I have never seen a wrestler who honestly looks like he's practicing out there. As in, he's purposely putting himself in positions to try things. This is not high school. This is the NCAA. The guys who wrestle in the NCAA are the studs from high school. He's making guys who were multiple state champs looks like chumps and he's doing it effortlessly. Most guys at this level have to go out on the mat and give 100% if they want to win. Jason goes out there and it looks he's f'ing around like he's at practice. The second he decides the match is over, it's over. I can't imagine going out on the mat at his level and just using it as a way to practice new things he's making up because he is that much better than everybody else.
Post Scuffle and Midlands Hodge talk - flo
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I have never seen a wrestler who honestly looks like he's practicing out there. As in, he's purposely putting himself in positions to try things. This is not high school. This is the NCAA. The guys who wrestle in the NCAA are the studs from high school. He's making guys who were multiple state champs looks like chumps and he's doing it effortlessly. Most guys at this level have to go out on the mat and give 100% if they want to win. Jason goes out there and it looks he's f'ing around like he's at practice. The second he decides the match is over, it's over. I can't imagine going out on the mat at his level and just using it as a way to practice new things he's making up because he is that much better than everybody else.
I think Nolf has this ability to make it look like practice because his conditioning allows him to keep such a frenetic pace that 90% of the wrestlers just cant keep up. Whether thats conditioning alone or some other physiological condition (or both) that he and other great athletes possess I dont know.
but he can give up a TD because he is getting out and its only a 1 pt difference with 2+ periods to wrestle. He can give up a 2 n 2 and after E is only down 3 with 2+ periods to wrestle.
Its just a unique mindset and physical situation that he has in my opinion. I also dont think he fears losing and if he was to lose it would be embraced as simply part of the process. No more no less.
In his interviews he just seems so grounded and aware of the bigger picture and not so much the moment.
He really is just that special of a wrestler to me.
but he can give up a TD because he is getting out and its only a 1 pt difference with 2+ periods to wrestle. He can give up a 2 n 2 and after E is only down 3 with 2+ periods to wrestle.
Its just a unique mindset and physical situation that he has in my opinion. I also dont think he fears losing and if he was to lose it would be embraced as simply part of the process. No more no less.
In his interviews he just seems so grounded and aware of the bigger picture and not so much the moment.
He really is just that special of a wrestler to me.
Agree with this but want to try a slightly different angle:
Schalles changed the sport by introducing new technique. We still see it with Bo's spladle on Brooks last year, and a month ago Haines pinning Rutgers' HWT with a near leg side elevator.
Cael might have changed the sport with pace, but the sport did not follow along. His protege David Taylor did, in no small part because Zain and Snyder are driving that home.
Jason Nolf took the technique and pace, and jacked up the athleticism. He's not alone -- Q, Bo, Gwiz, and a few others deserve some credit too -- but Jason is the loosest, the best, the highest profile, and at a weight where it's very apparent.
Recent USA cadet/junior freestyle success indicates Jason will have a legacy.
Barkley is like Barry Sanders running, Marshall Faulk receiving, and better than either of them blocking. He can become legendary with a good line and good health. Not sure there's much RB transforming left to be done, and really doubt he'll return many kicks in the NFL. But he could reinvigorate the position.
I agree....I wasn't thinking along the transformation line so much as the "Holy Sh#%! How did he do that!?!" factor...
Can say that will never happen.You need to change your screen name and become a PSU fan already.
Will say have been around wrestling a long time I have never let the good wrestlers not get the credit due to them. I really feel that Zain,Nolf and Nickal are in a class of there own. Hoping Spencer Lee will join this someday.
I also remember watching your coach wrestle for Iowa State and never thought to see the day anyone could do what he did. Well these 3 do.
Feel the same way about wrestlers. Metcalf used to be a favorite whipping boy of most non Iowa fans and I never understood that. Metcalf wrestled the way you hope ALL wrestlers would. He wasn't nearly as creative as Nolf but he never stopped attacking. I loved watching him wrestle except when he was wrestling a PSU guy.
Sounds like Le'Veon Bell. I hope Barkley doesn't become a Cleveland Brown.
I talked to Wenzel last year after he got "Nolfed"...he just shook his head. Folks in Western PA have been in aww of Jason for quite some time...an amazing wrestlers and an even better young man.
http://highschoolsports.pennlive.com/news/article/-101818722919364622/jason-nolf-kittaning/
I wonder how the vote would've ended if Gabe Dean would've beaten Bo.
Almost like getting "Munsoned". The Iowa folks should get that since he was a bowling champ from Iowa.
at this point in the season I would vote Nolf, but theres a ton of wrestling left. Snyders name will creep into the conversation and he deserves recognition, but I don’t see him wrestling enough matches to pry it away from Zain or Nolf.
No one would argue with Snyder getting it, but he won't do enough to win the award on its merits, and somehow that makes sense.
It is a college wrestling award- Snyder is amazing but does not compete in much of the college season, so he really isn't even in the conversation. Zain-Nolf-Bo-Imar-Gross. These are the only realistic candidates imo....well and PD3.
