2019 NCAAs -- Session 6 Thread
- Thread starter Tom McAndrew
- Start date
Anybody else notice that VJ collapsed to the mat with about 30 seconds left in the Mekhi match, almost as if he was injured? He was in on a deep single and working it up when he suddenly dropped to his knees and then his side as if his leg or back just buckled under him. I thought they might stop the match to make sure he was ok. I haven't see or read anything about him getting hurt (not that we'd ever be told) and didn't notice anything in VJ's body language right after, but the way he abruptly went to the mat without Mekhi doing anything sure seemed strange.
Major props to Mekhi for an incredible run on the biggest stage of all. Hoping VJ is ok physically and rebounds from the loss next year the same way the Raptor rebounded from his Southern Scuffle loss to Derek White.
Major props to Mekhi for an incredible run on the biggest stage of all. Hoping VJ is ok physically and rebounds from the loss next year the same way the Raptor rebounded from his Southern Scuffle loss to Derek White.
I don’t think I made my joke very well. I tried to say that Anthony’s headgear was his stiffest competition on the year.
SIAP (I'm sure it is somewhere and I just haven't yet seen it), but if my notes and excel equation are correct, here's a breakdown of AAs by school this year:
I think he just realized that was his last shot at coming back and Mekhi had stuffed it. Not an injury, just a deflating moment, the realization that nothing you did worked and the clock was winding down. That's not to say he didn't give it his all, he got in on a few nice high-crotches and nearly converted, but Mekhi was just a much better wrestler that match.
Maryland -- Maryland! -- had a better percentage of AAs. We're doomed next year. FIUR CARL!
The fact that 2-two time defending champions are defeated by freshmen is what makes NCAA wrestling so intriguing. There are no guarantees based on history and it seems that every year another young challenger emerges to prove that anything can happen.
Honestly it would have been horrible TV. I waited around in the arena and it was impossible to understand what was going on... they announced the team trophy winners and none of the teams seemed to know it. None that I recall came up on the main mat other than PSU. I think they announced Ohio State twice. There was then a set of individual awards (I think for the tourney itself). Bo won something that was accpeted by an assistant coach I think (Bo might have been in his presser). Then the arena announcer said "goodbye and thank you"... then they started some NWCA (I think) awards. Whole thing seemed disorganized or poorly communicated.
That's too bad. It usually runs fairly smoothly. I left the arena to get to the social, but my wife stayed, so I'll talk with her.
It looked to me like Cenzo was going to attempt a lift and finish which could result in exposure vs just the safe finish he tried earlier. The 4 point nearfall dictated what he was forced to attempt. Lewis is a strong dude. Cenzo will be back.
In their defense, I had been somewhat over served in the Captain Morgan Club so it might be on me.
This. He was trying to go feet to back. I think he would have secured a TD had there been more time left on the clock.
I also have to disagree with the idea that lewis was that much better Saturday night than Cenzo. Lewis absolutely deserved to win. But he only hit one move.... it happened to garner 4 points. But he Was never close to taking Cenzo down (outside of CJ attempt for 6 pointer) IIRC. His only neutral offense was re-attacks off Cenzos shots that never put CJ in danger
Again, he absolutely deserved to win but I’m not of the believe he was “that much better” in the match
In the B10 final... Marinelli was, IMO, that much better than Cenzo. I didn’t get that sense after this one
Last edited:
IMO, you are way over estimating the significance that a post match celebration can have on another wrestler's motivation. Elite wrestlers hate to lose. It is the loss, not the celebration, which provides the primary motivation.
Further, Hall's celebration was not disrespectful to Valencia in any way just like Valencia's celebration was not disrespectful to Hall in any way. It was all in good fun.
Of course the match is the primary motivation. But, when two wrestlers are so evenly matched, why give your opponent any "secondary" motivation to beat you?
I think you are naive to think that Hall's celebration didn't have any affect on Valencia or else he never would have mocked Hall.
Valencia did both of Mark's celebration moves after the win. While I do not believe it was meant with disrespect it was meant to send a friendly message.
Do you really believe that Valencia ever once thought to himself:
"OMG, Hall played air guitar after my loss. As a result, I am going to run 6 miles instead of 5."
Instead, Valencia thought,
"OMG, I just lost to Hall. As a result, I am going to run 6 miles instead of 5."
IMO, the air guitar added nothing or close to nothing to Valencia's motivation to beat Hall the next time they wrestled. As I stated before, there was no disrespect whatsoever in Hall's celebration. The same is true with respect to Hall's motivation for next year and Valencia's celebration after this match. Celebrations after victory are mostly in good fun and athletes, especially this generation of athletes, recognize this (See NFL celebrations).
I think the vast majority of athletes at this particular level of success are able to easily enough compartmentalize what matters from what doesn't, and just because they happen to notice and reflect one another's victory celebrations doesn't therefore mean it provided any motivation. What you're describing are the motivations of someone with an 9-year old's level of maturity.
My experience is that fans tend to make a bigger deal of this stuff than the wrestlers do.
the thing I am really looking forward to is a couple more Zahid and Hall matches , I really would like to see how the match would unfold if Hall really pressed the action and his offense. I am amazed given how talented Hall is and many different takedowns I have seen Hall get that he doesn't try this more.
An Arizona State fan might say the same thing about their uber-talented Junior. Great wrestlers can neutralize each other's offense.
The NWCA awards aren't part of the official NCAA Championship awards, so the championship has to officially "close" before they can be announced, hence, the quick goodbye and thank you before re-starting.
Bo was at the presser for one of the official NCAA Awards (Most Dominant), if it wasn't the last weight, it wouldn't have been a problem. We made sure someone was on the stage to accept on his behalf vs. having an empty award photo.
The ushers down in the tunnel (allegedly) wouldn't let Oklahoma State and Iowa into the arena for some reason, nor Ohio State. So we went with what was on the run of show and then brought Ohio State back out for their second place trophy. Not sure what went on, but that seemed to be out of our control. Nothing's changed in this format for the past four years, so all four teams have been there before, so I wouldn't think they didn't know this was how things were done.
He was in the underground bunker. In case of nuclear attack, he would unseal his orders and take over the PSU wrestling team. #beprepared
Similar threads
Latest posts
-
-
Football James Franklin offers update on Penn State DE Abdul Carter- Latest: Dylan Callaghan-Croley
