Originally Posted by zzyzx

Very little actual action in Freestyle as compared to folkstyle.

Not forcing mat wrestling is shortchanging the sport. Not pushing competitors to work on their feet, control the oppenent from the top position and get out from under is foolish.

Watched as a wrestler would get one point and then spend the rest of the time playing 100 meter dash away from the opponent til time ran out.

Increase the periods another minute. Force action and challenge the wrestlers. What you have now is a takedown clinic with a few turns on occasion crossed with Sumo pushouts - or waiting for a referee who has to pee his pants to make a stupid call trying to hurry things so he can run to the john.

I agree 100%. International success isn't the most important thing in the world. Preserving a great wrestling style in high school and college is. The world won't change to accomodate us, but that doesn't mean we have to change to accomodate it. I know this is an unpopular position to take, but it's how I feel. I understand that at the higher levels, collegiate wrestling can be boring, too, but it's hard for me to explain to my uninitiated friends who watch wrestling once every four years how I can love it.

Honest question, did you guys actually watch the majority of the matches or are you just going off what was on NBC or even better yet (mostly in zzyyx's case) pure conjecture and not watch at all?

I ask because I can't fathom how you can watch the guys who were actually successful over the last three days and call what you saw boring.

Originally Posted by JensenS

Honest question, did you guys actually watch the majority of the matches or are you just going off what was on NBC or even better yet (mostly in zzyyx's case) pure conjecture and not watch at all?

I ask because I can't fathom how you can watch the guys who were actually successful over the last three days and call what you saw boring.

I probably watched about a dozen matches and while I can appreciate the abilities of the wrestlers, I really found the action, except for a few flurries, pretty dull, especially in the greco. The rules in freestyle all but eliminate offensive wrestling on the bottom and therefore only require the top man to try a few turns before they are back to neutral. As zzyzx said, it's pretty much a takedown clinic. I will say, however, that I like the pushout rule, but the tiebreaker is ridiculous.

Originally Posted by Hubbard

Spider, is that you in the picture?

Yes, I'm on the right.

I don't mean to sound uppity, but I found them very exciting. Maybe you don't appreciate all the idiosyncrasies? Who knows, but I loved most of what I saw.

Originally Posted by zzyzx

Very little actual action in Freestyle as compared to folkstyle.

Not forcing mat wrestling is shortchanging the sport. Not pushing competitors to work on their feet, control the oppenent from the top position and get out from under is foolish.

Watched as a wrestler would get one point and then spend the rest of the time playing 100 meter dash away from the opponent til time ran out.

Increase the periods another minute. Force action and challenge the wrestlers. What you have now is a takedown clinic with a few turns on occasion crossed with Sumo pushouts - or waiting for a referee who has to pee his pants to make a stupid call trying to hurry things so he can run to the john.

Do you think this could be why Cael didn't return after Athens?