Something needs to change

[IAHAWK1982]

I'm not going to go with the obvious that fans go to and say Brands needs to go. I am going to say that something needs to change. We know what Brands preaches, but not seeing it on the mat. Is the old Iowa style of wrestling no longer possible? It doesn't seem like these guys are able to pound the opponents into submission. Watching Penn State, Ohio State and others, it seems obvious they are all about scoring points. Just not seeing that scoring mentality from Iowa's wrestlers. Is it recruiting? Iowa doesn't seem to have the guys with the physical talents and skills that other schools do. Thoughts?

 

[phdsvp]

I heard the announcers in the finals say more than once that the Penn State athletes "have fun".

When was the last time you heard an Iowa wrestler talk about "having fun" (beyond the mullet interview, which ended up being this team's notable accomplishment this year)? If you're an elite wrestler and 15-16 years old, would you rather go to grim, "old-school" Iowa City, get beat on by your perpetually-angry coach AND not win anything, or go to Penn State, have fun, AND win? It's an easy choice.

We could continue to spend major-sport resources on a nationally-minor sport. We could make a change in leadership and attitude and try to win again. Or we could lower the amount of resources put into wrestling and focus on things like volleyball and soccer, both of which are more important in 2016 than wrestling. Only the last two make sense.

 

[IAHAWK1982]

I heard the announcers in the finals say more than once that the Penn State athletes "have fun".

When was the last time you heard an Iowa wrestler talk about "having fun" (beyond the mullet interview, which ended up being this team's notable accomplishment this year)? If you're an elite wrestler and 15-16 years old, would you rather go to grim, "old-school" Iowa City, get beat on by your perpetually-angry coach AND not win anything, or go to Penn State, have fun, AND win? It's an easy choice.

We could continue to spend major-sport resources on a nationally-minor sport. We could make a change in leadership and attitude and try to win again. Or we could lower the amount of resources put into wrestling and focus on things like volleyball and soccer, both of which are more important in 2016 than wrestling. Only the last two make sense.

Sorry, but your last statement is idiotic. You obviously don't have a clue about the resources allocated to wrestling. Please tell me how many scholarships wrestling gets. You will probably need to google it.

 

[phdsvp]

It makes no difference. In the average American high school (which is the audience we're talking about), there are WAY more soccer and volleyball players than wrestlers. It isn't even close. The ROI on those two sports is better than wrestling.

 

[IAHAWK1982]

It makes no difference. In the average American high school (which is the audience we're talking about), there are WAY more soccer and volleyball players than wrestlers. It isn't even close. The ROI on those two sports is better than wrestling.

And again you show no knowledge of wrestling in the state of Iowa. The Hawkeyes have led the nation in home attendance for wrestling year after year. The sport will never be down graded. Go somewhere else to spout your nonsense.

 

[ClintonIAfan]

The coaches are doing a great job. I think one addition to the recruiting strategy will help. Iowa should recruit Pennsylvania heavy to undermine Pedo State. It happened in football. I was on a job near Harrisburg when Iowa got Jeremiah Hunter. The Pedo State fans were so upset, and I loved it! They were supposed to be linebacker U, but Iowa took a major local LB that they wanted. Iowa would go on to beat them 3 years in a row with Hunter!

If Iowa can get great linebackers from Pennsylvania they can get great wrestlers too, and in the process make things a lot harder for the pedos. Right across the border is Ohio so Iowa's aggressive recruiting can undermine them too. Iowa has great facilities and a much stronger history than either program. Iowa can get the recruits and make this a success.

 

[IAHAWK1982]

The coaches are doing a great job. I think one addition to the recruiting strategy will help. Iowa should recruit Pennsylvania heavy to undermine Pedo State. It happened in football. I was on a job near Harrisburg when Iowa got Jeremiah Hunter. The Pedo State fans were so upset, and I loved it! They were supposed to be linebacker U, but Iowa took a major local LB that they wanted. Iowa would go on to beat them 3 years in a row with Hunter!

