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The Word - All Comments


Wrestling is a great sport -- my favorite sport -- but let's face it, it's a sport of "aficionados". Either you get it or you don't. But there's plenty of kids to whom it should appeal -- all the kids who aren't supersized genetic freaks, but who possess otherwise extraordinary atheletic ability or work ethic, and have a chip on their shoulder: maybe they can't dunk a basketball, but you still wouldn't want to mess with them in your worst nightmare.

But wrestling is its own worst enemy, truly. I remember in the 90's when Iowa Public TV, which was the only medium recording this extraordinary sport, to which I subscribed religiously, year after year, suddently stopped selling their video-tapes nationwide, without explanation.
My point is, if the attitude is that your sport is the best-kept secret there is, you're gonna' get exactly what you asked for, obscurity. But I don't believe it has to be that way.
Blog
24 minutes ago by MCW NYC
29
Notre Dame College
Notre Dame College  ⋅  South Euclid, OH, US  ⋅  Nov 17, 2009
Zeb great Job what a team !!! You spent some time with this team and that's great .Straughn , Kaballa , Pelton & Primus look great .But watching Foore wrestle just freaked me out
Coverage
44 minutes ago by da ZEB fan
5
im in high school, and really the main reason wrestling isnt as liked as football and other sports is b/c its a "gay" sport. i cant tell you how many times ive heard "its just 6 minutes of guys rubbing up againstm each other and grabbing each other. i have lost my temper more than once. however, for some reason, many of the "popular" kids wrestle, while the other ones badmouth it every chance they get. in my school at least, wrestling is an enigma.
Blog
49 minutes ago by chris c
29
Derek Foore = This kid just loves the sport & Wadsworth -Coach G produced a class act and a wrestler that's well grounded and know's his root's- Good Luck D4 -Wadsworth is proud of you
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50 minutes ago by Griz
3
it had peppleman wrestling at 152 now hes in the finals at 160 wtf
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57 minutes ago by idk
22
Completely forgot he's there now. Man everyone moving so much these days. Thanks.
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less than 2 hours ago by Cliff Fretwell
7
Shouldn't be any trash talking in the Iowa practice room since Frayer is now at Wisconsin.
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less than 2 hours ago by vdc
7
Welch is straight up the man. So glad i had a chance to wrestle him at LL
Video
2 hours ago by F
6
Jared Frayer is awesome.
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2 hours ago by Jordan Stepleton
7
I like a lot of this, but the reality is that the wrestling community, by and large, is its own worst enemy.

