Why is FLO infatuated with Austin Desanto?

[82bordeaux 90]

Why is FLO always promoting Austin Desanto. He is constantly featured on their Instagram feed. They write a story on how Austin Desanto can win Big 10s. Why him? It would probably be a more interesting read on how Sebastian Rivera can win Big 10s seeing as he will be a lower seed and hasn't seen much action this year. Or how about Gross and coming back from injury and managing to be ready to go 57kg after the NCAA season? The fixation on the guy seems almost creepy.

[russelscout 1,573]

2 minutes ago, 82bordeaux said:

Why is FLO always promoting Austin Desanto. He is constantly featured on their Instagram feed. They write a story on how Austin Desanto can win Big 10s. Why him? It would probably be a more interesting read on how Sebastian Rivera can win Big 10s seeing as he will be a lower seed and hasn't seen much action this year. Or how about Gross and coming back from injury and managing to be ready to go 57kg after the NCAA season? The fixation on the guy seems almost creepy.

I think the real question should be why are the fans so infatuated with Desanto. The reason Flo puts out so much Desanto content is because it has the most engagement with fans on social media platforms and views on their site. 

[funnyfletcher 42]

Because so many people hate him. They probably get more replies when they post stuff about Austin. 

[malcolmJfromPA 23]

Lol.  They do run a lot of stories on him.  But he is super interesting.  I think it makes for a good story but your right sometimes it can be too much.  spread the wealth I guess.

[steamboat_charlie v2 1,124]

Well, it's because he's highly polarizing.  You already knew the answer to this, though.  

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,047]

DeSanto, Rivera, Gross and RBY will all get articles about how they can win 133-pounds at Big Tens. DeSanto's is just the one people will click on most. 

[malcolmJfromPA 23]

When I heard he doesn't drive and those stories it just made it more interesting.   Im not a fan of his but enjoy learning more about these guys.  Maybe focus a a guy from a different team each week.  Maybe from the most anticipated match of the week and kinda runs some stories about guys from that match leading up to it.

[82bordeaux 90]

8 minutes ago, Jaroslav Hasek said:

DeSanto, Rivera, Gross and RBY will all get articles about how they can win 133-pounds at Big Tens. DeSanto's is just the one people will click on most. 

Does the journalist in you ever roil at falling into the clickbait trap? It isn't just FLO. It's all media in the new world. But maybe you could have lead the series off with someone else just so you could claim plausible deniability. ;)

[jchapman 1,322]

They also fix their rankings so his performance against RBY is not reflected.

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,047]

6 minutes ago, jchapman said:

They also fix their rankings so his performance against RBY is not reflected.

this is false. Flo has not been factoring in injury defaults for years. you may not have realized this though so I accept your apology in advance. 

[Jimmy Cinnabon 411]

Because he generates clicks.  Simple as that.

[Panther78 36]

Same reason people rubber neck on the highway as they pass a wreck.....it looks ugly but they still want to see the carnage!!!

[Wrestleknownothing 1,462]

4 minutes ago, Jaroslav Hasek said:

this is false. Flo has not been factoring in injury defaults for years. you may not have realized this though so I accept your apology in advance. 

You're stealing my lines.

[unknown 33]

6 minutes ago, Jaroslav Hasek said:

this is false. Flo has not been factoring in injury defaults for years. you may not have realized this though so I accept your apology in advance. 

its funny how you come on here to defend flo, but never to add any conversation to questions regarding flo.

[jchapman 1,322]

7 minutes ago, Jaroslav Hasek said:

this is false. Flo has not been factoring in injury defaults for years. you may not have realized this though so I accept your apology in advance. 

You just bolstered my point.

[TobusRex 2,108]

16 minutes ago, jchapman said:

They also fix their rankings so his performance against RBY is not reflected.

Definitely, lol. 

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,047]

3 minutes ago, jchapman said:

You just bolstered my point.

don't follow you. we 'fixed' our rankings methodology five years ago. we didn't just decide to not factor in injury default to ensure DeSanto would be ranked ahead of RBY. Please apologize for insinuating otherwise. Thank you. 