If Iowa can get great linebackers from Pennsylvania they can get great wrestlers too, and in the process make things a lot harder for the pedos. Right across the border is Ohio so Iowa's aggressive recruiting can undermine them too. Iowa has great facilities and a much stronger history than either program. Iowa can get the recruits and make this a success.

I don't think it's a case that they aren't trying to recruit PA or Ohio (getting Marinelli from Ohio). They have always recruited the East Coast heavily. It just seems as if they can't out recruit Sanderson. He is this generation's Gable. I do think it's a combination of not getting the top recruits and style of wrestling. The old Iowa way of pounding people into submission seems to no longer work. I'm not even sure it exists any more. You used to always see the Iowa wrestlers sprint back to the middle of the mat after going out of bounds. I don't see that any more. They have to go out with the mentality of scoring points. Not seeing it.

 

[ClintonIAfan]

What I mean is to use some slightly underhanded tactics. Recruit the players specifically being offered by Pedo State and Ohio State. Flip them after they commit and things. This will destroy their recruiting bases. Iowa has a much stronger wrestling tradition and is much more respected. On my work trips to the area I know people who wrestled in high school who studied the Iowa wrestling and emulated the tactics. This was only about 10 years ago. Just get out and bully these lesser wrestling programs around and restore things to the way they should be. Most wrestlers would chose Iowa over any other program if offered since Iowa is this nation's elite program over the past half century.

 

[IAHAWK1982]

What I mean is to use some slightly underhanded tactics. Recruit the players specifically being offered by Pedo State and Ohio State. Flip them after they commit and things. This will destroy their recruiting bases. Iowa has a much stronger wrestling tradition and is much more respected. On my work trips to the area I know people who wrestled in high school who studied the Iowa wrestling and emulated the tactics. This was only about 10 years ago. Just get out and bully these lesser wrestling programs around and restore things to the way they should be. Most wrestlers would chose Iowa over any other program if offered since Iowa is this nation's elite program over the past half century.

I too would love to believe that any wrestler would choose Iowa over anyone else. It just isn't true. Wrestlers came to Iowa because of Gable. Today wrestlers go to Penn State because of Sanderson. Iowa needs something more than just saying they are IOWA. We are still getting some good wrestlers, but you win a National team title by having individual champions and by have a solid lineup. Iowa basically gave away 3 weights this year and doesn't have the studs waiting in the wings to fill the open spots. I'm concerned that next year's lineup could be weaker than this year's. Who's stepping in at 141, 157 165 and 197?

 

[phdsvp]

And again you show no knowledge of wrestling in the state of Iowa. The Hawkeyes have led the nation in home attendance for wrestling year after year. The sport will never be down graded. Go somewhere else to spout your nonsense.

Yes, they've led the nation so much that they finished fifth in the country and won nothing of consequence all year in a sport that MAYBE 15 schools nationwide care about. Hey, if Iowa wants to be an also-ran in a sport that's dying, it's their right. But I don't think it's wise. Either win it or pull up anchor and move on.

 

[ClintonIAfan]

Brands is every bit as good as that pedo state coach. As a coach he won 3 national championships in a row. So coaches other than Dan Gable can and do get it done! I know there is a lot of respect for Iowa wrestling in the east. I lived there after the Gable era and the respect had not faded. Iowa should not be afraid to do things such as offer pedo state recruits. Pull a few and head will turn. Do that not only to help Iowa recruiting, but to the extent it won't hurt the Iowa team, do it also to hurt pedo state's recruiting.

 

[Gibsonian]

We have given away weights for years now, and wrestle poorly in the tourneys nowadays, esp the nationals.

I really am not seeing our guys develop their offense at Iowa. Not a wrestling expert but I just don't see individual improvement that I would expect, and some guys simply don't learn how to get takedowns.

I surely don't know how we beat Penn State at the moment. That's why they pay Brands the big bucks. To compete with Cael's boys we do have to do something different. What is it?????????