I have had the opportunity to talk with the kid several different times. We were discussing mindsets and how he approaches things. The impression I get is not that he is unafraid of losing, it is more like the possibility of losing has not even entered his consciousness.
I love Barkley to death but he is no Jason Nolf. Jason has no comparable right now in ANY sport.
I don't know, if the hype is true Barkley is going to rewrite some records at the NFL combine.
See Tom Brady for how good of a measuring stick the combine is.
Regardless, I have really high hopes for Barkley in the pros and will root hard for him to be great but he isn't inventing new football moves every day.
If the combine wasn't accurate then why does the NFL run it every year and why is every team represented by multiple scouts/coaches? Citing an exception like Brady doesn't invalidate this fact, especially when we are talking about quarterbacks where many factors other then athleticism comes into play to be successful. In many respects, Barkley is every bit the phenom Jason is. The fact he doesn't "invent new football moves" is irrelevant, we are comparing two entirely different sports.
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Barkley is very good but I wouldn't compare across sports to Jason. Lots of great running backs... he didn't get some accolades, etc. Jason is still a Jr and setting records...
The Combine continues because of momentum and tradition instead of any empirical evidence that it correlated to performance. You see more and more high level athletes skipping it and holding personal workouts for NFL staffs.
Read this:
https://www.stat.berkeley.edu/~aldous/Research/Ugrad/Paul_Park.pdf
Some quotes:
"It definitely comes as a surprise to us that most of the Combine results lack any prediction power for neither draft order nor NFL performance."
"Raw athleticism may not be as important as people make it to be at the professional level."
IMHO, the fact that Jason Nolf invents moves IS relevant to the discussion. It shows the difference between a very, very good player like Barkley and someone who is changing their entire sport. Barkely is doing very well what others before him have done. Nolf is changing his sport.
But wrestling, especially at elite levels, is 100% more mental (both psychological and cerebral) than playing RB. Sure Say-say can read coverages and blitzes, but once the rock is in his hands the instincts and vision and athleticism takes over. Both guys are elite, but only one of the sports can reward creativity and daring the way Jason has enjoyed his career.
Cracking up at the back and forth I created...both are elite athletes in totally different sports. Both represent PSU the right way and, as fans, we are lucky to they both chose the Blue and White. I still stand by the comparison of their wow factor being similar, in that you never know what is coming. In terms of "re-inventing" a sport, Barkley is one of 11 on the field. I don't know how much opportunity he has to re-invent football. He did, however, cause defenses to focus 4-5 guys on him sometimes. That may not be re-inventing football, but it certainly is a huge statement to his impact. Nolf is the matrix, no getting around it.
This is a nice video tribute for Barkley. There will be another "barkley" because like 100m sprinters there is always training and genetics that push the envelop. What Nolf has Im not so sure about because the fear to give up a point or lose a match in wrestling holds so many guys back from reaching their potential. thats a human trait....but who knows and if hes on our team I cant wait to be wrong.
how about we just say two great athletes in two completely different sports and leave it at that. there will be other barkleys, just as there will be other nolfs. athletes in all sports continue to surpass previous generations. it was not too long ago that people were saying we'd never see another taylor or ruth, yet we have. we've been an extremely lucky fan base to have seen all these kids and those to come.
Snyder should not even be in the Hodge discussion. He has wrestled three matches this entire year. It's fine and even great and commendable that he is focused on international freestyle, but please don't give him the sympathy vote. It would be a travesty. He is nowhere near the top folkstyle (!!!) wrestler. Right now (and things may change), it is Nolf followed by Retherford and the rest (Nickal, Hall, Gross, etc.)
Didn’t he actually give up a td once early in a match to go down 2-0? If correct he made them pay immediately. But I am not 100% sure.
yes, he has given up at least one TD.... slipped headlock
If he did give up a takedown, it wasn't in a dual meet. At Keystone or Southern Scuffle? Perhaps; can't recall it though. Below are stats for duals:
Dual Takedowns:
Wt. Wrestler 1st 2nd 3rd OT Total 125 Devin Schnupp 0-4 0-2 1-3 0-0 1-9 133 Corey Keener 5-1 1-0 3-0 0-0 9-1 133 Dom Giannangeli 0-1 0-0 0-0 0-0 0-1 141 Jered Cortez 7-1 2-0 5-0 0-0 14-1 149 Zain Retherford 11-0 3-1 0-0 0-0 13-1 157 Jason Nolf 15-0 7-0 2-0 0-0 24-0 165 Vincenzo Joseph 7-1 6-0 7-0 0-0 20-1 165 Bo Pipher 0-4 1-1 0-3 0-0 1-8 174 Mark Hall 10-0 5-0 2-0 0-0 17-0 184 Bo Nickal 8-0 2-0 6-0 0-0 16-0 197 Anthony Cassar 7-1 5-1 11-0 0-0 23-2 285 Nick Nevills 7-0 2-1 8-0 0-0 17-1
Update:
T-Shirt takes a big bite out of his average match length, now down to 7:13.
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