putting words in my mouth....troll

It doesn't surprise me that he is going to Iowa. His demeanor from what I have seen is very similar to the Iowa wrestlers. In fact when I saw him at state it very much reminded me of how the Iowa wrestlers conduct themselves before and after matches. It rubs some people wrong both in high school and college.

It's always been interesting to me how successful people just can't win with the public eye. Like Tim Tebow, by all accounts he's one of the nicest most humble,giving people in sports yet people just love to bash him. Why? I don't know Gilman at all and I expect my kids to shake the coaches hand but I won't write the kid off for not doing it. I suspect that if he started, then a contingent of people would accuse him being an insincere smart aleck. He'd either be shaking it too long or not long enough. Or he'd only be doing it to make people happy.

Right on knightmare.

I know Thomas very well as he and Caleb used to train together for several years back when they were young. I have been with him on some dual teams and to Fargo...he is a great kid and only looking to go where he feels is the best fit for him. Tom and Terry Brands are very tough coaches and let's don't forget they wrestled 133 in college. Meaning they wrestle and train with the smaller guys and can probably relate to them better than let's say a middle or heavier weight wrestler. I wish he would have went to Nebraska but a guy has to do what he feel is best for him.

The guy doesn't shake hands....big deal...we've already had that debate and I can assure you it isn't out of disrespect for the opponents coach.

Oh and yes I'm a very big Tebow fan. Florida Gators could use him back right about now. He would have been one heck of a wrestler.

Sometimes that's just the reason people jump on others even when that person has shown the public they do great things on and off the mat or field. People can't rationalize that there can actually be superstars that do good off the field. It makes the others look bad and they don't like it.

I was hoping like heck that he would make it to Nebraska as the kid is a flat out stud. I will still root for him except when he faces a guy from UNL or UNK. I know he loves Iowa and the coaches, but with another top 125lber already committed, I would have reservations going myself or sending my son into a similar situation. Nebraska really needs to pick it up a notch in the recruitment of the lighter weights. Losing Gilman and Meeks earlier really hurts.

myred65
I agree whole heartedly. When I read the article and his comment about going and working with the best,,,wow!!!
I was very impressed!
Iron sharpens Iron.
That is what I would want my kid to say. I am going to go and try to be the best.

Got to beat him sometime...might as well see him in the practice room everyday so you know how.

Good Luck to Thomas. Deano, it sounds like your a little rejected. So enlighted us on the offer of the two programs. So did Ne offer the same Scholorship that Iowa did? I don't know, but it sounds like you do. Regardless of anything, I would think if your going to live somewhere for 5 years and be with the same coach and team mates day in day out, it needs to boil down to your comfort and YOUR decision. Did you ever think of that? Good Luck Thomas, can't wait to watch you in black and gold!

quote:

Originally posted by deano:
putting words in my mouth....troll

Maybe I'm not hip to the lingo, but how does that post make me a troll?

@letsgo....I am rejected.....I have zero idea about scholly offers and don't know how you would have gotten that from any of my posts. Like I said I wish him the best but hope that he gets crushed every time he wrestles a sker....don't think that is a bad thing, as fan is short for fanatic.....I hate everything Iowa and have for a long time, but now that they are our "rival" I despise them more

@Blue....you were trying to bait me in to a war of words which you may have just did, I never once said it was okay to boo him ever....

Well said, Deano.

Since Thomas made his choice based on hopes to fulfill an olympic quest, and not out of dislike for the "skers", he gets my full respect and admiration.

I wish him the best, no matter who or where he wrestles. I also wish more of our young athletes had the sense of purpose and strategic planning that he has. As they say in the Army, he has his s*&% together.

Hooah!
AB

Just think what Rulon Gardner, Jordan Burroughs and all of the other World and Olympic Team Members would have done is they would have went to Iowa.....

...and received training from Brands!

Iowa didn't have a single representative on the world teams this pst year. Nebraska had two, poor reason.

