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"The Injurious Year" - Nothing to celebrate, but . . .

LIV4GOD

HR MVP
Nov 23, 2020
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. . . 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.

  1. Why bring your kids to Iowa when something in the training causes a greater percentage of injuries?
  2. Why let Iowa train them to be on a championship team when they virtually never peak at nationals?
  3. 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.
 
27 years in a row? Good for you, that's awesome.
Yeah, I had resigned to the fact I couldn't go this year because tickets were outrageous. I even made it to last year's.

But I got an opportunity the last second and went. Because of the short notice my other two sons couldn't go.

I scanned the arena thoroughly and noticed there were at least a thousand empty seats at the finals. And I noticed all week even multiple suites were completely empty for the whole tourney. I put a $1,000 down on a suite and was told I couldn't get one.

Whatever procedure they use to sell tickets is not working for the convenience to the fan.
 
Yeah, I had resigned to the fact I couldn't go this year because tickets were outrageous. I even made it to last year's.

But I got an opportunity the last second and went. Because of the short notice my other two sons couldn't go.

I scanned the arena thoroughly and noticed there were at least a thousand empty seats at the finals. And I noticed all week even multiple suites were completely empty for the whole tourney. I put a $1,000 down on a suite and was told I couldn't get one.

Whatever procedure they use to sell tickets is not working for the convenience to the fan.
Yeah, it seemed to be a real cluster from the get-go. I have a good friend who has had suites for many years, and he was having trouble getting one. He eventually got into one, but not with his normal crew I believe (i.e. it wasn't his to fill). Weird to hear some of them were empty after talking to him in late Dec./early Jan. and the trouble he was having getting one (rich people problems! Ha!).
 
This was such an unbelievable year. Such great expectations. Such a great feeling that the whole team would be back together, sacrificing for a goal to win back to backs. Then Spencer, then injuries up and down the whole line up. Injuries are one thing that just can't be accounted for when going for the top of the podium. I can't imagine the disappointment for the seniors leaving the program. But its one of life's tough lessons. Each of these young men achieved success that most of us could only dream of. They did it with honor and respect for their teammates. Sometimes the greatest disappointments lead to the greatest growth in character and manhood especially as they move on to life after wrestling. We all know life isn't always fair but this year was truly an example of hardship. It will be great to see how these young men move on from here and find different avenues of success. The memories and good and bad of what these young warriors experienced will prepare them for the next steps in life.
 
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Yeah, it seemed to be a real cluster from the get-go. I have a good friend who has had suites for many years, and he was having trouble getting one. He eventually got into one, but not with his normal crew I believe (i.e. it wasn't his to fill). Weird to hear some of them were empty after talking to him in late Dec./early Jan. and the trouble he was having getting one (rich people problems! Ha!).
suite next to us was empty the whole time. so frustrating knowing there were thousands of fans who would have loved to be there.
 
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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.

  1. Why bring your kids to Iowa when something in the training causes a greater percentage of injuries?
  2. Why let Iowa train them to be on a championship team when they virtually never peak at nationals?
  3. 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.

To be fair I would think recruiting is a lot more complicated than you would think it would be. I ask my self based on past results why for the last 4 years PSU has not signed at least 5 of the 15 wrestlers out of every high school class? You would think they could but they haven't. Penn State has a lot going for it, Iowa has a lot going for it, both OSU's have a lot going for them but it seems like plenty of great wrestlers still go somewhere out. Saying that PSU is going to recruit every good wrestler and that's why you can't win a national title is not the answer.
 
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