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D Fix

thompsonja

Redshirt
Nov 14, 2013
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Just a thought

With datons loss to RBY and being ridden by the kid from OU do you think he has been cutting extra weight (or staying around a certain weight) to make his decent for the Olympic trials in a couple of weeks. I’m just thinking out loud because daton has never had trouble being ridden and I wondering if that could have affected him a tad.
 
Just a thought

With datons loss to RBY and being ridden by the kid from OU do you think he has been cutting extra weight (or staying around a certain weight) to make his decent for the Olympic trials in a couple of weeks. I’m just thinking out loud because daton has never had trouble being ridden and I wondering if that could have affected him a tad.

This was talked about briefly in the NCAA thread, but John also commented on it. He said Daton was hurt a little by being away from folkstyle competition for almost 2 years. Said his mat wrestling was rusty and he didn't have enough Big12 matches to shake it off. That's why I mentioned the lack of RTC training partners in our room.

Something else I was surprised at though...Daton didn't seem ready for RBY's ankle ride. Everyone knows PSU rides the ankle because there's no stalling rule to prevent it. Bo Nickal has a YouTube video that explains the technique.
 
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He also unfortunately doesn’t have the talent in the room to push him and prepare him. That was hurt further when Kaid got hurt.

It’s a concern moving forward. I’m hopeful we get some more senior level talent in the room. We will need it.
 
John's comments about Daton's mat wrestling reminded me of a story he told Trackwrestling a few years ago (I've posted this before).

John took his redshirt in 1985-86 and had the breakout freestyle season. He beat Isayev from the Soviet Union, who would go on to win the '86 Worlds. When John returned to college, he lost in November to Gil Sanchez of Nebraska. Sanchez was a great mat wrestler, especially on top. John said he was angry and sure it was a fluke. So he registered for an open tourney 2 weeks later just to "whip Sanchez". The interviewer asked how'd it go? John laughed and said he only beat Sanchez by a couple of points. Said it was then that he realized folkstyle mat wrestling is hard, no matter how good you are in freestyle.

4 months later, John met Sanchez in the 1987 NCAA finals. John won 17-4, with a reversal, back points and 2:30 in riding time. (This part is mine. John is too humble to brag in an interview).
 
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Great story!!
I know a lot of people want to get rid of folk style totally in the USA and concentrate on freestyle only, but folk style is a tougher sport than freestyle. There is so much more to learn and so many ways to get beaten or win in folk style. I am glad we have our own style of wrestling. GO USA!!!
 
Daton’s priorities are not folkstyle. With team trials so close I have no doubt that effected his folkstyle game a lot.
 
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Maybe if we went to freestyle there would be fewer injuries. That has to be a factor. I just hate to see these kids hobbling off of the mats and so many forfeits at the tournament. It might not make any difference, but rewarding guys for how much pain they can tolerate seems medieval.
 
I'm not making an excuses for Fix. He owns this year. I think he was screwed last year. Can those more knowledgeable tell me how when Fix did get to the legs this was out of bounds?

 
I'm not making an excuses for Fix. He owns this year. I think he was screwed last year. Can those more knowledgeable tell me how when Fix did get to the legs this was out of bounds?



I was screaming about that one. I am not sure why that was whistled out?

But that sets my point earlier about Fix. He is the better Wrestler, he just shuts down in big matches. Even against Desanto (which he about got dumped a few times) he plays defense instead of getting after them.

If I am not mistaken, that was the first TD on him this year? I didn't watch every match, but the TD in overtime was the first time I saw him get taken down. He defends and scrambles so well, he can afford to get into goofy positions.
 
That is not out of bounds. I yelled at the TV during the match and my wife thinks I’m psychotic during wrestling matches. The only thing I could figure is the ref thought momentum was going to take them off the stage. That wasn’t the case and I’m not sure why the whistle was blown.
 
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That is not out of bounds. I yelled at the TV during the match and my wife thinks I’m psychotic during wrestling matches. The only thing I could figure is the ref thought momentum was going to take them off the stage. That wasn’t the case and I’m not sure why the whistle was blown.
Ya. they need to get a bigger stage in that case . It could have been the deference with a ride out . So frustrating.
 
John's comments about Daton's mat wrestling reminded me of a story he told Trackwrestling a few years ago (I've posted this before).

John took his redshirt in 1985-86 and had the breakout freestyle season. He beat Isayev from the Soviet Union, who would go on to win the '86 Worlds. When John returned to college, he lost in November to Gil Sanchez of Nebraska. Sanchez was a great mat wrestler, especially on top. John said he was angry and sure it was a fluke. So he registered for an open tourney 2 weeks later just to "whip Sanchez". The interviewer asked how'd it go? John laughed and said he only beat Sanchez by a couple of points. Said it was then that he realized folkstyle mat wrestling is hard, no matter how good you are in freestyle.

4 months later, John met Sanchez in the 1987 NCAA finals. John won 17-4, with a reversal, back points and 2:30 in riding time. (This part is mine. John is too humble to brag in an interview).
That’s a good one. That was in the Smiths podcast.
 
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Maybe if we went to freestyle there would be fewer injuries. That has to be a factor. I just hate to see these kids hobbling off of the mats and so many forfeits at the tournament. It might not make any difference, but rewarding guys for how much pain they can tolerate seems medieval.
Ummm, maybe modify some of the folk style rules. Folk style teaches a style of toughness that isn’t present in freestyle, in my opinion. I’m sure it could be modified to prepare our wrestlers more for freestyle without harming the fundamental philosophy of folk style.
 
Tom,
I disagree about toughness being a requisite for good wrestling. Just because we have always done it that way does not mean we need to keep doing it. We are not the only team with lots of wrestlers getting injured. Freestyle is about skill and talent. Watching kids grind it out through pain is not my idea of entertainment.
 
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Tom,
I disagree about toughness being a requisite for good wrestling. Just because we have always done it that way does not mean we need to keep doing it. We are not the only team with lots of wrestlers getting injured. Freestyle is about skill and talent. Watching kids grind it out through pain is not my idea of entertainment.

You'd be a blast in Rome!
 
No I would not miss that, that is some amazing architecture. To think that was done a couple thousand years ago. Pretty tough on tourists, but nobody got thrown to the lions.
 
No I would not miss that, that is some amazing architecture. To think that was done a couple thousand years ago. Pretty tough on tourists, but nobody got thrown to the lions.

Its a bucket list destination for me!
 
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