Starting a flame war

[Likeachamp171]

The award isn't for the most outstanding obstacle overcome in the tournament...the award is most outstanding wrestler. There are many outstanding wrestlers in TN, and plenty of guys could've received the award. However, as one of you pointed out...Kelly EASILY won state...which by any means is not an easy task to accomplish, even if there aren't returning state champs in his weight class. And I personally heard kids say that they changed weight classes to avoid wrestling him. I'm not objecting to the fact that other kids could have recieved the award, but Kelly ran through his weight class by pinning all of his opponents (except for one tech fall) and earned his third straight title. What is the point in making a thread trying to take the pride out of that kind of showing by saying that somebody else deserved the award that he EARNED?

[maj]

QUOTE(Likeachamp171 @ Feb 17 2007 - 05:16 AM) 826375741[/snapback]

The award isn't for the most outstanding obstacle overcome in the tournament...the award is most outstanding wrestler. There are many outstanding wrestlers in TN, and plenty of guys could've received the award. However, as one of you pointed out...Kelly EASILY won state...which by any means is not an easy task to accomplish, even if there aren't returning state champs in his weight class. And I personally heard kids say that they changed weight classes to avoid wrestling him. I'm not objecting to the fact that other kids could have recieved the award, but Kelly ran through his weight class by pinning all of his opponents (except for one tech fall) and earned his third straight title. What is the point in making a thread trying to take the pride out of that kind of showing by saying that somebody else deserved the award that he EARNED?

 

 

 

Can't really argue against Felix getting OW but I am thinking Jake Young could have easily gotten the nod. While I picked him to win his finals match I didn't expect his performance to be so dominating. Jake was not going to be denied and he looked terrific. I wonder how many of the 189 lbers could have handled him yesterday.

[Bulldog Dad]

I'll throw in another name. My vote for MOW would go to Nathan Bevelhimer (Bearden) who finished 6th at 160. Why?? Because he's my son and he wrestled his guts out. One OT win and another win with a takedown in the last 3 secs. Congrats to all the wrestlers for their accomplishments and for putting on a great show.

[amIaCoach]

Who votes for this award? Is it coaches or officials or both?

[pointblankrange]

QUOTE(Bulldog Dad @ Feb 17 2007 - 10:01 AM) 826375855[/snapback]

I'll throw in another name. My vote for MOW would go to Nathan Bevelhimer (Bearden) who finished 6th at 160. Why?? Because he's my son and he wrestled his guts out. One OT win and another win with a takedown in the last 3 secs. Congrats to all the wrestlers for their accomplishments and for putting on a great show.

 

 

 

 

i'm really glad he got to place at state. junior's been doin a really nice job over there and its starting to pay off. congrats bulldog dad, now go take him to a buffet (j hear mr. gattis is pretty good)

[soms]

QUOTE(Ibleedpurpleandgold @ Feb 16 2007 - 07:30 PM) 826375076[/snapback]

Before anybody starts to hate me, let me start this by saying I greatly respect all of these wrestlers, and though I think they are all very deserving of the title of MOW, I think some are more deserving than others. Kelly Felix is an absolute beast, and I love to watch him wrestle, he is very talented, but did he really deserve MOW? Granted, he pinned everybody that lined up across the mat from him, and two of those were the eventual 3rd and 4th place finishers, but there were no returning state placers in his weight class. Now, IMHO, I can think of 2, maybe 3, wrestlers that had a much harder road to the top of the medal stand and did it in fine fashion.

 

1. Matt Lettner. Not only did he beat a 2 time state champion in the finals, very decisively I might add, but he beat another returning champ in the semis.

 

2. Jeremy Miller. Wow, is about all I have to say. An 8th grader winning a DI state championship? Now, that is something outstanding and impressive.

 

3. Brandon Wright. In the finals he also beat a 2 time state champion, and in the semis he also beat a returning state finalist and sophomore national champion.

 

4. Demetrius Johnson. Again, in the finals he beat a 2 time returning state champion (both in different divisions, ever been done before? topic for another time).

