Spencer Lee issues?

[natchrlman]

This guy is a multi time world champ. In front of a packed arena he kicked major butt at last year's nattys. It has nothing to do with a mental initiated problem.

He has something medical that causes massive drain of energy with exertion, which, therefore, no amount of training can fix. And, of course, you can imagine what that is doing to him mentally.

This!

As TNT posted, someone more "in the know" posted a while back that it was not mono, and that it was something serious, of a serious nature. That's really about all most of us know.

It is most likely lingering effects from whatever illness he had (has). I seriously doubt it has anything to do with losing his drive, folding under pressure, others scouting his weaknesses, weight cutting, or any of the other BS that gets posted.

Yea that’s my take too.... in the recent matches lately where people thought he was looking better .... he ended them early.... Nebraska he was so shot he stumbled trying to run off the mat....you just see the energy leave his body as the match goes on.... hard to watch him struggle like this.... whatever it is apparently training and wrestling doesn’t make it worse or I’m sure they would shut him down.... thats why I doubt it’s an injury ..has to be illness

 

[TNTwrestle]

After Lee gave up the escape to Picc the kxic announcer immediately said that Lee looked tired. For you who were watching did Lee look tired or did he look like he was bothered by some kind of injury?

He looked tired (gassed) before the end of the first. I was pretty worried where it was headed, although I didn't expect what actually happened. He wasn't stuck when the call was made but probably would have been anyway.

 

[artradley]

After Lee gave up the escape to Picc the kxic announcer immediately said that Lee looked tired. For you who were watching did Lee look tired or did he look like he was bothered by some kind of injury?

Tired. He’s looked tired from the four minute mark all year.

 

[thom67]

He just looked out of it.

 

[Tony Hawk]

Not how I remember it. He won at tOSU in the dual, lost at the B1G tourney, and of course, owned him at NCAA.

Edit; looks like Chief and I were posting at the same time. At least I was right this time.

My wife has my phone or least being wrong in blaming her! I did have it backwards. My bad fella

 

[TNTwrestle]

It could also be Lyme disease. Who knows.

What I am certain about, is that it is absurd to think this is anything other than a medical issue. Do you think he didn’t bring Picc back to the center because Spencer Lee forgot basics? So you think it was because Spencer Lee - Spencer friggin’ Lee - is lazy?

It was because he didn’t have the energy to do it; he tried to get the two with the least effort possible, because he knew he was going to have to go seven minutes.

He hasn’t had moments when he looked better. 70% Lee pins anyone outside of the top ten, without much effort. But you could tell he wasn’t right.

I've thought of this possibility (Lyme), but really hope that's not it. It is treatable early, if not initially misdiagnosed, but if it is given a chance to take hold, it is not curable, and only gets worse. It actually becomes part of your DNA. I know a couple people with it, and it has totally changed their lives.

 

[herkcy]

Riddle me this. Why the secrecy? What does it hurt if anyone knows? My assumption is that the staff doesn't want excuses. It is what it is. It's not an excuse. Another guess is someone on staff comes out after the season & says something to the effect of, "Spencer was dealing with so & so this season. No excuses, but he was....." Then why wait until then. Just don't get it.

 

[Exo]

Can someone with a highschool diploma get on the internet and diagnose this poor kid? All the speculation isn't fair, I'm sure he's dying to know what illness he has contracted.

Last time I WebMD'd myself I found out I was 6 months pregnant, and I'm a 29 year old male.

 

[sdvike]

From what I see, barring some kind of miracle, he will not be wrestling 100% healthy this year at tournaments. He is wrestling with heart, knowing full well he beats these guys badly when healthy, but lays it on the line for the team. I have more respect for him this year than last years championship run. Hope he wins 2 at Bigs and mff out. Then, try to put everybody away by early 2nd period in Pittsburg. If I were the other 26 pounders, I would not underestimate him even at 50%.

 

[slushhead]

Solid technique. Notice how she keeps her nose far from either knee?


[Yes, there is something wrong with me.]

 

[grapplefann]

Can someone with a highschool diploma get on the internet and diagnose this poor kid? All the speculation isn't fair, I'm sure he's dying to know what illness he has contracted.

Last time I WebMD'd myself I found out I was 6 months pregnant, and I'm a 29 year old male.

