Maybe you rearranged your He-Man collection? Perhaps you washed and dried all your old takeout containers? Whatever you chose to do, it was almost certainly more exciting than 90 percent of the wrestling from the collegiate season's kickoff event.
Before this hyperbole goes too far, the athletes and coaches should not shoulder all the blame. Coaches are paid to win and wrestlers aren't going to take unnecessary risks to fulfill the community's desire for action. Also, the event itself was well-conceived and executed, with top matchups and an impressive roll call of wrestling's most important leaders on hand.
And yet … the actual on-the-mat wrestling was as riveting as watching canned molasses being poured onto a glacier.
The inflated points were in play -- three-point takedowns and four back points added to the 13-12 final score of the Cody Brewer vs. Dean Heil showdown. The new points helped the scores look remarkable in certain matches, but it did nothing to create more action throughout the competition.
With only a few notable exceptions (mostly 197 and heavyweight) stalling won the day.
In what is certain to be a harbinger of things to come in the NCAA season in one 14-minute stretch between 174 and 184 pounds, no wrestler scored an offensive point. To add insult to boredom the 174-pound match ended with a victorious stalling call for interlocking fingers.
There are many rules to blame, but nothing seems to be more at the center of this lack of action than the Ambien-like combination of allowing wrestlers to expose their back while defending offense and allowing a penalty free out-of-bounds.
Saving some outliers, self-exposure in the modern era of wrestling gained popularity in the late 1990s with wrestlers from Fresno State (most famously) using "funk" to wiggle their way out of defensive predicaments. For almost two decades the maneuvers led to increased scrambling, which for many fans was an exciting turn of events.
However nail-biting, the new era has caught up to the tricks and the funk become guys getting caught in on-again, off-again back-point scenarios where no points are awarded.
For some outside perspective, the current funk roll finishes and defense share a large amount of technique with jiu-jitsu/grappling. The position most leg-snatching funks end in is referred to in jiu-jitsu as 50/50, with some looking like leg locks, kneebars and even toe-holds. Unless wrestling desires to include submissions, that relationship does not bode well for fans of NCAA wrestling.
Wrestling in America is also the only worldwide style that doesn't penalize self-exposure. Every other traditional form finds exposure (not in the pursuit of direct offensive points) to be a match-ender. In Turkish, Vietnamese and Indian the entire purpose of the sport is to force just a single back exposure.
The constant rolling about has reached its logical end. No points are being scored, no action is progressing and the attacking wrestlers are not being rewarded for their aggression -- instead having to live through knee bending desperations of their opponents.
While some back points are now being called for wrestlers who get stuck in their rollthrough, referees have been unable to establish any consistency in the area.
The solution is to immediately penalize any wrestler who exposes their back to the mat, so long as they are not in the process of earning their own nearfall points. Once this is eliminated wrestlers will need to work much harder to keep action progressing on their feet and look for their own offense, rather than waiting on their heels to only roll across their back.
As for out-of-bounds, nothing more needs to be stated. Wrestlers play the edge in order to avoid giving up points. If there is a firm out-of-bounds the sport stays in the center and we (gasp) get to watch more actual wrestling.
These are modest proposals that should be adapted immediately. No need to waste another season watching one guy try to lay on top of another guy, or roll around only to go out-of-bounds.
Your move, NCAA. It's about time you bring back some excitement to the sport we all love.
To your questions ...
Dylan Ness picks up a takedown on Mike Kelly at the Big Ten Championships (Photo/The Guillotine)-- @CodyOcho5
Foley: Excited. Dylan Ness has fast hips and a dangerous style that could take him far in any tournament. I'm not sure how he'll fare later in the tournament, as Greco-Roman wrestling is next-level exhaustion, but I'm pulling for some big throws.
As for his long term viability, I think too many sleep on the toughness of the USA Greco-Roman squad. Just because they aren't as popular as the freestyle shouldn't be confused with them being pushovers. Those are some Grade A bad asses.
Q: Top five at the Bill Farrell with percentages for making the Olympic Team. I got Ed Ruth, Jennifer Page, JO, Victoria Anthony and Tamyra Mensah.
-- @davidcelias
Foley: I don't think any of those wrestlers make the Olympic team! Ten percent across the board, with the possible exception of Pico, who I won't discount too much even though I think he's still a ways off from beating Metcalf more than two out of ten times they wrestle.
MULTIMEDIA HALFTIME
Badass Girl of the Week
Another BAD ASS little girl. #RouseyRevolution
https://t.co/3ZEbdbWXpw
��" Dana White (@danawhite) November 5, 2015Look familiar?
Q: Does Jan Johnson win a Big Ten match for PSU?
-- @alliseeis_
Foley: I think he does. Johnson is a two-time PIAA state champion and a walk-on football player for the Nittany Lions. That's athleticism and coachability for a guy who also has the ability to work extra hours with one of the greatest wrestlers of all-time.
Johnson will be facing stiff competition up and down the Big Ten, but he is going to finish with several wins and a trip to the NCAA Championships at Madison Square Garden.
Q: I'm excited to watch Mark Hall wrestle in the JJ Classic this weekend and anxious for his decision next week. Where do you think he ends up?
-- Mike C.
Foley: The JJ Classic will be a great opportunity for Mark to make one final impression on the fan bases before making his announcement. Every match from the JJ Classic will be streamed live.
I've written about the futility in trying to predict the thoughts of a high school senior and I don't think I'm any more informed than any other forum reader. That said, I don't see why he wouldn't choose Penn State. For me that's the place where you will have individual and team glory and be revered by the student body. Maybe that's true at the other schools, but I just see four years with Coach Cael as the best option.
Q: I have heard that around 30K tickets have already been sold for the Iowa-Oklahoma State dual meet at Kinnick Stadium on Nov. 14. What do you predict the attendance will be?
-- Mike C.
Foley: Congrats to Iowa wrestling for putting together this event. Not easy to pull this off in 2015 and yet Coach Brands got buy-in from the administration. Insane.
I'm going to go with 42,598 fans! Why not? I mean how many students are they expecting to attend? I just can't see why you wouldn't drop by for an event that is so unique. I'll just be getting back from an overseas trip or else I'd attend.
Can't wait to see these photos.
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