Great Article in Student Paper Today - The Day Cael Sanderson Turned Wrestling on its Head

[Chickenman Testa]

The first article + comments are hilarious in how dismissive they were.

May we never allow success to make us so arrogant.

I like this exchange (Whitehall tried to tell them):

—————
There is nothing “lateral” about it. Mr. Sanderson is no fool. Do a little research and find out how many of the ten 2009 NCAA Div. 1 champions attended high school within no more than a four-drive from the Penn State campus. Then the light should go on. As a U. of I. alum, I can say this: Within three years or so, the Hawkeyes will be an also-ran behind Penn State in the Big Ten and nationally. Mr. Sanderson is going to cash in big with the high school wrestlers in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Virginia, and that is all it is going to take to dominate college wrestling for years going forward. It is going to look like Dan Gable started over and became a Penn Stater. It wish it were not so, but—as Walter might have said—that’s the way it is.

by Whitehall on 04.20.09 4:20pmup

I do what I can.

by Anonymous Hero on 04.20.09 4:27pmup
If that’s the case, why does it take moving to PA to recruit kids from the northeast? Do they put a massive emphasis on proximity to home? If they really wanted to wrestle for Sanderson, then they could have done so in Ames. Wasn’t it just last year that he hauled in the #1 recruiting class in the country?

I’m not buying that the northeast talent will want to stay close to home so badly that Penn State will all of a sudden become this massive wrestling powerhouse. If Sanderson really left Ames to make recruiting easier then I can’t see any reason for State fans to be upset. A coach’s results will lure recruits, kids play football at USC & Florida because it gives them the best shot at a National Title, wrestlers head to Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Okie State for the very same reason. Penn State is definitely going to benefit from hiring Sanderson, but I don’t know that Sanderson will necessarily benefit from heading to Penn State.

¿Quieres chiclets?

by Mex_ on 04.20.09 5:48pmup
It’s true. PSU loses heaps of recruits every year to smaller PA schools like Edinboro, Clarion, Lock Haven, Lehigh. And no, those dudes do not want to go Ames to wrestle for Sanderson.

They will, however, quickly go to State College to wrestle for him.

Hey, this game is fun too and you can make it fun. --j. odrick
But I’m biased towards tailgating, as you may imagine. -ts
Ignore the accolades – just enjoy the games. -bb&w

by jtothep on 04.22.09 3:59pmup
But the reality is that he has the same 9.9 scholarships to divvy up for those “heaps of recruits” just like everyone else. He won’t be able to get everyone he wants – probably even if they agree to take very little scholarship coin (and if they’re studs, they’re not likely to do that when/if other schools are able to offer them more scholarship coin). I just don’t see how he’s going to be able to hoard all those guys. There’s a pretty strong B10 program one state over in Ohio that will be in on many of those exact same kids. Cornell is in the vicinity and has a strong wrestling program — and the ability to give kids an excellent and prestigious education, too. Not to mention that there are always kids looking to spread out and look more national in scope.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that Penn State isn’t going to get a lot better. But the suggestion that the rest of the country may as well mail it in is simply retarded.

by RossWB on 04.22.09 6:41pmup
Never any reason for any competitive team to mail it in. And good point about the number of scholarships.

I think mostly PSU fans are looking forward to an end to underachieving.

Hey, this game is fun too and you can make it fun. --j. odrick
But I’m biased towards tailgating, as you may imagine. -ts
Ignore the accolades – just enjoy the games. -bb&w

by jtothep on 04.23.09 4:53amup
And doing ****-all with them (oh wait, he won the Big 125… congrats on beating four other schools). Until that changes, I fail to see why we need to live in terror of the mythical PSU sleeping giant. There actually is talent outside of the PA area, too, and there are coaches who have proven track records at molding and improving that talent (such as Brands, Smith, Robinson).

I have no doubt Penn State will be improved and strong team in the years to come. But proclaiming them the new giant of college wrestling is asinine.

by RossWB on 04.20.09 6:

———-

Poor Ross. He’s all over those threads with extra-strong denial. These aren’t even the best examples. That site had a few more years of his great takes before they shut down

 

[Tjsch1]

I like this exchange (Whitehall tried to tell them):

—————
There is nothing “lateral” about it. Mr. Sanderson is no fool. Do a little research and find out how many of the ten 2009 NCAA Div. 1 champions attended high school within no more than a four-drive from the Penn State campus. Then the light should go on. As a U. of I. alum, I can say this: Within three years or so, the Hawkeyes will be an also-ran behind Penn State in the Big Ten and nationally. Mr. Sanderson is going to cash in big with the high school wrestlers in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey and Virginia, and that is all it is going to take to dominate college wrestling for years going forward. It is going to look like Dan Gable started over and became a Penn Stater. It wish it were not so, but—as Walter might have said—that’s the way it is.

by Whitehall on 04.20.09 4:20pmup

I do what I can.

by Anonymous Hero on 04.20.09 4:27pmup
If that’s the case, why does it take moving to PA to recruit kids from the northeast? Do they put a massive emphasis on proximity to home? If they really wanted to wrestle for Sanderson, then they could have done so in Ames. Wasn’t it just last year that he hauled in the #1 recruiting class in the country?

I’m not buying that the northeast talent will want to stay close to home so badly that Penn State will all of a sudden become this massive wrestling powerhouse. If Sanderson really left Ames to make recruiting easier then I can’t see any reason for State fans to be upset. A coach’s results will lure recruits, kids play football at USC & Florida because it gives them the best shot at a National Title, wrestlers head to Iowa, Iowa State, Minnesota, and Okie State for the very same reason. Penn State is definitely going to benefit from hiring Sanderson, but I don’t know that Sanderson will necessarily benefit from heading to Penn State.

