a third attack the wins and losses will continue to rely on grit and late match aggression -- something that might bother his fans and force his wife into premature labor.
Can Ed "The Truth" Ruth become the man at 86 kilos?
Answer: In time.
Right now Keith Gavin sits atop the heap at 86 kilos in the United States, beating Clayton Foster in the finals of the U.S. Open. Foster, who beat Ruth earlier in the tournament, has a lot of potential to place at the World Championships. The former Oklahoma State wrestler has beaten an Olympic bronze medalist in Ehsan Lashgari (Iran) and World champion Ibragim Aldatov (Ukraine), but still struggles with Gavin.
Ed Ruth fell to Clayton Foster in the U.S. Open semifinals (Photo/Tony Rotundo, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)No doubt that Eds Ruth has the talent to surpass all these wrestlers, and with the coaching of Cael it's likely he's challenging of the spot come the World Team Trials. But Ruth might be better primed for a run at 2015 and the Rio Games in 2016. He needs to see more international competition and dedicate himself to long training camps.
Ruth was the most successful collegiate wrestler among the group at 86 kilos, but it's yet to be proven that he can translate that into freestyle success.
Are the new rules better or worse for the sport?
Answer: Better. Way better.
The old rules aren't even a close second. They rank behind Rochambeau in terms of generating fair outcomes.
That's not to say the new rules aren't facing new issues. The one-point takedown attempt feels incorrect. There aren't many international referees calling the move, but at the U.S. Open there was more insistence on making the call. More often the action that might create a one-point appreciation ends in a pushout or in a full takedown. Still, it feels funny to be awarded a point just for trying.
The other rules have all been a big hit. Simplified takedown for four or two has meant that sport is much easier to watch. The passivity calls are (for now) balanced and creating plenty of scoring.
There will continue to be adjustments because wrestlers are always trying to game the system, but in freestyle and Greco-Roman the focus on points and the penalization of stalling has created a level of scoring never before seen in the sport.
Overtime or Criteria?
Answer: Criteria.
No matter what system you implement there must be criteria to decide matches and with differences in skill levels narrowing there are way too many chances that an unlimited overtime would result in a lot of standing around and a very large sumo wrestling match.
Criteria works, and in my opinion has helped save the sport from collapse. The action on the mats is better than ever before because the wrestlers know, absolutely, that they must figure out the winner in six minutes. Almost every iteration of overtime includes the caveat that it too might end in criteria. Why even take the risk? The scoring is out of control with points. We are seeing scoreboard shots with insane match scores both in freestyle and Greco-Roman. Though you can't point to a single motivating factor, we do know that in comparing it to the NCAA the freestyle rules seem to endear less stalling and less playing for overtime.
The criteria argument is psychological. The default human nature is to reduce risk. That's a given. So if the score is 2-2 at the 4:15 mark of a match, there is little, if any, incentive to take a risk and give up a takedown or extra points. Play for OT and you can find a quick takedown and walk off the mat. That's human nature and that won't change. But with a match that always has a winner and a loser you incentivize action to occur at all times. Wrestlers have to take a risk because if they don't they lose. Similarly, if they block, they get called for stalling.
The examples of wrestlers not knowing the rules for criteria is just confirmation bias that proves nothing about the rules. Absent a few minor adjustments, the rules have not changed. Have the Americans been wrestling freestyle much in the winter? No. That plays more of a factor in not knowing, than does a rule feeling obscure. Familiarity breeds understanding and though I feel bad for a kid who cruised to a loss, we've seen it happen plenty of times in NCAA wrestling (riding time, double overtime, etc.), yet the backlash seems muted.
The onus is on the athlete and the coach to know the rules of the sport they are playing. If they don't it's bad form to blame the rules and referee.
Who will be the new head freestyle coach for the United States?
Answer: There are still a lot of names to be processed.
My thoughts mirror that of most that are familiar with the team. Coach Zeke Jones really did a lot of incredible things to secure the organizational structure of the team. There was accountability and a sense of wanting to travel and compete. That needs to be retained. What Jones also did well was dissect film and understand each wrestler's upcoming opponents. He also shared the spotlight with personal coaches, something that isn't always an easy thing to do.
Bruce Burnett is filling in for the time being and I think that if he decided to return full-time he'd be an excellent fit for the program. He's a real leader with insane amounts of international experience. He won't be new to the mix and is certain -- absolutely certain -- to produce results. It might be the perfect capstone to his legendary coaching career.
Sammie Henson has spent the past two seasons at Missouri (Photo/Milena Wick, Tech-Fall.com)Then there is Brandon Slay and Bill Zadick, guys that have been inside the program for a few years. All have the ability to lead, but it'll just take the right timing and a decision by USA Wrestling to keep it in house.
Who will be the new head Greco-Roman coach for the United States?
Answer: TBD
Terry Brands coaching Tony Ramos in the NCAA finals (Photo/Simon Jimenez, WrestlersAreWarriors.com)Hypothetically if Brands took the position, it's not as though he's never wrestled Greco-Roman or never seen an over-under. Winners win and wrestlers with Brands' pedigree as a coach are sure to do big things when given the chance. On a personal note, I think he's the right mixture of intelligence, toughness and name ID to reignite the Greco-Roman program in the states and maybe even seduce a few big name freestylers to make the transition.
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