Or maybe I could have written about the Cubs and relate their 108 years of losing to the small conference title drought in NCAA wrestling?
But alas I avoided comment on the Trump-ian chicanery; I dodged penning passages on the poignancy of another college wrestling season; I sidestepped a self-indulgent examination of my upcoming ride through Chilean and Argentine wilderness; and I skirted having to discuss Harry Caray, Bill Murray and the Celebrity of Cubbies.
In the end, all I know is that I was saved these embarrassing misfires by the news, the brilliant, life-affirming, smile-stretching information that Brent Metcalf is the new developmental coach for USA Wrestling!
Why the excitement?
To my eye, Metcalf has always been a special case. He's certainly had moments that left him in a poor light (we all do), but every time I've seen him wrestle, or heard him speak, or been recounted an interaction -- every single time -- it seems as though the Brent Metcalf I thought I knew, or that was open to the public, was only a sliver of the whole story. He seems to be in constant growth and change. At the risk of being too on-the-nose, Metcalf seems to have been developing well over the past ten years.
The development job is not meant for a cement-head, and Rich Bender and the rest of USA Wrestling knows this. Bill Zadick, having molded the role over the past several years, certainly knows this. The developmental coach is asked to recruit talent to the room for weeks of sparring with the national team. He's meant to entice the youngsters into seeing the benefit of the OTC in their growth and find new ways to challenge the Cadet and Junior level competitors in-house.
Metcalf is the right guy for this job. He can make it successful, he can make it grow, and he can find happiness hunting in the variety of nearby mountain ranges.
Congrats to Metcalf and congrats to USA Wrestling on finding the right guy for the job.
To your questions …
Mark Hall with his coach Brandon Slay at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials (Photo/Mark Beshey, The Guillotine)Q: During Penn State's media day on Wednesday, Cael Sanderson didn't completely rule out Mark Hall competing in the Nittany Lion lineup this season. He's said it's not the plan to wrestle him, but hinted that it could be a possibility. What do you think it would take for Cael to pull Hall's redshirt?
-- Mike C.
Foley: I'm guessing it would take underperformance at Hall's weight class, a number of other wrestlers not performing well enough, and Hall absolutely running over his competition for Cael to prompt that type of move.
Or … Hall's desire to start. There is something about that type of athlete sitting that might be harmful to their overall development. Something I read about Siberian Tigers really stuck with me and I see some similarities to top-level wrestlers,
"In an effort to express the depth of [an] obsession Pikunov cited a Russian proverb usually reserved for wolves, 'No matter how much you feed him, he keeps looking at the forest.'" -- John Valient, The Tiger
Q: I always enjoy when ESPN and other outlets have "Uni-watch" articles or cover some of the unique uniforms in sports today. I know you (and many other people) are tired of the singlet, but I was curious if you had some recent favorites. While the singlet is not the greatest, you must admit there are some classic looks that would be missed if/when the singlet disappears (Oklahoma State, PSU, Iowa). Possibly an InterMat Singlet-watch?
-- Matt F.
On to other singlets, I definitely liked Ohio State's "O" placed on the lower hip and torso. I find white singlets to be less fashionable than they were a few years ago so the finals singlets this color don't get me too jazzed up.
Some of the smaller schools have also been doing well with designs. Looking forward to the new season!
Q: Phil Davis is -250 vs. Liam McGeary in Bellator on Friday night. Would you bet Davis at those odds? Ed Ruth and Tyrell Fortune are also on the card, but I haven't seen lines on them.
-- Mike C.
Foley: I love Phil Davis and I get that wrestlers have the edge, but something about Liam McGeary from the ground creates too much danger for me to give -250 odds to Phil.
The other issue is that McGeary can throw his hands, has a massive gas tank and precisely no quit. Bellator has done a wonderful promotion for the event with cartoons, stories, and even some faux-political ads featuring Phil Davis. Scott Coker has done wonders to draw eyes to his promotion.
The Ruth and Fortune fights should be pretty easy to predict. Coker and Bellator have invested a lot of money in young wrestlers and would like to see them succeed. So long as the duo are capable at self-promotion and can show a knack to submit, KO and/or brawl they'll be given a few fights that are easily winnable without seeming like outright mismatches
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Q: Do you like that John Hangey is finally getting a shot to lead Rider's wrestling program after Gary Taylor announced his retirement after this season? Or would you have liked to see the job opened up after the season?
-- Mike C.
Foley: I've known John Hangey for several years and like most other wrestling coaches was happy to hear that he earned the head job. The Taylor-Hangey coaching duo has put up some really impressive performances at the NCAA tournament, and my hope is that it continues with Hangey himself.
From 30K feet it's really heartwarming that the administration didn't go out and assume that some new name would be better than the person who had dedicated so much time and energy to their school. Division I sports are cutthroat, but despite that draw of the unknown, Hangey proved that he's up to the task of being the head coach.
Nothing but the best of luck to the new head coach of the Rider wrestling program!
Q: Not counting NCAAs, what's the best college wrestling event to attend? Geographical location doesn't matter. I want to bring my son to an event. Just not sure which would be the best. A dual meet between top teams? Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational? Southern Scuffle? Midlands? Conference tournament?
-- Mike C.
Foley: You'll almost always find the most excitement in a dual meet between top teams. Iowa and Penn State would be my top choice this season.
Even if there is some disagreement on the point spread top teams create mega-promotion and bring on the type of competitive anxiety most of us felt last night during Game 7 of the World Series between the Cubs and Indians.
I've never been to a dual meet in Iowa City, but my hunch is that the scene there is worthy of a father-son road trip. Just don't forget to bring your camera and a 12-pack.
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