67 replies to this topic

[Jon_Kozak]

Surprised no one has posted about this.
The FRL guys outlined the details of Xander Schultz's PROWL project. Essentially it is changing the world team qualification process and creating a "season" around our guys making the team. Here's is my understanding of the process:

Wrestlers qualify for the PROWL season in 1 of 4 ways:
Returning world team member
US Open Champ
Last Chance Qualifier Champ
NCAA Champ

Those 4 wrestlers enter a round robin tournament taking place over a period of 6 weeks. 1 match every other week until they have wrestled the other 3 wrestlers in their weight class. Half the weight classes wrestle one week, the next half wrestle the following week - so 10 matches an event.

The two wrestlers with the best record qualify for the final night (the 7th week) which will be best 2 of 3 with records wiped clean to begin the night-matches from the round robin are not carried over into finals.

Obviously a lot of unanswered questions. The FRL guys were pretty negative. Their main point was it does not protect returning medalists and doesn't simulate the world championships. Also, we just won WC so why do we want to change the way we pick our team?

I like it-I think it creates incredible intrigue and guarantees the best match-ups. It's at least worth trying now while we have a few years before the Olympic year. Also, the winning wrestler gets $50,000...4th place gets $10,000. Don't recall what the other place winners would receive.

[wrestlingnerd]

I like it. But it’s too different to really take flight.

[superbowlhomeboy]

But is USA Wrestling actually thinking of using this or is it just a new league with high profile matches and competitors?

[Coach_J]

Not that I don't think the qualification process can't be improved, but hard to argue with the FS team we put together this last Worlds.

[Jon_Kozak]

But is USA Wrestling actually thinking of using this or is it just a new league with high profile matches and competitors?

Yes this will be in place starting this next year from my understanding. So this is the format that will determine our world team.

[superbowlhomeboy]

What about this year's WTT said "hey, we need to change this?" It went great. We put out the right team (sorry DT) and won the World Championship. We're good. Let's roll! 

[Witherman]

having our best athletes make wake 3 or 4 out of a 7 week stretch is absolutely asinine and I feel this was not brought home hard enough.  yes, they hammered on the fact that it doesn't simulate the two day weigh in but anyone on that team that is making a substantial weight cut is going to suffer because of this change.

 

other than the making weight issue, I really don't like them butchering the WTT/OTT experience.  everything we do in wrestling is tournament format.  hell we stop wrestling round robins in like 3rd grade.  why move completely away from how everything else in the sport is done?

 

take into account the fact that you are cutting out half or more of the field of competitors, you're giving a big middle finger to the regional qualifying tournaments, and you're asking entire teams with coaches, athletes, support folks etc. to travel around on some parade around the country when you already have just a handful of RTC's that are operating in the black.

 

all for what?  a little bit of cash?  keep your cash xander and novagratz.  count me out.

[Pinnum]

Wrestlers qualify for the PROWL season in 1 of 4 ways:
Returning world team member
US Open Champ
Last Chance Qualifier Champ
NCAA Champ

Those 4 wrestlers enter a round robin tournament

I am confused. There will be four athletes that qualify for the round robin portion at each weight?

What if the Returning World Team Member is the US Open Champ?

Who gets the NCAA Champ slot at 57kg? Is it 125 or 133? What about 65kg? Is it 133, 141, or 149?


I don't understand why NCAA champions are getting priority in qualification. Seems like full-time wrestlers post-college who are focused on making the world team are actually at a disadvantage in qualification.

[LemonPie]

This has no chance

[quanon]

I haven't listened to the FRL yet.  

 

Who is broadcasting this?  Flo?  Or PROWL itself with pay-per-view?

[rpm002]

Yes this will be in place starting this next year from my understanding. So this is the format that will determine our world team.

 

I have no inside information, but I'm almost 100% sure this is wrong.  PROWL is a private entity that aims to make wrestling more popular and make money.  Maybe if it is successful, they will work together with US Wrestling, but I don't think US Wrestling is going to determine their world team members in a drastically different way just because an unproven start-up tells them they should.

[BigTenFanboy]

I am confused. There will be four athletes that qualify for the round robin portion at each weight?

What if the Returning World Team Member is the US Open Champ?

Who gets the NCAA Champ slot at 57kg? Is it 125 or 133? What about 65kg? Is it 133, 141, or 149?


I don't understand why NCAA champions are getting priority in qualification. Seems like full-time wrestlers post-college who are focused on making the world team are actually at a disadvantage in qualification.

 

Also what if multiple NCAA Champs are in the same weight class? Are weight classes limited to 4 wrestlers per weight?

[LJB]

this system is a disaster... i was horrified listening to FRL yesterday...

[BigTenFanboy]

this system is a disaster... i was horrified listening to FRL yesterday...

 

Would this system prepare our wrestlers better for International competition than say... Folkstyle?

[LJB]

*yawn*

[BigTenFanboy]

*yawn*

 

Lol... you just cant say anything positive about Folk can you! =)

 

I tried... oh well... Fail on my part!

Edited by BigTenFanboy, 13 October 2017 - 03:41 AM.

[superbowlhomeboy]

I have no inside information, but I'm almost 100% sure this is wrong.  PROWL is a private entity that aims to make wrestling more popular and make money.  Maybe if it is successful, they will work together with US Wrestling, but I don't think US Wrestling is going to determine their world team members in a drastically different way just because an unproven start-up tells them they should.

 

I'm with you. There is no way this information is accurate. 

 

I don't trust anything Flo has to say about their competitors, and from the looks of it, PROWL will be a competitor to Flo. PROWL's website is prowl.tv . I'm guessing they are planning on broadcasting these events on their own. 

Edited by superbowlhomeboy, 13 October 2017 - 03:53 AM.

[LJB]

Lol... you just cant say anything positive about Folk can you! =)

 

I tried... oh well... Fail on my part!

folk is better than basketball...

 

there...

[BigTenFanboy]

folk is better than basketball...

 

there...

 

What about Prowl?

[LJB]

what about it?

 

PROWL is not a style... it is an organization...