Jerry, put down the Marlboro, or whatever you are smoking, and look at it the way he probably meant to say it:

Some kids showed up at Brute and were already All Americans because they only had 4-8 kids in their brackets. When a kid can't qualify for Ks state, yet can win a "national" tourney, should it really be called a national tourney? Wichita Classic has out of state kids, but noone calls their kid an all american for placing there.

The tourneys that I call national level events are the Cliff Keen kickoff, Tulsa Nationals, Reno, Iowa Folkstyle Nationals, USJOC. I'm leaving some out for sure, but as examples these are the biggies. I think it is a disservice to the kids that have made the podium at these types of tourneys, to give All American status to kids that place at Brute by not winning a match.

It is nothing but GOOD for the kids to be on the mat, no matter the tourney, but I think the hype needs to be scaled back until they move it to a weekend that doesn't have Iowa folkstyle nationals and Reno Worlds going on at the same time.

See you at Andover Central tonight.

Doug