Brent Metcalf - A season for the ages

contini · 05-15-2008, 06:48 PM

I have to agree with RYou. At least statistically, you see something like a "39-1 overall record, 12 pins, seven technical falls, and nine major decisions" every year. Maybe the difference is what the statistic does not show: the level of competition, the asterisk that appears after his one loss, and his intensity, work ethic, and never quit attitude.

tooldude · 05-15-2008, 07:20 PM

D S beats him next year IMO. His attacking style will play into a healthy Schlatter next year. He and Brands should of been penalized in the Big Ten finals. It looked like he was out to tear up Dustins knee. I like somebody to be aggresive but when the whistle blows and for him to throw him on his knee off the mat was alittle chippy. D schlatter will be ready for him next year. He was banged up most of the year and hopefully he will not have the nagging knee problems he had this year.

Zapp Brannigan · 05-15-2008, 07:23 PM

Originally Posted by RYou

A season for the ages
Ryan Young - The Daily Iowan

I think not. C'mon, just think of all of the great seasons had by others that this title insinuates were inferior.

Was it a great season ? Sure. One for the ages ? I think not.

Well, lets see...as a sophomore he went 37-1 in one of the toughest weights in years, 28 bonus point wins, Midlands Champ, NCAA Champ, Outstanding Wrestler at NCAA's, Hodge Award. Not many years ARE better then that. The article doesn't insinuate it's the best season of all time or anything.

Zapp Brannigan · 05-15-2008, 07:24 PM

Originally Posted by tooldude

D S beats him next year IMO. His attacking style will play into a healthy Schlatter next year. He and Brands should of been penalized in the Big Ten finals. It looked like he was out to tear up Dustins knee. I like somebody to be aggresive but when the whistle blows and for him to throw him on his knee off the mat was alittle chippy. D schlatter will be ready for him next year. He was banged up most of the year and hopefully he will not have the nagging knee problems he had this year.

Yay. I thought I would have to wait until next season to hear the "If Schlatter is healthy, he'll beat him" excuses. A ready made excuse indeed.

tooldude · 05-15-2008, 07:47 PM

Originally Posted by Zapp Brannigan

Yay. I thought I would have to wait until next season to hear the "If Schlatter is healthy, he'll beat him" excuses. A ready made excuse indeed.

So he missed a majority of the season for a built in excuse?Did you see the Big Ten finals? Up until the last few seconds I thought Schlatter was going to win. Metcalf did not control the tempo of the match like he did bubba.

Zapp Brannigan · 05-15-2008, 07:57 PM

Did YOU watch the match? Schlatter controlled the ties in the first period, but after that, Metcalf controlled the tempo. Oh, and then Metcalf went and won the NCAA's while Schlatter took 7th.

contini · 05-15-2008, 08:13 PM

Has there been any other guys who won the NCAA's as a freshman and then never won it again? Schlatter could become the first.

tooldude · 05-15-2008, 08:20 PM

Originally Posted by Zapp Brannigan

Did YOU watch the match? Schlatter controlled the ties in the first period, but after that, Metcalf controlled the tempo. Oh, and then Metcalf went and won the NCAA's while Schlatter took 7th.

He got the late takedown to win the match. So just because he was attacking doesn't mean he was scoreing. God Iowa fans are so ignorant it pains me to have a conversation with ya. You all live in the past when in fact Iowa has gettin a beatdown this decade. We get it Gable had some great teams but Minnesota and Okie state have been the teams to beat for the last 7 or 8 years. You guys get to the top of the podium this year and you act like we are suppose to be overwhelmed. It was just acouple years ago Minnesota had the only team ever to have 10 all americans in the same year. So go blow smoke up somebody elses backside about how great the hawkeyes are. I think the gophers will be ok. The gophers will be down for a year or two but with the top ranked recruiting class this year and most likely next the Gophers will be back.

LoSt · 05-15-2008, 08:27 PM

Originally Posted by Stardust

I heart LoSt.

I heart you too stardust.

As for the whole Metcalf thing I personally think its a little silly he won the hodge with a loss, and not just a loss but a first period loss by fall. Isnt this the first time thats happened in the history of the award? Maybe Im just ignorant but I thought the #1 criteria was having an undefeated season.

If guys with a loss are elligible then why not phil davis who also had one loss, was a senior, a four time AA and arguably had the most dominant tournament of anyone. I dont have his numbers in front of me right now but other then a few close matches with bond/herbst and his loss to tamilow I think he majored or pinned almost everyone he wrestled. Statistically and logically speaking I dont think Metcalf is justified in getting the hodge.

However as a fan there is definitely a special aura about the kid. I was lucky enough to be there in person when he beat schlatter as well as when he overcame a 1st period deficit to almost major jenkins at ncaas and the crowd was going crazy for him. I'm a minnesota fan and so like most other minnesota fans I was rooting for whoever was wrestling against Iowa (at least until it became obvious that the gophers were out of contention). But when Metcalf won that jenkins match I gave him a standing ovation and a lot of the gopher fans I was sitting next to did likewise, thats definitely a sign of something special when you can stand up and clap for someone who wrestles for your archrival.

He did also have an incredibly stacked weight class Im sure that factored in as well, its pretty impressive to do what he did in a weight with that much talent

LoSt · 05-15-2008, 08:32 PM

Originally Posted by tooldude

He got the late takedown to win the match. So just because he was attacking doesn't mean he was scoreing. God Iowa fans are so ignorant it pains me to have a conversation with ya. You all live in the past when in fact Iowa has gettin a beatdown this decade. We get it Gable had some great teams but Minnesota and Okie state have been the teams to beat for the last 7 or 8 years. You guys get to the top of the podium this year and you act like we are suppose to be overwhelmed. It was just acouple years ago Minnesota had the only team ever to have 10 all americans in the same year. So go blow smoke up somebody elses backside about how great the hawkeyes are. I think the gophers will be ok. The gophers will be down for a year or two but with the top ranked recruiting class this year and most likely next the Gophers will be back.

No offense but you kind of make Minnesota fans look bad man... Yeah the gophers and cowboys had some nice stretches but Iowa was the team to beat for pretty much the entire season this year and while it wasnt a MASSIVE blowout they won the title by a very definitive margin while like 10 other teams were competing for 2nd.

Metcalf vs schlatter was exactly the clash of styles that everyone predicted it would be and in the end Metcalf proved that he was the better wrestler for that tournament. If they meet again will the outcome be the same? Who knows, but Metcalf beat schlatter fair and square. Late takedown or not it was clearly a takedown and clearly well before the time ran out. Do you complain about when hahn beat trenge for his first title by hitting that lateral drop with about 5 seconds left? I doubt it.

If matches were 2 minutes long Bubba Jenkins would probably win every match, but you have to be ready to go for a full 7 especially if you're wrestling a guy with a gas tank the size of brents.