Have you picked out a name yet?

 

[T.A.J.]

Then, try to put everybody away by early 2nd period in Pittsburg. If I were the other 26 pounders, I would not underestimate him even at 50%.

No...they shouldn't underestimate him....they should try to avoid him.At least until midway of the second period that is..

 

[snotknockerhawk]

We've heard from Brands that there are issues Lee is dealing with without elaborating.

I've heard he had a bout with mono, which wouldn't be the first time. He also had this is HS from what I recall. I know mono effectively ruined Connor McCaffrey's freshman year of basketball, although he was able to get a medical redshirt.

The question is, if there are issues, when did they occur and what is the severity? I am more inclined after yesterday to believe he has been dealing with something significant. He has demonstrated no energy after the first period. Even in the Pat Glory match after dominating the first period 12-0 he laid around for the next 4 minutes. If these issues were hurting him before the season started then it's unfortunate that we didn't use a redshirt this season, given that it's really a rebuilding year anyway.

Matt Mcd 2.0.....I think he recovers though.

 

[T.A.J.]

Have you picked out a name yet?

Cael

 

[T.A.J.]

Was going to post an axe grinding gif but I'll the insert the "Stretch" one here instead. Y'all are welcome.

Some may question the GIFS you decide to keep on the ready...

I'm not one of those people.

 

[MadTown Hawk]

I thought it had to be a medical issue, but I am starting to wonder. If Spencer is dealing with a medical issue his teammates must know about it. His teammates all have roommates, girlfriends and home town buddies. They all have acccess to the internet. How is this not getting out to the public? Spencer is one of the biggest stars in college wrestling. If this ends up being a medical issue I give kudos to the team for keeping their mouths shut.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

I thought it had to be a medical issue, but I am starting to wonder. If Spencer is dealing with a medical issue his teammates must know about it. His teammates all have roommates, girlfriends and home town buddies. They all have acccess to the internet. How is this not getting out to the public? Spencer is one of the biggest stars in college wrestling. If this ends up being a medical issue I give kudos to the team for keeping their mouths shut.

As posted above, there were endless threads and speculation just like this about Matt McDonough his senior year and we never got any clarity at all about that until after the season was over. I’m sure this will be the same.

 

[wasdt21]

thanks chief, next time old woman gets on me for sleeping to much- valley fever

 

[IamHawkeye]

We've heard from Brands that there are issues Lee is dealing with without elaborating.

I've heard he had a bout with mono, which wouldn't be the first time. He also had this is HS from what I recall. I know mono effectively ruined Connor McCaffrey's freshman year of basketball, although he was able to get a medical redshirt.

The question is, if there are issues, when did they occur and what is the severity? I am more inclined after yesterday to believe he has been dealing with something significant. He has demonstrated no energy after the first period. Even in the Pat Glory match after dominating the first period 12-0 he laid around for the next 4 minutes. If these issues were hurting him before the season started then it's unfortunate that we didn't use a redshirt this season, given that it's really a rebuilding year anyway.

Did we ever find out about McDonough? I remember he didn't seem the same his senior year.

 

[ArkieHawk]

No info. Not particularly interested in the cause. Only care about the effects:

1. I hate that the issue threatens Spencer’s chances of being a 4-timer. He surely has the talent. To have an uncontrollable like this is awful.

2. I hate that this will have even a small impact on his Freestyle career and Spring/Summer training schedule, because his ultimate goals are World and Olympic Gold.

3. I hope that even if he doesn’t finish the year the way he wants & that he knows Iowa fans stand with him, and that he never second-guesses coming here.

4. If somehow the issue IS mental, and not physical, I hope he is getting the best possible care available so that the situation doesn’t spiral.

5. No matter what the end result is, I hope it doesn’t change his attitude. The “Spencer Lee effect” is very real, and Iowa wrestling is better for having Spencer “the person” in our program. Win or Lose, Spencer’s character is one of the best things he brings to Iowa and to the sport.

Net, the whole situation sucks. Thankfully, we know from Gable that disappointment is sometimes the fuel necessary to push us to new levels of success. I do not wish Spencer any further disappointments, but should he face them, I hope they add fuel to his future NCAA, World, and Olympic success.

 

[Mountain Man Hawk]

We've heard from Brands that there are issues Lee is dealing with without elaborating.

