my end if year thoughts

fuldose

Well-Known Member
Well its over. It did not end the way that we as Hawkeye Wrestling fans would like it to end, but it did end with a Champion for our final match of the year. A nice spring board to next year. Ah next year, what will it hold? Who knows. There has been alot of frustration this year on this board about what is or isn't being done by our coaches and wrestlers. 1st i will say i don't think our coaches are doing anything different than they have in the past. Did you see the passion of Tom Brands during the Ramos Match last night? That is not the reaction of a coach that is not trying to get his wrestlers to wrestle with high intensity. Then there is Mcd. We have learned since his unusual showing at nationals that he does have a nagging injury and that explains alot. Our nationals performance. We finished 4th. Not bad if you look at the facts. First we lose Telford on the first day. Then Mcd just can't wrestle due to injury. Then it was quite apparent that with an injured knee, that Evans was not himself. These three situations didn't do anything to help our Nationals tourney. Not making excuses, just stating facts.

So what does next year hold?? I think that with Ramos, Evans,Burak and Telford returning, we have a solid base to build off. With guys like Clark, and Dzweia and others waiting in the wings, i beleive we will be ok.

The one thing i feel we lack is an emotional leader (insert Ramos and or Evans). This team needs someone or a couple of people to step forward and take the leadership roll on this team and get the young guys going. Winning each match by 1 or 2 points is not going to win a big ten or a Ncaa title. We need a leader that when they go out of bounds during a match they run back to the center circle whether they are winning or losing. We need a leader who shows some nastyness. I think back to when the Brands, Herfernan, McIlravy, Banach's and others were on the mat for Iowa, when they walked onto the mat they had a certain edge to their walk that told the opponent with out saying anything you have just entered the toughest match you will ever have and you had better bring it for seven minutes or suffer. The closest thing we have had to that for the last few years is Ramos and Evans. I remember talking with ISU fans when tom or terry brands would give a guy an extra shove out of bounds and they would say that was terrible sportsmanship. Well maybe so, but it also sent a message to the opponent. Maybe i am wrong, but that is the type of attitude that we need to get back to. Look at how PSU wrestlers have wrestled the last couple of years. They don't go out to just wrestle, they go out to score and score alot and bury their opponent. We are not far from this, we just need a leader to take this team to the next level.

I love my Hawkeye Wrestling, hence my forum name, fuldose, i love a fuldose of Hawkeye Wrestling every chance i get. I may not be the most informed poster at all times but i know what if see out of this team and we are not that far from standing on top of the podium again. I have all the confidence in the world in our coaches, staff and wrestlers. Just remember, our program could be like our friends in ames, and lord knows we are a long way from that.
 


Iowa wrestling is not getting worse, college wrestling is getting worse. Less stalls and more stalemates.
 


Well its over. It did not end the way that we as Hawkeye Wrestling fans would like it to end, but it did end with a Champion for our final match of the year. A nice spring board to next year. Ah next year, what will it hold? Who knows. There has been alot of frustration this year on this board about what is or isn't being done by our coaches and wrestlers. 1st i will say i don't think our coaches are doing anything different than they have in the past. Did you see the passion of Tom Brands during the Ramos Match last night? That is not the reaction of a coach that is not trying to get his wrestlers to wrestle with high intensity. Then there is Mcd. We have learned since his unusual showing at nationals that he does have a nagging injury and that explains alot. Our nationals performance. We finished 4th. Not bad if you look at the facts. First we lose Telford on the first day. Then Mcd just can't wrestle due to injury. Then it was quite apparent that with an injured knee, that Evans was not himself. These three situations didn't do anything to help our Nationals tourney. Not making excuses, just stating facts.

So what does next year hold?? I think that with Ramos, Evans,Burak and Telford returning, we have a solid base to build off. With guys like Clark, and Dzweia and others waiting in the wings, i beleive we will be ok.

