Jagger's Friday Mailbag - 3/15/2024

Was Dean Peterson upsetting Matt Ramos the highlight of your postseason? Madison Hollenbeck 

That and whatever wizardry Yonger Bastida pulled off on one leg in the Big 12 finals. Seriously, I’m still blown away by how he did that. But Dean’s run was a perfect microcosm of what that weight has been all year. Beat two guys who beat you this year with one being the top seed. Then drop a match to a guy you’ve beaten twice in the last year. Then drop another match on the backside just to come back and beat another guy who beat you this year. It’s 125 in a nutshell. As we know, anyone can beat anyone at this weight. It’s just a matter of who can do it five times in a row. As my man the Bronx Lawyer Will Forero once said, someone is going to win the title whether they like it or not. 

Who will be the biggest surprise AA this year? Jim Dutrow 

Give me the same guy who was the biggest surprise to win a conference tournament and that’s Nick Hamilton of Virginia. I admit 165 is a tough weight but that's what makes it such a surprise. Now, the guy got hit with a 30-seed even with the conference title, so the road could be a little rough. My other darkhorse is Lewis Fernandes. I’d like to see the big guy close out his career with a nice run. 

How many All-Americans will come from NJ? Mike Abromitis 

There’s a good seven or eight guys who can get on the podium I think. Or it could be two guys at 174. I would set the over/under at 4.5. 

Do most wrestlers hate basketball, or is it just me? Burger King of Kings 

I think they mostly just hate you. They see you asking FRL questions and Jag bag questions and they are not happy. Playing one side against the other, in bed with everybody and they are not happy. But seriously, I don’t think wrestlers hate basketball as much as the fans might. And I’m not even sure how much that’s a thing anymore. I like basketball. I don't

watch it regularly but no animosity here. Fans just want everyone to love their sport and basketball is a hugely popular sport that competes with wrestling directly. Who cares. Get over it. 

If the NCAA wrestling tournament is going to allow inj def/MFF (Starocci, Griffith,etc) then why no Last Chance? Your boss poo-poo'd me but hear me out: If you don't finish the conference then you have to qualify at NCAA last chance during the gap week. Thicccolas 

It sounds fun, in theory, but we know it’s just not feasible. These guys got hurt. You can’t expect them to wrestle the next week and try to earn a spot that they already earned. Shane Griffith got hurt in the semifinals. I think that warrants a qualifying spot without having to wrestle in the finals. 

As far as I know (AFAIK for the kids), the humans on the seeding committee have the power to modify what the computer spits out by up to 3 spots in either direction. Should they have more expansive powers to adjust the seeds? Less? Oldest and Greatest 

I suppose that seems fair. The problem with mixing computer data with human common sense is trying to find that perfect balance between machine and man. Perhaps they did move Carter Starocci up three spots and ninth was the best they could do. Or maybe they could have dropped him down a spot the tenth just to separate all the champs in the top half of the bracket. Of course, they could have just stuck him as the top seed on principle and adjusted the field accordingly. But then set a precedent for guys to not even bother with their conference tournament because the committee says don't worry we won’t screw you. It’s just a tricky situation that was exacerbated by the fact that the wrestler involved happens to be such a dominant force in his weight class. 

How many BBQ restaurants will Willie try and which one will he like best? Gman 

Depends which one you’re taking him to. Rumor is that Willie always pays so it would behoove you to track him down and have a few beers. He might even hire you! How do you think I got this gig?

Will the Eagles win the Super Bowl now that Saquon Barkley is on the right team? Kevin McGuigan 

I’m getting big DeMarco Murray vibes with this one. Also, it’s baseball season. 

Alright, folks. Time to wrap this up. I hope you all have a good weekend and that you get your affairs in order. One week from right now is the quarterfinals. The greatest round in all of sport.