I've heard he had a bout with mono, which wouldn't be the first time. He also had this is HS from what I recall. I know mono effectively ruined Connor McCaffrey's freshman year of basketball, although he was able to get a medical redshirt.

The question is, if there are issues, when did they occur and what is the severity? I am more inclined after yesterday to believe he has been dealing with something significant. He has demonstrated no energy after the first period. Even in the Pat Glory match after dominating the first period 12-0 he laid around for the next 4 minutes. If these issues were hurting him before the season started then it's unfortunate that we didn't use a redshirt this season, given that it's really a rebuilding year anyway.

Did we ever find out about McDonough? I remember he didn't seem the same his senior year.

They announced it after the season. He later had surgery to repair the injury, I forget the specifics but I think it was his shoulder.

 

[MilleGinja]

Have we ruled out that Lee is superman and Desanto is krptonite? Think about it. Desanto beats Lee senior year HS. Lee terrorizes the 125 class as a true freshman. Desanto transfers to Iowa and Lee is struggling. Something fishy there

 

[anon_0pi0cv8t1ggvb]

If any athlete, regardless of the sport he/she was competing in, was physically ill/impaired to the point of such of an extreme deterioration of performance as we see in S/L, should not '"somebody's" judgement be questioned? Why is the coach allowing him to compete? Why doesn't AD intervene; why doesn't a parent speak-up? This situation seems to call out for someone's attention. Everybody can "see" a serious/real problem.

Another brilliant take. Keep em rolling.

 

[anon_0pi0cv8t1ggvb]

In those two, some trigger went off in my head and I actually finished strong (but one of those came after a nice lunger).

Did you wrestle for Okst?

 

[anon_0pi0cv8t1ggvb]

After Lee gave up the escape to Picc the kxic announcer immediately said that Lee looked tired. For you who were watching did Lee look tired or did he look like he was bothered by some kind of injury?

He looked tired in the first after going really hard for a takedown but not getting it on the edge of the mat.

 

[anon_0pi0cv8t1ggvb]

Have we ruled out that Lee is superman and Desanto is krptonite? Think about it. Desanto beats Lee senior year HS. Lee terrorizes the 125 class as a true freshman. Desanto transfers to Iowa and Lee is struggling. Something fishy there

If Desanto wins NCAAs this year I'll jump aboard this theory.

 

[Atdawn123]

Obviously Spencer isn’t healthy. I’ve watched this young man since his first world championships in 2012. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him fade like this ever! Minus his senior year against AD. I feel horribly for him... Could they pull a Suriano and just weigh him and injury default out of BIGs without wrestling a match? I think rest is probably going to serve him better then wrestling but, hopefully by some miracle this illness runs it’s course...

 

[mike tognetti]

Lee might have got camel toe disease in the off season from hanging out with some of the Iowa posters on this board. After last weekend it has spread like wild fire on this board. No cure for it, but you can hide the symptoms with loose fitting pants!

 

[Kinnick.At.Night]

Riddle me this. Why the secrecy? What does it hurt if anyone knows? My assumption is that the staff doesn't want excuses. It is what it is. It's not an excuse. Another guess is someone on staff comes out after the season & says something to the effect of, "Spencer was dealing with so & so this season. No excuses, but he was....." Then why wait until then. Just don't get it.

This! Just come out with it! There’s no shame in being sick. Being depressed. Having lost interest. Morphing into koala bear. Whatever! Just tell us what the hell is wrong with the kid.

 

[Inthecircle]

Boy I’d sure like to know what’s going on with Spencer.
Tom Brands is a good coach, good coaches keep things private that need to be anonymous, in order to keep the team focused.
How does it benefit SL to have the whole world know what’s ailing him?

If we knew, it only serves to satisfy our own curiosities. Once it’s public, it draws even more attention to him and the team. Once this cat is out of the bag, can you imagine the amount of probing questions Spencer, his teammates and coaches would have to field. This is not the time of year to have outside issues distracting the individuals who make up this great team.
I can only imagine the angsts Spencer feels, however, like the true champion he is, he is trudging forward with no excuses.
When the time comes for us to know we’ll know. My instincts are that we will say, “Wow He wrestled with that going on?!”
Go Spencer and go Hawks.

