Mr. PeanutButter

My first response to you began by acknowledging that many good points were made regarding necessary changes to the program in this thread. I then contrasted this with your work. I used the term bad faith because I know you don't actually want to see any changes or improvements to the program, or that you actually care about the sport at all - you just get your rocks off by spewing vitriol against a program and its fan base. It's very easy to check your posting history, which is sporadic and, what I'd call opportunistic. All of your recent posts have been filled hate and have focused on Iowa entirely. So I'll repeat my earlier point: other posters here are trying to have a discussion about wrestling. Whereas your only intent appears to be to spread your own misery onto others. True story: at the conclusion of the 2021 NCAA finals I went bar hopping with my good friends. Most of us were wrestling fans and there were a couple PSU fans in the group (I spent a good chunk of my 20s living in Hershey - went to a lot of home duals during those years). It was a long night. In between stops I'd check up on the forums. Without fail, yours was the most recent response. Over the course of many hours during that night you frantically typed multi-paragraph rants about how "acktchually, it's not winning NCAAs that's important, it's about the individual champions!!" over and over it was the same, quazi-coherent sewage that wasn't even geared towards celebrating PSU's accomplishment that night but rather was hyper focused on Iowa. It was your first time posting that season. I only recall that incident so vividly because at some point one of my friends saw that I was on the site and asked what the scoop was. I showed him your posts. His response: "that guy's a f***ing weirdo". My friend's a Penn State fan. You've made a ritual of making these types of appearances. You're only ever present to dicuss Iowa. So to recap: I take no issues with people that criticize Iowa. There's a lot to criticize. At least it comes from actual wrestling fans. You on the other hand have nothing of value to contribute. As for your other argument: definitely not an insider by any means. I have some relations to the program and I and my family annualy contribute and a lot of us fundraise. Info rarely trickles our way but nothing I've ever heard wasn't already repeated online. Though I'm an unabashed fan of the program, if there was a slam dunk replacement for the Brands that could raise up the program, I'd be all for it. See my post following your's for more of my thoughts. This will be my last time engaging with a low value poster like yourself. Feel obliged to respond however you like. I know you can't help your obsession so you'll be back to snipe at Iowa soon.

I'm right there with you on both counts. I think a fresh perspective is needed long term. Whoever follows Brands shouldn't be cut from the same cloth. A different philosophy including psychology, gameplanning and training, and is needed. Im no insider by any means, but I've had the pleasure of speaking to several wrestlers from the program and I've been told repeatedly that the room is run differently now than it was 10 years ago. Remember McDonough? He looked like the kind of guy that probably should have sat out some matches. More recently, listen to Lee, Marinelli, Kemerer, and even DeSanto (rare interview) they've all spoken about having to take a lighter training load for extended periods of time. Much has been said about Iowa's grinding to dust training approach. That's not the whole story. From my perspective, the bigger deficiency in Iowa's approach is the negligence of certain techniques and training. When was the last time you saw an Iowa wrestler consistently lock up a cradle? Why would they, look at who's in the room. Lots of interesting names have been suggested over the years, namely for their star power (Dake, Burroughs, DT, Cox, you get the point), as options to fill positions ranging from assistants to head coaches (of either HWC or the college program). Those suggestions are titillating, but are they realistic? The Brands are less closed off to outside perspectives than before, but I kinda doubt they would let Jason Nolf lead large portions of the practice. But maybe I'm wrong? There's gotta be a reason that Telford and Morningstar are still around - they fall in line with Brands. I know this pretty much won't ever happen, but I do wonder what someone like Pat Pop could do at Iowa. He consistently takes under the radar guys and squeezes a ton of juice out of them. But then again that hasn't really been Iowa's main challenge over the years. It's the failure of taking top shelf recruits and getting them to win championships, year after year, that has been the biggest disappointment, to me. Didn't really answer your question. I often wonder who would be a good get for the program. Would Gwiz be interested after these Olympics? Mach? Lol, Vito in about 8 years?

