The Guillotine Grapevine

The fitting representation of the Axe of St. OlafWhat’s the most notable sports story that’s involved St. Olaf in the past 18 months outside of its announcement to drop wrestling?The answer, known to the entire sporting world, is the school’s place in the fight to kick out Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference juggernaut St. Thomas out of the conference.The story wasn’t just prominent in the Star Tribune here in Minnesota, but it made the AP and even ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt noted the boot. If you scratch the surface of the St. Thomas story, you find St. Olaf. So when wrestling gets cut, what are the optics? From the top down, it looks like there’s an allusion to giving up rather than fighting. Quitting, rather than getting better. Yes, you got beat 97-0 in football to a school with more students. Let’s rally the troops and kick them out of the conference. No, you didn’t give your wrestling team and its student-athletes the basic resources teams need to be competitive – let’s penalize them even further by ruining their college experience with no option to save it. The school has made its priorities known, being competitive isn’t what they want to be known for. I’m Hall of Fame wrestling announcer and writer Jason Bryant and today on The Guillotine Grapevine, I continue to look into the issues at St. Olaf surrounding its wrestling program and talk with alum Ryan Timmerman, a two-time All-American for the program under coach Sean Ahrar. SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Castbox | RSS SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to SUPPORT THE SHOW and all the on-demand audio offerings, free newsletters and historical research AND you want to get some of that cool Compound gear, you can support this program by making a small monthly contribution to the network by following this link: https://patreon.com/mattalkonline/ GET DAILY WRESTLING NEWS! You like wrestling news, right? Of course you do. Did you know you can sign up for FREE to subscribe to the Mat Talk Online DAILY WRESTLING NEWS e-mail newsletter that's published EVERY morning with the previous day's top news stories from outlets all around the globe. It's free and it's a great way to start your wrestling day. Sign up at http://www.mattalkonline.com/news

What level of a responsibility should a college have to take care of its students? That’s the question Florida’s Melissa McGlynn has for the entire St. Olaf College administration. By now, the Minnesota wrestling community knows that St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minnesota announced it would discontinue wrestling at the end of the 2019-20 season. This announcement was released after business hours on Friday, October 18. I’m Hall of Fame wrestling writer and broadcaster Jason Bryant, and this is a special series of The Guillotine Grapevine about the impending loss of the St. Olaf Wrestling Program. Today’s episode takes the parental perspective as I talk with Melissa McGlynn of Florida. Her son Robbie is a freshman this season at St. Olaf and came to Northfield to wrestle. The saying silence is golden has been used in many different forms over the years. One I remember was from AMC theaters back in the 1990s. In the case of St. Olaf College, silence is golden is becoming the rallying cry from the school’s athletic and academic administration. When the news dropped on Friday, the timing was deliberate. The Friday afternoon news dump is designed to mitigate response during business hours. On Monday morning, me and many other wrestling fans and specifically St. Olaf parents and alums went looking to Athletic Director Ryan Bowles and school President David Anderson for answers. After two requests from Bowles were shot down, as he declined the opportunity offered to answer the athletic administrative side of the story, I tried Anderson. Messages for Anderson’s office weren’t declined – they weren’t answered. Also unanswered was a request to Facilities Coordinator Judy Tegtmeyer. To be honest, St. Olaf wrestling has not been good for a while. A dismal win-loss record in dual meets and a small roster size. The program still been in the top 20 in recent memory. It’s not very hard for a Division III wrestling program to get good quickly. All it takes is two good recruiting years. The value comes with Sean Ahrar, an Iranian-born U.S. military veteran who has served as the program’s head coach for the past 15 years. That’s also a part-time position. Ahrar has no paid assistant by the school and operates on what’s been reported as a $25,000 a year budget. I have to go on those numbers, since as a private institution, St. Olaf is under no obligation to provide anyone, other than themselves, those numbers. Ahrar is firm, a man of strong convictions and a very no-nonsense demeanor. He cares about his athletes, as evidenced by working full-time hours for a job that pays him less than a student might make at the nearby Taco John’s in Northfield. Ahrar is also convincing. His athletes believe in him. But what’s also important is the parents also believe in him as someone who can teach and coach their sons. So when the very thing these student-athletes came to school for, wrestling, gets cut, it’s logical they’d want answers. They aren’t getting any as Bowles and Anderson, and essentially they’re sticking to the silence is golden motto. Now, we get a parent perspective and how a school isn’t just cutting a program, it’s cutting off the parents of tuition-paying students from around Minnesota and the country. We hear from McGlynn and get some information from another parent, John Ridgway. All that on part one of our special Guillotine Grapevine series covering St. Olaf wrestling.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | Spotify | Google Podcasts | Castbox | RSS SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to SUPPORT THE SHOW and all the on-demand audio offerings, free newsletters and historical research AND you want to get some of that cool Compound gear, you can support this program by making a small monthly contribution to the network by following this link: https://patreon.com/mattalkonline/ GET DAILY WRESTLING NEWS! You like wrestling news, right? Of course you do. Did you know you can sign up for FREE to subscribe to the Mat Talk Online DAILY WRESTLING NEWS e-mail newsletter that's published EVERY morning with the previous day's top news stories from outlets all around the globe. It's free and it's a great way to start your wrestling day. Sign up at http://www.mattalkonline.com/news

