The Ferrari Family Circus
- Thread starter Pitchfork Rebel
- Start date
I'm really confused. Neither of them took an olympic redshirt. Both wrestled 4 seasons in 5 years.
And that's his biggest problem. AJ hasn't hit rock-bottom. Hell, he hasn't even face any consequences for his actions. He's never done anything wrong, he's never been forced to be made humble. He's a Downey.
The process/eligibility is fine. Earning a cadet/junior medal is pretty dang hard. Between the actual qualifying for the team and then winning a medal?
Look at Marcus Blaze. Kid is "only" a Cadet medalist - and finished 3rd at the trials. There's no need to change anything other than the fact that some people will just abuse it if they can. Much ado about nothing.
But then why restrict it at all?
If an extra redshirt year for an Olympic cycle is a good thing, why not let anyone take it who wants to?
All this 'cause despite all this Tom had to be told 'nough of all this!"
You're right, I messed up the specific shirt both of them took. There are likely other cases where that did apply.
I stand by the rest of my post. People are putting their disdain over one bad actor ahead of what's good for USA Wrestling. And their cures are at best going to get gamed by coaches and athletes. With some cures worse than the disease.
If people want to be outraged at the Olympic Shirt process, be outraged at what happened to Kolodzik.
And if people want to be outraged at Ferrari, his Olympic Shirt is one of his least significant abuses.
It is necessary to have SOME qualifications. And what we have is sufficient. It has to be earned with a pretty high bar. I think that's the part you're missing. It isn't easy to qualify for an Olympic Redshirt.
Medical redshirts require validation by a licensed physician. Why not apply the same standards to athletes who claim injury during Olympic redshirt?
Is 205 his weight or a reference to a penal code?
Hey now. Angelo has no criminal/moral/questionable actions on his record currently.
I hope he can find his way into the lineup. I can't wait to see him get stalled out by Keckeisen or Carter.
This is the same guy everybody claimed needed a RS to get big enough for 84?
Yeah, I understand it's hard to qualify. I'm asking "why?" (given that all agree Olympic Redshirts are a good thing).
Right now, we restrict eligibility, but have no (let's call them) participation requirements. I'd rather see those flipped. Make it easier to qualify, but put some kind of requirement on participating in the team qualification process.
Also, it seems the value provided to USA Wrestling (recently, at least) is a bit overstated. As far as I can tell/according to FLO, 3 guys (out of 70+ eligible) ended up taking an Olympic Redshirt this past season.
Clearly, the best spot for Angelo's wrestling career is to be at Iowa without any of his family there with him. Hopefully, both he and his family recognize that, but who knows with that pack of lunatics.
Two of the three were AJ and Facundo, neither of whom even had a realistic chance to make the team, although at least Facundo tried and qualified for (and showed fairly well at) the trials.
This is naive.
When I lived in Hamilton Hall, a friend on the top floor got a key to the elevator. Nothing physically wrong with him, but his dad was a doctor and found a reason. And he openly admitted it, as long as the RA wasn't within earshot.
Point being, it'll get gamed.
And what's the point? How many times does the rule get abused that this is necessary? And what is the harm in doing nothing?
Because having a few people abuse it is better than having hundreds abuse it, which is what would happen. Don't let perfect be the enemy of good.
It's the principles of it but all in all, I think it's pretty obvious there is a better chance AJ never wrestles again than he uses 3 years of eligibility.
Well, when you consider that it freezes athletic eligibility, that's a pretty big deal. I don't think athletes should have to risk losing a year to qualify for the shirt.
As has been stated above, not many guys took it, so it's not even a case of the system being "abused" per say. We're mad at one person. Rightly so, but he still earned it.
I said when it happened, getting the charges dropped and having Iowa full court press him was not good for him long term. It really reaffirmed there is no consequences for his actions and everything he does is just since he's a good athlete.
Someone shared with me, on Pyles' instagram post, someone wrote "Women in Iowa City can sleep soundly finally" An Iowa womens wrestler (Ella Schmit) wrote "retweet" It was liked by multiple women wrestlers.
Getting Angelo without the brothers was always the dream scenario.
Weighing 205 have anything to do with Nelson thinking 174 is his proper weight?
Yeah, Tom was the messenger
I think everyone and their mom knew the AJ/Anthony saga would end poorly ... like it did at every other place they've been but somehow, they continue exceeding expectations:
1. It was an extremely talked about storyline by wrestling fans
2. It gave Iowa some bad publicity (they can't disavow AJ just because he wasn't rostered, everyone knew)
3. There was an extremely dark rumors that never came to light but everyone seemed to know (like at previous stops)
4. It cost them a good wrestler (Cody Chittum)
5. It gained them a wrestler that they would have gotten regardless (they were competing against VT, Rutgers)
6. It made some women very uncomfortable
7. It created a moment that will be documented for the rest of time (Soldier Salute 23)
8. AJ never wrestled a match for Iowa but won several dominating matches against PSU 4 timers (both AB and CStar) in Iowa fans' imagination
All of this and AJ never even officially committed to Iowa
1. It was an extremely talked about storyline by wrestling fans
2. It gave Iowa some bad publicity (they can't disavow AJ just because he wasn't rostered, everyone knew)
3. There was an extremely dark rumors that never came to light but everyone seemed to know (like at previous stops)
4. It cost them a good wrestler (Cody Chittum)
5. It gained them a wrestler that they would have gotten regardless (they were competing against VT, Rutgers)
6. It made some women very uncomfortable
7. It created a moment that will be documented for the rest of time (Soldier Salute 23)
8. AJ never wrestled a match for Iowa but won several dominating matches against PSU 4 timers (both AB and CStar) in Iowa fans' imagination
All of this and AJ never even officially committed to Iowa
I admittedly thought he would possibly go down the bad path but I think we can crown him as a good kid. Both AJ and Anthony had plenty of red flags by end of HS, even rumors. Angelo does not and seems content to not follow them anymore.
I know it was rumored (almost too obvious) he would be at Iowa City for his last year of HS but it seems the dad opted against and it probably is the best thing that's ever happened to him. He saw first hand (but far away enough) just how destructive the brothers are and reflected if he wants more in his life.
The best thing that's ever happend to him is not going to Iowa City his last year?
Maybe we have different definitions of what constitutes "abuse" in this instance.
I would say "taking an Olympic Redshirt without making a good-faith effort to make the team". And if you have a minimum requirement for participating in the process, then "abuse" (as I define it, at least) will be nominally addressed by the process itself. As opposed to now, when it's not really considered at all.
And I'm not really seeking to minimize abuse as much as provide the opportunity for Olympic Redshirts (which are a good thing) more widely and consistently. I don't think Olympic Redshirts should only be available to the "elite-ish" level guys while also being paired with no responsibility to participate in the qualification process.
And then there are guys like Tom Ridge, that while in elementary school in the 1950s used to carry a disabled classmate named Elizabeth Black up and down the stairs between classes since there were no elevators. Otherwise she would have been limited to first floor classrooms only.
Character can be recognized at even a very young age. Appropriate for this thread to be sure.
To play devil's advocate, A.J. stated that he had a knee injury that prevented him from competing.
What if one of our guys did the same? Would you want him to lose a year?
Anyway, I love the silliness of this crap. It's fun off season banter. I asked a coach buddy to call AJ at 8a.m. this morning. He laughed at me.
The Northwestern Field Hockey Team doesn't want him either?
