dragit

yep that is a really strong union.

You wouldn't even boo this? Sorry couldn't help myself.

I agree with this well put post and have argued for the same result and still do. But I have to admit that there probably ain't much more action in these world and Olympic team finals matches than there is in NCAA finals matches, maybe less. I think the wrestlers have gotten so good at keeping the freestyle matches under control and minimizing risk that they've managed to find a way to cause a similar problem re action that many of us have complained about in folk.

I don't know if they instructed him to yap, I thought it was more that they hired Cormier to do that and Burroughs was just trying to keep up with Cormier. When Burroughs announced with Gibbons in the Iowa/Iowa State match it was a nice pleasant respectful cerebral pairing.

Burroughs is not a saint nor a sportsman nor lovable. He's got an arrogance and a hard edge to him, but he's never claimed otherwise, he's a ruthless competitor who explicitly says that the guy he's wrestling is trying to take something away from him. That's part of what made him a great champion and the leader of a golden age in American wrestling, a career and a role that demands respect. And off the mat he appears to be a true family man, grounds for more respect.

Finally got through my tape of the matches, few random thoughts. Great to see Spencer Lee having persevered to look like Spencer Lee again. The announcers on the main broadcast weren't good or knowledgeable, but honestly I liked them better than BTN or ESPN simply because they were quiet and didn't get in the way of the wrestling. Snyder is just a wrestler's wrestler. All he does is get in great position and do basic wrestling incredibly well. Taylor did look a little flat, but Brooks is a beast. I remember watching him stop Amine, an Olympic medalist, when he was in as deep as humanly possible on a shot a couple of years ago. And now he's just even stronger and better. Flat or not, that was David Taylor who couldn't finish against him. Best wishes to Kyle Dake, an extraordinary technical wrestler who showed a true human side today. I'm generally only interested in MFS, but I have to say the women are improving at lightning speed. You can see why it's such a growing sport. Maybe Jimenez could be our Caitlin Clark in a few years.

Headgear

Wow that wasn't boring. An uncharacteristically bad challenge by Penn State. Looks like the point for lost challenge will cost them the match. Then Zahid gets another penalty to lose a match against a PSU guy in a semifinal for an equipment grab. Really? Then Zahid doesn't challenge??? Double really??? Even if he lost he'd still just need a takedown. Which he wasn't gonna get anyway with so little time left. And I think he could have won the challenge. Not sure we can't know now. Wild.

Now that was entertainment.

Which guy? Pat Downey?!

That would be quite surprising, for starters, he has zero arrests, legal problems, and near fatal reckless accidents, and four national championships, a lot less, and a lot more, respectively, than the other two buffoons combined. I am not a Starocci fan, was very critical of his behavior at Big Tens, but his only basic problem is that he doesn't present himself well in the media, social and otherwise. He's a hard edged unsophisticated guy with nothing in common with Downey and Ferrari.

Wasn't the point of Rocky that he was likeable so you rooted for him?

It must be conceded that Downey is legit dangerous at freestyle (though not as dangerous as he is at life). That being said, he is zero threat to win the trials. Putting aside the awesomeness of the competition, whose league he is not familiar with, I can't imagine his conditioning or match sharpness will allow him to be at his theoretical best.

Agree not sure how that's productive. It's just a different thing. Steveson spending time doing something he's not good at when his body would still allow him to be transcendent at something very meaningful bums me out, but I can't see how I can blame the McMahons for Steveson's decisions.

This seems like a good way to put it. WWE is not athletics, which involve actual competition, it's a show, but like cirque du soleil or any other acrobatic production, the performers are definitely using their athletic ability in the show. "One of these things is not like the other." Exactly. Which is why it's not accurate to call the second activity "wrestling," which is defined as "a sport or contest in which two unarmed individuals struggle hand to hand with each attempting to subdue or unbalance the other." That's not what they're doing. It's not a sport, it's not a contest in any way. So the lawyers come up with World Wrestling Entertainment to try to get around this, but it's a substantial stretch to use the word "wrestling" in the title when they aren't wrestlers and they aren't wrestling.

Nicely done!!!

Youdaman

That ain't gonna happen. I'm not a huge fan of him overall because of this, but I really respect that he doesn't sugarcoat his pride and he doesn't pretend to be a sweet guy. That's why the comment about Starocci's knee didn't bother me at all. He was being honest and giving a window into his fierce mentality which he's always been honest about -- it's me or them, so I do whatever it takes.

I think people are critical of bad announcers and appreciative of good announcers. Bad announcers badly blemish the viewing experience, which is why people make a big deal out of it. I've gotten to the point where I can't watch the World Series with the sound on because of John Smoltz. It's a problem. It's like an idiot has come into your living room and has spent three hours in your home staying stupid things while you're trying to enjoy a rare opportunity to do something for yourself.

A terrible terrible shame. Hard to even process. Could you imagine if that happened to you?

I'll counter with Burroughs, Gibbons, and Harrison.

In other words he basically doesn't do his job and sucks to the extent he does. Burroughs is excellent. And they already have an enthusiastic caffeinated yeller, Harrison, who unlike Cormier actually contributes helpful commentary in addition to his energy.

I thought that was pretty typical, didn't seem like he was near crying. Best part was his awesome understatement that, "A lot of times you don't open that curtain for everybody to see." As opposed to the times that you do?

I can't remember the match last year because during the 46 minutes between the beginning of 125 and the end of 133 I made a hypnotist's appointment, drove across town to see him, had him erase all my memories of replays which ruined watching wrestling. Then I went out to get a bite to eat, drove home, went out to walk the dog, then came home again, then settled back in as they were coming out of commercial to start the 141 final.

There need to be no reviews. The costs outweigh the benefits. It's literally not the same sport anymore. A big part of what made wrestling the purest sport was the continuous action. The 46 minutes between the beginning of 125 and end of 133 were a new low during a long, slow slide.