. . . after listening to our wrestler's interviews, I am sure proud of their character, and feel grieved over their lost dreams this year.
For me, it's the most disappointing year of watching the Hawks ever. Unexpectedly, I did make it to my 27th nationals in a row. And it's not that I'm disappointed in the wrestlers, just disappointed in what this sickening injurious year yielded. I am making this post just to get it off my chest and then I'm flushing this year down the toilet!!
In the fall I was hoping for a new scoring record at NCAAs, but it finished off as I watched our vastly behind team send out our loan finalist Warner to whiff on a shot and give PSU the cherry on top as they got to end their dominating tourney with a victory over a Hawkeye.
And I do mean there is nothing to celebrate when it comes to this year. You can light the 3rd place trophy on fire for all I care. That would have been great for a year, say, 2007. But not this one. And I'd much rather Warner had finished third on a winning note than being the instrument of the final jewel in the Lion's crown. To watch the Bull and Kem get dominated in their last career matches in the black and gold that morning was already heartbreaking.
I think when Spencer went down it wasn't something the team could really recover from. It snowballed with other injuries revealed and more incessant maladies to come as the season limped forward. It is by far the most injured team I have ever watched at any level. It's unreal.
My greater concern is that the image of the program has been harmed to a greater degree than what last year's championship healed. I think many will exploit this year with the following three questions based on assumptions filled too much with speculation.
I hope all wrestlers and their parents considering Iowa the choice to attend listen to the interviews after nationals. What is so glowingly clear is that these teammates have a deep lover for one another, and for the Iowa program and the coaches. They're going to be taken care of if they go to Iowa. At least they can trust that.
For me, it's the most disappointing year of watching the Hawks ever. Unexpectedly, I did make it to my 27th nationals in a row. And it's not that I'm disappointed in the wrestlers, just disappointed in what this sickening injurious year yielded. I am making this post just to get it off my chest and then I'm flushing this year down the toilet!!
In the fall I was hoping for a new scoring record at NCAAs, but it finished off as I watched our vastly behind team send out our loan finalist Warner to whiff on a shot and give PSU the cherry on top as they got to end their dominating tourney with a victory over a Hawkeye.
And I do mean there is nothing to celebrate when it comes to this year. You can light the 3rd place trophy on fire for all I care. That would have been great for a year, say, 2007. But not this one. And I'd much rather Warner had finished third on a winning note than being the instrument of the final jewel in the Lion's crown. To watch the Bull and Kem get dominated in their last career matches in the black and gold that morning was already heartbreaking.
I think when Spencer went down it wasn't something the team could really recover from. It snowballed with other injuries revealed and more incessant maladies to come as the season limped forward. It is by far the most injured team I have ever watched at any level. It's unreal.
My greater concern is that the image of the program has been harmed to a greater degree than what last year's championship healed. I think many will exploit this year with the following three questions based on assumptions filled too much with speculation.
- Why bring your kids to Iowa when something in the training causes a greater percentage of injuries?
- Why let Iowa train them to be on a championship team when they virtually never peak at nationals?
- Why would you want the Brands to prepare your elite wrestling son when Cael time and time again shows he can better prepare them for the big stage?
I hope all wrestlers and their parents considering Iowa the choice to attend listen to the interviews after nationals. What is so glowingly clear is that these teammates have a deep lover for one another, and for the Iowa program and the coaches. They're going to be taken care of if they go to Iowa. At least they can trust that.