The culture of American wrestling doesn't have to include hyper-restrictive dieting and rapid weight loss. Though better than the international scene where 24-hour weigh-ins create yo-yo dieting, the American mindset is to encourage unhealthy weight loss rather than simple weight management. There are better and healthier ways to wrestle, and ones that would lead to long-term retention of athletes in the sport.
This weekend many of us will watch the Golden Grand Prix from Baku where David Taylor makes his first move up to 86 kilos. The weight is much closer to his natural weight, but after decades (literally decades) of weight cuts it'll be his first chance to compete at a common weight. It'll be a showcase in a late career move up to a more natural competition weight.
Taylor won't necessarily perform any better up a class -- especially in Baku where there is stiff competition -- but that doesn't mean we shouldn't recognize the merits of wrestling at your natural weight, which improves mood, increases cardiovascular health, stabilizes metabolism, and avoids other long term consequences of weight cutting like kidney stones. Not to mention every minute gained back from the sauna, which can now be spent on technique.
Yes, cutting weight makes you feel "tough," but given the opportunity to feel tough at 20 years old or healthy at 35 years old, the wise man would choose the latter.
So for all you wrestlers thinking about a move up in weight, enjoy your leftovers, make the move up and be thankful you did.
To your questions …
Q: If you're Oklahoma State coach John Smith, do you pull your son Joe's redshirt and insert him into the lineup for Chance Marsteller? NCAA team titles are hard to come by, and it seems that having Joe Smith in the lineup gives Oklahoma State its best chance to win at MSG. Thoughts?
-- Mike C.
Joe Smith gets his hand raised after winning a Junior freestyle title in Fargo (Photo/John Sachs, Tech-Fall.com)That's a far-flung dream, but one worth swirling around your head when thinking of Team USA's already-impressive potential for the 2020 Games in Tokyo.
The decision regarding Smith's progeny can wait until the spring semester, which would give Chance the time to get his weight under control and compete a handful more times. Also, Coach Smith could enter his son and Chance at the same tournament -- maybe the Southern Scuffle -- and see who performs better.
The title hunt is no small consideration for Coach Smith. Penn State has reloaded for the next four-year cycle and while Coach Smith wouldn't cede the NCAA title for the next several years, he does have to consider it's much less likely to occur in two years than it would at MSG in 2016.
If JoJo Smith can prove himself to be a top five wrestler with a chance at an NCAA title then there isn't much reason to hold him back. However, if he's only marginally better than Chance with little shot to win the title, then it would be better for JoJo to make his runs in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2021 -- assuming an Olympic redshirt.
Q: How hot is Kerry McCoy's seat in Maryland? It seems like a program that's been in a slow but steady program decline since Pat Santoro left. Do you think the Big Ten move will improve the Terps' recruiting efforts to improve their results?
-- Dylan M.
Foley: I don't even think his seat is lukewarm. The program has enjoyed a lot of recent success and even if they are slipping into tough times at the Big Ten you need to look at the body of work and direction he's taken with alumni.
Frigid.
Q: This is a hypothetical, but let's assume Aaron Pico would have stayed with high school wrestling and been set on wrestling in college. He would be a senior this year. Where he would have gone to college? My guess: Arizona State.
-- Mike C.
Foley: I would think that you're one-hundred percent correct. I wouldn't imagine he'd find any other program as suitable to his wants for development at the international level. That's not to say other programs can't provide the same guidance (Ohio State sure is looking good), but Arizona State would check a lot of the boxes to include Sunkist Kids affiliation, the ASU alumni network of fighters and head coach Zeke Jones.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Link: Legend vs. Rookie
There is NOTHING cuter on the Internet. Also notice how chill the parents and fans are about youth wrestling …
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Posted by Хуйрнан Шуугигч on Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Манай �…үү�…дүүд Хуйрнан Шуугиулж байна даа.
Posted by Хуйрнан Шуугигч on Monday, November 2, 2015
Q: I know you have touched on it in the past, but I really thought you were going to use the success of the Grapple on the Gridiron to promote a wrestling as a single-semester sport in the mailbag this week. Practice starts just after fall semester finals with the first matches beginning in January and NCAAs just before spring semester finals. Imagine the NCAAs outside in a stadium in early May with 25-30K Iowa fans in one corner, 20K PSU fans in another, and another approximate 10K from Oklahoma State, Minnesota, Cornell, Ohio State, and Lehigh (many others just know those programs have very loyal fans) spread in giant sections throughout. The different chants and section colors would be like no other sporting event. Think of how marketable an aerial photo would be. Then there is no competition with NCAA basketball and football (half of the current season). I realize it will interfere with senior freestyle events, but it's not like the NCAA cares. All they care about is the dollar and I do not see 80K-100K fans for the quarters, semis, and finals as unattainable if the event is in the right metro area (which after the match in Iowa last week; a strong case can be made for Iowa City).
-- Cary A.
Foley: You make an excellent point. The Grapple on the Gridiron did prove the viability of a large outdoor event, though I wonder how weather may factor into any decision to hold a three-day event outside.
Something to consider is a two-venue operation where the final day would be held in a stadium in front of 80K-100K fans. That would be a logistical nightmare, but may also draw in the type of spectacle that the sport needs to jump onto the headlines around the world. And like you said, that is an excellent photo opportunity.
Maybe another idea would be to pitch the NCAA championships to happen in a retractable dome arena. One that jumps out is Dallas, which has plenty of hotels, airport services and options for regional travel. With that option you might get all three days, and in a city where young professionals would love to visit. Finals could host 100K rain or shine.
The city of Dallas would only need to be convinced to bid for the championships, they wouldn't even need a single semester, though as you stated that would be a priority in hoping to avoid the other major events.
Q: You have been critical of Henry Cejudo in the past. He appears to be on track to get a title shot in the UFC against Demetrious "Mighty Mouse" Johnson. Can he beat Mighty Mouse?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Maybe 10 percent?
Were Cejudo a power puncher or submission specialist while also being a world-class wrestler he'd have a much better chance at finding a round-winning knockdown or sub attempt. As is Cejudo isn't much of a finisher and with only serviceable boxing, he'll have a very tough time keeping DJ in one spot long enough to rack up points. Meanwhile, I think it's very likely that DJ just kicks Cejudo in the lead leg, parries and finds a unanimous victory.
Q: Jon Jones spoke publicly for the first time since being let go by the UFC. Did you watch his interview with Ariel Helwani? If so, what did you think? Has he changed?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Jon Jones hasn't changed, but I also don't think he needs to in order to become the UFC heavyweight champion.
Jones will grow up and learn to hide his bad behavior a little better, but I don't think he's something evil. I don't even think he's any different than 90 percent of men in their 20s and 30s, he just has a lot more money with which to act on his darker temptations. Heaven knows that if you gave me $5 million at 24 years old I wouldn't have made the best decisions. Add in social media and an interested mainstream media …
Let's be clear that while I appreciate his passion and work ethic, Ariel Helwani is not a journalist and this goodwill hour was brought to you (in some shape) by the UFC PR department. That's fine, but I think that throughout MMA there is very little separation between the journalists and the organizations they cover. This video feels much too crafted to feel real.
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