Wrestling Blogs - Martin Floreani

Im not surprised by the events at ASU. Disappointed beyond consolation? yes, but surprised?...no. You reap what you sow. The wrestling leadership, the NWCA (not to be confused with the NCWA) has lead wrestling down a path where this will happen time and time again. So Dont be surprised by Arizona State dropping their wrestling program and dont be surprised if it happens again this year to another program. Im an optimist but Im also a realist.

Wrestling is the greatest and most exciting sport in the world. I have no doubt about this. I have no doubt about the long term survival of the sport. Wrestling will prevail, just not with the current NWCA leadership.

We are beginning to realize now that the NWCA is inept. It is time to take action. Wrestling doesnt need an initiative to change it to an activity to fight obesity in this country, as Mike Moyer has proposed. That is diluting and belittling our sport. Wrestling is a sport...the greatest of sports not merely an activity.

Mike Moyer and the NWCA (which is a nonprofit) have fought with me for the last two seasons now on opening up results for all media companies. Currently every NCAA program is mandated to enter results onto the NWCA site. (Only intermat, which is owned by the NWCA, has comprehensive results.) Would that action have saved Arizona State Wrestling? It might be a small but important detail that can eventually be a tipping point for wrestling. The NWCA and Mike Moyer's failure to open up results, however, is an example of how warped their organization has become and the type of leader Mike Moyer is.

The NWCA, with Mike Moyer's six figure salary, is in a constant fund raising effort to fund more of Mike's crazy ideas like the downgrading of wrestling branding from a sport to an activity. If it is not that ludicrous idea it is paying for lawyers to fight Title IX and getting no where. (99% of us could of told you where that Title IX battle was going).

I dont know Mike very well personally but my evaluation of his actions are that he is short sighted beyond any kind of leadership position. Mike Moyer doesnt want to open up NCAA results because the NWCA owns intermat, a media company sponsored by Brute Athletics that draws people to its site because it is the only site that has comprehensive results. Conflict of interest....yes. A benefit to wrestling....no. This is how the NWCA has evolved. They have evolved into an organization that looks for ways to fund its overhead even if it goes against what it is trying to protect.

Wrestling needs to get behind women's wrestling and stop fighting Title IX! This is something that the NWCA has decided not to do wholeheartedly. Why? Women's wrestling is great for our sport even if some big dogs think otherwise. Even some at USA Wrestling are disappointed with the NWCAs hollow efforts in this realm. For the first time ever I might be on the same page with some at USA Wrestling! We need someone to stand up to big dogs like J Robinson and say "this is the right thing to do even if you dont feel so." Instead Mike Moyer has taken the easy road and has chosen to continue to fight Title IX in a hopeless battle.

Regardless of your position on Women's Wrestling IT is clear to everybody that the NWCA cannot put together a long term plan to combat the decline of division I wrestling programs in this country. As the coaches of the NCAA you need to do what you can to step in and pull Mike Moyer from his position...he is not capable of making and following through on a long term plan that produces results. If appropriate to your program you can support a change by deciding to not go to the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals. They recieve a huge chunk of their revenue through this event.

I like J Robinson a ton and I think he has done amazing things as a coach, but I disagree with him and many other top coaches on Womens Wrestling and its role. I think they can appreciate that I have a different point of view and respect it. Women's wrestling is an unpopular decision for many top Division I coaches. Even if you dont think that Women's wrestling is the answer you got to agree that whatever the answer is, Mike Moyer has not found it. One thing I learned from J Robinson is that "People are built for different things." Mike Moyer might be the perfect fit in a corporate environment where the status quo is desired to be maintained. However, it is clear he is not capable of being in an environment where the status quo needs to be changed.

J Robinson, Tom Brands, John Smith, Dan Gable and other top college coaches have had no problem pulling wrestlers that are not as likely for success on the mat and replacing them with wrestlers who are. They need to be as tough or tougher here on Mike Moyer. It is not personal it is essential! Unfortunately Mike Moyer will not resign and walk away from his six figure salary, but he must depart.


Facts:

In 2005 Mike Moyer made 104,624 excluding any benefits

People donated $271,957 of the $963,272 of the total revenue generated by Mike Moyer and the NWCA.

In 2005 Mike Moyer received as paid compensation 10.86% of the total revenue for the NWCA.

In 2004 the NWCA received $547,193 from gross receipts from admissions, merchandise sold or services performed in any activity. IE (Cliff Keen National Duals, All Star Meet)

The NWCA had $828,714 in assets at the end of 2005.

HERE is The 2006 Tax return(PDF Link)





Maybe you can help me on Questions I need answered:

How long has Mike Moyer been the executive director of the NWCA?

How many Division I wrestling teams were there in 1990?

How many total NCAA programs existed in 1990?

How much revenue does the NWCA make off the NWCA Cliff Keen National Duals?

What are Mike Moyer's specific achieved and projected results for his plan to have wrestling being the leader in combating obesity?

How long does this "combat obesity" plan take to achieve?

What results if any have been achieved with putting the NWCAs money into lawyers to fight Title IX? How much time and energy has been dumped into this fight and is still being pursued?