On this week's episode the crew discusses Zahid Valencia making the move to Cowboy RTC, coaches recruiting wrestlers after they've made a verbal commitment to another school, Nick Stemmet trash talking AJ Ferrari before they meet to kick off the season and the full All-Star classic lineup.
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NsMCYKGO8Y
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Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8NsMCYKGO8Y
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | iHeart | RSS | YouTube
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back, gentlemen. Good to be sitting and chatting with you.
We got a nice couple of topics of things that
have been going on, things that just came out yesterday
that we're going to talk about. With the Heat going
to Cowboy RTC, the All Star Classic will hit the
I guess the back and forth that's been going on
with recruiting committed wrestlers and the trash talk between Nick
(00:24):
Stemmett and Aj Ferrari that's been going on, so first
things versus the Heat the Cowboy RTC, it really does
prove that David Taylor's words in his initial presser where
he said that the RTC was going to be basically
the precedent, that's where he was really going to put
a lot of his time. Obviously he's putting in a
(00:46):
lot of time and recruiting wrestlers for the team, but
also putting in a lot of time for the RTC.
And you know, he goes out and you know, first
thing he does is sign Dayton fixed, make sure Dayton
is staying, goes and gets rby after the Olympics and
now just last night the heed to Cowboy ARTC. When
(01:06):
I initially got the text and and you know about
the news that was going to be coming and talked
to Earl and Earle you know, was able to get
the article up. I was at the gym when I
got a text, but it was it was shocking. But
then you're like, you know what, it makes sense for
(01:27):
the Heed to go there because he's only been at
Arizona State training since he left high school, and he
probably needs a change of scenery, and he probably needs
a guy like David whose same size, lengthy guy knows
exactly the he'ds style. And it's the same thing of
(01:50):
Fix and Gilman working together where they've prepared for each other.
And you know, Gilman has said in an interview about Fix,
I want to teach him about some of the areas
that I felt I could expose in his wrestling. It's
got to be the same sort of ordeal when it
comes to Zaheed heading to Cowboy RTC. So I think
(02:11):
it'll be a really good change of pace for him.
It's obviously going to be a complete change of scenery.
I mean, he's only he's only been in California, where
he's from, and in Arizona and now Oklahoma and still
Water is very different from Tempe, So good change of
pace for sure, I think, and good coaching staff around him.
What did you guys make of the move? And how
(02:34):
do you see this panning out with Zaheed now being
in the room with a guy like David Taylor who
can truly dedicate the time to a guy like that
who has the same size and length as him, It.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Makes sense for everybody. There's not anything about this that's bad.
I mean, it's like he said, he's going to have
a great training partner in David Taylor, who you know
from all accounts has no real interest in and competition
after the World Championships here, So it's not like it's
a guy who's going to be getting in his way
for future World teams. It's a guy who I mean,
(03:09):
you know, we don't know. I know, I've heard rumors
that Brooks might be going up to ninety seven at
some point yep. Yeah, but you know, if he does
run into him again, right, or if he gets bigger
or whatever, at least there's there's somebody who knows more
about Brooks, so that could be helpful potentially if that
matchup happens again, you know, and then again you've got
(03:33):
all the the Oklahoma State guys in that room too,
so you've got you know, additional strong, good wrestling bodies
to get your hands on anyway, just to you know,
for the conditioning standpoint and continuing to fight. And it's
only gonna help those guys too, right. You don't think
Dustin Plot's gonna get better from wrestling to heat Valencia,
you know all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So then Hendrickson being in the line, I mean, he's
a heavyweight, but that's gonna help tremendously.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Absolutely, you know. So it's it makes all the sense
in the world, uh, for for everybody.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I think when we heard that, you know Gaetor was
Gator Wrestling Club was closing down or sorry Sunkiss not
Gator thinking way back here.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Well, I mean Gator Gator was was when Oklahoma State
had their prominent years too, So I can see why
you make that correlation.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
But we we heard when Art was shutting down sun Cass.
We knew these guys were going to go somewhere, So
it's interesting to see kind of where everybody shifted.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I think it's a great move for him.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I mean it also shows, you know, continues to show
how much money they're willing to throw down for this program.
And that's you know, we'll we'll hit on some of
that the aspect of funding later on, but it's, uh,
there's no no shortage of investment in this program right now,
and they're they're willing to go out and get whoever.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Yeah, I mean I agree with everyone there. And you know,
just to add on to that, many times have you
seen arrestler, you know Gilmant for example, how some success
has some success you know, at one spot and then
move you know, he moved to Nitney Line, saw some
more excess, some more success. I can't talk right now.
You know, it happens all the time, and I think
Valencia is a good example of that, where you know,
(05:17):
a fresh sceniory, some new workout partners, just you know,
something different, different mindset, you know, different mentality, and you know,
I think it'll be a good thing for him, especially
like you guys said David Taylor, you know, a multi
time world champ, Olympic champ. Having him in your corner
and as your training port every day, how can you
not get better?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah? And I mean the wild thing about it is
you if you know, if you're if you're if you're
Lee Pritz and your Zeke. You hope that the bleeding
was going to stop with losing your top dogs in
your lineup, and now you're losing your top dog in
your RTC. You know, that's that that's a hard hit,
you know, because for the longest, the heat was, you know,
(05:58):
the cash calor around. Then he's the guy that that
you're recruiting around. You're the guy. He's the guy that
you're pointing to and you're saying, see, he was in
the NCAA finals, right, like he's won a national title.
He's he was successful here, you can do it here.
I mean, obviously now you're going to point to Richie
Figueroa and he's going to be your guy. But it's
a lot different because the heat was a perennial in
(06:22):
the later rounds of the NCAA tournament, where Richie Figueroa
it's yet to be seen if he has sustainable competition
or at least sustainable success in that in at one
twenty five and potentially at one thirty three, if he
moves up, you know, I think in like a year
or so, right, So he's got to be the guy
(06:43):
that you can recruit off of but it's it's really
hard to recruit off of a one to twenty five
because he isn't going to be able to go with
a sixty five pounder. He's not gonna be able to
go with anyone one forty one in right, one forty
nine and up. So he's very you know, you're you're
(07:04):
small guys, you'll definitely be able to get. But like
as we see and as we look at our Olympic
team and our world teams, are a lot of our
biggest assets and most success has come in a very
concentrated area of the lineup. We've been very consistent at
(07:24):
seventy four, seventy nine, eighty six, ninety two, ninety seven.
Those are the guys that we're we're the most competitive,
and you have to think that those are the guys
that a lot of these rts's are gonna want to
get because of how much success we have there and
because of the guys they can learn from, like Jordan Burrows,
(07:46):
like Kyle Dake. So you know, the heat is definitely
and I feel like that next tier of guys that
we now have coming out of college, I feel that
it is the Aaron Brooks it's the Cardis Ragis, It's
the Heat, It's the Trent Hydleys, It's that portion of
things where we're really going to start to see a
tremendous jump where Kyle Snyder has been the last couple
(08:10):
of years, it's going to be more of the heavier
end guys. So I think the Heat is going to
be great in that regard. Him working with David Taylor
is going to be tremendous. And I also think, you know,
I mean, Worlds is coming up. We're a week away
at this point. But if Zaheat has been and I
don't know this, maybe he has been, maybe he's been
(08:33):
training with David, maybe he's been helping David get ready
for Worlds. So that could also have been a big
selling point of Zehead saying, yeah, I need to be
in Oklahoma State, I need to be in stilt Water
to get better and work with a guy like this.
So ultimately I think it's a good move as well.
I think that they will have a lot more success
(08:58):
with recruiting with having guys is like Rby as well
as the Heat in in the room as well, and
obviously Fix who is a lifelong cowboy. But you know,
within that coaching staff. They're going to be master recruiters
and the Heat is certainly going to help bring in
those guys that are in the heavier weight classes. So
(09:18):
this is going to be a great recruiting tool moving forward,
and I think it's going to be awesome. Honestly, do
you think.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
The Heat stays repping the US or that he takes
a shot with repping Mexico like his brother? Did you
know you got Rby and still Water represent Mexico. You know,
I don't know if Lancia might go that route just
to get a spot on a world team and try
from there. I think it's weird, maybe not weird, but
his brother did it, so you know, why doesn't he
(09:45):
go that route?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
You know, I'm just asking no. I mean, I see
the logic behind it though.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
We've been talking about that on Blood Round for a
couple of years now. It's like, the dude's clearly a
world class guy. He just needs, you know, chances to
keep you know, racking up metals and getting those opportunities.
I had a funny thought like how quickly did David
Taylor reach out to him? You think do you think
he was like whispering it to him when he was
(10:14):
pinning him in a cradle, like, hey, what are you
doing in this spring? Buddy?
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I think I'll show you how I did this. Those
conversations probably happened in Nebraska. I would not be surprised
if they if they did. Honestly, that's probably where everything started,
is in Nebraska. And I I mean, I think that
him and Anthony are in two very different positions. Where
Anthony was excuse me, in a in a very loaded
(10:42):
part of our our lineup, where you, like I said,
he's at what he was at seventy nine. I believe
seventy nine seventy four, that's that's tough to crack, you
know what I mean, that's especially there, especially at that time.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah, he was up at eighty six for the Olympics
this last go at.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It, so yeah, because I think he was like a
seventy nine. He's been, he's grown into a seventy nine,
and going down to seventy four probably wasn't an It
wasn't you know, an easy task. But like I think
the heat is is poised to make a team, especially
if he's at ninety two next year and Brooks is
(11:23):
at ninety seven. Brooks has to compete with Snyder. Zaheat
has to compete with Starachi, And not to say that
that's not a formidable opponent, but like that's a very
different matchup than having to go up against Kyle Snyder,
you know. And so I can see za Head saying
(11:44):
the guy that was at ninety two eighty six, I mean,
he was at eighty six for for the Olympics too,
So he might even still stay at eighty six if
that's the case. So yeah, I mean and and that,
and I was wrong. So Aaron Brooks will be going
to ninety two, not ninety seven. I think ninety seven
is where he ends up for the Olympic year. He'll
(12:06):
be at ninety two. So maybe, you know, maybe the
Head stays at eighty six with Taylor vacating that and
you know, Starachi being the other guy that's there at
eighty six. It's probably more of a feasible thing, you
where you truly look at it, right, So.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
They're both so lanky, but they're not there's not a
lot of thickness there.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Yeah, he's dense. Yeah, So yeah, I mean, it's it's
definitely going to be a shift. It's going to be
probably just as weird seeings a head in Orange as
it was to see David Taylor and Orange. But no,
I think it's a great move. And I think, like
I said, with Brooks moving up to ninety two and
(12:51):
is the head most likely staying in eighty six, that
could be the next tandem, you know, and he'll obviously,
like I said, have to beat Sarachi, but are team
next year could end up being what Kyle Dake at
seventy nine. I don't see him staying at seventy four
again to Heat at eighty six and then Brooks at
(13:14):
ninety two and Snyder at ninety seven, and who knows.
As much as as Gable has been posting, maybe he
comes back to.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
But you don't you don't hold not hold him.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
I was gonna say, you don't hold your breath on that,
on that, but figure out And I know I know nothing, honestly,
That's that's just me saying. He's been posting more about
wrestling than he has about anything else as of late.
So wishful thinking would be, hey, maybe we get our
Olympic champ back in the lineup. Not to say that
things have been terrible, you know, we've been perennial medalists
(13:49):
at one twenty five. But Gable's been the only one
that's broken through, so you know, but no, we'll see,
We'll see what happens, you know. And and Taylor is
not just recruiting on the RTC level, he's also recruiting
on the college level. And he recruiting even re recruiting.
(14:12):
He flipped Sergio Vega, And I think there's obviously two
schools of thought when it comes to this situation, because
Vega had commit to Ornell and this had been prior
to David Taylor and his staff getting there. So I
can see it from that lens of saying, well, we
(14:33):
didn't have a shot at this kid. He didn't know,
he didn't know who the coach was going to be.
When he committed, He had no idea what this program was.
So approaching him with what this program is now, why not?
And I, as much as I have an issue with like,
(14:57):
I have more of an issue of a kid committing
early then I do with a kid changing his mind,
because again, he's a kid. And as somebody who changed
their major three times in college, I can tell you
we don't know a damn thing that we're doing when
we're teenagers, So like, you want to go where the
(15:20):
best situation is for you, and you hadn't signed on
a dotted line yet, so why not entertain maybe a
better situation. Coaches do it all the time. Coaches are like,
well I'm here. I mean take Rob Cole for instance.
Rob Cole was at Cornell and in the last decade,
(15:43):
he's been at what two other places since then? Right, So,
like he was at Stanford and then it was only
at Stanford for a couple of years, and now he's
at his alma mater. So if coaches who are signing
contracts can be like, well, better situation over here, and
why not? Why not wrestlers? Why not? You know? So
(16:04):
I'm not mad at the kid for taking advantage of
a new opportunity that arose despite the fact that he
had already commit to Cornell and for me and I
don't I don't just live in the in the wrestling
bubble like a lot of the people do.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
It.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Taylor was right in his interview with with Piles. It
is the wild West when it comes to recruiting. It
just is and it always has been, always has been,
and it's it's not it's not anything new. It really
isn't anything new. So and and the the the the
thing that that sparked all this was was Yanni tweeting
(16:51):
about it, and his initial tweet was didn't realize how
hard college coaches go after athletes that are already committed.
I don't like that at all. My only issue with
that is that the next tweet he's quote tweeting MINEO
and saying, you don't know the story. The coach was
(17:12):
calling me NonStop to the point where I had to
block his number. So you did, I mean, Yanni, I
love you, but you did realize how hard coaches are
going after wrestlers, and Yanni, you were the number one
guy coming out of high school. I believe at that
point Willie had ranked Yanni number one and Spencer Lee
at number two when they were coming out of college.