Minnesota USA Wrestling head Greco-Roman coach Dan Chandler talks about the performances of the 16U team in Greco-Roman and some of the challenges that the style presents when coaching at all levels. All three 16U champions, Caleb Thoennes, Jore Volk and Gavin Nelson, all join the show. They also verify or dispel rumors of coach Justin Lavalle's fashion and driving ability.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feedSUPPORT THE SHOWAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too.

Minnesota USA Wrestling head freestyle coach Jayson Ness talks about the performances of the team in freestyle. We'll also talk with Junior freestyle national champion Patrick Kennedy.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feed

A national event has a distinctly Upper Midwest presence as the 2019 USA Wrestling Junior & 16U Nationals will come to the Fargodome just across the Red River in Fargo, North Dakota from July 13-19. On this episode of The Guillotine Grapevine, we visit with Steve Saxlund, a Pipestone, Minnesota, native who was a four-time All-American and three-time NCAA Division II champion at North Dakota State.Saxlund is part-owner in a NDSU-themed bar and grill called Herd & Horns, which rolls out the green and gold carpet for wrestling fans this coming week. Saxlund talks about the impact of the tournament on the business, the impact of the other tournament that's known around Fargo, the Rumble on the Red, before diving into his backstory on what pushed him to compete and battle at NDSU after winning a state title in 1A back in 1996.SUPPORT THE SHOWIf you'd like to SUPPORT THE SHOW and all the on-demand audio offerings, free newsletters and historical research AND you want to get some of that cool Compound gear, you can support this program by making a small monthly contribution to the network by following this link: https://patreon.com/mattalkonline/GET DAILY WRESTLING NEWS!You like wrestling news, right? Of course you do. Did you know you can sign up for FREE to subscribe to the Mat Talk Online DAILY WRESTLING NEWS e-mail newsletter that's published EVERY morning with the previous day's top news stories from outlets all around the globe. It's free and it's a great way to start your wrestling day. Sign up at http://www.mattalkonline.com/news

Another Storm roundtable edition, this time coming from Insight Brewing in Minneapolis. Join host Jason Bryant along with World Teamer Pat Smith, past World Teamer Jordan Holm, Canada's Joe Dashou and Norway's Hans Martin Male as they talk about the recent happenings in wrestling and how it relates to Minnesota and the Minnesota Storm.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | Spotify | Google Podcasts | RSS SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to SUPPORT THE SHOW and all the on-demand audio offerings, free newsletters and historical research AND you want to get some of that cool Compound gear, you can support this program by making a small monthly contribution to the network by following this link: https://patreon.com/mattalkonline/ GET DAILY WRESTLING NEWS! You like wrestling news, right? Of course you do. Did you know you can sign up for FREE to subscribe to the Mat Talk Online DAILY WRESTLING NEWS e-mail newsletter that's published EVERY morning with the previous day's top news stories from outlets all around the globe. It's free and it's a great way to start your wrestling day. Sign up at http://www.mattalkonline.com/news

Brandon Paulson is set to be inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame this weekend in Stillwater, Oklahoma. But even though Paulson has that important moment forthcoming, he's had a number of moments with the PINnacle School of Wrestling this summer. Paulson comes by the studio to give his perspective on the Gopher wrestling season, the season of freestyle and Greco and how well represented the club is on the USA world teams.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts | Stitcher | Spreaker | Spotify | Google Play Music | RSS SUPPORT THE SHOW If you'd like to SUPPORT THE SHOW and all the on-demand audio offerings, free newsletters and historical research AND you want to get some of that cool Compound gear, you can support this program by making a small monthly contribution to the network by following this link.. GET DAILY WRESTLING NEWS! You like wrestling news, right? Of course you do. Did you know you can sign up for FREE to subscribe to the Mat Talk Online DAILY WRESTLING NEWS e-mail newsletter that's published EVERY morning with the previous day's top news stories from outlets all around the globe. It's free and it's a great way to start your wrestling day.

NCAA Division I Gopher Wrestling Preview from the floor of the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with Minnesota head wrestling coach Brandon Eggum.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feedSUPPORT THE SHOWAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too.