 

[IRONBIRD]

Can't help feeling like we are a little "snake bit" as a team. Just this year you Have 3 of our best Wrestlers in Lee, Kemdawg, and Stoll battling injuries! I Mean Big Sam goes through 2 Knee injuries, still somehow puts together a great season last year and then gets shot in the same f-in knee!!!

Someone above mentioned McD, you had Telford, still have the Bull in a knee brace, clark battle through a shoulder on and on. I do not know how many of our guys have been wearing and/or are wearing some kind of brace, tape etc on knees and shoulders.

just very frustrating to see kids not 100% and I know the feeling well having been sick my Sr. year in HS, and injured my Sr. year in college. Just hope that whatever is ailing Lee goes the hell away, Stoll can somehow make a run, Kemdawg comes back stronger then ever, and for once we can get through a season healthy!!!

 

[24 so far]

Let's expand on this because I know some people are thinking it. Maybe he has big match issues? I might agree but Spencer has been in big matches his whole career with eyes on him starting in the 8th grade. Maybe it's hostile territory? He went into tOSU and beat NATO last year. Could it be the pressure of being the Great White Hope at Iowa? Well that started the day he said "I Want to be a Hawkeye" and he handled it last year with ease when he was coming off injury into a B1G schedule loaded with studs that wanted to add his scalp. He looked fine at Midlands before his shirt was pulled but had a few matches where he looked like this in the third. He was fine by the tOSU match and through the NCAAs. The only time I saw this type of body language from him in H.S. was during PA State his senior year. Go back and watch the Desanto match.

Before the season, I watched him at practice before the season and he looked ripped...like he had put on some muscle and he was rolling just fine with guys like Clark. Flash forward a few months to the Iowa State dual and he started looking like he does now. He is good enough to beat pretty much any non top 5 guy but he is not the Spencer I have seen for the past 6 years. It isn't because of effort, nor lack of drive...so I am guessing it is physical and he is writing checks his body can't cash. But what the hell do I know...except I am a Spencer Lee ride or die. Best thing to happen to Iowa wrestling in a long time and I hope he gets it figured out.

Its really as simple as the eye test, and he's not passing it. I am 99.99% certain there isn't a damn thing he can do about it currently.

 

[pablow]

As posted above, there were endless threads and speculation just like this about Matt McDonough his senior year and we never got any clarity at all about that until after the season was over. I’m sure this will be the same.

As I recall, the field caught up to Matt and our coaches worked him into an average wrestler. According to the PSU trolls over on the.mat, this is exactly what's going on with Spencer.

 

[Mattski]

This! Just come out with it! There’s no shame in being sick. Being depressed. Having lost interest. Morphing into koala bear. Whatever! Just tell us what the hell is wrong with the kid.

It's what indicates it's an injury. Not telling futures opponents about an injury is a tactical decision and I'm fine with it. If he was sick 2 months ago and is having trouble shaking it, what tactical advantage would that give opponents? Anyone can see he doesn't have a tank and knows to try and make it past the first and you'll have a chance.

 

[24 so far]

As posted above, there were endless threads and speculation just like this about Matt McDonough his senior year and we never got any clarity at all about that until after the season was over. I’m sure this will be the same.

It was abundantly clear right from the start that Matt McDonough was injured his Senior year. Everyone on the planet should have known. The only mystery was the exact diagnosis. Unfortunately he ultimately couldn't overcome it.

 

[bdcolt45er]

It was abundantly clear right from the start that Matt McDonough was injured his Senior year. Everyone on the planet should have known. The only mystery was the exact diagnosis. Unfortunately he ultimately couldn't overcome it.

I think a lot of people including his opponents pretty much figured out what was going on with him by the end of the season. He could get in deep on his single leg but had no strength to finish.

 

[donboy6499]

Can someone with a highschool diploma get on the internet and diagnose this poor kid? All the speculation isn't fair, I'm sure he's dying to know what illness he has contracted.

Last time I WebMD'd myself I found out I was 6 months pregnant, and I'm a 29 year old male.

In 2019, you could be right.

 

[LemonRye]

Maybe his girlfriend dumped him.

 

[rassling]

Oh boy. This place is going to go nuts in 3, 2, 1...

 

[HawkTalk84]

Flo guys say nothing is wrong with him and he’s just getting passed by guys.