So if there was a guy going that hard after you,
(17:37):
you can only imagine what it's like now. That recruiting
is insane and it is a bigger business than it
ever was. When you guys saw these tweets, exactly, That's
what I'm saying. When you guys saw these tweets, what
were your thoughts about I mean, what are your thoughts
in general about coaches continuing to call kids that are
(17:58):
verbally committed to a school, And what did you think
of Yanni's sweets.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
I think it's sketchy. I don't like it. I think
my issue, and I think Scott Green kind of hit
it on the head, is that it's a very different
situation to continue to pursue a committed athlete who says
they're committed than it is for you know, a student
athlete to step back and say I'm going to reevaluate
(18:24):
this and then field calls. I think that's a very
very different feeling. And I don't blame any of the
kids for changing things. And you know, we did a
lot of perpetuous shit when we were that age. It's
what you do, that's how you learn. But you know,
to me, a commitment needs to mean something, and if
you're committed to something, you're committed to it, and if
(18:48):
you're not, then you need to step back and say
that and accept that and.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Then re evaluate.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I don't like people going on additional visits after they
said they're committed somewhere. I don't like coaches chasing people
after they say they're committed like it's it should mean something,
and I understand, I guess I understand David's point of
well I wasn't there. Well, that can be an argument
for a lot of people. That's what the transfer portals for, right,
(19:14):
things change. You can always transfer if you like your
option another school better as well, So, I.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Mean I can see both sides of it.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I just I think a commitment needs to mean something,
and when it's just continually chasing somebody who's who's committed somewhere,
I think it cheapens that.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I mean, we found out the transfer portal isn't really
a transfer portal this year. It's just it's imaginary.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Well, I think the issue for me is like it's
more of a nomenclature thing, right, he didn't sign anything.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, committed, You know, that becomes that becomes an NBA
issue of you know, when do you sign that n
l I And now that is that from my understanding,
that may go away as well.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
So it's already gone fucking eh. So yeah, yeah, it's
gone there. I mean, the contracts are now going to
be your financial aid package and all that other stuff.
So instead of instead of signing your national letter of
intent and then signing your financial aid package and signing
this sign that it's just like, okay, here's everything, sign
(20:14):
it once.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
That's what it really is, so.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
That speed up the process. Instead of having these arbitrary dates.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
I think that they will continue to have the dates
because there is sponsorship and big business behind a kid
being on ESPN signing is NLI. It's a show, it's
a fanfare, it's all of it, right. Like the thing
(20:41):
about it is when these decisions are made, you have
to remember that the sport we cover is never part
of the conversation. It's the afterthought. It's not the conversation.
It's what what kind of steam are we getting with football?
What kind of steam are we getting with basketball? The
number one baseball recruit is potentially either going to go
(21:05):
to college or is going to go to the pros
and being you know, the farm system, right, So when
you look at it, it's always a conversation about football
and basketball essentially, because those are the two sports where
you have to you can't skip college in order to
go to the pros. So that's where those conversations are.
But yeah, and NLI is now gone, they've gotten rid
(21:28):
of it. I think the next was the twenty twenty
five class will probably be the first class I think
if or maybe the twenty twenty six. I think it
might take effect for them. I'm not sure. It's don't
quote me on that, but yeah, it is. It is
gone by the wayside, which I think is honestly a
smart idea, but I think those dates stay in place
(21:50):
of this is a recruiting period, this is a dead period,
this is this, this is that. Because they're also kind
of built in for coaches to have vacation is really
what it is. Because coaches were like, I can't I
can't keep recruiting. I need to have a break, I
need something. So they're like, Okay, we'll make it so
that it is mandatory for coaches to take off two
(22:11):
weeks so that they can see their families. You know,
here you go, you have visitation with your family, and
then your hours for the rest of the year. Right,
but no pluanche you were you were saying something, what
were your thoughts on on the recruiting after recruitment.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Well, the other thing I think is funny too, the
national letter of intent. Right, I intend to not eat
a giant bowl of ice cream, but I did it.
You know, like like there's you know again, nomenclature is
kind of the issue with you know, with me as
far as what we're calling things. And you know, if
it's not committed, he's not committed. But like you said earlier,
homes like it's it's not like this doesn't happen and
(22:47):
hasn't been happening for years. Like I made the joke
back in NCAA two thousand and four, you could recruit
already recruited guys. You just had to you know, put
whatever recruiting credits towards it. Right, So it's been happening
in all the different sports all the time. You know,
kids changed their mind, you know, situations change, maybe they
you know, obviously in this case there was a different
(23:07):
coaching staff and situation in Oklahoma State. It's gonna happen.
It's going to continue to happen. I don't know what
we're gonna We're not going to solve it here.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yeah, well might it'd be a lot of that attitude.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah aa awtin is it true? That a good bit?
I think I saw somebody say that like a couple
of Cornell's commits had been committed to other schools before too.
You would probably know that more than anyone.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Is that true, I'd have to do some research. Off
the top of my head, I'm not sure, but I know,
like in this case, it's like kind of like you said,
we don't know the whole story. You know, he Vega
kind of he's obviously a well known recruit, top fifty
pounds per pound, and then wins a Super thirty two
(23:54):
and then all of a sudden he flips to Oklahoma State,
Like was there a conversation before that? Or did good
to State just kind of swoop in like, oh he
wants Super too, He's good. Let's just give him a
call and offer him this nil money that he can't refuse,
you know, And not that that makes it right or wrong.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
It's just kind of.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Robbie's point. It kind of makes, you know, a little
shadiness on on the coach's end, if if that is
what happened, but if there was talks beforehand, and Vega was,
you know, talking to Cornell like, hey, I'm reconsidering things,
I'm looking at other places.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Okay, that's fine, but.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Or that's and that's a really hard thing to do
to ask a kid, you know, that's a really high level.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
You know though, I mean, I think it lies where
your expectations are. And if you take it from a
different lens, Right, three of us here are married, right,
I assume at some point we were all engaged, so
we intended to.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Get married engagement.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
If I was, if I was pursuing someone else in
that time in between the engagement and the marriage.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Like, well, just because I haven't desired to explain that
to your wife first, then if.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I opened my recruitment, right, But I think that's that's
a conversation, and some people do that, like you understand
that during the process. Okay, maybe marriages are right for me,
so let's take a step back, But you don't continue
to pursue other people during your engagement.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
So it's it's the same kind of thought process.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Right, If you're either committed to something or you're not,
and if you don't feel like you should be committed
to it, then you reevaluate that. But you need to
be open about that because you know how many people
are relying on this. You're you're the team, you're committed
to is his setting aside the scholarship for you and
all money? Now figuring that out, figuring out, roster caps
(25:42):
and all that. There's a lot of pieces that go
into it. So I think if you're committed, you're committed,
and if you're not, you need to be upfront about
that with the coaches because that changes what they're going
to do as well.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Maybe they were on a break, you know, you were
on a break.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
As friends reference, I like that one begs yeah, as
long as it's the thirty years old, I'll reference it here. Yeah,
And like along along those lines, Robbie, I see people
on ex Twitter forums it's like, well, it was just
a commitment. It's not in writing, but also like a commitment,
it is something because everyone makes a verbal commitment, you know,
after they do their visits. You know, this wasn't an
(26:18):
eighth grader or a freshman committing because that's his favorite
school growing up. You know, he took his visit for
at least what I know, took a bunch of official
visits and decided on Cornell and then Oklahoma State swooped in.
You know, again, David Taylor is new as a head coach,
you know, so I get that he didn't have that chance,
but what happened behind the scenes, I'm not sure. I
don't know if we'll ever know, but yeah, I'm still
(26:41):
on the fence about it.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Yeah, I was making a chance to pursue cure nightly,
but that didn't change anything.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Right, I was having a conversation. I was having a
conversation about the I don't know if you guys saw
the UNLV quarterback who played in four games and then
said he was going to red shirt because of a
verbal agreement that he was going to be paid one
hundred thousand dollars part of his NIL, right, which if
(27:09):
you look at nil in college, that's like, yeah, here's
five bucks, kid, you know what I mean. So it's
not a lot of money when you're looking at nil deals, actually,
I mean, which is insane for quarterbacks, I should say
for quarterbacks because the you could lose that one night
too exactly. But for quarterbacks, that's not a lot of money.
(27:30):
But when you look at the grand scheme of you know, nil,
they're not making a ton. We only know we know
about the top one percent, right, that's what we know
about the tackle, the guard, the second string wide receiver.
They're not making anything. So you know, the the national
average for NIL deals, it's a hell of a lot
(27:50):
lower than what people think. We just know that. You know,
the University of Texas here here in Austin has a
deal with the Lamborghini dealer. So all these guys get lambos.
That's not a lie, it's the absolute truth. They get
Lambo's when depending on who they are. But like that,
that's why college very practical. Hey listen, as long as
(28:13):
they're not giving them to the Georgia players, I'm good.
We we see what they do behind the wheel. But no,
I mean we're gonna talk about a minute, right, We're
gonna get there in just a second. But when you
when you think about it, that was a verbal commitment
to that UNLV quarterback and it wasn't upheld. So he
was like, see, yeah, I'm out of here.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Right.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I played in the in the allotted games that I'm
allowed to play in and still red shirt, and I'm
gonna I'm gonna go now because you guys didn't hold
up your end of the deal. I feel like it's
the same thing in a sense where a kid is like, Okay,
I'm gonna commit to this. Oh I'm not gonna get
(28:53):
as good of a deal now, all right, I'm out
of here. It's the same thing right where he's he
was the one that was promising to do something and
he didn't hold up his end, which I think is shitty.
But he's also a teenager, right, He's also a kid,
And I think winning Super thirty two put him on
(29:14):
the radar of David Taylor. Maybe he was on the
radar before then, we don't know, but I think that
really probably solidified that they needed to push a little
bit harder. But if anybody thinks that every single kid
for the last one hundred years was done being recruited
before they signed their national letter of intent when it
(29:36):
was in effect, you're crazy. As Yanni said, he literally
had to block this coach's number. So if that's the
extreme that is that you have to go to to
stop a coach from calling you, then it's been going
on for longer than this one situation.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
And I think it's an interesting thing to examine which
coaches are the ones that are doing this, because you know.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
I.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Don't think it is all of them.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
I think it's it's a large percentage, but I think
there's some that that would agree that, you know, commitment
needs commitment unless they say they're not. And and I know,
there's a couple of coaches who have said that to me,
that they're not going to pursue somebody who says they're
permitted somewhere. So it's it's interesting to see what the
what the line of thinking is between different coaching staffs
(30:27):
with that as well.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
And there's always going to be varying degrees of this too, Right,
there might be situations where someone who's not even on
staff with the program is reaching out to a kid
getting them to try and flip to a different institution. Right,
we all know that happens now, Yeah, Yeah, which is
especially with all the money involved, so weird. I can't
imagine being a high school kid and having someone not
(30:50):
directly affiliated with a program trying to throw money. I
own a car dealation mine in the town you want
to go to college in that you don't actually want
to go to college and you might now you will.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
M Yeah, I thought it was I think it was
kind of funny coach Cole getting in on the Yannies tweet,
kind of putting you know, kale On blasts a little bit,
and you know, let's be honest, there's rumors of Coal
kind of doing the same Shenanigans that he's accusing kale
of you know. So it's like, like you said, a
(31:23):
lot of them do it? How many we don't know?
Speaker 2 (31:25):
You know?
Speaker 4 (31:26):
And I think the difference too, there's Rob.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Rob's up front about that, he's not trying to hide that,
like that's that's that's the other kind of line of thinking.
Is it is it happening in the open, or is
it you're you're being shady and still continue to call
people you know on the slide and trying to get
them to flip. It's it's it's just kind of an
interesting dilemma all around.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
I mean it's weird though too, because then you'll have
guys who are literally already at an institution wrestling for
the school and you know, being reached out to jump
in the portal real quick, and so doesn't happen no no, yeah, yeah,
so allegedly all you know, if this happens now or
in a year right like it is, it's it's still
(32:10):
gonna happen. Like we can talk about guys not recruiting
guys who were already committed, but we're guys are being
recruited directly off of rosters.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
So you're coaches have to always be recruiting, right Like
it used to be always be closing. Right now it's
always be recruiting, right. So it is it is very
different in this day and age, because the minute the
guy's not happy, he's like, well I can go over here.
(32:41):
They they're offering me this, which is it is taking
the essence of sports away for sure, you know, because.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
In a sport that prides itself on that moral authority,
yeah yeah, and sticking through things that are difficult, you know,
all those fun things that we've preached the value of
the sport.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, exactly. And and so I think overall, I don't
I don't have an issue with it. However, I think
that there needs to be transparency in the process. Not
not Bo Bassett type of transparency, which is still not
(33:24):
really transparent, but.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
There needs we've already been.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
There needs to be some transparency, right Like, Like, was
there a conversation that Vega had with the Cornell coaches
where he said, I'm I'm going to I'm going to
open up, you know, my recruitment a little bit. I'm
going to look at some other offers, you know, to
make sure I'm making the right decision. And if that
was and if that happened, then all respect to the
(33:49):
kid for doing that, absolutely, But one thing we all
also have to remember is we're on these public forums
right like this, this is getting posted on YouTube. Everyone
will be able to watch it, everyone can comment like it,
whatever they want.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
To do, millions of people probably hopeful.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Millions and millions of people. Bill right, the kid may
have done that discreetly. So if he if he opened
up his recruitment, I mean, I know, we're in a
day and age where everybody is so blessed and humbled
to receive an offer or I'm officially, you know, decommitting
from here and reopening my commitment, and it's these these
(34:26):
statements of nil deals. Email this guy. My dms are
open for like everyone's making these statements. So if somebody
actually did something discreetly, and I'm not and I don't
mean the coaches from Oklahoma State recruiting Vega, I mean
the kid, listen if it. If it did happen, and
it happened, big deal, right, But it's not the first time,
(34:48):
not the last time. But I'm saying, if if if
Vega went discreetly to the coaches at Cornell which like,
again I don't know if he did or not. I
don't need that detail, but that could very well be
the case. I'm I'm, you know, trying to play Devil's
advocate here and say that the kid just didn't do
something sneaky and continue to talk to David Taylor and
(35:11):
and and Jimmy Kennedy and those coach at Oklahoma State,
and then he's like, yeah, I'm gonna go there, and
he calls up Gray and he's like, hey, listen, So
tomorrow there's gonna be an announcement that I'm that I'm switching.