 

6 minutes ago, unknown said:

its funny how you come on here to defend flo, but never to add any conversation to questions regarding flo.

what would you like to know? 

[jchapman 1,322]

2 minutes ago, Jaroslav Hasek said:

don't follow you. we 'fixed' our rankings methodology five years ago. we didn't just decide to not factor in injury default to ensure DeSanto would be ranked ahead of RBY. Please apologize for insinuating otherwise. Thank you.

I was expecting an apology from you for the inference.

[Plasmodium 2,232]

26 minutes ago, Jaroslav Hasek said:

don't follow you. we 'fixed' our rankings methodology five years ago. we didn't just decide to not factor in injury default to ensure DeSanto would be ranked ahead of RBY. Please apologize for insinuating otherwise. Thank you. 

 

what would you like to know? 

TBH, I'd like to know why you never talk about anything BUT flo anymore.  You used to have a lot of jokes, produced killer maps and many other contributions.  I know you are lurking because it is crickets until some one messes with your ranking algorithm and then you are on 'em like a spider monkey.

[Marcus Cisero 342]

“Why is FLO infatuated with Austin DeSanto?”  FLO is infatuated with wrestling in general with greater emphasis on the best of the best. Austin falls in that category, despite going off the rails sometimes. What FLO did in this story is provide scenarios where this talented wrestler can still win it all. They also know Austin will see this story and perhaps gets something from it that keeps his mind in check and his feet on the ground.

I’ve always enjoyed a good comeback story and I believe it’s still not too late for Austin to believe in himself and his abilities and pull off 1^st place wins twice in March. That will shut us all up real fast.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Marcus Cisero

[Jaroslav Hasek 2,047]

1 hour ago, Plasmodium said:

TBH, I'd like to know why you never talk about anything BUT flo anymore.  You used to have a lot of jokes, produced killer maps and many other contributions.  I know you are lurking because it is crickets until some one messes with your ranking algorithm and then you are on 'em like a spider monkey.

Every since Flo started paying me they get first dibs on all the cool maps, graphs and content. I am open to moonlighting if the mat dot com would like to hire me freelance. You can also find a lot of jokes on twitter. Flo doesn't mind if I give those out for free. And I don't mean to sound like a scold but sometimes I feel compelled to correct people that are spreading misinformation. That's just the spider monkey in me!

[Wrestleknownothing 1,462]

Because compelling stories are infatuating?

[TBar1977 4,498]

Its also because he wrestles for Iowa. If he were still at Drexel there'd be a fraction of the coverage. 

[Housebuye 2,422]

He is fascinating. He has the whole feel good Spencer thing in high school where he could’ve teched his way to a state title but instead dropped a weight class to try and take out arguable the best high schooler in PA history. He managed to do it somehow. 
  
He also has some mental challenges (no he isn’t dumb).

He was doing a ton for the Drexel program at first. Flo only started hyping his college career when he got a minute tech with like 8 takedowns. It was nuts. 
  
Then we start to realize he is actually good. 
  
He has that insane Micic thing and then the worst meltdown ive ever seen in R12, losing you a guy he was killing becuase he refused to try on bottom. It was super weird. 
  
Then he goes to Iowa and starts beating guys like Suriano, talking ****, etc. 

His whole story is facinating. Add to that his matches are awesome both technically and work ethic wise and you can see why he is so polarizing. 
  
Flo is giving us what we want

[Housebuye 2,422]

12 hours ago, TBar1977 said:

Its also because he wrestles for Iowa. If he were still at Drexel there'd be a fraction of the coverage. 

Somewhat, but his coverage aggressively started in college when he had that crazy tech in like November of his TF year at Drexel. I learned a lot about the Drexel program because Flo and others did so many interviews with their coaching staff. Those only happened because if DeSanto and that special Flo did on him. 
  
Iowa definitely helps, but he would be the most polarizing wrestler if he was at Drexel too. In fact, it may have been even more coverage as his antics wouldn’t have been reigned in to the same extent I don’t think. Drexel coaches don’t have the pull of a Terry Brands and Spencer Lee on Austin. Nobody could give Austin a real go besides the coach at Drexel. At Iowa he is probably like #5 in the pecking order when the freestyle guys are around