How often do we hear these old curmudgeons say things like, "they never cared about us before, so we don't need them now"? Or "wrestling isn't about image."
The hell it's not.
Wrestling, in large part, has its issues because the community tends to be very conservative in respect to our outward appearance. Conservative in that we'd be just as happy working out and competing in some damp corner of a half-lit basement away from everyone else or that it is a sport for loners and no one can possibly understand us. Those mentalities are not conduscive to attracting student-athletes and supporters to our sport.
Also, current and former wrestlers need to do a far better job of supporting the sport. We are some cheap bastards, that is for sure. I just went to the Russia vs. USA meet at Wright College in Chicago this past Sunday. With a capacity of 2,500, the meet barely broke 1,000 in attendance on a nice Sunday afternoon less than one week into the season. Two years prior, the same meet took place on a Tuesday night, the week of sectionals during blizzard-like conditions and more than 7,000 people attended that meet. The difference? The first meet two years ago was free. This one was $10 for adults and $5 for kids 18 years and younger. Northwestern is lucky to draw 400 people for a home meet on a Sunday against some of the best teams in the country. I think they charge $5 a head to get in. How do we expect anyone else to support us if we're not willing to do it ourselves first?
One other aspect is that marketing is not the strong suit of most coaches in the wrestling community. I've seen many times where coaches give one effort to promote their programs and when the responses are lack luster they use those situations as the reasons to not put themselves out there again. Marketing yourself is just like anything else in your life, wrestling included; if you're not willing to put in the work to make yourself (or your team) successful, then you will not reap the rewards you want to receive, plain and simple. I cannot think of a single company or institution that has marketed themselves so effectively from their very beginnings that they've almost never had to worry about their image again. Building a successful brand with a consistent following takes time and repeated effort.
This is the perfect opportunity to use the kids on your team as junior marketing personnel within the school. Instead of it all coming from the top down, allow the kids to invite friends, teachers and administrators to the meets and not just spending 30 seconds on the PA once a week during home room. Have those guys, especially your team leaders, make up some sort of invitation to the next home meet so that they can hand them out in the hallways or during lunch time. Teach them to be approachable and to not be afraid to show their passion for the sport. have them go table to table at lunch time to let everyone in the school know that they're welcome to come and that you want them there. This type of social networking could bring in more student-athletes and those athletes have parents who spend money and some may want to be part of your booster. When parents are investing in the school's programs (academic and/or athletic) administrators tend to pay attention to this and want to support such endeavors.
Another point of view is that we need to drop the self-righteous act that wrestling is the toughest sport out there. I'm not saying it isn't top two or three, but to think that other sports like water polo or gymnastics don't require as much out of you is insane. Not that that people in other sports don't have this same attitude, but the pervasive ideology of "you'd never be able to hack it" when sizing up someone who hasn't done the sport certainly does us zero favors.
Finally, we need to give everyone (friends, family, neighbors, school personnel, local elected officials, etc.) every reason to be there in support of wrestling. Again, be open and continue to invite people to these events. Make them fun and interesting. Give the people in the crowd a show. If you do it right, people should begin to feel guilty for NOT wanting to see what it's all about if they've never been there before. You'll certainly not attract everyone when going to find them, but you'll never attract anyone by sitting there expecting them to find you.
Blog
2 hours ago by Tom M.
29
This dude looks just like Bill Murray.
Video
3 hours ago by Portage140
1
it needs more WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT..................WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!
Video
3 hours ago by More cow bell
7
These anouncers kill me. Jared Frayer makes an unbelievable throw in the opening minute agaist the top guy in the country and they have the lamest response ever. These guys kill our sport trying to be so very cool.
Video
3 hours ago by kill me
7
that was to funny. Good luck on the rest of the season Jarod, I look up to u. lol.
Video
3 hours ago by Woogi3
27
Is bisping still alive haha lol!!!!!!!!!!
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4 hours ago by Cookie
60
If the bearhug is a cheap takedown then many nationally ranked wrestlers give up cheap takedowns to King!
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4 hours ago by Anonymous Coward
11
How much weight is grey cutting?
Video
4 hours ago by Chris
5
Can somebody tell me if cauliflower ear, the type that Schwab had in the interview in this match adversely affects hearing? I would like to have that red badge of courage but only if my hearing will be fine. I do know our ears are generally shaped the way are to catch sound waves and steer them into the ear canal. I would have to assume that when the shape is destroyed to a flat surface as his are, the hearing would probably be affected?
Video
4 hours ago by Ohio Wrestler
7
Anthony Robles likes to figure 4 the head.
Video
4 hours ago by ok fan
25
my Bucks look a little out of shape.
Video
4 hours ago by Chris Wright
12
Tournment of Titans
Taylor High School  ⋅  Kokomo, IN, US  ⋅  Nov 22, 2009
Well over 120 youth wrestlers already pre registered on trackwrestling.com. This will be a great tournment and from the looks of it we will be pushing over 200 easily. Come and join us, all are welcome from ages 5-14!
Coverage
4 hours ago by Kris Workman
1
Sorry I'm late guys feel free to blast me. I hope this doesn't stir up too much trash talking at the Hawkeye practice today but seemed like a ironic match up to post and some intense hand fighting.

I think if Za doesn't give up the big move early the last period could have got very tense seeing as both these guys a deep gas tanks.
Video
4 hours ago by Cliff Fretwell
7
King backed up and played the edge. Maybe he can stall his way to a second national title.
Video
5 hours ago by Stall Call
11
2009 Oklahoma/Brockport Open
SUNY-Brockport  ⋅  Brockport, NY, US  ⋅  Nov 14, 2009
This was not an "Open" It is the "Brockport/Oklahoma Gold Classic" which is an invitation only event.
Coverage
5 hours ago by Anonymous Coward
1
Drew is a punk he caught me, who cares though i placed higher in states. LONG LIVE LONG BRANCH!!!!!
Video
6 hours ago by Scotty F.
1
My mom is the best coach ever! I love you mommy
Love,
Johnathan
Video
6 hours ago by John Guzzo
22
that kid in my high point siglet is really cute...If it aint blair i dont do it!
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6 hours ago by John guzzo
2
I love u Nathan
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6 hours ago by Mom
1
Ya man, that jake kick really kicked my butt. i heard he is out this year with a torn ACL. We should all pray for him... But man if he was here.. I would be scared :(
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6 hours ago by David Helmer
5
it was a pretty good match Keep wrestling
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6 hours ago by Brandon Harrington
4