I'm not coming. I'm not coming to Cornell, right, Like,
that's very well could have been the thing as well,
because kids are kids. But like I'm gonna, I'm gonna
say that the kid had some some morals and it
(35:32):
wasn't a shady dealing and that there was some sort
of conversations that went on behind the scenes. We are
not privy to every piece of information. As much as
we want to be, we're not.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
And I think you could take that Yanni tweet kind
of on either side of that argument, Like it came
out before the announcement, so he knew ahead of time,
so maybe he did have that conversation, but or it
could be that, you know, we he's just told you
that he's going only going to go there, not that
he's opening his commitment and thinking about going somewhere else.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
So I mean, it's I don't know, it's a sticky situation.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
It is, It certainly is, and I don't need to
know the true story, but my opinion on it is
that kids should be able to go wherever the hell
he wants. I hate the fact that people are bouncing
around and you know everything else. But the heavyweight that
that won the NCAA title last year were multiple singlets
(36:29):
before he ended up at Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State,
Oklahoma State. There's pictures of him committing to all three
of those schools before going to Penn State and being
in their room and doing all of those things. And
I love kirktly, I have nothing against him, but this
isn't the first time that this happened, and it's not
going to be the last time that it happens. So
(36:51):
stop with the pearl clutching, because it happens on a
grander scale in all of these others, in most of
these other sports it's just the matter of when it
happens in wrestling, it's like, oh shit, I can't believe
this happened, and everybody has to play like it's some
new thing. It ain't new, guys, It's not new, especially
with how we saw a guy not even enter the
(37:14):
transfer portal and pop up over here right like Lasiers
at South Dakota State right now. He never entered the
transfer portal. He just unenrolled at one place and enrolled
in another. The transfer portal is literally just there to
let coaches know that you're open for business, is how
it was explained to me. So people can go wherever
the hell they want. It's gonna happen. We do that
(37:35):
as adults. Oh there's a better job over there. I'm
gonna take that happens. So not wanting an indecisive kid
with the age of teen at the end of it
to know where the hell he's going. It's just insane
to me.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
This segment brought to you by LinkedIn.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
All right, and speak of I will be committing to
flow wrestling starting tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Have fun.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Kidding.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
The The other thing that has been that was interesting
that we saw today is the trash talk and it's
the same person being trash talked, just with a with
a different culprit, and it's Nick Stemett trash talking Aj
Ferrari and putting a wager out there of you can't
use any more emojis and and everything else, and it's
(38:31):
I mean, it's it's incredibly funny. It really is. There's
there really is, Like it is incredibly funny trash talk.
It really is. Some things some things are are a
serious jab, right, but like the the wager that's on
the line of when I win your band from using
(38:53):
emojis for life and you have to change your handle
to mister slow twitch. Like that's fun, guys, it just is.
And AJ responded, and you know, I'm not even going
to get into AJ's response because it's not.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
Really that important.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
I mean, there was a lot of emojis, and I
think he overdid it on purpose, which I think is
absolutely hilarious and it was clever. And I love the
fact that going into this season there's more trash talk
than we've really ever had before. I think it's awesome.
I think it's great that guys are trying to be
more marketable, and I think that that comes with the
(39:29):
fact that there are now more opportunities for these guys
past college where it's it's the UFC or it's Bellator.
I mean, it's MMA in general, where you have to
be a character, you have to have some sort of marketability.
It's the WWE who's already getting in on you know,
nil recruitment of of some of our top guys. I mean,
(39:52):
aj I believe was part of it, right, So you
know we've seen guys be a part of that world.
I think this is awesome and it's and it's even
more awesome because it's a way for people to watch.
I mean, how many other times did you say I
want to watch the Calcate Bakersfield versus Stanford match.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
I was planning on watching that.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Yeah, but now you're really planning on watching it, So
give us the market. And that's nothing against those two teams,
but I mean, when's the last time that I can't
remember the last time that they met, honestly because it
wasn't it wasn't anything that resonated really in the wrestling community. Again,
nothing against those two teams, but now you're just like,
get to one ninety seven. I want to see some
(40:38):
shit happen. You know, and these guys have obviously wrestled
and Ferrari handled business. So that's why it's even funnier
that Stem. It's like, you know what, no, last time
we wrestled like I was, I was a child. I'm
a man now I'm forty, right, so let's you know,
I'm trying to keep it in the Oklahoma state path
a little bit as much as I go. But like,
(40:58):
I think it's amazing. I love the trash talk. I
love the fact that Age and you know, AJ's not
going to back down, you know he's not. He does
not back down from any sort of trash talk ever.
So give us the trash talk. Keep it like it.
Like we said before, stay in your lane, don't get in,
don't get too shaky with it. You know, let's let's
(41:18):
stay let's keep some parameters of it, not to get
not get too crazy. But I think it's awesome that
Stem is calling him out. He's the number one rank guy,
you have him the first day of competition. Yeah, let's
have some fun with it. Would you guys think it
really a.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Better way to open the season, you know, than than
knocking off the number one and starting the hype before
you even get there. I think it would be a
hell of a win if Stemmett could do it. But
we also haven't seen Ferrari in a few years, so
we'll see, you know what shape he's actually it could
be actually really good match.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Yeah, I mean this is more you know, cheeky and
fun trash talk, which was nice, right. I liked his
sword that he had in the picture. That was pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (42:04):
I like to do rag under the cowboy hat. That
was my favorite part.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Holding the Roadrunner. That was cool.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
And we're coming on the fact that was media day
was awesome. You could tell that was media day. It
was a white backdrop. It looks like every other picture.
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
Yeah, he brought the road Runner or do you think
that that Aers brought it?
Speaker 1 (42:26):
I don't know, I don't know written all over it man. Yeah,
certainly maybe. I mean maybe they just like maybe they
have props of like all their opponents. Maybe there's like
something that they have in their room of like all
their opponents or something like that. Who knows, But that
that was the fact that they staged out on media day.
That's that's good stuff.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Should have beat him with a tree though, that would
have been way better than the sword. Really missed an
opportunity there.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Yeah, just to want to piggyback off what Robbie was
saying too.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Well, when's the last time we saw Ferrari on a
mat at one at one ninety seven? Right, you know,
he's a pretty big guy making a big cut and
there's a time for Stemmett to you know, maybe sneak
one out. It's probably the first week of the season
or Ferrari isn't in peak shape yet, not really by
Justin o'wait, you know, so good good time on his part,
but the fact that he almost got tech fall last
(43:18):
time after talking trash, you know, it's a weird, weird
time to talk crap again, you know, but maybe it
works out this time.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
We'll see. I mean, it was pretty memorable the last
time he made one ninety seven.
Speaker 5 (43:31):
Well, yeah, I guess it was. Yeah, yeah, I remember
that he had the double bird. Now he's a roadrunner.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Interesting in fairness, this the match they had was in
twenty twenty one. H Stemmit has a Stanford degree since then, so,
I mean it's come a little ways.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
He's he's a man now, he's forty, Yeah, he's.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Forty's not too far off, not too far off. He
had twenty more wins last year than he did in
twenty twenty one, so granted that was a shortened season.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
And he's probably been been doing some buys and tries
with Sean Gray.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
So only bys and tries.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
It's only buys and tries actually, quick Sean Gray story.
One of the times that I went to Princeton, I
walked in He's shirtless weight belt and just pressing like
two eighty five, like it was too thick, and I
was like.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
Does he have like an easy curl bar in his
carry on?
Speaker 1 (44:29):
Probably on Sean Gray is the man any anytime I
text him, it always talked. It's always there, always some
ship talk that comes along with it. But now I
think I think that the ship talk and wrestling as
long as we keep it, you know, keep the guardrails up,
(44:49):
don't get too crazy with it, take some shots, make
it marketable. I think guys are are happy to play
the heel a little bit more these days, and coaches
are are happy to allow them to be a little
bit freer. That is something that I wish I could
ask Kale. Maybe maybe next time. I'm like, at the
same place I think I'm gonna be Yeah, I'll be
with him in Nashville, So if I get a chance,
(45:11):
I'll ask him about like balancing the personalities on the team.
You know, Carter is to balance these guys. He might,
he certainly might, but does I'm saying like, I would
love to know, like, especially with a team like that
and a person like Kale, of balancing this personality of
Carter Sarachi and and not just him, but the other
(45:32):
guys on the team, right, Like Aaron Brooks is a
very different type of guy than Carter, than Levi Haynes,
than Messenbrink. All these guys bring something different to all
of it, right, So I would love to know, like
outside of like the wrestling part of it, which they
have handled like crazy, the promotion, the marketability, the characters.
(45:57):
You know, that's that's something different, you know, And I
don't I don't think that anyone's ever really prepared for that.
When you're a coach, is just like how things are
going to escalate throughout the season. You got to be
bobbing and weaving and going with the punches throughout the
whole year.
Speaker 3 (46:13):
I would like to know what has changed in his
outlook over the past decade that allows for someone like
Carter to be as free as he is now, because
in years past, it feels like cal would have put
the kabash on that real quick and kept it buttoned up.
But now Carter's out there being a you know, being
(46:34):
a character and talking trash and doing all that, and
that's not something we've really seen from Penn State, at
least outwardly since Kale's been there.
Speaker 5 (46:44):
You know, it was just I was just thinking that
maybe it started with Bo Nicchol, you know, in that interview,
and you'll winning big matches and titles whatever. He said,
that's what Penn State does.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
You know.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
Nicol was a little bit of a talker, but not
not to the extreme Carter is, obviously, So you know,
maybe Kale saw that as positive and kind of let
the ball roll a little bit, and then he got
the Carter where it's like, hey, pump the brakes man
a little too much. Sometimes.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
I think Bo definitely rubs off on Carter, and Carter
has mentioned Bo in other interviews of saying, you know,
I want to Bo is making it look easy over
in MMA, beating people up like it looks fun. I
want to do something like that. So I think that
there's certainly an influence of Bo Nicol being in that
(47:30):
room and being around those guys and having success that
he's having post wrestling career and bringing in different guys
into his MMA, Jim and everything else. So I think
it there's there's a new age that has definitely come about,
and it's not just about paying athletes. It's personality, it's marketability,
(47:54):
and everybody wants a piece of it. Every single person
wants that, you know, and I'm I'm here for it.
Like I said, let's let's not go Connor McGregor with it.
Let's stay and you know, stay in the lane.
Speaker 4 (48:06):
But I think, don't do that much Cooke either. It's
not good for you.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Yes, stay away from that.
Speaker 5 (48:13):
Stay no, stay away from that.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
So, gentlemen, I want to move on to to the
wrestling that we've got, And obviously the All Star Classic
is what two weeks after the season truly starts. But
we've got what looks like, I mean, we've got a
full lineup. Now, We've got Jory Vulk versus Tanner Jordan
at one twenty five, and I's here Bailey Evan Frost
(48:42):
at one thirty three, Mendez Bartlett at forty one, van
Ness versus Waters at forty nine, Cassick versus Keller, Garvin
versus Hall, Haynes, Welsh Thrachi kekais In Little versus bronegle
Achtbronegal and Nick Feldman versus Bostita. Here's my one one
(49:07):
plug for this. It's call up the tea pellis at
docB and find out how you create a card so
that this is not just a one twenty five to
two eighty five. Doc B and I've preached this for
a very long time. Doc B does it right with
(49:28):
their finals where they get they make the main event
the main event.
Speaker 4 (49:32):
If not the last match.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
That's took the words right out of my mouth. It
needs to be. It needs to build. We need to
start taking in wrestling in general, and I would love
to see them do this in the NCAA tournament. It
needs to build. We need to start taking some some
cues from UFC, from Bellator, from from One Championship from
(50:01):
They're building guys. They're building to a main event. That's
why they call it the main event. That's why there
are that's why there are posters with the main and
the co main event. It's why we have them. And
when we have an all star match like this, it
should build. It should start like it should start with
(50:22):
a match that is a is a great starting point,
but ends with the best one. They should not be
and they don't have to be in weight order. Everybody
makes weight. We build the card and we go make
a match order. And I the first time that I
had seen somebody do that was at doc B when
I was in California all those years, and I was like,
(50:44):
this is the best thing. I love this, you know,
and being in a boxing family, it's what I grew
up with. That's why I loved it as much as
I did because I'd seen it. I'd seen it work,
so there's no reason why it shouldn't be pushed over
to wrestling. We're seeing it in MMA, we see it
in BJJ. Continue to do this. So that is my
(51:05):
that is my one wish for this card of let's
build to it. Let's have you know Bo Bartlett and
Jesse Mendez should be second to last, should be the
comain event in my in my opinion, you know, we
need to make this big. Announce a match order. Don't
go from from lightest to heaviest, make it work. We
(51:26):
can do this, and if you do that, people will
want to stick around for all of it. Not to
say that you know that that it's an All Star
people are gonna want to see every single match, but like,
let's truly build to it. Let's make things really really cool.
Give the main event the main event treatment, give the
comain event the comain event treatment, just what it is.
(51:48):
But overall, I like the card. I think it's it's
a very good card. I'm outside of the one eighty
four pound match. I'm interested in seeing how van Ness
looks at for nine and then also how Haynes looks
truly at seventy four. We you know, we obviously saw
him in freestyle. I'd like to see him in folk style.
(52:10):
What are what are your guys thoughts on the card?
