Hey Chael, glad to see you recovered from that sick headlock that kid from the Air Force laid on ya at Battleground! That was the quickest head and arm I've ever seen. You are 100% correct about the state of wrestling. Thanks for all you do for us here in Oregon.
I have heard on here how we have to market personalities. A couple of them I have heard include TC Dantzler and Ben Askren. What is the one thing neither of them have?
They have never won a world level event or dominated their event on a world scene. How can you market an athlete as the face of your sport that just went 0-1 at the Olympic Games and then blamed it on a scale that he did not realize that was 5lbs off. USAW would have came off as a laughingstock.
We know Askren but he is raw internationally. Let's hope he does something this evening and then market it him to the main stream media. They are not going to want him without with some gold around his neck though.
What athletes is NBC promoting as their feature athletes? All WORLD or OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS. Walsh and May, Gay, Johnson, Phelps, Torres, Felix, Women's soccer, Women's softball and etc.
How quickly we forget four years ago in Athens when Gardner was all over the media or in 2000 when Baumgartner carried the Flag for the Opening Ceremonies? What did they two have. Olympic Gold Medals.
People want to market champions and winners. USAW has something with Cejudo now. He has the hardware to back it up with an incredible story behind it.
this guy is dead on. the wrestling community dose not need to get offended by his message, but accept it. he is on the money, saying what everyone else wants to say. flowrestling should help spread the word
USA Wrestling has come to identify with wrestling getting absolutely no media behind it. It accepts it, identifies with it, and has no idea how to create a buzz about the oldest and most exciting sport in existence. They have a diamond and don't know it.
Add TC Dantzler to your list of personalities that can make wrestling a premiere sport. If USA Wrestling does not know how to attach itself to the growth that MMA is getting it will get passed by the other forms of martial arts that will just do that. The train is leaving the station.
Thanks to Flowrestling for everything positive that you are doing for the sport.
Well spoken...he makes good comments. I realize that unless someone comes to him or someone like him and says "we want help or we need help" you can't just throw it at them
One off topic question for interviewer-you came to OR and interviewed Team Quest, but didn't bother to hit up any high schools or wrestling clubs in OR? Granted we don't have any coaches who look like Shrek or still live off of 70's fame, but we have some solid wrestling tradition in OR.
Well, I don't live in Colorado Springs and while I was with the group that put on the All-Star Classic, we asked for those interested in helping the cause to step up and help.
Everyone is so quick to cast the blame and rally around people who repeat the same lines over and over. Sit back and wait for someone to contact you because you have all these ideas? How large of you. This isn't directed specifically at Chael, whom I've only had limited interaction with and the last time that happened was probably 2001 in Battle Creek.
I'm not blinded by the fact things need to change on certain levels, but blanket statements attacking people who work tirelessly for this sport do nothing but splinter our movement. People "in the know" are reluctant to speak out on claims like these and attacks purported on the internet because frankly, any response makes them look bad and opens them up for the "power wash guys" to insert their opinions along with snide remarks.
My comment to Chael is this ... if you have ideas, why not present them to USAW or whomever, instead of patting yourself on the back regarding the MMA events (which I'm sure are great), and expecting them to come to you?
Sure, I never was an All-American, but instead of "throwing stones," how about "throwing solutions" and making them known instead of alluding to ideas IF they come to you first?
Why do all the self-proclaimed "promoters" assume USAW should contact them? How about making yourself available?
Perhaps if everyone that talks up what's wrong with USAW actually made a concerted effort to contact those folks, rather than expect to be contacted out of the blue, we'd be in better shape. There's three sides to every story and I don't understand why everyone will flock to believe anything they hear. The first thing that needs to change is fan apathy. No one wants to be proactive, we expect everyone else to do something and when it doesn't happen, we all say "well, I could have done it better" or "there's problems there."
Solutions? Were there any?
Then don't cast stones. If you love the sport, and have a desire for the sport, why would you not stand up and say. Hey, let me help you. Then if the refute his help. Shame on them. It is easy to say I am an expert and I can save the sport I love but I am not going to because no one asked me. He said he is a serious promoter and can sell out venues. Why not present a business plan to USAW.
Zeb, could have hit up him up with a couple good follow up questionts but it was easier to paint USAW as the bad guys.
No, he isn't going to volunteer his time to be that saviour that everyone wants. He just wants USA wrestling to get serious and do some business with serious promoters that will help wrestling.
