Vespa and Kuhn were both this close to never having to buy a beer ever again if a PSU fan is around. They still have great stories to tell their grandkids -- just have to leave out the endings. I'd buy them a beer anyway just to hear them tell it.
Marco Vespa circa 2073:
“GrandPa, can you tell us about wrestling for Penn State?”
Sure boys! Well it was the biggest match of the year. We were #1 wrestling #2 Iowa at home at the highest attended indoor dual in NCAA history. I was our backup then behind a multiple time Pennsylvania States champion — the greatest wrestling state in the nation.
I figured I wasn’t wrestling and our legendary coach, the greatest of all time hands down, walks past our starter and says with a deathly serious look, “Marco, I have been watching the beatings you have been putting on Nico in the room. You are the only guy we have that can take on this top 10 wrestler of all time, #1 ranked, 3 time NCAA champion from Iowa via Pennsylvania and have a chance to win.” I looked at him with the stare of a hungry lion and said, “Coach, I am your man. That’s what we do!”
When the match started I came out like wildfire. Within seconds I have him on the floor in a cradle and I can feel him sweating bullets. I look over and see an Iowa coach chewing his shoe and rocking like a baby. With the help of an average referee my opponent breaks my hold.
“Oh wow, GrandPa, how did it end?”
Well boys, it has been a long time and GrandPa’s memory is a little fuzzy. I don’t remember the exact score, but I got the only takedown and he didn’t score on me past the 1st period. It was a nail biter, but I lost a close one! The next day the headlines read, “Iowa’s GOAT Survives a Scare From Game Nittany Lion!”
“Ooh! Aah!”
Well, enough for now, boys. How about one of you grabbing me a White Claw before you go to bed?