Was there a match that you wanted to potentially see
that they weren't able to get. I'm guessing that they
didn't leave any stone unturned in trying to get the
best two guys to wrestle on every one of these weights.
What are your guys thoughts on the All Star Classic
lineup that we have.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
I love the small schools, I love that they got
a South Dakota State and Wyoming match in there. Obviously,
we talked a little rock and how they're in here.
West Virginia's got two guys, Ohio's got a guy. Like
it's awesome to see, you know, not just the usual
suspects in an event like this, you know, giving guys
an opportunity. I mean, you know, I had the chance
(52:54):
to talk to Mike Poetta last week and we were
talking about, you know, Zach Bronagle getting a chance to
wrestle on this and he's like, this is like a
you know, it's not a life changing thing, but it's
something he's always going to remember, right is having the
opportunity to wrestle in the All Star Classic and to
be a part of this event, and how special that is.
So I love that that that's being distributed, you know,
(53:16):
amongst some of the non traditional powers too, But you know,
in particular, I'm going to go back to those small schools.
The Vulcan and Jordan match from you know, Vulk from
Wyoming and Jordan from South Dakota State. They wrestled three
times last year, and two of those times it was
one point match. I think it was one Oh Vulk
(53:38):
at the Big Twelves. It was two to one Jordan
the first time they wrestled last year, and then four
to oh for the seventh and eighth place match at
NC Double A's. So these guys have experienced wrestling one another.
They kind of know what they're good at and what
the other one is going to try and do you
know Tanner, Jordan's going to try and ride them out
(53:59):
and get turned and and that sort of stuff, and
you know, Jory is going to try to be stingy
and get some takedowns on his feet. So that one's
going to be really exciting, and I'm excited to see
two guys go at it again.
Speaker 5 (54:12):
Yeah, I'm a I could be a mistake. I don't
I don't remember seeing so many Penn State guys in
these events too in the last few years. You know,
maybe because because it's at Penn State this year, right,
they want to probably compete for their home crowd. But
I feel like that's a newer thing that Penn State
guys are doing, is getting involved with these tough matches
early on, you know, and just to touch on the
(54:34):
markability thing, like Holmes, you hit it on the head
man it's wrestling doesn't do a good job of marketing
the big events and the you know, the big names
and highlighting some of these events, and you know, why
don't they let the fans decide or you know, let
the coaches decide the day of and you're released a
card that morning or the day before something like that.
(54:55):
You know, let us know, like, hey, it's not going
to be a normal order. Here's how you vote, or
here's what the pros this is going to be two
and in twenty four hours ahead of time, twelve hours
ahead of time to see what that's going to be.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
And that'll help build excitement too.
Speaker 5 (55:07):
The day of, it's like, oh, this match is going
to be second last because of this, and oh here's
a third match we think it should be towards the end,
you know, and I think that could go a long
way too with help getting the markability up and you know,
getting fan of all fan interaction too is always good.
Speaker 1 (55:22):
Yeah, I mean it, if put it this way, if
I'm still at Flow, I'm walking in and saying, guys,
we should do a preview show, and that preview show
should consist of releasing the card and where we break
down every single one of these matchups in the order
(55:42):
that they will be wrestled, and then at the end
we release, We put out the full card so everybody
can see it. That's how you build, That's how you
get people engaged, that's how you continue. I mean, I'll
give them their problems. They know how to do that,
but I would like to see something like that you have.
I mean, you you've got the ear of the people.
(56:03):
You know this, so take advantage of it. Throw another
show up there, have a conversation about these matchups, which
I'm sure that they will do. But have a conversation
about these matchups. Call it a you know, nw C,
a All Star Classic preview show and card release or
whatever else, right, like do it? You know, that's that's
(56:28):
just you know again, how I would go about doing
some of these things is is breaking down the matches
and have a card release. That's I think that would
be awesome.
Speaker 2 (56:37):
And they've been you know, they've tried things with All
Star Classics in the past, right, I know, they did
three point Takedowns a couple of years ago, and and
so you know, it's not an insane thing to think
that they could very easily just kind of make it.
Speaker 1 (56:50):
I think I think that they have had a jumbled
card in the past. I'm pretty sure Dake Taylor was
last when they wrestled at the class too, So it's
not like it's it's it's new, but I think last
year it was it was it last year. I believe
it was wrestled in order. Yeah, it was wrestled in
order last year Hendrickson and Kirkfleet was the last match.
Speaker 3 (57:13):
So change it up this year, especially when you have,
you know, such a big possibility for the main event,
the only one versus two matchup mm hmm. And that's
one versus two across every ranking from every outlet in
(57:33):
the sport.
Speaker 4 (57:34):
So it's it's it's no secrets.
Speaker 3 (57:35):
They're the number one and number two guy and it's
going to be a battle that needs to be the
main event, needs to be highlighted.
Speaker 1 (57:44):
Yeah, and Austin, to your point, it's been at Penn
State the last two years, and I think that's that's
a that's a getting them, Yeah, that's a nod to
get them involved as well. Yeah, because I mean it's
called what it is. They're a little they're a little secretive.
You don't really you don't get I mean, I don't
even think that they have their their roster updated yet
(58:05):
for this year. It's it's put out seven days before
their first competition. Is I think that'll show them so.
Speaker 2 (58:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (58:17):
Uh so? I mean you you don't you know, I've
I've emailed last year. I didn't even do it this year,
but emailed about just trying to get information, trying to
get interviews, stuff like that. I think they they haven't
open period of doing interviews and stuff. But that closes
like a month before, so you're not getting anything a
month before when when you want to do all your
(58:39):
preview content. So but no, I think, like I said,
I think it is a nod to get them involved
and keep them involved. And I mean, if that's what
we have to do to get our highest ranked guys
involved in the All Star Classic, again, fine fine with me.
I don't care. Put it there, give give them, give
(58:59):
them home mad advantage. I'm fine with it because you're
gonna get one of two things. You're you're gonna get
Obviously you're gonna get them involved, but you're you may
also get even better matches because the guys that are
coming in that are visitors. They want to knock these
guys off in front of their home crowd, so that
should make for even better matches. And the one other
(59:22):
thing that I think needs to be said to these
guys beforehand is this match doesn't count. It counts, but
it doesn't count.
Speaker 2 (59:33):
Right.
Speaker 1 (59:33):
We know we're going to utilize this match the measuring
stick where we're gonna be able to watch these back.
We're gonna go score points. No one is coming to
watch a one zero match seven to six. Fine, I'll
watch that all day, five to four, watch that all day.
I No one wants one zero, No one wants to
(59:54):
to one. They're there. Better be at least three points
on the board for one of you at the end
of this. That means somebody got a takedown, somebody did
something on their feet. So guys, let it fly. That
is like, you know, I guess those are those are
my my NWCA All Star Classic wishes. Make make a
card that does not start from light, that does not
(01:00:16):
go heaviest, the lightest, and wrestlers let it fly. If
we get that, everybody's going to be talking about it
for a very long time and it'll be awesome to see,
you know. And the weird part is also is that
these guys are going to come in not with OH
and O records too, so that's going to be very different.
Speaker 3 (01:00:37):
I did like that as the kickoff event though. I
think that that was a really fun way to start
the year as like a preview event, kind of get
everybody invested ready for the season. And I think that
I would prefer to have that because that would be
this week, right, It'd be a week before the season starts.
So if we had the All Star Classic this week,
(01:00:58):
I'm not going to complain.
Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
Well, and you know it's it's a good way to
ensure everybody's still going to participate, right, I don't think
I'm going to do this now.
Speaker 3 (01:01:12):
Don't take take scheduling into account too, because you know
what if you have a dual schedule, so it's it's
it makes it a little more.
Speaker 1 (01:01:23):
Was originally in was originally in. You know, Beastie is
a replacement, so you know there there is some of
that that goes on. But yeah, I wish it was
this dodgeball injury. Maybe who knows, Tommy John, It's.
Speaker 3 (01:01:42):
Gonna be a bit if that's what brings down the
Penn State empires, like surgeries from what are the odds.
Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
I mean, we we used to play handball when I
was in high school the warm up, so I always
always loved the fact that it wasn't a traditional warm up.
Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
And yeah, I think it's I'm a huge proponent of dodgeball.
Speaker 4 (01:02:02):
I think it's a fun way to start.
Speaker 1 (01:02:04):
But yeah, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
I'm really looking forward to to the Garben Hall match.
Speaker 4 (01:02:09):
I think that's gonna be a fun one.
Speaker 3 (01:02:12):
Both of those guys can open up and it could
be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
Yeah, I think top to bottom, they did a very
good job of building the car and the I'm glad
that a lot of these guys opted to jump in.
I'm I'm gonna go out on a limb and say
that A J. Ferrari was probably asked and probably didn't
want to do it just because, I mean, why not,
why would he?
Speaker 2 (01:02:37):
Right?
Speaker 1 (01:02:38):
Like, unless unless it was going to be that match
with Carter, I don't really see him doing it.
Speaker 4 (01:02:42):
Or Nick Stemmett.
Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
Maybe we could get a late addition and have him
in Stemmitt wrestle again.
Speaker 4 (01:02:48):
The rubber match.
Speaker 2 (01:02:50):
If Stemne wins, it'll be one one.
Speaker 1 (01:02:53):
It would be that it would be the rubber match.
Speaker 2 (01:02:54):
Yeah, here we go.
Speaker 4 (01:02:56):
Make it happen.
Speaker 1 (01:02:57):
Hell of a hell of a turnaround too late.
Speaker 2 (01:03:00):
Addition, they add to the card.
Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
They can use the props as the challenge bricks.
Speaker 1 (01:03:06):
It'll be it'll be after the challenge would be would
be stuffed emojis, which which actually happened one time there
was I forget what I think it might have been
the US Open where there were no challenge bricks, so
they just went out and got stuffed animals and it
was fantastic. I think it was like.
Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
Should be used.
Speaker 4 (01:03:26):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (01:03:27):
It was angry birds and we should always be used.
Just to see those get launched across the net.
Speaker 2 (01:03:32):
That was somebody just said it was one of the
brand's brothers just hit a ref like in the head.
Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
That's the funniest part about it. You've got Olympians throwing
angry birds at referees. I need those videos. Where are
those at? If you're watching this right now, go go
search find those videos of of our Olympian coaches throwing
(01:03:59):
angry birds for for challenge bricks. That's what I need
to see. Send it dm it, put it in, put
it in the d MS. I need to see these
videos in these pictures. But no, gentlemen, this is uh,
this is gonna be great. I love the car that
they have, and today it was another good conversation with you. Gentlemen.
Use that term very loosely.
Speaker 4 (01:04:20):
But what are you Austin?
Speaker 1 (01:04:28):
I mean, it's funny Austin and I are from the
exact same place. But he's he's so well behaved.
Speaker 5 (01:04:32):
Yea hey, Holmes, I got I got two young kids.
Speaker 2 (01:04:36):
Now I gotta be a good role model.
Speaker 4 (01:04:37):
You know, I got three. Let's that say about me?
Never grow up, grow up.
Speaker 2 (01:04:47):
Long as you can.
Speaker 1 (01:04:51):
Amazing, amazing. But yeah, that's it. That's all. That's all
we got for you crazy wrestling people. Today. I think
we'll be back. We'll do a preview before the November
one match. So next was that next Monday, we'll we'll
come back. So next Tuesday or Wednesday will be the
posting of that. I'm not sure if I'm doing anything
on Wednesday. It is my birthday. I am putting that
(01:05:13):
out there.
Speaker 4 (01:05:13):
So yeah, just just somebody to get home. Some angry birds,
stuffed animals.
Speaker 1 (01:05:18):
Angry bird stuffed animals. It's what I want. It's it's
exactly what I need. I'll let my dog rip them
apart because that's exactly how fast things last. Toys around her.
But no, the double Angry Birds with the splits very
well done.
Speaker 4 (01:05:37):
That's a callback.
Speaker 1 (01:05:39):
That is a callback. That's how you bring it back around.
But gentlemen, as always, I appreciate you. If you're watching this,
make sure you like subscribe, throw those comments in there,
give us your picks for the All Star Classic, which
we'll do much later, and let us know what you
think about some of these topics that we covered today.
But as always, it's fun and we'll see you again
(01:06:01):
next time.
Welcome back, gentlemen. Good to be sitting and chatting with you.
We got a nice couple of topics of things that
have been going on, things that just came out yesterday
that we're going to talk about. With the Heat going
to Cowboy RTC, the All Star Classic will hit the
I guess the back and forth that's been going on
with recruiting committed wrestlers and the trash talk between Nick
(00:24):
Stemmett and Aj Ferrari that's been going on, so first
things versus the Heat the Cowboy RTC, it really does
prove that David Taylor's words in his initial presser where
he said that the RTC was going to be basically
the precedent, that's where he was really going to put
a lot of his time. Obviously he's putting in a
(00:46):
lot of time and recruiting wrestlers for the team, but
also putting in a lot of time for the RTC.
And you know, he goes out and you know, first
thing he does is sign Dayton fixed, make sure Dayton
is staying, goes and gets rby after the Olympics and
now just last night the heed to Cowboy ARTC. When
(01:06):
I initially got the text and and you know about
the news that was going to be coming and talked
to Earl and Earle you know, was able to get
the article up. I was at the gym when I
got a text, but it was it was shocking. But
then you're like, you know what, it makes sense for
(01:27):
the Heed to go there because he's only been at
Arizona State training since he left high school, and he
probably needs a change of scenery, and he probably needs
a guy like David whose same size, lengthy guy knows
exactly the he'ds style. And it's the same thing of
(01:50):
Fix and Gilman working together where they've prepared for each other.
And you know, Gilman has said in an interview about Fix,
I want to teach him about some of the areas
that I felt I could expose in his wrestling. It's
got to be the same sort of ordeal when it
comes to Zaheed heading to Cowboy RTC. So I think
(02:11):
it'll be a really good change of pace for him.