The one thing i feel we lack is an emotional leader (insert Ramos and or Evans). This team needs someone or a couple of people to step forward and take the leadership roll on this team and get the young guys going. Winning each match by 1 or 2 points is not going to win a big ten or a Ncaa title. We need a leader that when they go out of bounds during a match they run back to the center circle whether they are winning or losing. We need a leader who shows some nastyness. I think back to when the Brands, Herfernan, McIlravy, Banach's and others were on the mat for Iowa, when they walked onto the mat they had a certain edge to their walk that told the opponent with out saying anything you have just entered the toughest match you will ever have and you had better bring it for seven minutes or suffer. The closest thing we have had to that for the last few years is Ramos and Evans. I remember talking with ISU fans when tom or terry brands would give a guy an extra shove out of bounds and they would say that was terrible sportsmanship. Well maybe so, but it also sent a message to the opponent. Maybe i am wrong, but that is the type of attitude that we need to get back to. Look at how PSU wrestlers have wrestled the last couple of years. They don't go out to just wrestle, they go out to score and score alot and bury their opponent. We are not far from this, we just need a leader to take this team to the next level.

I love my Hawkeye Wrestling, hence my forum name, fuldose, i love a fuldose of Hawkeye Wrestling every chance i get. I may not be the most informed poster at all times but i know what if see out of this team and we are not that far from standing on top of the podium again. I have all the confidence in the world in our coaches, staff and wrestlers. Just remember, our program could be like our friends in ames, and lord knows we are a long way from that.
 


The Penn State wrestlers and coaching staff don't seem to need an outwardly- "emotional leader". Each wrestler exhibits a quiet confidence that extends from the coach to the players.

The Brands brothers were highly emotional wrestlers and have tried to coach in the same manner. I'm wondering if the Iowa coaching staff tries to coach at an emotional level that can't be sustained over an entire season.

Maybe the Iowa coaching staff should try to emulate Penn State's controlled and focused level of preparation. Hey, it appears to be working for them.
 
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Iowa wrestling is not getting worse, college wrestling is getting worse. Less stalls and more stalemates.

I disagree on all accounts. when was the last time Iowa scored 73 pts at nationals and had 4 all americans? I think Steiber had as many back points in the 1st period of the quarters than Iowa did the entire tournament as a team. i don't know how you can say iowa isnt getting worse.

i don't think college wrestling is getting worse either. there are as many elite athletes adn all time greats right now as there have ever been. the reason there are less stalling calls is that every one holds up now. it's not like 20 years ago where iowa had a MASSIVE training edge on everybody. those days are gone. every program trains hard and guys just hold up more.
Scrambling is probably the one thing (out side of riding) that has evolved the most over the years as well. w/ the way guys scramble and attack ankles when getting scored on leads to more stalemates. i don't call that college wrestling getting worse, it's just evolving.
 


I hope no one took my thoughts as saying iowa is getting worse. I was trying to say just the opposite. I believe that we r on the edge between being good and being great. Maybe it is a good thought that our coaches keep the guys so high all season that by seasons end they are emotionally drained. Who knows. I just k ow how much leadership from a team mate can Influence a team.
 


I disagree on all accounts. when was the last time Iowa scored 73 pts at nationals and had 4 all americans? I think Steiber had as many back points in the 1st period of the quarters than Iowa did the entire tournament as a team. i don't know how you can say iowa isnt getting worse.

i don't think college wrestling is getting worse either. there are as many elite athletes adn all time greats right now as there have ever been. the reason there are less stalling calls is that every one holds up now. it's not like 20 years ago where iowa had a MASSIVE training edge on everybody. those days are gone. every program trains hard and guys just hold up more.
Scrambling is probably the one thing (out side of riding) that has evolved the most over the years as well. w/ the way guys scramble and attack ankles when getting scored on leads to more stalemates. i don't call that college wrestling getting worse, it's just evolving.

Iowa had 4 all-americans and probably would have had 2-3 more if Telford, McD, and Ballweg weren't injured. If McD isn't injured he's a NC and it's a whole new ballgame on the leaderboard. I don't get why people always look at the glass half empty when it comes to Iowa teams. Injuries killed any chance Iowa had at making a run at the top.
 


Iowa wrestling is not getting worse, college wrestling is getting worse. Less stalls and more stalemates.

+1. Completely agree. I'm losing interest with the way the matches are called. I hate RT and I hate that wrestlers are allowed to do nothing for most of the match. It does no good for officials to call stalling in the last 30 seconds of a match. Start calling it in the first period and make it hurt enough so it forces guys to get busy for 7 minutes or lose the match.
 




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