OMG...I can't believe this interview. It is unfortunate that guys like Chael Sonnen make comments and people take them for the gospel. If Cael Sonnen was this amazing promoter and has such a love for the sport where was he when it was time to promote and help sell out the all-star meet when it was in Oregon. Here he is throwing stones which he says he is not doing and never offers a solution. I am so tired of hearing these people that our the saviors, yet what are they offering up.
HEY CHAEL...WHY NOT YOU GIVE THEM A CALL AND PRESENT A PLAN INSTEAD OF GOING ON FLO TO COMPLAIN. CALL THESE GROUPS AND OFFER YOUR SOLUTIONS.
Chael is correct wrestling needs a big time promoter. USA Wrestling does not promote, advertise, etc. like they should. Getting the dates wrong about the Olympic trials is SO wrong and embarassing. Chael and Kevin Keeney do a great job advertising their cage fights up here in the Portland, OR area. They leave cell messages, have large signs on main highways & interstates, etc. And the 3 fights I've attended were jam packed and very exciting. USA wrestling needs to call Chael for consulting for promotion.
Great interview, Chael makes a lot of great points. We need more people with a promotional slant in Wrestling, especially after the collegiate level. I couldn't agree more.
I wonder how tough the cut is to 185 after wrestling at 197?
Former DI AA Chael Sonnen is a major player in the MMA game. Chael started as a wrestler, now he wants to help wrestling get to next level. He also talks about the University of Oregon dropping wrestling and how we need to promote the sport. August 15, 2008
Chael Sonnen on Wrestling
They have never won a world level event or dominated their event on a world scene. How can you market an athlete as the face of your sport that just went 0-1 at the Olympic Games and then blamed it on a scale that he did not realize that was 5lbs off. USAW would have came off as a laughingstock.
We know Askren but he is raw internationally. Let's hope he does something this evening and then market it him to the main stream media. They are not going to want him without with some gold around his neck though.
What athletes is NBC promoting as their feature athletes? All WORLD or OLYMPIC CHAMPIONS. Walsh and May, Gay, Johnson, Phelps, Torres, Felix, Women's soccer, Women's softball and etc.
How quickly we forget four years ago in Athens when Gardner was all over the media or in 2000 when Baumgartner carried the Flag for the Opening Ceremonies? What did they two have. Olympic Gold Medals.
People want to market champions and winners. USAW has something with Cejudo now. He has the hardware to back it up with an incredible story behind it.
Add TC Dantzler to your list of personalities that can make wrestling a premiere sport. If USA Wrestling does not know how to attach itself to the growth that MMA is getting it will get passed by the other forms of martial arts that will just do that. The train is leaving the station.
Thanks to Flowrestling for everything positive that you are doing for the sport.
Everyone is so quick to cast the blame and rally around people who repeat the same lines over and over. Sit back and wait for someone to contact you because you have all these ideas? How large of you. This isn't directed specifically at Chael, whom I've only had limited interaction with and the last time that happened was probably 2001 in Battle Creek.
I'm not blinded by the fact things need to change on certain levels, but blanket statements attacking people who work tirelessly for this sport do nothing but splinter our movement. People "in the know" are reluctant to speak out on claims like these and attacks purported on the internet because frankly, any response makes them look bad and opens them up for the "power wash guys" to insert their opinions along with snide remarks.
My comment to Chael is this ... if you have ideas, why not present them to USAW or whomever, instead of patting yourself on the back regarding the MMA events (which I'm sure are great), and expecting them to come to you?
Sure, I never was an All-American, but instead of "throwing stones," how about "throwing solutions" and making them known instead of alluding to ideas IF they come to you first?
Perhaps if everyone that talks up what's wrong with USAW actually made a concerted effort to contact those folks, rather than expect to be contacted out of the blue, we'd be in better shape. There's three sides to every story and I don't understand why everyone will flock to believe anything they hear. The first thing that needs to change is fan apathy. No one wants to be proactive, we expect everyone else to do something and when it doesn't happen, we all say "well, I could have done it better" or "there's problems there."
Solutions? Were there any?
Zeb, could have hit up him up with a couple good follow up questionts but it was easier to paint USAW as the bad guys.
HEY CHAEL...WHY NOT YOU GIVE THEM A CALL AND PRESENT A PLAN INSTEAD OF GOING ON FLO TO COMPLAIN. CALL THESE GROUPS AND OFFER YOUR SOLUTIONS.
I wonder how tough the cut is to 185 after wrestling at 197?