It's obviously going to be a complete change of scenery.
I mean, he's only he's only been in California, where
he's from, and in Arizona and now Oklahoma and still
Water is very different from Tempe, So good change of
pace for sure, I think, and good coaching staff around him.
What did you guys make of the move? And how
(02:34):
do you see this panning out with Zaheed now being
in the room with a guy like David Taylor who
can truly dedicate the time to a guy like that
who has the same size and length as him, It.
Speaker 2 (02:48):
Makes sense for everybody. There's not anything about this that's bad.
I mean, it's like he said, he's going to have
a great training partner in David Taylor, who you know
from all accounts has no real interest in and competition
after the World Championships here, So it's not like it's
a guy who's going to be getting in his way
for future World teams. It's a guy who I mean,
(03:09):
you know, we don't know. I know, I've heard rumors
that Brooks might be going up to ninety seven at
some point yep. Yeah, but you know, if he does
run into him again, right, or if he gets bigger
or whatever, at least there's there's somebody who knows more
about Brooks, so that could be helpful potentially if that
matchup happens again, you know, and then again you've got
(03:33):
all the the Oklahoma State guys in that room too,
so you've got you know, additional strong, good wrestling bodies
to get your hands on anyway, just to you know,
for the conditioning standpoint and continuing to fight. And it's
only gonna help those guys too, right. You don't think
Dustin Plot's gonna get better from wrestling to heat Valencia,
you know all the time.
Speaker 1 (03:49):
So then Hendrickson being in the line, I mean, he's
a heavyweight, but that's gonna help tremendously.
Speaker 2 (03:56):
Absolutely, you know. So it's it makes all the sense
in the world, uh, for for everybody.
Speaker 3 (04:02):
I think when we heard that, you know Gaetor was
Gator Wrestling Club was closing down or sorry Sunkiss not
Gator thinking way back here.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
Well, I mean Gator Gator was was when Oklahoma State
had their prominent years too, So I can see why
you make that correlation.
Speaker 3 (04:22):
But we we heard when Art was shutting down sun Cass.
We knew these guys were going to go somewhere, So
it's interesting to see kind of where everybody shifted.
Speaker 4 (04:30):
I think it's a great move for him.
Speaker 3 (04:33):
I mean it also shows, you know, continues to show
how much money they're willing to throw down for this program.
And that's you know, we'll we'll hit on some of
that the aspect of funding later on, but it's, uh,
there's no no shortage of investment in this program right now,
and they're they're willing to go out and get whoever.
Speaker 5 (04:56):
Yeah, I mean I agree with everyone there. And you know,
just to add on to that, many times have you
seen arrestler, you know Gilmant for example, how some success
has some success you know, at one spot and then
move you know, he moved to Nitney Line, saw some
more excess, some more success. I can't talk right now.
You know, it happens all the time, and I think
Valencia is a good example of that, where you know,
(05:17):
a fresh sceniory, some new workout partners, just you know,
something different, different mindset, you know, different mentality, and you know,
I think it'll be a good thing for him, especially
like you guys said David Taylor, you know, a multi
time world champ, Olympic champ. Having him in your corner
and as your training port every day, how can you
not get better?
Speaker 2 (05:33):
Right?
Speaker 1 (05:34):
Yeah? And I mean the wild thing about it is
you if you know, if you're if you're if you're
Lee Pritz and your Zeke. You hope that the bleeding
was going to stop with losing your top dogs in
your lineup, and now you're losing your top dog in
your RTC. You know, that's that that's a hard hit,
you know, because for the longest, the heat was, you know,
(05:58):
the cash calor around. Then he's the guy that that
you're recruiting around. You're the guy. He's the guy that
you're pointing to and you're saying, see, he was in
the NCAA finals, right, like he's won a national title.
He's he was successful here, you can do it here.
I mean, obviously now you're going to point to Richie
Figueroa and he's going to be your guy. But it's
a lot different because the heat was a perennial in
(06:22):
the later rounds of the NCAA tournament, where Richie Figueroa
it's yet to be seen if he has sustainable competition
or at least sustainable success in that in at one
twenty five and potentially at one thirty three, if he
moves up, you know, I think in like a year
or so, right, So he's got to be the guy
(06:43):
that you can recruit off of but it's it's really
hard to recruit off of a one to twenty five
because he isn't going to be able to go with
a sixty five pounder. He's not gonna be able to
go with anyone one forty one in right, one forty
nine and up. So he's very you know, you're you're
(07:04):
small guys, you'll definitely be able to get. But like
as we see and as we look at our Olympic
team and our world teams, are a lot of our
biggest assets and most success has come in a very
concentrated area of the lineup. We've been very consistent at
(07:24):
seventy four, seventy nine, eighty six, ninety two, ninety seven.
Those are the guys that we're we're the most competitive,
and you have to think that those are the guys
that a lot of these rts's are gonna want to
get because of how much success we have there and
because of the guys they can learn from, like Jordan Burrows,
(07:46):
like Kyle Dake. So you know, the heat is definitely
and I feel like that next tier of guys that
we now have coming out of college, I feel that
it is the Aaron Brooks it's the Cardis Ragis, It's
the Heat, It's the Trent Hydleys, It's that portion of
things where we're really going to start to see a
tremendous jump where Kyle Snyder has been the last couple
(08:10):
of years, it's going to be more of the heavier
end guys. So I think the Heat is going to
be great in that regard. Him working with David Taylor
is going to be tremendous. And I also think, you know,
I mean, Worlds is coming up. We're a week away
at this point. But if Zaheat has been and I
don't know this, maybe he has been, maybe he's been
(08:33):
training with David, maybe he's been helping David get ready
for Worlds. So that could also have been a big
selling point of Zehead saying, yeah, I need to be
in Oklahoma State, I need to be in stilt Water
to get better and work with a guy like this.
So ultimately I think it's a good move as well.
I think that they will have a lot more success
(08:58):
with recruiting with having guys is like Rby as well
as the Heat in in the room as well, and
obviously Fix who is a lifelong cowboy. But you know,
within that coaching staff. They're going to be master recruiters
and the Heat is certainly going to help bring in
those guys that are in the heavier weight classes. So
(09:18):
this is going to be a great recruiting tool moving forward,
and I think it's going to be awesome. Honestly, do
you think.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
The Heat stays repping the US or that he takes
a shot with repping Mexico like his brother? Did you
know you got Rby and still Water represent Mexico. You know,
I don't know if Lancia might go that route just
to get a spot on a world team and try
from there. I think it's weird, maybe not weird, but
his brother did it, so you know, why doesn't he
(09:45):
go that route?
Speaker 1 (09:46):
You know, I'm just asking no. I mean, I see
the logic behind it though.
Speaker 2 (09:54):
We've been talking about that on Blood Round for a
couple of years now. It's like, the dude's clearly a
world class guy. He just needs, you know, chances to
keep you know, racking up metals and getting those opportunities.
I had a funny thought like how quickly did David
Taylor reach out to him? You think do you think
he was like whispering it to him when he was
(10:14):
pinning him in a cradle, like, hey, what are you
doing in this spring? Buddy?
Speaker 1 (10:20):
I think I'll show you how I did this. Those
conversations probably happened in Nebraska. I would not be surprised
if they if they did. Honestly, that's probably where everything started,
is in Nebraska. And I I mean, I think that
him and Anthony are in two very different positions. Where
Anthony was excuse me, in a in a very loaded
(10:42):
part of our our lineup, where you, like I said,
he's at what he was at seventy nine. I believe
seventy nine seventy four, that's that's tough to crack, you
know what I mean, that's especially there, especially at that time.
Speaker 2 (10:59):
Yeah, he was up at eighty six for the Olympics
this last go at.
Speaker 1 (11:03):
It, so yeah, because I think he was like a
seventy nine. He's been, he's grown into a seventy nine,
and going down to seventy four probably wasn't an It
wasn't you know, an easy task. But like I think
the heat is is poised to make a team, especially
if he's at ninety two next year and Brooks is
(11:23):
at ninety seven. Brooks has to compete with Snyder. Zaheat
has to compete with Starachi, And not to say that
that's not a formidable opponent, but like that's a very
different matchup than having to go up against Kyle Snyder,
you know. And so I can see za Head saying
(11:44):
the guy that was at ninety two eighty six, I mean,
he was at eighty six for for the Olympics too,
So he might even still stay at eighty six if
that's the case. So yeah, I mean and and that,
and I was wrong. So Aaron Brooks will be going
to ninety two, not ninety seven. I think ninety seven
is where he ends up for the Olympic year. He'll
(12:06):
be at ninety two. So maybe, you know, maybe the
Head stays at eighty six with Taylor vacating that and
you know, Starachi being the other guy that's there at
eighty six. It's probably more of a feasible thing, you
where you truly look at it, right, So.
Speaker 3 (12:21):
They're both so lanky, but they're not there's not a
lot of thickness there.
Speaker 1 (12:25):
Yeah, he's dense. Yeah, So yeah, I mean, it's it's
definitely going to be a shift. It's going to be
probably just as weird seeings a head in Orange as
it was to see David Taylor and Orange. But no,
I think it's a great move. And I think, like
I said, with Brooks moving up to ninety two and
(12:51):
is the head most likely staying in eighty six, that
could be the next tandem, you know, and he'll obviously,
like I said, have to beat Sarachi, but are team
next year could end up being what Kyle Dake at
seventy nine. I don't see him staying at seventy four
again to Heat at eighty six and then Brooks at
(13:14):
ninety two and Snyder at ninety seven, and who knows.
As much as as Gable has been posting, maybe he
comes back to.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
But you don't you don't hold not hold him.
Speaker 1 (13:25):
I was gonna say, you don't hold your breath on that,
on that, but figure out And I know I know nothing, honestly,
That's that's just me saying. He's been posting more about
wrestling than he has about anything else as of late.
So wishful thinking would be, hey, maybe we get our
Olympic champ back in the lineup. Not to say that
things have been terrible, you know, we've been perennial medalists
(13:49):
at one twenty five. But Gable's been the only one
that's broken through, so you know, but no, we'll see,
We'll see what happens, you know. And and Taylor is
not just recruiting on the RTC level, he's also recruiting
on the college level. And he recruiting even re recruiting.
(14:12):
He flipped Sergio Vega, And I think there's obviously two
schools of thought when it comes to this situation, because
Vega had commit to Ornell and this had been prior
to David Taylor and his staff getting there. So I
can see it from that lens of saying, well, we
(14:33):
didn't have a shot at this kid. He didn't know,
he didn't know who the coach was going to be.
When he committed, He had no idea what this program was.
So approaching him with what this program is now, why not?
And I, as much as I have an issue with like,
(14:57):
I have more of an issue of a kid committing
early then I do with a kid changing his mind,
because again, he's a kid. And as somebody who changed
their major three times in college, I can tell you
we don't know a damn thing that we're doing when
we're teenagers, So like, you want to go where the
(15:20):
best situation is for you, and you hadn't signed on
a dotted line yet, so why not entertain maybe a
better situation. Coaches do it all the time. Coaches are like,
well I'm here. I mean take Rob Cole for instance.
Rob Cole was at Cornell and in the last decade,
(15:43):
he's been at what two other places since then? Right, So,
like he was at Stanford and then it was only
at Stanford for a couple of years, and now he's
at his alma mater. So if coaches who are signing
contracts can be like, well, better situation over here, and
why not? Why not wrestlers? Why not? You know? So
(16:04):
I'm not mad at the kid for taking advantage of
a new opportunity that arose despite the fact that he
had already commit to Cornell and for me and I
don't I don't just live in the in the wrestling
bubble like a lot of the people do.
Speaker 2 (16:27):
It.
Speaker 1 (16:27):
Taylor was right in his interview with with Piles. It
is the wild West when it comes to recruiting. It
just is and it always has been, always has been,
and it's it's not it's not anything new. It really
isn't anything new. So and and the the the the
thing that that sparked all this was was Yanni tweeting
(16:51):
about it, and his initial tweet was didn't realize how
hard college coaches go after athletes that are already committed.
I don't like that at all. My only issue with
that is that the next tweet he's quote tweeting MINEO
and saying, you don't know the story. The coach was
(17:12):
calling me NonStop to the point where I had to
block his number. So you did, I mean, Yanni, I
love you, but you did realize how hard coaches are
going after wrestlers, and Yanni, you were the number one
guy coming out of high school. I believe at that
point Willie had ranked Yanni number one and Spencer Lee
at number two when they were coming out of college.
So if there was a guy going that hard after you,
(17:37):
you can only imagine what it's like now. That recruiting
is insane and it is a bigger business than it
ever was. When you guys saw these tweets, exactly, That's
what I'm saying. When you guys saw these tweets, what
were your thoughts about I mean, what are your thoughts
in general about coaches continuing to call kids that are
(17:58):
verbally committed to a school, And what did you think
of Yanni's sweets.
Speaker 3 (18:04):
I think it's sketchy. I don't like it. I think
my issue, and I think Scott Green kind of hit
it on the head, is that it's a very different
situation to continue to pursue a committed athlete who says
they're committed than it is for you know, a student
athlete to step back and say I'm going to reevaluate
(18:24):
this and then field calls. I think that's a very
very different feeling. And I don't blame any of the
kids for changing things. And you know, we did a
lot of perpetuous shit when we were that age. It's
what you do, that's how you learn. But you know,
to me, a commitment needs to mean something, and if
you're committed to something, you're committed to it, and if
(18:48):
you're not, then you need to step back and say
that and accept that and.
Speaker 4 (18:52):
Then re evaluate.
Speaker 3 (18:53):
I don't like people going on additional visits after they
said they're committed somewhere. I don't like coaches chasing people
after they say they're committed like it's it should mean something,
and I understand, I guess I understand David's point of
well I wasn't there. Well, that can be an argument
for a lot of people. That's what the transfer portals for, right,
(19:14):
things change. You can always transfer if you like your
option another school better as well, So, I.