¿Quieres chiclets?

by Mex_ on 04.20.09 5:48pmup
It’s true. PSU loses heaps of recruits every year to smaller PA schools like Edinboro, Clarion, Lock Haven, Lehigh. And no, those dudes do not want to go Ames to wrestle for Sanderson.

They will, however, quickly go to State College to wrestle for him.

Hey, this game is fun too and you can make it fun. --j. odrick
But I’m biased towards tailgating, as you may imagine. -ts
Ignore the accolades – just enjoy the games. -bb&w

by jtothep on 04.22.09 3:59pmup
But the reality is that he has the same 9.9 scholarships to divvy up for those “heaps of recruits” just like everyone else. He won’t be able to get everyone he wants – probably even if they agree to take very little scholarship coin (and if they’re studs, they’re not likely to do that when/if other schools are able to offer them more scholarship coin). I just don’t see how he’s going to be able to hoard all those guys. There’s a pretty strong B10 program one state over in Ohio that will be in on many of those exact same kids. Cornell is in the vicinity and has a strong wrestling program — and the ability to give kids an excellent and prestigious education, too. Not to mention that there are always kids looking to spread out and look more national in scope.

I don’t think anyone is suggesting that Penn State isn’t going to get a lot better. But the suggestion that the rest of the country may as well mail it in is simply retarded.

by RossWB on 04.22.09 6:41pmup
Never any reason for any competitive team to mail it in. And good point about the number of scholarships.

I think mostly PSU fans are looking forward to an end to underachieving.

Hey, this game is fun too and you can make it fun. --j. odrick
But I’m biased towards tailgating, as you may imagine. -ts
Ignore the accolades – just enjoy the games. -bb&w

by jtothep on 04.23.09 4:53amup
And doing ****-all with them (oh wait, he won the Big 125… congrats on beating four other schools). Until that changes, I fail to see why we need to live in terror of the mythical PSU sleeping giant. There actually is talent outside of the PA area, too, and there are coaches who have proven track records at molding and improving that talent (such as Brands, Smith, Robinson).

I have no doubt Penn State will be improved and strong team in the years to come. But proclaiming them the new giant of college wrestling is asinine.

by RossWB on 04.20.09 6:

———-

Poor Ross. He’s all over those threads with extra-strong denial. These aren’t even the best examples. That site had a few more years of his great takes before they shut down

Whatever happened to Ross? Isn’t there a site with the same name currently operating?

 

[Chickenman Testa]

Whatever happened to Ross? Isn’t there a site with the same name currently operating?

Oh yeah. Somewhat less smug after Cael’s Decade of Destruction

 

[nitlion6]

would appreciate any comments on how Coach Casey and Cael became friends. tia

Going on memory.
During Cael's first two years at Ames Casey and Cael had the opportunity to spend some time together at the OTC and I believe several off season clinics.
The story I read was Cael and Casey just kind of got along and would during down times share visions of how they wanted to do things. Cael had offered Casey a spot on the ISU staff, but Casey never took the offer serious. Not hearing anything back from Casey, Cael called Casey and just said hey, are you coming or what, we could use you.
Things seemed to have worked.

 

[El-Jefe]

@Chickenman Testa

"If that’s the case, why does it take moving to PA to recruit kids from the northeast? Do they put a massive emphasis on proximity to home? If they really wanted to wrestle for Sanderson, then they could have done so in Ames. Wasn’t it just last year that he hauled in the #1 recruiting class in the country?

I’m not buying that the northeast talent will want to stay close to home so badly that Penn State will all of a sudden become this massive wrestling powerhouse.
by Mex_ on 04.20.09 5:48pmup"

That was one of my favorite snippets. He could've easily seen that Cael's most NE recruit that year was from suburban Dayton, and that Ed Ruth chose close to home instead of Ames.

Move over, Specific Gravity -- there's another way to measure density.

 

[dropster45]

Was the math correct when one billion Germans attacked the beaches of Pearl Harbor?

I did check the math on that...
There were, in fact “less than” 1 billion Germans involved in the Pearl Harbor attack - true statement!

 

[RoarLions1]

One man's opinion, and he was wrong. I've been wrong too, many times. No biggie in the scheme of things. Besides, I'm busy enjoying eight-in-nine and the prospects for next year.

 

[NittPicker]

IMHO, Joyner comes across as a dick when I read the snippets of his interview. Maybe that's because I'm biased because I thought he was a dick anyway.

 

[aalion]

Great article... plus I never realized Onward State was a student run thing.

 

[lookleft goright]

The Bubba Jenkins quotes were the best for me. It is great to hear someone come off as classy and respectful. It makes it easier and more fun to root for him and give him the respect an NCAA champion deserves. It would be nice to hear Cael address this issue and give Jenkins some respect. Time changes our perspective and Bubba seems to have matured and forgiven. I was glad to read it.

 

[dropster45]

One man's opinion, and he was wrong. I've been wrong too, many times. No biggie in the scheme of things. Besides, I'm busy enjoying eight-in-nine and the prospects for next year.

I will respectfully disagree with you.
7.65 additional scholarships over a 4 year period seems like quite an advantage and I don’t think it’s “wrong” to say so.
It’s also not “one mans opinion”, rather that of the NCAA who investigated it and found Iowa in gross violation of the scholarship award criteria.
The report also provided the range of dates that the scholarship award violations went on, and yes, it did cover most of Gable’s coaching career.

 

[Dogwelder]

... It would be nice to hear Cael address this issue and give Jenkins some respect ...

Cael has already addressed this. His exact quote was:
“I forgive you, Bubba, for breaking my phenomenon toy. Don’t do it again!”