reftn

lol......kinda gettin' next to you? Lets see, in Reg 4 in 13 weight classes, win 1 match and go to states. In 3 weight classes, just weigh in. You could not have the same success in a meaningful Regional tournament. After the top four, everyone else you squash. No one, I repeat no one is knocking the quality in this region.

Do you think the big three out of Reg 4 would pull 13 and 14 wrestlers if they were added to Reg 5, 6, or 7? In two weight classes the third seed was an automatic qualifier just by making weight. Every weight class had a bye meaning one victory put you in the states. And that is somehow justifiable? I suppose. No one is questioning the talent or the tough wrestling in that region. I don't think D1 has any reason to whine that D2 brings every everybody when Reg 4 gets almost equal treatment. I asked a question a little bit up in the thread and will ask it again. Which schools would oppose reuniting D1 and D2 for individual states? Has it mellowed enough to be under consideration, should it?

No. It wasn't me, but I do remember the match. It seems as if wrestling fans want to enforce the violations selectively. The referee shouldn't have enforced the rule? The other wrestler should understand that its ok in that situation to allow his opponent to pull his headgear? Or the other coach for heavens sake! You mean the other coach should realize in the last 30 seconds of a state match the referees will swallow the whistle? Tell me which way is it that the referee truly decides the match?....lolling.....and that accusation will be thrown out yet again after next weekend.

That region is likely to produce more state champs than any other. Not being critical of the wrestling there, its fantastic. Its the set up. They may as well send the entire region to the state or just give Soddy, Cleveland, WV, and Bradley a bye into the state.

I'm not sure how I changed it. All of the text is still there, I don't know why it posted it making it look like its all his. But anyone comparing the two will see where I typed at the end of his post. I tried to delete it and repost, but couldn't find a delete button. Help?

Noooo......you need to read what I posted. I would lobby for five individual divisions of DUALs. To me that makes sense, particularly in terms of growing the sport in numbers. I would have ONE individual tournament combining all divisions.

Biased? Certainly not. In order for something to be biased you have to have another to be biased to or against. I have neither. Wrestling at this stage (individuals) is about rounds. D1 would roll their eyes that D2 was an automatic state qualifier because there was no region. I would submit that Region 4 is no Region for the same reasons. It is a powerful region. And great great wrestling. But terribly imbalanced. Perhaps their can be no balance. Maybe the middle TN, east and/or west should be allowed open zones, limiting wrestling schools to compete in wrestling zones so that the regions are little more than warm ups for the states. It is a struggle when you look at a region that you win one match to punch your ticket to the state and that is somehow an accomplishment. But it is what it is. I don't think that was me that called pulling the headgear, perhaps so, but you avoid the question: Was he pulling the headgear? If he was, I called it.

I will admit to not being a very astute wrestling fan. I think Region IV should consider a name change for this region. Maybe we call it the D1 D2 style Region. We take everybody. 106 EVERYBODY WELCOME TO THE STATE TOURNAMENT FROM REGION 4! In that bracket it goes something like this: bye, bye. bye bye bye. bye bye. bye bye bye...........Bye Show up and receive your medal. Bye Bye because the top and second seeds win ONE match and have their ticket punched to the State Tournament!? EIGHT teams in the entire region? Surely there is some reason behind this. The A-AA region III has 3x more teams. You actually have to wrestle to achieve a state tournament invitation. In fact, no other Region has such a favorable set up. Is there any other AAA region with less than 15 teams? Who got paid? That's all I want to know. What did it take? About four hours to finish the tournament? I bet you spent more time waiting on the 45 minute rule than you did wrestling. Ok, I am ready to hear the reasoning why this occurs. Is this a result of the split? It seems to me to make more sense that Region IV sends the top two to the State tournament. A region of 8 teams surely doesn't deserve to send the top four. Are you guys really placing four deep in an eight team tournament? If the top 4 teams aren't pulling a full 14 there should be some investigating. I don't mean to stir things up, but does this not seem a little out of kilter? I must be in for a bruising here, because everyone seems to think this is the way it should be. Have a good day.