With over 30 years of coaching experience, the last 26 at Minnesota State in Mankato, it was inevitable Jim Makovsky would reach 300 victories. Now standing at 302 career coaching victories, with 279 of them in Mankato, Makovsky talks about what led him to a career in coaching from his time at Valley City State, how he quit his job, proposed to his wife and pulled all his money out of the bank - on the same day. A music aficionado, the interview almost got derailed early talking about Minnesota concert venues. A likable and ethical coach, Makovsky talks about the challenges and benefits of choosing Division II and Minnesota State-Mankato as a student-athlete. He also tells the story behind how he ended up giving back a half-point at the 2008 NCAA Division II championships due to a scoring error he found, and what the ramifications of that move actually were.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feedSUPPORT THE SHOWAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too.

Team videographer Cole Schrupp joins The Guillotine Grapevine to talk about his career in the sport, coming from Watertown and what his life's been like around Gopher wrestling. Schrupp started out his college years at Minnesota State before transferring to Northern Michigan and working closely with the school's Greco-Roman program and Minnesotans Andy Bisek and Chas Betts, among others.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feedSUPPORT THE SHOWAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too.

Episode 52 of The Guillotine Grapevine recaps Sunday's Golden Gopher win over Rutgers at Maturi Pavilion. The eighth-ranked Gophers beat their visitors from New Jersey 22-15 and after the dual, I talk with Rutgers head coach Scott Goodale, Minnesota 157-pounder Steve Bleise, Gopher head wrestling coach Brandon Eggum and Big Ten Network broadcaster Shane Sparks.Do we have more questions than answers at 133 pounds? Listen in to find out.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feedSUPPORT THE SHOWAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too.

Heading into November 25th's dual at Maturi Pavilion, The Guillotine Grapevine catches up with new South Dakota State head coach Damion Hahn. A four-time All-American and two-time NCAA Division I champion for Minnesota, Hahn left Cornell after 12 seasons as an assistant coach and came back to the midwest. Hahn talks about his foundations in wrestling, how he dealt with being the best guy on a losing high school team and how he chose Minnesota and how the team component was a big part of it.Hahn goes year-by-year as a Gopher, talking about the influences on him as a wrestler before he got into coaching with Rob Koll at Cornell. We then circle back as to how Hahn broke away from his own conventional thinking with what he wanted from a coaching job and how Justin Sell, the AD at South Dakota State changed all that.While Hahn is coaching at a school looking to poach Minnesota talent from the state, it's a good trip down memory lane for Gopher fans.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feed

We'll recap Oklahoma State's 23-9 win over Minnesota on Episode 50 of The Guillotine Grapevine. Among guests on this episode are Oklahoma State's Daton Fix, Gopher head coach Brandon Eggum and Gopher wrestlers Gable Steveson and Mitch McKee.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feedJOIN THE TEAMAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too.

We're going to #BurnTheBoats with University of Mary head wrestling coach Adam Aho on the latest edition of The Guillotine Grapevine. Aho is a Frazee native who wrestled at North Dakota State before venturing to coach high school for a couple of seasons. He had an opportunity to coach with Jim Makovsky down in Mankato before the Mary gig opened up.We'll talk about his time in Frazee and what it's like wrestling with that program, his relationship with Bucky Maughan and what it's been like building a program in Bismarck.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feed

Coming off homecoming, the Gopher wrestling program looks to some important upcoming dates to not just engage the community, but develop programs to fund the future of Gopher wrestling. On Episode 48 of The Guillotine Grapevine, we visit the wrestling offices at Bierman to talk to head coach Brandon Eggum about the upcoming opening of the new wrestling room, the Wrestling Gala featuring Tony Dungy and the home-opener coming in November against Oklahoma State.Coach Eggum also talks about the lineup a bit and welcoming back Damion Hahn back to the midwest.SUBSCRIBE TO THE GUILLOTINE GRAPEVINEApple Podcasts: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/guillotine-grapevine-podcast/id1032548516?at=11ly5XStitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/mat-talk-podcast-network/the-guillotine-grapevine-mat-talk-podcast-network?refid=stprSpreaker: http://www.spreaker.com/show/the-guillotine-grapevineSpotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4VKmfx02sKGNFKyPa1koFb?si=u-Ks2gvKQbmbPWjroWON2QGoogle Play Music: https://play.google.com/music/m/Ifu46r7ti5hq4f6c54j43jtwb24?t=The_Guillotine_Grapevine_The_Podcast_for_the_Land_of_10000_Wrestlers__Mat_Talk_Podcast_NetworkRSS: https://www.spreaker.com/show/1498950/episodes/feedJOIN THE TEAMAnd if you're a fan of the extensive and broad-based reach of the shows on the Mat Talk Podcast Network, become a TEAM MEMBER today at www.patreon.com/mattalkonline. There are various levels of perks for the different levels of team membership. If you like wrestling content -- scratch that -- if you LOVE great wrestling content, consider becoming a team member. You'll get some cool stuff too.