 

Those would be my top 3 choices for the award, and I'm sure I'll here a dozen differing opinions, but that was the whole point of writing this. Tell me what you guys think.

 

Again, nothing but admiration for Kelly Felix, so don't think I'm taking a shot at anybody.

 

 

I agree with a lot of what you are saying, but everyone ran from Kelly. UNLESS THEY HAD THE GUTS TO GIVE IT A SHOT!! Guys who certified and could have dropped didn't and many others dropped to 140.

 

Hey, last year was quite similar except for Ben Scott and Jarret Toney and we all saw what eventually happened there. My own boy wanted to do his very best by dropping/running as well and would have never taken Kelly to a 4-2 deficit in the third, only to lose 5-4 to eventual champ Kellen H. He knew he was no match for this beast and so has many others,,, even 4 years ago. He's earned this award over the 4 years, but I sure am impressed with Matt taking his 2X state champ and schooling him!! Most big men don't get the votes. Based on that alone, it would not be an easy vote between these two great ones.

 

Note: I'm glad I wasn't in the stripes to make that decision. Johnson and Wright could have easily have won the award this year given their great ones in the finals - IMO.

[work_the_score]

QUOTE(Cox @ Feb 16 2007 - 08:12 PM) 826375135[/snapback]

 

Also, This debate with Kelly Felix is the same one used against Jordan Leen several years ago. He won it his senior year as did Kelly.

 

You can not fault someone because everyone in the state near his weight knows he is untouchable. The other guys had a tougher road because they either upset someone or people thought they could be beaten.

 

No one believed they could beat Felix so all returning medalist who wanted to win state went up or down. This really is the true test of who is the best. When someone pins or techs everyone and everyone advoided that weight for that very reason

 

 

 

 

Kelly started out the season at 152; he shifted down a weight class with the rest of the team beginning at the Father Ryan invitational. I don't think it matters where he is, Kelly is undoubtably the best in DI and he deserved the honor again this year.

[Ibleedpurpleandgold]

QUOTE(Likeachamp171 @ Feb 17 2007 - 04:16 AM) 826375741[/snapback]

The award isn't for the most outstanding obstacle overcome in the tournament...the award is most outstanding wrestler. There are many outstanding wrestlers in TN, and plenty of guys could've received the award. However, as one of you pointed out...Kelly EASILY won state...which by any means is not an easy task to accomplish, even if there aren't returning state champs in his weight class. And I personally heard kids say that they changed weight classes to avoid wrestling him. I'm not objecting to the fact that other kids could have recieved the award, but Kelly ran through his weight class by pinning all of his opponents (except for one tech fall) and earned his third straight title. What is the point in making a thread trying to take the pride out of that kind of showing by saying that somebody else deserved the award that he EARNED?

 

 

 

 

Your redundancy astounds me. "Kelly EASILY won state...which by any means is not an easy task to accomplish..." Apparently, for Kelly, as he has shown over the years, it is an easy task. So is accomplishing an easy task the most outstanding showing? Additionally, your claim about personally knowing multiple kids that shifted weights to avoid him is probably fallacious, but then again you did provide ample proof to show otherwise (in case you didn't detect it, that was sarcasm). And what about the rumor that Brandon Wright would have dropped to 152 at Father Ryan to wrestle Felix if he had stayed, but Felix dropped anyway? Maybe Felix was scared of Wright, maybe not. It's all a bunch of unsubstantiated rumors.

 

And again, you'll notice I never said he didn't earn the award, in my first post I actually stated he did deserve the award, I just THOUGHT other wrestlers deserved it more because of their outstanding performances. And if Kelly's performance actually was THE MOST oustanding one, how come immediately after the finals 27 topics sprung up about Jeremy Miller, or Matt Lettner, but I saw none about Kelly Felix? If some kid nobody knew about, had barely made it to the finals at 145 with a few decisions, and then had beaten Kelly by a point, I guarantee that he would have gotten the MOW award, simply for dethroning the seemingly unbeatable Felix. If you think otherwise, please, tell me why, I'd love to hear it.

