Week-End Salvo

[Oracle]

Really depressing off-season. Ok, let's move on.

Lehigh recruiting was very good again this year. We aren't going to bring in elite 4-year starters like Penn State, Iowa, Okla St and Ohio State. We just need 2-3 per year that will develop. Coach Santoro has been doing that. LU is not an elite (top 10) program at this point in time, but we are very, very good. Academically, it's a major commitment for our guys but we are not the only EIWA school with high classroom standards. In fact, as far as wrestling goes, the EIWA is "the" academic conference -- at least according to the recent All-Academic Rankings.

The academies are obviously the hardest given the military demands on a Mid/Cadet's time. I'll wager both USNA and USMA laugh at how we Lehigh fans degrade Cornell for using SUNY-Ithaca for admissions. LU has targeted aid and the 5th year option. Yes, they have NAPS and MAPS which guarantees admission if completed, but it's not the same.

There is no conceivable way the academic track at Cornell is easy. No one will ever convince me of that. Ag School is probably the best in the country.

Where the Ivies do have an advantage is after admission. Most understand the hardest thing about the Ivies is getting in. Once matriculated, I've had numerous friends of mine from Brown, Yale, Princeton and Harvard tell me grade inflation is real. The Ivies do not tend to bust chops on students that highly qualified with the reasoning being it encourages academic freedom and thus learning. I buy that by the way.

Bucknell, American, Drexel, Hofstra, Sacred Heart, F&M, SUNY-Binghamton and LIU-Post -- these are all top notch institutions. There are not a lot of places for athletes to hide academically in meaningless majors leading to weak degrees.

Lehigh is one of many in the EIWA, not special other than in tradition and winning record. LU has a premier facility, admin support, superior staff, great location for recruiting, targeted aid and a loyal fan base. LU allows red shirting.

While our main rival, Cornell, has significant advantages of their own, they still must adhere to Ivy rules which are draconian at times.

I still believe Cornell and every other Ivy school thinks '9.9 is for suckers' but as far as crying about it, well, that's bogus. Everyone works their system to their best advantage....within the rules. Let the best team win.

Looks like CU will be loaded this coming year while Lehigh will be re-tooling quite a bit of their line-up. Don't go to sleep on Army or Navy. Princeton, with UPenn closing on the outside, are other teams to watch.

Have a great week end everyone!

[D3 for LU]

It's good to hear that the B&W have landed a nice group of wrestlers that will ultimately, develop into quality wrestlers that will break into the lineup at some point in their career.
Though the Big Elephant in the room is still, Covid-19.
Until, a vaccine is available... imho, there's not going to be any contact sports at the college level, AT ALL!
Do any of you out there, think otherwise?
(I was lucky that I caught the live action of the EIWA'a @ Stabler this past March, before that hammer fell on the season.)

Hopefully... the scientist and technicians involved in seeking The Solution to this virus, will discover it real soon.
Patience!

Everyone Stay Safe!
D3

[jdalu75]

Until, a vaccine is available... imho, there's not going to be any contact sports at the college level, AT ALL!
Do any of you out there, think otherwise?

Dusting off my crystal ...... I believe there's a good chance that you are correct. Seton Hall Pirate feels the same way over on The Mat forum -- he thinks it's unlikely there will be a 2020-21 wrestling season. We should at least begin planning now for a January through March season.

Regarding a vaccine ...... best case scenario is that a vaccine becomes available in more than lab quantities a year from now. The first to receive it will be those at risk -- health care workers, the elderly, the infirm. Healthy young athletes will probably be at the back of the line.

The worst case scenario -- medical science has been searching for a vaccine for dengue fever for a century. The last one tried made folks worse, not better. The worst case scenario is that there is no vaccine.

[gimpeltf]

Even Slaoui said he thought it was possible to have a few hundred million ready by the end of the year. Only need about 7.5 billion more!

[NothingMeaningful]

Even Slaoui said he thought it was possible to have a few hundred million ready by the end of the year. Only need about 7.5 billion more!

Actually, Slaoui told Trump it was possible. Had he not said that, he would not have gotten the job. Does he believe it? Who knows.

[LU808]

Even Slaoui said he thought it was possible to have a few hundred million ready by the end of the year. Only need about 7.5 billion more!

A few hundred million pretty much takes care of the US....follow on shipments can go overseas.

[jdalu75]

Even Slaoui said he thought it was possible to have a few hundred million ready by the end of the year. Only need about 7.5 billion more!

Interesting that the choice to lead the American vaccine effort is a Moroccan-born immigrant. I'd have thought we'd have held out for someone from Norway.

[Richb-3]

Even Slaoui said he thought it was possible to have a few hundred million ready by the end of the year. Only need about 7.5 billion more!

Interesting that the choice to lead the American vaccine effort is a Moroccan-born immigrant. I'd have thought we'd have held out for someone from Norway.

Wasn't there a young blond lady of Viking heritage working for an unnmaed Federal administration who said she did not Know Norway was a primarily white country?

[Richb-3]

Although one can get an excellent education at many Public Universities, Fact is that there only about 5 institutions outside of the EIWA that have the entrance requirements of Most of the EIWA. Davidson Duke, Northwestern, Air Force, and Stanford. And Frankly I have my suspicions about one of those, (Due to one excellent Football pro HS wrestler). So about one quarter of D1 wrestling schools need to recruit from 10-15% of potential students. (and of course the the other three quarters can also go after the top students.)

[jdalu75]

Wasn't there a young blond lady of Viking heritage working for an unnmaed Federal administration who said she did not Know Norway was a primarily white country?

Danish-German, according to Wikipedia.