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Iowa Wrestling Article on ESPN.com

superdorf

superdorf

Well-Known Member
Oct 1, 2007
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Des Moines, IA
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Check out the full article here:
ESPN - Iowa wrestlers complete long journey to the top - College Sports

I know that I read this with Cardinal and Gold colored glasses, but it seems awfully arrogant.

Still, the overwhelming perception was that VT was punishing the athletes for what the school viewed as Brands' transgressions.
"It turned into a pissing contest," Leet said, "and we got hurt."
When subsequent appeals by their families failed, the athletes were faced with a choice: follow their coach and sit out a year, or remain at Virginia Tech and compete for a new coaching staff. It was no contest -- all five wrestlers transferred to Iowa without much of a second thought -- but the price was steep. For most competitors, wrestling ends in college. Borschel, Metcalf and the others had just willingly given away one of their few remaining years of competition.
"But, you know, they weren't Virginia Tech boys. They were Tom Brands' boys," said Gable, who returned to the Hawkeyes' wrestling room full time upon Brands' return to Iowa. "They were really three Iowa kids and a Michigan kid, plus Leet from Georgia. And even though the rules say that you attend a school for the school and not for the specific coach, that's not really the case a lot of the time in our sport -- and it wasn't the case here."
Click to expand...
Even if open transfers are typically granted in the "Olympic sports" I don't blame VT for making these guys sit out a year. Just because wrestling isn't a "revenue" sport doesn't mean that there shouldn't be penalties for transferring.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

CyForPresident said:
Iowa has the benefit of 2 recruiting classes. IMO, they're cheaters
Click to expand...

LOL, what? No. These guys wanted to wrestle for Brands, and that's exactly what they did. They sat out a year because of it, and the debate is whether that was just or not. I don't think VT had any right to not grant their transfer, but I can see why they'd be upset.

Regardless, they're at Iowa, and Brands is pulling in very good classes.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

CyForPresident said:
Iowa has the benefit of 2 recruiting classes. IMO, they're cheaters
Click to expand...

That's what I've been saying all year. If you take almost half of any decent school's scholarship "players" (any sport) to another decent school, of course that school is going to have a good team. For example, let's say Cael decided to leave ISU next year to go to Michigan. If he took Varner, the Nicks, Cyler and Z they would have an instant national title contender team. Of course Cael wouldn't 1. leave ISU (hopefully:wideeyed:) 2. take 5 wrestlers with him. I guarantee he would tell those kids to honor their commitment.
Tom Brands might have been a good wrestler and might be a good coach but he has no class.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

CyForPresident said:
Iowa has the benefit of 2 recruiting classes. IMO, they're cheaters
Click to expand...

I agree with the bold part.

And how convenient it happens mainly in this sport .. .and for Iowa, Mr. Gable.

Long term we benefit greatly, because of our coach and morals. But we have to put up with 2 recruiting classes, one cherry picked, when we meet Iowa.

-keep.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

keepngoal said:
I agree with the bold part.

And how convenient it happens mainly in this sport .. .and for Iowa, Mr. Gable.

Long term we benefit greatly, because of our coach and morals. But we have to put up with 2 recruiting classes, one cherry picked, when we meet Iowa.

-keep.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I should have said that too. It's obviously not cheating. Just another example of Brands' lack of class.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

VT was livid at Brands. I don't blame them one bit. Of course I don't blame Brands for ditching them either.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

I think it is safe to say that these kids would have been at Iowa if Brands would have been there a couple years ago. They do have the benefit of two recruiting classes, but these guys chose to throw away a year of wrestling and paid there due in that regards.

I say we just beat them and not worry about where their wrestlers came from.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

cloneu said:
I think it is safe to say that these kids would have been at Iowa if Brands would have been there a couple years ago. They do have the benefit of two recruiting classes, but these guys chose to throw away a year of wrestling and paid there due in that regards.

I say we just beat them and not worry about where their wrestlers came from.
Click to expand...
Not to mention that when they first went to VT, they said they went there to wrestle under Brands.
 
When those kids accepted a scholarship they made a commitment to Virginia Tech. The scholarship came from the school, not the coach. If they aren't honorable enough to understand what commitment is they should pay a price, and they did.

I don't blame Brands for leaving Va Tech for what is probably his dream job, but a classy coach doesn't gut the program he's leaving. How many basketball players did Todd Lickliter bring with him from Butler?

The ironic thing is that the same Iowa fans who think Brands did nothing wrong were outraged when Steve Alford took one of his recruits to New Mexico. What a bunch of idiots.
 
ISU run by class

Iowa run by ********...

pretty simple stuff.
 
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The main point I take from this story is that the transfers from VT to Iowa have no commitment to getting a good education and the only reason they are in college is to extend their wrestling careers. They should not be able to claim the title of "Student-Athlete." I can understand VT's frustrations because those athletes basically just took several thousands of dollars in scholarships that another kid could have used to get an education and left without satisfying the stipulations of their scholarships which is to attend the college.
 
I can't help but continue to laugh. Iowa fans were outraged when Steve Alford tried to take his recruits to New Mexico -- and he took one with him -- but they're fine with what Brands did?

It will soon be irrelevent for two reasons:

(1) Once these wrestlers use up their eligibility and Brands is back to one recruiting class per year Iowa will not be #1 any more.

(2) Nobody gives a rat's *** about wrestling anyway.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

SouthernHawk said:
LOL, what? No. These guys wanted to wrestle for Brands, and that's exactly what they did. They sat out a year because of it, and the debate is whether that was just or not. I don't think VT had any right to not grant their transfer, but I can see why they'd be upset.
Click to expand...

Maybe VT should have granted the transfer, but Iowa fans are holding a bit of a double standard as others have pointed out. Is wrestling different than basketball in that regard? A lot of Iowa fans label Alford as a guy without class. How is Brands different?

I don't blame the kids for moving with their coach, but I also don't think VT was unjustified in their actions.
 
I suppose I can answer my own question: When Iowa fans benefit from the gutting of a program, it's ok. If they're on the losing side, it's a classless and selfish act. ;)
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

benjay said:
Maybe VT should have granted the transfer, but Iowa fans are holding a bit of a double standard as others have pointed out. Is wrestling different than basketball in that regard? A lot of Iowa fans label Alford as a guy without class. How is Brands different?

I don't blame the kids for moving with their coach, but I also don't think VT was unjustified in their actions.
Click to expand...


I've seen this posted several times, so maybe I should address this. I don't recall any Iowa fans complaining about the un-signed recruits that followed Alford. In fact, there was only one that did.

What got under the skin of Iowa fans was the players that Alford supposedly talked to (Gatens and Kelly come to mind), after they signed, which is frowned upon by the NCAA. Of course, they didn't listen, and are still with the program.

Had they decided to follow Alford, it would have been baffling, but I don't think many fans would have expected the Iowa AD to not release them.
 
Re: Iowa Wrestling Aricle on ESPN.com

SouthernHawk said:
What got under the skin of Iowa fans was the players that Alford supposedly talked to (Gatens and Kelly come to mind), after they signed, which is frowned upon by the NCAA.
Click to expand...

Of course it is. But are you saying Brands didn't do the same thing?
 
I can see why the people at VT are mad and I can see why other Wrestling schools are unhappy. I am sure that Brandt didn't take everyone that wanted to leave VT, he took the ones that could help him the most. And what happened to all the guys that were at Iowa on scholarship? Did the average wrestlers just go away or did Iowa divide their scholarships in half?
 
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