 

I have been a huge Kelly Felix fan over the years, and if you don't think so you can ask any wrestler I've ever talked to. About half my "glory stories" are about how good he is. I never denied any of his good qualities, so do not think I'm trying to take anything away from this young man. I'm simply stating an opinion and starting a discussion.

 

The point of this board is to discuss opinions about wrestling, which I am doing, and perhaps if you don't understand that you should find another place to post.

 

Oh, and Soms, after reading your reply it really kind of looks like I was insulting your son in one of my earlier posts, so I apologize for that. But you know I have nothing but respect for you and Spencer, I think he's a great kid and I had a good deal of trouble with him when we wrestled if you remember. I was just trying to prove a point. And my back is better for the most part, I'm just plagued by 18 other injuries at the moment, but so is the story of every wrestler. Maybe you'll get to see me wrestle sometime in the future, I haven't hung up the headgear yet.

[soms]

QUOTE(Ibleedpurpleandgold @ Feb 17 2007 - 02:34 PM) 826376412[/snapback]

Your redundancy astounds me. "Kelly EASILY won state...which by any means is not an easy task to accomplish..." Apparently, for Kelly, as he has shown over the years, it is an easy task. So is accomplishing an easy task the most outstanding showing? Additionally, your claim about personally knowing multiple kids that shifted weights to avoid him is probably fallacious, but then again you did provide ample proof to show otherwise (in case you didn't detect it, that was sarcasm). And what about the rumor that Brandon Wright would have dropped to 152 at Father Ryan to wrestle Felix if he had stayed, but Felix dropped anyway? Maybe Felix was scared of Wright, maybe not. It's all a bunch of unsubstantiated rumors.

 

And again, you'll notice I never said he didn't earn the award, in my first post I actually stated he did deserve the award, I just THOUGHT other wrestlers deserved it more because of their outstanding performances. And if Kelly's performance actually was THE MOST oustanding one, how come immediately after the finals 27 topics sprung up about Jeremy Miller, or Matt Lettner, but I saw none about Kelly Felix? If some kid nobody knew about, had barely made it to the finals at 145 with a few decisions, and then had beaten Kelly by a point, I guarantee that he would have gotten the MOW award, simply for dethroning the seemingly unbeatable Felix. If you think otherwise, please, tell me why, I'd love to hear it.

 

I have been a huge Kelly Felix fan over the years, and if you don't think so you can ask any wrestler I've ever talked to. About half my "glory stories" are about how good he is. I never denied any of his good qualities, so do not think I'm trying to take anything away from this young man. I'm simply stating an opinion and starting a discussion.

 

The point of this board is to discuss opinions about wrestling, which I am doing, and perhaps if you don't understand that you should find another place to post.

 

Oh, and Soms, after reading your reply it really kind of looks like I was insulting your son in one of my earlier posts, so I apologize for that. But you know I have nothing but respect for you and Spencer, I think he's a great kid and I had a good deal of trouble with him when we wrestled if you remember. I was just trying to prove a point. And my back is better for the most part, I'm just plagued by 18 other injuries at the moment, but so is the story of every wrestler. Maybe you'll get to see me wrestle sometime in the future, I haven't hung up the headgear yet.

 

 

This reply seems to remind me of three years ago with soph. Bundy buzz sawing through the toughest competition in the state to beat 3X state champ Danny Coleman in the finals by 6+ pts. Quinn Gibson did what was expected (like Kelly) and won the award, but Bundy got most of the buzz on the boards and a little press, at least in Chattanooga.

[dad45]

If you look at the big picture it's easy to see and know why Kelly was rewarded with OW. He is a three time champ . A national champ . He is probably one of Tenn. better wrestlers sense Charles McTorry . When you have the ability use it .There are other great wrestlers and they deserve all the positive responses left on this thread. Charles was and still is making impact on Tennwrestling and wrestlers . Kelly has the youth and chance to do the same. Congradulations to Kelly you have my respect and support.

 

 

 

Lloyd Kittrell