The mailbag this week is straddling the Southern Scuffle, so making prognostications of the event is both disingenuous and meaningless. However, the Midlands Championship did end earlier this week and with nationwide coverage on BTN, the tournament left many fans feeling underwhelmed by NCAA wrestling.
Not often does the wrestling community reach consensus, but the shocking lack of offense in the Midlands finals seemed to generate a lot of similar critiques. Very few takedowns and a dearth of stalling calls and what felt like hours of edge-wrestling left fans frustrated for action.
While the event suffered from a lack of action the wrestling community took to social media and batted around the same ideas regarding pushout rules and increased stall calls. We know from watching international wrestling that a strictly enforced out-of-bounds rules results in more scoring. We've seen over the years that a pushout often penalizes defensive wrestlers, increases technical actions and draws in fans. The rule would also speed up matches, which can seem to average more than 12 minutes from first whistle to final handshake.
When will the NCAA listen to reason?
The hope is that the rules committee does something before the falloff in viewership becomes appreciable. As someone close to international wrestling I recognize the importance of making subtle shifts in the rules. Tweaking of rules prevents gamesmanship that often comes from a few years of coaches mulling over how best to limit risk while maximizing wins. Changing the rules -- in this case changing the out-of-bounds -- should create a waterfall of action in the center of the mat.
NCAA wrestling has a multitude of other issues, including proper dual meet scoring, administration of overtime and adaptation of fan-friendly uniforms. However, nothing is as quickly solved, or has as high a return, as the creation of a rule that doesn't allow wrestlers to flee the action and wrestle on the edge. A rule that should increase scoring techniques more than 30 percent in the first year.
Wrestling is a beautiful sport that deserves more attention, but with the current set of rules the sport those in charge of leading it haven't earned the viewership.
Q: How many NCAA finals matches have had two future Olympic/World gold medalists? I can only think of Mark Schultz vs. Ed Banach. What about two future Olympians?
-- Sean M.
Foley: Yeah, I scanned my brain and the Internet and this feels about right. I'd think that there are some from the late 60s who might've hopped into the mix, but I'm battling through a New Year's hangover and lost inspiration in trying to prove you, and my instinct, wrong.
Future Olympians will require more attitude than I can muster.
On a related note: sweet mother did Mark Schultz spin out of control this week on social media. The author of the book Foxcatcher and the inspiration behind the Bennet Miller directed film, took to Twitter to lampoon IN ALL CAPS the work of the director. Apparently the two are not on close speaking terms and Mark carries anger about the way in which the story was portrayed to audiences.
Take a read for yourself ...
Screaming on social media is almost never a good look and even worse when your product is on the shelves. But at the heart of the issue, I think, is the fragility of being portrayed on the big screen by someone you barely know and on their terms.
Q: Maybe an individual state by state breakdown of toughest tournaments in state. Ohio, Pennsylvania, etc.?
-- Zach S.
Foley: We've done this dance a few times, but it's always worth a stab.
1. Pennsylvania
2. Ohio
3. New Jersey
4. Illinois
5. California
Multimedia Halftime
A reminder that somewhere in the Caucuses right now Abdulrashid Sadulaev is hitting a fireman's carry.
DC vs. Jones is a must-watch UFC event. But after the event I'm leaving MMA to the WWE crossover fans. Dana White and the Fertitta bros. are losing money for a reason, and it's not for a lack of available worldwide fight talent (Ahem, Ben Askren).
But for the night, this will be must-watch TV ... #BreakBones
Q: One of the great things about wrestling is that so many good wrestlers are also excellent students who go on to have successful careers in many different fields. Not long ago I read that two recent All Americans, Eric Tannenbaum and Kyle Ott, are both doing their medical residencies now. It would be great if you could shine a spotlight on a few other recent, high-level college wrestlers who've been successful off the mat. Information such as this should serve as an inspiration for our middle and high school wrestlers.
-- Stan S.
Foley: Thanks for bringing to light the recent accomplishments of former Big Ten wrestlers Tannenbaum and Ott.
Oddly, I think that wrestlers tend to encounter many of their successful counterparts during alumni events. At Virginia we were fortunate to have alums who spanned industries and were often among the best in their chosen professions. I remember meeting a few and it clicking that not only was wrestling going to be over one day and that "real life," whatever that might be, would be starting at the sunset of those days. My relationship with wrestling has become a touch more protracted than I originally believed, but I've watched with pride as all my friends have moved on to successful and fulfilling careers.
Maybe we can start to spotlight more former athletes in the media. Conduct follow-ups, video some interactions. One thing that does occur is that the only former wrestlers we tend to see in our media web are those that coach. Since they aren't far removed, but likewise are also not active, the former wrestlers we see aren't (in our eyes) diverse, though often that's not the case.
Thanks for the submission. Interesting note to consider.
Q: The Midlands finals showed what is wrong with college wrestling. It puts you to sleep. How many overtime or no takedown in first period matches were there? BORING! Is that what wrestling wants to promote so people want to watch?
-- Tim J.
Foley: Per the opening, I'm in agreement.
Jack Dechow won a Midlands title at 184 poundsUntil he pancaked Lorenzo Thomas of Penn in the 184-pound finals, Old Dominion's Jack Dechow had moved backwards and out of bounds FIVE TIMES in 20 seconds, with another minute or so remaining. The pancake really only came after Thomas had to continue pressing for points, only to be lulled into a sloppy over-under from his knees.
Dechow deserved to win the match, is an aggressive wrestler, and I think a candidate to be the NCAA champion. He's coached by a go-getter, all-the-time guy in Steve Martin, and yet even he is on ice skates late in the match.
Something has to give.
Poem of the Week
By Ken B.
'Twas two nights before Christmas, in the Thompson Street Gym, the wrestlers weren't scared, they all felt prepared.
New Beat The Streets singlets, strapped over shoulders with care. Anticipation of victory hung in the air.
The wrestlers were jogging, stretching, and warming up in pairs, visions of doubles practiced with care.
Two new PSAL teams, and two veteran refs, all had just shaken hands, slapped teammates on backs.
When all of a sudden, the ref blew his whistle, people sprang to their feet to cheer on friends as they wrestle.
Center of the mat, instructed the official.
Stay in your stance, head up, move forward and grapple.
The sweat on the brow, oh how it glistened. The coach shouted sprawl, the wrestler she listened.
On the side of the mat teammates suddenly appeared, a small one, a big one, a stick through a pear.
A coach with a tie, a coach in a sweater, lessons to teach to make these NYC kids life's winners.
Some got pinned, and some did the pinning, but the wise coach knew it wasn't just about winning.
Coach whistled, coach clapped, coach turned bright red, then coach cupped his hands and he said, 'now move, now sprawl, now take a shot. On the whistle you stand, on the whistle head up, on the whistle keep moving, keep moving don't stop!'
Match after match, not a single wrestler did stall. Congrats boys and girls, we're proud of you all ...
Great effort tonight by several of our new PSAL developmental teams, and thank you to our donors for making it possible.
If you'd like to make a donation to Beat The Streets go to: BTSNY.org > Donate
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