NCAA Championships Day 3 Session 5 Medal Round

[jdalu75]

Something is going on w/ Michael's leg... no power... he usually gets in on the legs like ringing a bell.
D3

>> Re: Midlands or Southern Scuffle
Post by D3 for LU » Fri Dec 29, 2023 9:10 pm

TD by Beard and riding Sasso pretty well... E ... TD attempt by Beard, Sasso tweaks Beards knee... inj time Beard.
D3 <<

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that Beard has wrestled with his right leg wrapped since the Binghamton dual. Never wore a wrap before then. He's not quick enough to spike behind really good wrestlers right now.

Also note that the seeding system sucks. Maybe we need to go back to a smoke-filled room of a handful of senior head coaches. Beard was 4th seed, Rocky Elam 12th, Stephen Buchanan 8th. Elam and Buchanan had decent seasons; Elam is now a 4x A/A (5th, 4th, 3rd, 6th) and Buchanan is a 3-timer (8th, 3rd, 3rd). Those finishes didn't factor into seeding for this year. Losses to those two were upsets only on paper. Part of the problem is with so many wrestlers having limited schedules, there aren't enough bouts to build up the credentials needed for a top seed. So some guys had a good weekend along the line and grab a top seed, while others lose twice to a 3x A/A and it limits their seed.

[Spladle1989]

So you’re saying the regular season not mattering is screwing up the seeding for the only time of year that does matter?

I guess justice truly is a dish best served cold……

[Oracle]

With all due respect to jda …… Beard’s knee wasn’t an issue while he was racking up TFs to lead the nation since the original strain. It’s obvious it worsened to the point he had very limited mobility. Nothing to due with seeding. Top 12 all capable. Let’s not make excuses for a warrior like Michael Beard, who chose to go out and compete rather than MFF out. And it was his decision because Pat has pulled the plug in the past for less.

Beard’s intestinal fortitude was on full display.

[HFO]

With all due respect to jda …… Beard’s knee wasn’t an issue while he was racking up TFs to lead the nation since the original strain. It’s obvious it worsened to the point he had very limited mobility. Nothing to due with seeding. Top 12 all capable. Let’s not make excuses for a warrior like Michael Beard, who chose to go out and compete rather than MFF out. And it was his decision because Pat has pulled the plug in the past for less.

Beard’s intestinal fortitude was on full display.

From Day 1 to Day 2, he looked like a completely different wrestlers in his movement. I suspect he got tweaked in his last match on Day 1.

[jdalu75]

With all due respect to jda …… Beard’s knee wasn’t an issue while he was racking up TFs to lead the nation since the original strain. It’s obvious it worsened to the point he had very limited mobility. Nothing to due with seeding. Top 12 all capable. Let’s not make excuses for a warrior like Michael Beard, who chose to go out and compete rather than MFF out. And it was his decision because Pat has pulled the plug in the past for less.

Beard’s intestinal fortitude was on full display.

At what point did I question Beard's intestinal fortitude? You can look through this and other threads and find plenty of posts by others claiming that, which is what I was reacting to. I pointed out that Beard has been wrestling with an injured knee, showed when it probably happened, and used that to explain his performance in the past couple of days. I'm fully aware of his great record this season; are you aware of the schedule he faced after the initial injury? After he dominated DePrez and Cardenas in duals (neither by TF, btw) he wrestled in six duals, five TFs and a WBF against nobody special. Then two soft bouts to begin EIWAs, then a med forfeit (that's nine straight bouts that would have been hard to lose), before he struggled against Cardenas in the finals. Did not look like the guy who swept through the season at that point.

The seeding is a separate issue. Until around 15 years ago past years' results were taken into account. When a guy like Rocky Elam, NCAA 5th, 4th, and 3rd in the past three tournaments, not six or seven years ago, goes through a season with just three losses (two to Tanner Sloan, one to Cardenas) who in his right mind thinks the 12th seed is appropriate? The guy had come through three times when it counts the most and that needs to be factored in. The purpose of seeding is to prevent the best wrestlers from meeting early in the tournament; the current system all too often is not working.

[martinsilvestri]

What a battle between vito and fix... i get the sense fix has been spending hours --daily-- preparing for vito personally... and vito has become a real diva, yelling at the refs etc. 90% of the time has been spent in reviews.

the lehigh guys appear to be cheering on vito. vito wins fair and square.

[George Porgie]

Getting a little tired of refs inserting themselves into matches involving Penn State wrestlers by making excessive stalling calls. It almost cost David Carr a championship.