Stu’s Hunt Down + EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Brandon Paulson
Posted on July 18th, 2008 – 11:00 AMBy Michael Rand
Personal Note from Stu: With the Summer Games right around the corner, it was suggested that I track down past Minnesota Olympians. It’s always easier to fulfill this request when the one local athlete you know is a Minnesota Olympian.
Name: Brandon Paulson
Claim to Fame, Minnesota: a three-time Class AA wrestling champion at Anoka HS and l998 All-American at the University of Minnesota.
Claim to Fame, Everywhere Else: took home a silver medal in Greco-Roman wrestling at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta (pictured), and has a laundry list of championships and achievements at every level of the sport. Perhaps more importantly, lost the 2007 Runyon’s FFL Super Bowl to me by a score of 70-46 (thanks once again, Aaron Stecker).
Where He Is Now: has been in the news recently for coaching Jake Deitchler, a fellow Anoka alum and the youngest U.S. Olympic wrestler in over 30 years. See the Strib and the New York Times for more details. He leaves for Beijing in a couple weeks.
Glorious Randomness: in an exclusive Stu’s Hunt Down Q&A, I had a chance to ask Brandon about a couple things.
STU: When you’re not working with Jake, are you still in the custom-built home business?
BP: I am still in custom home building business with my father. (Shameless plug) If anybody wants a custom home in the northern suburbs visit us.
STU: Can you name all the different places on the planet where you’ve had meets, trials, etc.? I know you’ve been pretty much everywhere. Will this be your first time in China?
BP: Countries I have been to for wrestling: Colombia, Dominican Republic, France, Italy, Greece, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Czechoslovakia (before the split), Czech Republic, Serbia, Poland, Russia, Uzbekistan, Japan, and went to China last year and coached Jake in the venue where the Olympics are being held. Never been to Canada. My two favorite places are Wladyslawowo (Poland) and Japan (People are great).
STU: Should the Vikings pursue Favre?
BP: Favre is a cheesehead — Tarvaris is the man. I think you should bid $20 for him in the upcoming draft. (NOTES FROM STU: 1. I picked up Favre for $1 last year. I’m awesome. 2. Brandon’s irrational disdain for the Packers almost makes up for him wearing his medal* to the draft every year.)
*He does not do this.
31 Responses to "Stu’s Hunt Down + EXCLUSIVE Q&A: Brandon Paulson"
I picked up Favre for $1 last year. I’m awesome.
I picked up Favre in week 5 or 6 last year in RBFFL, because no one bothered looking. I’m awesome.
Also with all of the FF talk, when does the RBFFL start up again? I’m excited to screw up my picks.
Also, fewer technical difficulties would be appreciated…thanks!
Hopefully, the prizes from last year’s league can be awarded at this year’s draft…
Also, let’s not be stupid and use AOL this year. Yahoo will work just fine.
Great Hunt Down, Stu. While he’s not an Olympian, how about a Hunt Down on World’s Strongest Man competitor Dave Ostlund? I find guys who can chuck kegs 20 feet over their heads to be quite fascinating. And I’m certain MET-Rx would sponsor.
Jon — the outcome of your world series video will not change regardless of when I get it to you.
Nice work, Stu. I’ve met Brandon’s sister and she is exceptionally decent (and a former Vikings cheerleader, no less), so I’m betting he’s a quality person as well.
AZGG: he’s a terrific guy, despite his FFL draft strategy of blowing 85% of his salary cap on two RBs every year.
Could you imagine a Football team with Brandon Paulson as RB and Rulon Gardner as Right Tackle.
(Extra points to me for glorious Olympic wrestling randomness!)
RBFFL: Are there spots open? Sounds fun.
What does he call that move pictured above where he’s suspended 5 ft in the air? Did he pay the Wachowski Brothers for the rights to use that?
Am I to assume the difference between standard wresting and Greco-Roman is that Greco-Roman is done on a trampoline, with the wrestler putting ghost opponents in headlocks?
He’d be a good match for Bill Murry. He likes his women to sleep above the covers…4 FT! above the covers.
I think I could have slammed a basketball with that jump, being all of 5′5″, and a wrestler, that is saying something. That move is what I do after beating Stu in FF, or when the Vikes beat the Packers
“I think I could have slammed a basketball with that jump”
You’re a wrester, do you even know what that means?
Nice huntdown, Stu. I’m all for wrestling related topics.
Wrestlers play something a little different on the bb court, we call it gorilla ball. No fouls allowed, i mean no foul calls allowed
Does this qualify as the first time we’ve had an actual athlete (not just people pretending to be Miles Tarver) on RandBall?
So kind of like the NBA for everyone but LaBron, Kobe, and Garnett
Dave
Wrestlers aren’t athletes. Now poker players on the otherhand…
Joker
you are right, we prefer to be called warriors
Joker,
Whether or not you knew that I used to wrestle, it’s funny either way.
Brandon,
I agree, “athlete” is far too broad of a term. “Warrior” is much more accurate.
I wasn’t lying.
It was really me.
Miles wasn’t an athlete. I was the source of all the talent.
My career was based on Miles Tarver missing layups.
you are right, we prefer to be called warriors
That’s definitely the real Paulson. Thanks for checking in.
I think the entire non-happening 2006-2007 season was based on Miles missing layups.
I used to know the Paulson twins that wrestled for Iowa State, are they related?
Merx,
No-
Great Huntdown.
Hey Brandon Paulson - in our pickup game BB game, 5′5″ makes you a center.
I think one of the reasons I liked Japan is because I was average height over there.