Speaker 4 (19:20):
Mean I can see both sides of it.
Speaker 3 (19:21):
I just I think a commitment needs to mean something,
and when it's just continually chasing somebody who's who's committed somewhere,
I think it cheapens that.
Speaker 1 (19:31):
I mean, we found out the transfer portal isn't really
a transfer portal this year. It's just it's imaginary.
Speaker 2 (19:37):
Well, I think the issue for me is like it's
more of a nomenclature thing, right, he didn't sign anything.
Speaker 3 (19:44):
Yeah, committed, You know, that becomes that becomes an NBA
issue of you know, when do you sign that n
l I And now that is that from my understanding,
that may go away as well.
Speaker 6 (19:52):
So it's already gone fucking eh. So yeah, yeah, it's
gone there. I mean, the contracts are now going to
be your financial aid package and all that other stuff.
So instead of instead of signing your national letter of
intent and then signing your financial aid package and signing
this sign that it's just like, okay, here's everything, sign
(20:14):
it once.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
That's what it really is, so.
Speaker 3 (20:17):
That speed up the process. Instead of having these arbitrary dates.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
I think that they will continue to have the dates
because there is sponsorship and big business behind a kid
being on ESPN signing is NLI. It's a show, it's
a fanfare, it's all of it, right. Like the thing
(20:41):
about it is when these decisions are made, you have
to remember that the sport we cover is never part
of the conversation. It's the afterthought. It's not the conversation.
It's what what kind of steam are we getting with football?
What kind of steam are we getting with basketball? The
number one baseball recruit is potentially either going to go
(21:05):
to college or is going to go to the pros
and being you know, the farm system, right, So when
you look at it, it's always a conversation about football
and basketball essentially, because those are the two sports where
you have to you can't skip college in order to
go to the pros. So that's where those conversations are.
But yeah, and NLI is now gone, they've gotten rid
(21:28):
of it. I think the next was the twenty twenty
five class will probably be the first class I think
if or maybe the twenty twenty six. I think it
might take effect for them. I'm not sure. It's don't
quote me on that, but yeah, it is. It is
gone by the wayside, which I think is honestly a
smart idea, but I think those dates stay in place
(21:50):
of this is a recruiting period, this is a dead period,
this is this, this is that. Because they're also kind
of built in for coaches to have vacation is really
what it is. Because coaches were like, I can't I
can't keep recruiting. I need to have a break, I
need something. So they're like, Okay, we'll make it so
that it is mandatory for coaches to take off two
(22:11):
weeks so that they can see their families. You know,
here you go, you have visitation with your family, and
then your hours for the rest of the year. Right,
but no pluanche you were you were saying something, what
were your thoughts on on the recruiting after recruitment.
Speaker 2 (22:25):
Well, the other thing I think is funny too, the
national letter of intent. Right, I intend to not eat
a giant bowl of ice cream, but I did it.
You know, like like there's you know again, nomenclature is
kind of the issue with you know, with me as
far as what we're calling things. And you know, if
it's not committed, he's not committed. But like you said earlier,
homes like it's it's not like this doesn't happen and
(22:47):
hasn't been happening for years. Like I made the joke
back in NCAA two thousand and four, you could recruit
already recruited guys. You just had to you know, put
whatever recruiting credits towards it. Right, So it's been happening
in all the different sports all the time. You know,
kids changed their mind, you know, situations change, maybe they
you know, obviously in this case there was a different
(23:07):
coaching staff and situation in Oklahoma State. It's gonna happen.
It's going to continue to happen. I don't know what
we're gonna We're not going to solve it here.
Speaker 4 (23:17):
Yeah, well might it'd be a lot of that attitude.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
Yeah aa awtin is it true? That a good bit?
I think I saw somebody say that like a couple
of Cornell's commits had been committed to other schools before too.
You would probably know that more than anyone.
Speaker 5 (23:33):
Is that true, I'd have to do some research. Off
the top of my head, I'm not sure, but I know,
like in this case, it's like kind of like you said,
we don't know the whole story. You know, he Vega
kind of he's obviously a well known recruit, top fifty
pounds per pound, and then wins a Super thirty two
(23:54):
and then all of a sudden he flips to Oklahoma State,
Like was there a conversation before that? Or did good
to State just kind of swoop in like, oh he
wants Super too, He's good. Let's just give him a
call and offer him this nil money that he can't refuse,
you know, And not that that makes it right or wrong.
Speaker 2 (24:09):
It's just kind of.
Speaker 5 (24:11):
Robbie's point. It kind of makes, you know, a little
shadiness on on the coach's end, if if that is
what happened, but if there was talks beforehand, and Vega was,
you know, talking to Cornell like, hey, I'm reconsidering things,
I'm looking at other places.
Speaker 4 (24:25):
Okay, that's fine, but.
Speaker 2 (24:28):
Or that's and that's a really hard thing to do
to ask a kid, you know, that's a really high level.
Speaker 3 (24:34):
You know though, I mean, I think it lies where
your expectations are. And if you take it from a
different lens, Right, three of us here are married, right,
I assume at some point we were all engaged, so
we intended to.
Speaker 2 (24:48):
Get married engagement.
Speaker 3 (24:54):
If I was, if I was pursuing someone else in
that time in between the engagement and the marriage.
Speaker 2 (24:59):
Like, well, just because I haven't desired to explain that
to your wife first, then if.
Speaker 3 (25:03):
I opened my recruitment, right, But I think that's that's
a conversation, and some people do that, like you understand
that during the process. Okay, maybe marriages are right for me,
so let's take a step back, But you don't continue
to pursue other people during your engagement.
Speaker 4 (25:18):
So it's it's the same kind of thought process.
Speaker 3 (25:21):
Right, If you're either committed to something or you're not,
and if you don't feel like you should be committed
to it, then you reevaluate that. But you need to
be open about that because you know how many people
are relying on this. You're you're the team, you're committed
to is his setting aside the scholarship for you and
all money? Now figuring that out, figuring out, roster caps
(25:42):
and all that. There's a lot of pieces that go
into it. So I think if you're committed, you're committed,
and if you're not, you need to be upfront about
that with the coaches because that changes what they're going
to do as well.
Speaker 2 (25:52):
Maybe they were on a break, you know, you were
on a break.
Speaker 5 (25:56):
As friends reference, I like that one begs yeah, as
long as it's the thirty years old, I'll reference it here. Yeah,
And like along along those lines, Robbie, I see people
on ex Twitter forums it's like, well, it was just
a commitment. It's not in writing, but also like a commitment,
it is something because everyone makes a verbal commitment, you know,
after they do their visits. You know, this wasn't an
(26:18):
eighth grader or a freshman committing because that's his favorite
school growing up. You know, he took his visit for
at least what I know, took a bunch of official
visits and decided on Cornell and then Oklahoma State swooped in.
You know, again, David Taylor is new as a head coach,
you know, so I get that he didn't have that chance,
but what happened behind the scenes, I'm not sure. I
don't know if we'll ever know, but yeah, I'm still
(26:41):
on the fence about it.
Speaker 3 (26:42):
Yeah, I was making a chance to pursue cure nightly,
but that didn't change anything.
Speaker 1 (26:46):
Right, I was having a conversation. I was having a
conversation about the I don't know if you guys saw
the UNLV quarterback who played in four games and then
said he was going to red shirt because of a
verbal agreement that he was going to be paid one
hundred thousand dollars part of his NIL, right, which if
(27:09):
you look at nil in college, that's like, yeah, here's
five bucks, kid, you know what I mean. So it's
not a lot of money when you're looking at nil deals, actually,
I mean, which is insane for quarterbacks, I should say
for quarterbacks because the you could lose that one night
too exactly. But for quarterbacks, that's not a lot of money.
(27:30):
But when you look at the grand scheme of you know, nil,
they're not making a ton. We only know we know
about the top one percent, right, that's what we know
about the tackle, the guard, the second string wide receiver.
They're not making anything. So you know, the the national
average for NIL deals, it's a hell of a lot
(27:50):
lower than what people think. We just know that. You know,
the University of Texas here here in Austin has a
deal with the Lamborghini dealer. So all these guys get lambos.
That's not a lie, it's the absolute truth. They get
Lambo's when depending on who they are. But like that,
that's why college very practical. Hey listen, as long as
(28:13):
they're not giving them to the Georgia players, I'm good.
We we see what they do behind the wheel. But no,
I mean we're gonna talk about a minute, right, We're
gonna get there in just a second. But when you
when you think about it, that was a verbal commitment
to that UNLV quarterback and it wasn't upheld. So he
was like, see, yeah, I'm out of here.
Speaker 6 (28:32):
Right.
Speaker 1 (28:33):
I played in the in the allotted games that I'm
allowed to play in and still red shirt, and I'm
gonna I'm gonna go now because you guys didn't hold
up your end of the deal. I feel like it's
the same thing in a sense where a kid is like, Okay,
I'm gonna commit to this. Oh I'm not gonna get
(28:53):
as good of a deal now, all right, I'm out
of here. It's the same thing right where he's he
was the one that was promising to do something and
he didn't hold up his end, which I think is shitty.
But he's also a teenager, right, He's also a kid,
And I think winning Super thirty two put him on
(29:14):
the radar of David Taylor. Maybe he was on the
radar before then, we don't know, but I think that
really probably solidified that they needed to push a little
bit harder. But if anybody thinks that every single kid
for the last one hundred years was done being recruited
before they signed their national letter of intent when it
(29:36):
was in effect, you're crazy. As Yanni said, he literally
had to block this coach's number. So if that's the
extreme that is that you have to go to to
stop a coach from calling you, then it's been going
on for longer than this one situation.
Speaker 3 (29:53):
And I think it's an interesting thing to examine which
coaches are the ones that are doing this, because you know.
Speaker 2 (30:00):
I.
Speaker 4 (30:03):
Don't think it is all of them.
Speaker 3 (30:05):
I think it's it's a large percentage, but I think
there's some that that would agree that, you know, commitment
needs commitment unless they say they're not. And and I know,
there's a couple of coaches who have said that to me,
that they're not going to pursue somebody who says they're
permitted somewhere. So it's it's interesting to see what the
what the line of thinking is between different coaching staffs
(30:27):
with that as well.
Speaker 2 (30:28):
And there's always going to be varying degrees of this too, Right,
there might be situations where someone who's not even on
staff with the program is reaching out to a kid
getting them to try and flip to a different institution. Right,
we all know that happens now, Yeah, Yeah, which is
especially with all the money involved, so weird. I can't
imagine being a high school kid and having someone not
(30:50):
directly affiliated with a program trying to throw money. I
own a car dealation mine in the town you want
to go to college in that you don't actually want
to go to college and you might now you will.
Speaker 5 (31:01):
M Yeah, I thought it was I think it was
kind of funny coach Cole getting in on the Yannies tweet,
kind of putting you know, kale On blasts a little bit,
and you know, let's be honest, there's rumors of Coal
kind of doing the same Shenanigans that he's accusing kale
of you know. So it's like, like you said, a
(31:23):
lot of them do it? How many we don't know?
Speaker 2 (31:25):
You know?
Speaker 4 (31:26):
And I think the difference too, there's Rob.
Speaker 3 (31:28):
Rob's up front about that, he's not trying to hide that,
like that's that's that's the other kind of line of thinking.
Is it is it happening in the open, or is
it you're you're being shady and still continue to call
people you know on the slide and trying to get
them to flip. It's it's it's just kind of an
interesting dilemma all around.
Speaker 2 (31:48):
I mean it's weird though too, because then you'll have
guys who are literally already at an institution wrestling for
the school and you know, being reached out to jump
in the portal real quick, and so doesn't happen no no, yeah, yeah,
so allegedly all you know, if this happens now or
in a year right like it is, it's it's still
(32:10):
gonna happen. Like we can talk about guys not recruiting
guys who were already committed, but we're guys are being
recruited directly off of rosters.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
So you're coaches have to always be recruiting, right Like
it used to be always be closing. Right now it's
always be recruiting, right. So it is it is very
different in this day and age, because the minute the
guy's not happy, he's like, well I can go over here.
(32:41):
They they're offering me this, which is it is taking
the essence of sports away for sure, you know, because.
Speaker 3 (32:49):
In a sport that prides itself on that moral authority,
yeah yeah, and sticking through things that are difficult, you know,
all those fun things that we've preached the value of
the sport.
Speaker 1 (33:02):
Yeah, exactly. And and so I think overall, I don't
I don't have an issue with it. However, I think
that there needs to be transparency in the process. Not
not Bo Bassett type of transparency, which is still not
(33:24):
really transparent, but.
Speaker 4 (33:26):
There needs we've already been.
Speaker 1 (33:28):
There needs to be some transparency, right Like, Like, was
there a conversation that Vega had with the Cornell coaches
where he said, I'm I'm going to I'm going to
open up, you know, my recruitment a little bit. I'm
going to look at some other offers, you know, to
make sure I'm making the right decision. And if that
was and if that happened, then all respect to the
(33:49):
kid for doing that, absolutely, But one thing we all
also have to remember is we're on these public forums
right like this, this is getting posted on YouTube. Everyone
will be able to watch it, everyone can comment like it,
whatever they want.
Speaker 5 (34:03):
To do, millions of people probably hopeful.
