From the corner chair

A new view

I did something Tuesday night I hadn't done in years - I watched the Midlands Championships from the comfort of my in-laws' couch.

Generally, if I'm not covering something, I'm not watching it. The one big exception is the Chicago Bears, but that's a story for another day ... another year.

But watching the Midlands on the Big Ten Network on Tuesday gave me a new view, a different look. Sitting next to me was my nephew from Dallas, Pearson Byrne, whose father, Rick, wrestled at old Regis High School and Loras.

Although "P-Dog" had heard about wrestling from his dad and "pappa" this was the first time he'd seen this top-notch action. He asked lots of questions about scoring and the wrestlers, but picked it up fast. This was another new deal for me, explaining the little knowledge I have to a willing listener.

We were impressed with the peformance of Daniel Dennis, Brent Metcalf and Ryan Morningstar from Iowa. I also was impressed to see Iowa State get five in the finals, although the Cylcones have work to do after losing all five bouts. I was shocked when Jake Varner lost in the finals.

But that's the beauty of wrestling - a lesson Pearson learned, too - anything can happen when two skilled athletes go head-to-head.

Happy new year to all - and keep an eye on this Iowa-ISU battle. It's not over yet.

Be patient, Cyclone fans

Jamie Pollard wasted little time getting Iowa State a new football coach and, it appears, this one is more about substance than flash.

Reading some comments on-line, it looks like Cyclone fans are split on the hire. Players seem happy and many are announcing they are staying put.

Does this all sound a little familiar?

Kirk Ferentz was a former Iowa assistant many years before he became the Hawkeye coach. Some didn't remember his time as an assistant and many thought it was a bad hire.

Many wanted then-AD Bob Bowlsby to hire Bob Stoops.

Sound familiar?

Many ISU fans wanted Pollard to get Mike Stoops. Some are questioning this hire and many don't remember his years on Dan McCarney's staff.

Sound familiar?

I know nothing about the new ISU coach, other than what's in the news release. But I'll say the same thing today I said 10 years ago when Ferentz was hired - give the man a chance; be patient.

Good things don't always come surrounded by smoke (and mirrors).

What a show; Tsirtsis honored

If you missed Saturday's dual between Iowa and Iowa State, you missed quite an event.

It was the barnburner of some past Iowa-ISU duals, but the crowd itsel was fantastic.

One of the stars of the show was Alex Tsirtsis, who was honored Monday for his win over Nick Gallick.

Here is the release from the University of Iowa:

COLORADO SPRINGS, CO - Hawkeye senior 141-pounder Alex Tsirtsis has been named TheMat.com Wrestler of the Week for Dec. 2-8.

The third-ranked Tsirtsis posted a 4-2 win over second-ranked Nick Gallick to lead No. 1 Iowa to a 20-15 win over No. 2 Iowa State before 15,955 fans at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. It was the largest dual meet crowd in NCAA history.

Tsirtsis' win at 141 pounds provided a huge boost as the Hawkeyes won 6 of 10 matches over the Cyclones. Tsirtsis scored a reversal with one second left in the match to pull out the win.

Tsirtsis, a senior, is in his fourth year as a Hawkeye starter. He placed seventh in the 2006 NCAA Championships. He red-shirted during the 2007-08 season before jumping back into the Iowa lineup this season.

Each week, TheMat.com will select an Athlete of the Week, based upon performance within wrestling for that week. The selection committee will consider any level of wrestling, from youth programs through the Senior level.