I kinda like that. I wish the kid would have said we didn't wear shoes either.......

Who do you think would oppose one individual tournament today? What schools?

I never heard the reasons why the split on D1 individual except to increase participation. If that is the case, then you are only adding one more champion per weight class, and 56 medals overall. I understand the push for every little johnny to get a ribbon, but that to me makes more a case to increase divisions in the duals. If you have 40 kids on your wrestling mat and win the A, AA, AAA, AAAA, or AAAAA division you have kids that can all claim a state championship in the same way football can. Great! Wonderful! But lets continue to celebrate our sport in the individual tournament!, as the Lord meant it to be. Ask Jacob! Totally agree with your last comment.

It makes sense to me to have several divisions for the duals. I can also see how it could increase participation, which is what I understand is what the split in D1 individual tourney is for. I spoke with a gentleman this weekend who indicated that GA has six divisions and their numbers are through the roof in participation. My question to him was it due to the six divisions of individual champions or Dual team Champions? He couldn't answer. I think we are going about this backwards. We should increase divisions in Dual Team competition. I think it would encourage schools without programs to start them. Imagine what a tournament draw one, combined state tournament would bring!?

Yes.

The big four (+the Bros) D2 schools will have wrestled each other something like four times in the last four weeks, some of them possibly five. I don't think that's good. I don't know why TSSAA doesn't listen to them, did you get any reasons why, if all were unanimous against, why is it happening? (Lets keep the dream alive of one, unified state tournament)

I was only half kidding about the PSLs, but TSSAA has to make some money. I like it that they cannot say wrestling doesn't contribute financially because now it is an incredible revenue producer. I think our coaches should make more demands. It would be very difficult to uproot it now. So lets work on improving it.

There is no comparison. From a floor space standpoint the Cow Palace is much, much better. As I stated before, I like it when the fans are close, but if I had to choose, we needed the floor space. They could put all the mats side to side in the Cow Palace and that would draw the fans in closer.

No problem. Have UTC donate McKenzie for use of the State Championships. Problem solved. Then the TSSAA couldn't get McKenzie because of scheduling conflicts. That's how much UTC cared about wrestling. That and money is why it left, you didn't take care of business on your end. It might be worth it if you sold PSLs in McKenzie or charged $50 for a weekend pass. Just a thought. But let me take the opportunity to welcome you to the Cow Palace, home of the Tennessee State Wrestling Championships. (wink) Now I wouldn't mind see it go to the Municipal Auditorium. That would be a great venue for wrestling.

We're improving.

Well, lets see how many trips we made to Chattanooga over the years....... Sounds like Chatt just doesn't travel very well.

This is one occasion where Chattanooga is more expensive than Nashville. Given, the atmosphere is much better, but then it is always that way in a smaller versus larger venue.

I'd rather win next weekend.

Those schools you mentioned have created and demonstrated the "business model" for successful, achievable wrestling. Other schools are seeing it and beginning to replicate it, We all know it is a 4-6 year process once begun, but the 1000 mile journey begins with but a single step (an old Chinese guy once said). At the end of the day the residual from building successful wrestling programs is building solid young men.

I might exaggerate here, just a little. What you put into your kids at the youth level, onto middle and finishing in high school wrestling will be as equally valuable to them as a college education. When I hire, if I see someone has a wrestling background (it is a resume builder) they automatically get an interview. I would prefer that kind of background and work ethic to experience in some cases. I am not looking for wrestling state champions, just wrestlers. That kids who wrestled JV behind some studs all his career, but stayed on the practice mat is a special kid.

I am a Colt. Glencliff High School. What happens on the Hill, stays on the Hill........ Probably biggest wrestling claim to fame was Mike Green, two time heavyweight state champ circa 1970-1971. Undefeated I think.