Speaker 1 (34:05):
Millions and millions of people. Bill right, the kid may
have done that discreetly. So if he if he opened
up his recruitment, I mean, I know, we're in a
day and age where everybody is so blessed and humbled
to receive an offer or I'm officially, you know, decommitting
from here and reopening my commitment, and it's these these
(34:26):
statements of nil deals. Email this guy. My dms are
open for like everyone's making these statements. So if somebody
actually did something discreetly, and I'm not and I don't
mean the coaches from Oklahoma State recruiting Vega, I mean
the kid, listen if it. If it did happen, and
it happened, big deal, right, But it's not the first time,
(34:48):
not the last time. But I'm saying, if if if
Vega went discreetly to the coaches at Cornell which like,
again I don't know if he did or not. I
don't need that detail, but that could very well be
the case. I'm I'm, you know, trying to play Devil's
advocate here and say that the kid just didn't do
something sneaky and continue to talk to David Taylor and
(35:11):
and and Jimmy Kennedy and those coach at Oklahoma State,
and then he's like, yeah, I'm gonna go there, and
he calls up Gray and he's like, hey, listen, So
tomorrow there's gonna be an announcement that I'm that I'm switching.
I'm not coming. I'm not coming to Cornell, right, Like,
that's very well could have been the thing as well,
because kids are kids. But like I'm gonna, I'm gonna
say that the kid had some some morals and it
(35:32):
wasn't a shady dealing and that there was some sort
of conversations that went on behind the scenes. We are
not privy to every piece of information. As much as
we want to be, we're not.
Speaker 3 (35:43):
And I think you could take that Yanni tweet kind
of on either side of that argument, Like it came
out before the announcement, so he knew ahead of time,
so maybe he did have that conversation, but or it
could be that, you know, we he's just told you
that he's going only going to go there, not that
he's opening his commitment and thinking about going somewhere else.
Speaker 4 (36:04):
So I mean, it's I don't know, it's a sticky situation.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
It is, It certainly is, and I don't need to
know the true story, but my opinion on it is
that kids should be able to go wherever the hell
he wants. I hate the fact that people are bouncing
around and you know everything else. But the heavyweight that
that won the NCAA title last year were multiple singlets
(36:29):
before he ended up at Penn State, Minnesota, Ohio State,
Oklahoma State. There's pictures of him committing to all three
of those schools before going to Penn State and being
in their room and doing all of those things. And
I love kirktly, I have nothing against him, but this
isn't the first time that this happened, and it's not
going to be the last time that it happens. So
(36:51):
stop with the pearl clutching, because it happens on a
grander scale in all of these others, in most of
these other sports it's just the matter of when it
happens in wrestling, it's like, oh shit, I can't believe
this happened, and everybody has to play like it's some
new thing. It ain't new, guys, It's not new, especially
with how we saw a guy not even enter the
(37:14):
transfer portal and pop up over here right like Lasiers
at South Dakota State right now. He never entered the
transfer portal. He just unenrolled at one place and enrolled
in another. The transfer portal is literally just there to
let coaches know that you're open for business, is how
it was explained to me. So people can go wherever
the hell they want. It's gonna happen. We do that
(37:35):
as adults. Oh there's a better job over there. I'm
gonna take that happens. So not wanting an indecisive kid
with the age of teen at the end of it
to know where the hell he's going. It's just insane
to me.
Speaker 2 (37:50):
This segment brought to you by LinkedIn.
Speaker 5 (37:53):
All right, and speak of I will be committing to
flow wrestling starting tomorrow.
Speaker 1 (38:00):
Have fun.
Speaker 2 (38:04):
Kidding.
Speaker 1 (38:07):
The The other thing that has been that was interesting
that we saw today is the trash talk and it's
the same person being trash talked, just with a with
a different culprit, and it's Nick Stemett trash talking Aj
Ferrari and putting a wager out there of you can't
use any more emojis and and everything else, and it's
(38:31):
I mean, it's it's incredibly funny. It really is. There's
there really is, Like it is incredibly funny trash talk.
It really is. Some things some things are are a
serious jab, right, but like the the wager that's on
the line of when I win your band from using
(38:53):
emojis for life and you have to change your handle
to mister slow twitch. Like that's fun, guys, it just is.
And AJ responded, and you know, I'm not even going
to get into AJ's response because it's not.
Speaker 4 (39:07):
Really that important.
Speaker 1 (39:09):
I mean, there was a lot of emojis, and I
think he overdid it on purpose, which I think is
absolutely hilarious and it was clever. And I love the
fact that going into this season there's more trash talk
than we've really ever had before. I think it's awesome.
I think it's great that guys are trying to be
more marketable, and I think that that comes with the
(39:29):
fact that there are now more opportunities for these guys
past college where it's it's the UFC or it's Bellator.
I mean, it's MMA in general, where you have to
be a character, you have to have some sort of marketability.
It's the WWE who's already getting in on you know,
nil recruitment of of some of our top guys. I mean,
(39:52):
aj I believe was part of it, right, So you
know we've seen guys be a part of that world.
I think this is awesome and it's and it's even
more awesome because it's a way for people to watch.
I mean, how many other times did you say I
want to watch the Calcate Bakersfield versus Stanford match.
Speaker 4 (40:16):
I was planning on watching that.
Speaker 1 (40:17):
Yeah, but now you're really planning on watching it, So
give us the market. And that's nothing against those two teams,
but I mean, when's the last time that I can't
remember the last time that they met, honestly because it
wasn't it wasn't anything that resonated really in the wrestling community. Again,
nothing against those two teams, but now you're just like,
get to one ninety seven. I want to see some
(40:38):
shit happen. You know, and these guys have obviously wrestled
and Ferrari handled business. So that's why it's even funnier
that Stem. It's like, you know what, no, last time
we wrestled like I was, I was a child. I'm
a man now I'm forty, right, so let's you know,
I'm trying to keep it in the Oklahoma state path
a little bit as much as I go. But like,
(40:58):
I think it's amazing. I love the trash talk. I
love the fact that Age and you know, AJ's not
going to back down, you know he's not. He does
not back down from any sort of trash talk ever.
So give us the trash talk. Keep it like it.
Like we said before, stay in your lane, don't get in,
don't get too shaky with it. You know, let's let's
(41:18):
stay let's keep some parameters of it, not to get
not get too crazy. But I think it's awesome that
Stem is calling him out. He's the number one rank guy,
you have him the first day of competition. Yeah, let's
have some fun with it. Would you guys think it
really a.
Speaker 3 (41:32):
Better way to open the season, you know, than than
knocking off the number one and starting the hype before
you even get there. I think it would be a
hell of a win if Stemmett could do it. But
we also haven't seen Ferrari in a few years, so
we'll see, you know what shape he's actually it could
be actually really good match.
Speaker 2 (41:54):
Yeah, I mean this is more you know, cheeky and
fun trash talk, which was nice, right. I liked his
sword that he had in the picture. That was pretty cool.
Speaker 3 (42:04):
I like to do rag under the cowboy hat. That
was my favorite part.
Speaker 2 (42:07):
Holding the Roadrunner. That was cool.
Speaker 1 (42:10):
And we're coming on the fact that was media day
was awesome. You could tell that was media day. It
was a white backdrop. It looks like every other picture.
That's awesome.
Speaker 3 (42:20):
Yeah, he brought the road Runner or do you think
that that Aers brought it?
Speaker 1 (42:26):
I don't know, I don't know written all over it man. Yeah,
certainly maybe. I mean maybe they just like maybe they
have props of like all their opponents. Maybe there's like
something that they have in their room of like all
their opponents or something like that. Who knows, But that
that was the fact that they staged out on media day.
That's that's good stuff.
Speaker 3 (42:46):
Should have beat him with a tree though, that would
have been way better than the sword. Really missed an
opportunity there.
Speaker 2 (42:53):
Yeah, just to want to piggyback off what Robbie was
saying too.
Speaker 5 (42:56):
Well, when's the last time we saw Ferrari on a
mat at one at one ninety seven? Right, you know,
he's a pretty big guy making a big cut and
there's a time for Stemmett to you know, maybe sneak
one out. It's probably the first week of the season
or Ferrari isn't in peak shape yet, not really by
Justin o'wait, you know, so good good time on his part,
but the fact that he almost got tech fall last
(43:18):
time after talking trash, you know, it's a weird, weird
time to talk crap again, you know, but maybe it
works out this time.
Speaker 2 (43:26):
We'll see. I mean, it was pretty memorable the last
time he made one ninety seven.
Speaker 5 (43:31):
Well, yeah, I guess it was. Yeah, yeah, I remember
that he had the double bird. Now he's a roadrunner.
Speaker 3 (43:37):
Interesting in fairness, this the match they had was in
twenty twenty one. H Stemmit has a Stanford degree since then, so,
I mean it's come a little ways.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
He's he's a man now, he's forty, Yeah, he's.
Speaker 3 (43:53):
Forty's not too far off, not too far off. He
had twenty more wins last year than he did in
twenty twenty one, so granted that was a shortened season.
Speaker 1 (44:04):
And he's probably been been doing some buys and tries
with Sean Gray.
Speaker 4 (44:08):
So only bys and tries.
Speaker 1 (44:11):
It's only buys and tries actually, quick Sean Gray story.
One of the times that I went to Princeton, I
walked in He's shirtless weight belt and just pressing like
two eighty five, like it was too thick, and I
was like.
Speaker 3 (44:26):
Does he have like an easy curl bar in his
carry on?
Speaker 1 (44:29):
Probably on Sean Gray is the man any anytime I
text him, it always talked. It's always there, always some
ship talk that comes along with it. But now I
think I think that the ship talk and wrestling as
long as we keep it, you know, keep the guardrails up,
(44:49):
don't get too crazy with it, take some shots, make
it marketable. I think guys are are happy to play
the heel a little bit more these days, and coaches
are are happy to allow them to be a little
bit freer. That is something that I wish I could
ask Kale. Maybe maybe next time. I'm like, at the
same place I think I'm gonna be Yeah, I'll be
with him in Nashville, So if I get a chance,
(45:11):
I'll ask him about like balancing the personalities on the team.
You know, Carter is to balance these guys. He might,
he certainly might, but does I'm saying like, I would
love to know, like, especially with a team like that
and a person like Kale, of balancing this personality of
Carter Sarachi and and not just him, but the other
(45:32):
guys on the team, right, Like Aaron Brooks is a
very different type of guy than Carter, than Levi Haynes,
than Messenbrink. All these guys bring something different to all
of it, right, So I would love to know, like
outside of like the wrestling part of it, which they
have handled like crazy, the promotion, the marketability, the characters.
(45:57):
You know, that's that's something different, you know, And I
don't I don't think that anyone's ever really prepared for that.
When you're a coach, is just like how things are
going to escalate throughout the season. You got to be
bobbing and weaving and going with the punches throughout the
whole year.
Speaker 3 (46:13):
I would like to know what has changed in his
outlook over the past decade that allows for someone like
Carter to be as free as he is now, because
in years past, it feels like cal would have put
the kabash on that real quick and kept it buttoned up.
But now Carter's out there being a you know, being
(46:34):
a character and talking trash and doing all that, and
that's not something we've really seen from Penn State, at
least outwardly since Kale's been there.
Speaker 5 (46:44):
You know, it was just I was just thinking that
maybe it started with Bo Nicchol, you know, in that interview,
and you'll winning big matches and titles whatever. He said,
that's what Penn State does.
Speaker 2 (46:53):
You know.
Speaker 5 (46:53):
Nicol was a little bit of a talker, but not
not to the extreme Carter is, obviously, So you know,
maybe Kale saw that as positive and kind of let
the ball roll a little bit, and then he got
the Carter where it's like, hey, pump the brakes man
a little too much. Sometimes.
Speaker 1 (47:08):
I think Bo definitely rubs off on Carter, and Carter
has mentioned Bo in other interviews of saying, you know,
I want to Bo is making it look easy over
in MMA, beating people up like it looks fun. I
want to do something like that. So I think that
there's certainly an influence of Bo Nicol being in that
(47:30):
room and being around those guys and having success that
he's having post wrestling career and bringing in different guys
into his MMA, Jim and everything else. So I think
it there's there's a new age that has definitely come about,
and it's not just about paying athletes. It's personality, it's marketability,
(47:54):
and everybody wants a piece of it. Every single person
wants that, you know, and I'm I'm here for it.
Like I said, let's let's not go Connor McGregor with it.
Let's stay and you know, stay in the lane.
Speaker 4 (48:06):
But I think, don't do that much Cooke either. It's
not good for you.
Speaker 1 (48:11):
Yes, stay away from that.
Speaker 5 (48:13):
Stay no, stay away from that.
Speaker 1 (48:21):
So, gentlemen, I want to move on to to the
wrestling that we've got, And obviously the All Star Classic
is what two weeks after the season truly starts. But
we've got what looks like, I mean, we've got a
full lineup. Now, We've got Jory Vulk versus Tanner Jordan
at one twenty five, and I's here Bailey Evan Frost
(48:42):
at one thirty three, Mendez Bartlett at forty one, van
Ness versus Waters at forty nine, Cassick versus Keller, Garvin
versus Hall, Haynes, Welsh Thrachi kekais In Little versus bronegle
Achtbronegal and Nick Feldman versus Bostita. Here's my one one
(49:07):
plug for this. It's call up the tea pellis at
docB and find out how you create a card so
that this is not just a one twenty five to
two eighty five. Doc B and I've preached this for
a very long time. Doc B does it right with
(49:28):
their finals where they get they make the main event
the main event.
Speaker 4 (49:32):
If not the last match.
Speaker 1 (49:35):
That's took the words right out of my mouth. It
needs to be. It needs to build. We need to
start taking in wrestling in general, and I would love
to see them do this in the NCAA tournament. It
needs to build. We need to start taking some some
cues from UFC, from Bellator, from from One Championship from
(50:01):
They're building guys. They're building to a main event. That's
why they call it the main event. That's why there
are that's why there are posters with the main and
the co main event. It's why we have them. And
when we have an all star match like this, it
should build. It should start like it should start with
(50:22):
a match that is a is a great starting point,
but ends with the best one. They should not be
and they don't have to be in weight order. Everybody
makes weight. We build the card and we go make
a match order. And I the first time that I
had seen somebody do that was at doc B when
I was in California all those years, and I was like,
(50:44):
this is the best thing. I love this, you know,
and being in a boxing family, it's what I grew
up with. That's why I loved it as much as
I did because I'd seen it. I'd seen it work,
so there's no reason why it shouldn't be pushed over
to wrestling. We're seeing it in MMA, we see it
in BJJ. Continue to do this. So that is my
(51:05):
that is my one wish for this card of let's
build to it. Let's have you know Bo Bartlett and
Jesse Mendez should be second to last, should be the
comain event in my in my opinion, you know, we
need to make this big. Announce a match order. Don't
go from from lightest to heaviest, make it work. We
(51:26):
can do this, and if you do that, people will
want to stick around for all of it. Not to
say that you know that that it's an All Star
people are gonna want to see every single match, but like,
let's truly build to it. Let's make things really really cool.