When I was at UNK there was a big debate on here about why kearney should take Jeff Rutledge as they already had Bryce Abbey, Trevor Charbs, and then Jeff. Also, Bauer brought in Juco National Champion 125 lb'er Brett Algood. Bryce ended up being a 4x AA and breaking UNK's career win record, Trevor was a 2x AA and National Champion, Rutledge was a 3x AA, and Algood was a 3x AA, 2x national Champion. It worked out for all of them. Growing into different weights, redshirting, injuries, development.... Iowa won't have a problem getting Gilman into the line-up.

I am as big a husker fanatic as the next guy, but I think the wrestling program leves quite a bit to be desired. It seems that the team is always young, top talent is always transfering...

On the flip side, the Skutt program mimics the Iowa program. And why wouldn't they? Morkel, DeVetter, Meneely, and now Gilman all to Iowa. Off the top of my head I can only think of one Husker they have produced. Their coach is a big Iowa fan too.

Best of luck to the kid. I'll root for him no matter which singlet he wears because I respect his dedication, tenacity, and focus. I could care less if he shakes hands. sure we want to be good sports.... shaking hands or not shaking hands does not have anything to do with what kind of person you are or what kind of sport you are.

(On a personal side note rant, does any one else get anoyed by seeing the post match hug? One of two things just happened: you got beat and look like your swinging from a jock strap hugging the dude that beat you, or you beat someone and what makes you think they want a hug?) Also, not liking Iowa and booing them at a national tournament feeds them. They like this "us against the world" mentality, and when a whole stadium boos them it plays into that.

This argument would have held water if Gable was still the coach. Brands is no Dan Gable. There are 3 former Hawkeyes that have qualified for the Olympic Trials next year. 2 of them, Zadick and Mocco are Zelinsky guys. Since he took over in '06 only one of his guys Metcalf has made a world team.

Maybe he's planning things one step at a time. D1 title then olypmic glory. If your goal was to win a national title in D1 wrestling, where is the best place to start? Iowa City. Make no mistake, I too wish he was a Husker. Landing him may have been the foothold that we need to get where we want to go but you can't blame him for wanting to focus on his own goals without the pressure of taking a whole program on his back. Can you imagine what the people that booed him for not shaking hands would do if he did anything but win a national title?

Wrestling in Iowa is just extremely different from that of Nebraska. Not that one is better or anything, Nebraska has had its fair share of great wrestlers, but the atmosphere in Iowa is day and night to Nebraska. I see that as the main reason for Thomas going to be a hawkeye. Wrestling is king in Iowa City, Pelini is king in Nebraska. Its just different. As for all the babies who complain about him not shaking hands....go turn on the tv and watch some college wrestling. God sakes in Iowa City its a rule not to shake the opponents coach hand. Get over it.

How is this even a debate? It's not like the best lineman from this state chose Iowa, then you could argue, but who wouldn't want to wrestle for one of the best programs in the country? Deano hate all things Iowa cause you will always have someone at the top of the podium to hate. Thomas good luck and do what no one from this state has done yet... Go to Iowa and be a national champ. It is funny that the debate of shaking hands is still going. I was watching the ESPN NFL experts talk about the Harbaugh and Schwartz handshake last week. Ditka said when he first meet Bud Grant, Bud said don't come over after the game looking for a handshake because I'm going to the locker room with my team. Ditka, Keyshawn, Tom Jackson all said they never shook hands before or after because at that point your my enemy. I know this is a different sport, but ours is worse because it is one on one and when the match is over I don't blame someone for not wanting to shake hands. Let them cool off, we are only asking for people to act out of emotion not logic, add a teenage boy to that and it doesn't usually end well.

miracle worker, you must be a young pup when you say that nobody from Nebraska has ever gone to Iowa and been a national champ. Nebraska has produced two DI national champs. Brad Vering, from Howells, was a champ at UNL. Nebraska's first national champ, Joe Scarpello, wrestled at Omaha Central. He won two national championships at Iowa. Why haven't you heard of him? Probably because he's older than me. He won titles in 1947 and 1950.

When you get to be an old goat like me you can tell people about Brad Vering and the kids will say, "Who".

Frank, I'm not as old as you but I have heard of Scarpello and I stand corrected. But Vering wrestled for Nebraska, so beside Scarpello nobody else has come from the Sate of Nebraska and gone to the University of Iowa and won a National Title. I hope that Thomas can do that!