You're not getting my point at all. Im not arguing the program is right where it needs to be. I'm not even pro Brands. And I know you've been around since the old times. I remember your posts. The theme is always the same. You're not actually a fan of the sport. You're just a fan of hating Iowa. Reread your reply that I quoted - opposing fan bases and wrestlers annoy you. There's never any mention in any of your posts about the sport except for how it relates to painting Iowa in a bad light. Being a fan at its core is tribal. Animosity is expected. You just take it to a whole nother level - it's your entire personality, like I said. So keep raging and railing. It's the only thing you ever contribute. The rest of us have actual wrestling to discuss

100% bad faith, phony poster. Folks come on here to discuss wrestling. Sometimes things get heated but at the end of the day we all love wrestling. You only post to rehash the same tired argument - "IOWA BAD". We get it. You're obsessed with the program. It's your entire persona. Now leave the actual wrestling talk to the people that actually care about this sport. For the people that actually read this board for wrestling: Brands hasnt made a 180 change to the program since his early days of running it. But I can assure you with absolute certainty that his philosophy to training and recruiting has changed in that time. There's still work to do. New assistants with new blood and a more contemporary approach to strength straining are things that come to mind. If there was a coach available that could step in and make an immediate positive impact, I would be on board.

There's been some good discussion here. And then there's the bunch of low effort bad faith posters, including @BIGTENFANBOY who, contrary to his handle, isn't actually a fan of wrestling, as evidenced by the fact that he only ever visits to bash on Iowa. Decided to crawl out of your little hole a little early this year, eh? There's also @Le dukewho makes approximately 60.9% of their posts about Iowa (ex lover spurn you for a hawk?). Have you checked HVI? You'd fit right in. Several other posters have piled on but otherwise there have been some really good observations and ideas shared. I doubt anyone from the Iowa program reads these boards but I know the staff is aware of the overall online chatter. Here's hoping that, just as the Brands' changed their recruiting philosophy, they continue to adapt and strive to elevate the program to the next level. Personally, I'd be interested in some new assistants.

that was extremely disappointing. I'm going dancing. Have fun boys. Hope there is some good wrestling from both sides.

whatever happens in this match (not a great start), I'm going clubbing with the girlfriends right after

wow. Nagao made something happen with double boots

Nagao has a pretty sweet looking low single. He's been going to it all season (and the few times I saw him shoot last season)

Is Ayala's one knee defense equivalent to RBY's one arm behind the back defense? I recall reading a whoooooole lot of PSU fans defending it. FYI, I am not a fan of the knee down. It should have been called stalling

I'm there with ya bud. I don't like the look of it and I don't like how Ayala won that match. There are a lot of fans on both sides that would defend that tactic if it was, "their guy"

of course you would say that I agree

wow, that is quite the shiner on Ayala already

did you guys see that?!?! a shot by by Will! The legends are true! holy crap. 2 shots and it was a damn good one. Why not do that all the time?

ooh a double stall. This should maybe become a standard in Lewan's matches

I'm not looking forward to Lovett's idiotic little dance that he will do if he wins

yeah, seriously. Why go for the throw seconds into the match? That's something you save when you're down in the 3rd on the other hand, he did pin Lovett in 20 seconds the last time they wrestled (2 years ago)

Gomez pretty much has to go big now

based on momentum, Lovett seems like the pick? edit: I write that just as lovett scores

Michigan party all week long since beating Iowa?

don't they have to wait until the hand is down to call the reversal?

Before Michigan, I was thinking that 3 wins was the expectation and 4 would be gravy (5+ would be when the giggles start). Post Michigan, I can't say I'm in a bad mood exactly but I'm definitely less excited. In fact, I'm considering going out with my girlfriend and her crazy friends instead of watching. Will definitely be more eventful.

Yikes. Looks like I am the insane one. I haven't seen any of their episodes come across my feed lately so I wrongly assumed they were on hiatus without verifying

I watched the most recent episode (Iowa-psu preview). I thought it was pretty good! Basch's PSU bias doesn't bother me. He is close with the team. It makes sense and he totally owns up to it. He has great guests sometimes and usually pretty good discourse. I am annoyed/disinterested at times but still tune in more often that not. I guess that makes it a solid podcast? With blood round out of commission and clash of combat going south, there aren't many options.

Are you senile? Basch has had an entire episode about football, goes off on rants about the Bills for minutes at a time, brags about how much meat he's smoking, moans about how he doesn't want to go to NCAAs unless he gets a suite, and, as another poster mentioned, never misses an opportunity to name drop, and does this for every episode. On top of all that, he complains and/bags on some entity on a regular basis, usually Flo, then has the audacity to call them the "most sensitive" people (paraphrasing). Mind you, I'm lukewarm on FRL but Basch's podcast is a hurricane of turds rampaging through an ocean of crap, in comparison. You seriously have me concerned for your sanity now. Willie is a nice addition though.