Give the main event the main event treatment, give the
comain event the comain event treatment, just what it is.
(51:48):
But overall, I like the card. I think it's it's
a very good card. I'm outside of the one eighty
four pound match. I'm interested in seeing how van Ness
looks at for nine and then also how Haynes looks
truly at seventy four. We you know, we obviously saw
him in freestyle. I'd like to see him in folk style.
(52:10):
What are what are your guys thoughts on the card?
Was there a match that you wanted to potentially see
that they weren't able to get. I'm guessing that they
didn't leave any stone unturned in trying to get the
best two guys to wrestle on every one of these weights.
What are your guys thoughts on the All Star Classic
lineup that we have.
Speaker 2 (52:32):
I love the small schools, I love that they got
a South Dakota State and Wyoming match in there. Obviously,
we talked a little rock and how they're in here.
West Virginia's got two guys, Ohio's got a guy. Like
it's awesome to see, you know, not just the usual
suspects in an event like this, you know, giving guys
an opportunity. I mean, you know, I had the chance
(52:54):
to talk to Mike Poetta last week and we were
talking about, you know, Zach Bronagle getting a chance to
wrestle on this and he's like, this is like a
you know, it's not a life changing thing, but it's
something he's always going to remember, right is having the
opportunity to wrestle in the All Star Classic and to
be a part of this event, and how special that is.
So I love that that that's being distributed, you know,
(53:16):
amongst some of the non traditional powers too, But you know,
in particular, I'm going to go back to those small schools.
The Vulcan and Jordan match from you know, Vulk from
Wyoming and Jordan from South Dakota State. They wrestled three
times last year, and two of those times it was
one point match. I think it was one Oh Vulk
(53:38):
at the Big Twelves. It was two to one Jordan
the first time they wrestled last year, and then four
to oh for the seventh and eighth place match at
NC Double A's. So these guys have experienced wrestling one another.
They kind of know what they're good at and what
the other one is going to try and do you
know Tanner, Jordan's going to try and ride them out
(53:59):
and get turned and and that sort of stuff, and
you know, Jory is going to try to be stingy
and get some takedowns on his feet. So that one's
going to be really exciting, and I'm excited to see
two guys go at it again.
Speaker 5 (54:12):
Yeah, I'm a I could be a mistake. I don't
I don't remember seeing so many Penn State guys in
these events too in the last few years. You know,
maybe because because it's at Penn State this year, right,
they want to probably compete for their home crowd. But
I feel like that's a newer thing that Penn State
guys are doing, is getting involved with these tough matches
early on, you know, and just to touch on the
(54:34):
markability thing, like Holmes, you hit it on the head
man it's wrestling doesn't do a good job of marketing
the big events and the you know, the big names
and highlighting some of these events, and you know, why
don't they let the fans decide or you know, let
the coaches decide the day of and you're released a
card that morning or the day before something like that.
(54:55):
You know, let us know, like, hey, it's not going
to be a normal order. Here's how you vote, or
here's what the pros this is going to be two
and in twenty four hours ahead of time, twelve hours
ahead of time to see what that's going to be.
Speaker 2 (55:05):
And that'll help build excitement too.
Speaker 5 (55:07):
The day of, it's like, oh, this match is going
to be second last because of this, and oh here's
a third match we think it should be towards the end,
you know, and I think that could go a long
way too with help getting the markability up and you know,
getting fan of all fan interaction too is always good.
Speaker 1 (55:22):
Yeah, I mean it, if put it this way, if
I'm still at Flow, I'm walking in and saying, guys,
we should do a preview show, and that preview show
should consist of releasing the card and where we break
down every single one of these matchups in the order
(55:42):
that they will be wrestled, and then at the end
we release, We put out the full card so everybody
can see it. That's how you build, That's how you
get people engaged, that's how you continue. I mean, I'll
give them their problems. They know how to do that,
but I would like to see something like that you have.
I mean, you you've got the ear of the people.
(56:03):
You know this, so take advantage of it. Throw another
show up there, have a conversation about these matchups, which
I'm sure that they will do. But have a conversation
about these matchups. Call it a you know, nw C,
a All Star Classic preview show and card release or
whatever else, right, like do it? You know, that's that's
(56:28):
just you know again, how I would go about doing
some of these things is is breaking down the matches
and have a card release. That's I think that would
be awesome.
Speaker 2 (56:37):
And they've been you know, they've tried things with All
Star Classics in the past, right, I know, they did
three point Takedowns a couple of years ago, and and
so you know, it's not an insane thing to think
that they could very easily just kind of make it.
Speaker 1 (56:50):
I think I think that they have had a jumbled
card in the past. I'm pretty sure Dake Taylor was
last when they wrestled at the class too, So it's
not like it's it's it's new, but I think last
year it was it was it last year. I believe
it was wrestled in order. Yeah, it was wrestled in
order last year Hendrickson and Kirkfleet was the last match.
Speaker 3 (57:13):
So change it up this year, especially when you have,
you know, such a big possibility for the main event,
the only one versus two matchup mm hmm. And that's
one versus two across every ranking from every outlet in
(57:33):
the sport.
Speaker 4 (57:34):
So it's it's it's no secrets.
Speaker 3 (57:35):
They're the number one and number two guy and it's
going to be a battle that needs to be the
main event, needs to be highlighted.
Speaker 1 (57:44):
Yeah, and Austin, to your point, it's been at Penn
State the last two years, and I think that's that's
a that's a getting them, Yeah, that's a nod to
get them involved as well. Yeah, because I mean it's
called what it is. They're a little they're a little secretive.
You don't really you don't get I mean, I don't
even think that they have their their roster updated yet
(58:05):
for this year. It's it's put out seven days before
their first competition. Is I think that'll show them so.
Speaker 2 (58:16):
Yeah?
Speaker 1 (58:17):
Uh so? I mean you you don't you know, I've
I've emailed last year. I didn't even do it this year,
but emailed about just trying to get information, trying to
get interviews, stuff like that. I think they they haven't
open period of doing interviews and stuff. But that closes
like a month before, so you're not getting anything a
month before when when you want to do all your
(58:39):
preview content. So but no, I think, like I said,
I think it is a nod to get them involved
and keep them involved. And I mean, if that's what
we have to do to get our highest ranked guys
involved in the All Star Classic, again, fine fine with me.
I don't care. Put it there, give give them, give
(58:59):
them home mad advantage. I'm fine with it because you're
gonna get one of two things. You're you're gonna get
Obviously you're gonna get them involved, but you're you may
also get even better matches because the guys that are
coming in that are visitors. They want to knock these
guys off in front of their home crowd, so that
should make for even better matches. And the one other
(59:22):
thing that I think needs to be said to these
guys beforehand is this match doesn't count. It counts, but
it doesn't count.
Speaker 2 (59:33):
Right.
Speaker 1 (59:33):
We know we're going to utilize this match the measuring
stick where we're gonna be able to watch these back.
We're gonna go score points. No one is coming to
watch a one zero match seven to six. Fine, I'll
watch that all day, five to four, watch that all day.
I No one wants one zero, No one wants to
(59:54):
to one. They're there. Better be at least three points
on the board for one of you at the end
of this. That means somebody got a takedown, somebody did
something on their feet. So guys, let it fly. That
is like, you know, I guess those are those are
my my NWCA All Star Classic wishes. Make make a
card that does not start from light, that does not
(01:00:16):
go heaviest, the lightest, and wrestlers let it fly. If
we get that, everybody's going to be talking about it
for a very long time and it'll be awesome to see,
you know. And the weird part is also is that
these guys are going to come in not with OH
and O records too, so that's going to be very different.
Speaker 3 (01:00:37):
I did like that as the kickoff event though. I
think that that was a really fun way to start
the year as like a preview event, kind of get
everybody invested ready for the season. And I think that
I would prefer to have that because that would be
this week, right, It'd be a week before the season starts.
So if we had the All Star Classic this week,
(01:00:58):
I'm not going to complain.
Speaker 2 (01:01:01):
Well, and you know it's it's a good way to
ensure everybody's still going to participate, right, I don't think
I'm going to do this now.
Speaker 3 (01:01:12):
Don't take take scheduling into account too, because you know
what if you have a dual schedule, so it's it's
it makes it a little more.
Speaker 1 (01:01:23):
Was originally in was originally in. You know, Beastie is
a replacement, so you know there there is some of
that that goes on. But yeah, I wish it was
this dodgeball injury. Maybe who knows, Tommy John, It's.
Speaker 3 (01:01:42):
Gonna be a bit if that's what brings down the
Penn State empires, like surgeries from what are the odds.
Speaker 1 (01:01:52):
I mean, we we used to play handball when I
was in high school the warm up, so I always
always loved the fact that it wasn't a traditional warm up.
Speaker 3 (01:01:59):
And yeah, I think it's I'm a huge proponent of dodgeball.
Speaker 4 (01:02:02):
I think it's a fun way to start.
Speaker 1 (01:02:04):
But yeah, yeah, I don't know.
Speaker 3 (01:02:06):
I'm really looking forward to to the Garben Hall match.
Speaker 4 (01:02:09):
I think that's gonna be a fun one.
Speaker 3 (01:02:12):
Both of those guys can open up and it could
be a lot of fun.
Speaker 1 (01:02:17):
Yeah, I think top to bottom, they did a very
good job of building the car and the I'm glad
that a lot of these guys opted to jump in.
I'm I'm gonna go out on a limb and say
that A J. Ferrari was probably asked and probably didn't
want to do it just because, I mean, why not,
why would he?
Speaker 2 (01:02:37):
Right?
Speaker 1 (01:02:38):
Like, unless unless it was going to be that match
with Carter, I don't really see him doing it.
Speaker 4 (01:02:42):
Or Nick Stemmett.
Speaker 3 (01:02:43):
Maybe we could get a late addition and have him
in Stemmitt wrestle again.
Speaker 4 (01:02:48):
The rubber match.
Speaker 2 (01:02:50):
If Stemne wins, it'll be one one.
Speaker 1 (01:02:53):
It would be that it would be the rubber match.
Speaker 2 (01:02:54):
Yeah, here we go.
Speaker 4 (01:02:56):
Make it happen.
Speaker 1 (01:02:57):
Hell of a hell of a turnaround too late.
Speaker 2 (01:03:00):
Addition, they add to the card.
Speaker 3 (01:03:03):
They can use the props as the challenge bricks.
Speaker 1 (01:03:06):
It'll be it'll be after the challenge would be would
be stuffed emojis, which which actually happened one time there
was I forget what I think it might have been
the US Open where there were no challenge bricks, so
they just went out and got stuffed animals and it
was fantastic. I think it was like.
Speaker 2 (01:03:25):
Should be used.
Speaker 4 (01:03:26):
Yeah, it was.
Speaker 3 (01:03:27):
It was angry birds and we should always be used.
Just to see those get launched across the net.
Speaker 2 (01:03:32):
That was somebody just said it was one of the
brand's brothers just hit a ref like in the head.
Speaker 1 (01:03:39):
That's the funniest part about it. You've got Olympians throwing
angry birds at referees. I need those videos. Where are
those at? If you're watching this right now, go go
search find those videos of of our Olympian coaches throwing
(01:03:59):
angry birds for for challenge bricks. That's what I need
to see. Send it dm it, put it in, put
it in the d MS. I need to see these
videos in these pictures. But no, gentlemen, this is uh,
this is gonna be great. I love the car that
they have, and today it was another good conversation with you. Gentlemen.
Use that term very loosely.
Speaker 4 (01:04:20):
But what are you Austin?
Speaker 1 (01:04:28):
I mean, it's funny Austin and I are from the
exact same place. But he's he's so well behaved.
Speaker 5 (01:04:32):
Yea hey, Holmes, I got I got two young kids.
Speaker 2 (01:04:36):
Now I gotta be a good role model.
Speaker 4 (01:04:37):
You know, I got three. Let's that say about me?
Never grow up, grow up.
Speaker 2 (01:04:47):
Long as you can.
Speaker 1 (01:04:51):
Amazing, amazing. But yeah, that's it. That's all. That's all
we got for you crazy wrestling people. Today. I think
we'll be back. We'll do a preview before the November
one match. So next was that next Monday, we'll we'll
come back. So next Tuesday or Wednesday will be the
posting of that. I'm not sure if I'm doing anything
on Wednesday. It is my birthday. I am putting that
(01:05:13):
out there.
Speaker 4 (01:05:13):
So yeah, just just somebody to get home. Some angry birds,
stuffed animals.
Speaker 1 (01:05:18):
Angry bird stuffed animals. It's what I want. It's it's
exactly what I need. I'll let my dog rip them
apart because that's exactly how fast things last. Toys around her.
But no, the double Angry Birds with the splits very
well done.
Speaker 4 (01:05:37):
That's a callback.
Speaker 1 (01:05:39):
That is a callback. That's how you bring it back around.
But gentlemen, as always, I appreciate you. If you're watching this,
make sure you like subscribe, throw those comments in there,
give us your picks for the All Star Classic, which
we'll do much later, and let us know what you
think about some of these topics that we covered today.
But as always, it's fun and we'll see you again
(01:06:01):
next time.
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